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Thread: Surprising mando songs?

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    Registered User Fayedetoblack's Avatar
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    Question Surprising mando songs?

    Hey everyone- I just started learning some rock songs on the mando. So far I've really only learned In Your Letter and Take it on the Run by REO Speedwagon. Never really thought about it but rock can sound super good on the mando. This got me thinking- what are some songs that sound surprisingly good on the mandolin that might surprise someone? I guess in a "You can play that on the mandolin?" sort of way. Perhaps some heavy metal or something?

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    See the looong-running thread on this topic whose 13 pages, approaching 2 decades, by now lists hundreds of such songs, if not thousands.
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...-songs-w-mando

    Most likely, you'll soon realize that almost any song can benefit from some mandolin.

    (FWIW: One early personal accomplishment, then intended as a learning exercise, was to get the guitar part from the Eagles' "Witchy Woman". STILL love playing it on mandolin!)
    - Ed

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Are you averse to rock/pop songs that ARE on/with mandolin?
    Back in the High Life,
    Losing My Religion, and
    Battle of Evermore are in my repertoire.

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Along with the long thread Ed mentioned - and there are plenty of other threads in the Rock section, some a bit more surprising than others (David Gilmour? ), so a spin through there should be enlightening - there's this recent/current thread about people covering Beatles songs. Some surprising choices there.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Sound of Madness by Shinedown fits pretty well, as does the intro to Sweet Child of Mine by GNR. Especially fun to play on the Mandobird with a lot of distortion (as expected), but not bad acoustically. It’s kind of funny, but Sweet Child will always turn some heads in a music store, lol…
    Chuck

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Hadn't thought about personal contributions to this madness ... I'd have to include my Hendrix medley - "Purple Haze" & "Foxey Lady." They both start from the same 4253 Em7 chord, so they're a natural. I put "Foxey Lady" between the second and third verses of "Purple Haze" - just because I can, and want to. This was a standard piece of my busking repertoire. I pulled it out at a wedding gig a few months ago - the father of the groom got his mind blown. He videoed it, and said he's send it, but I have yet to see that. The happy couple got married at 4:20 on 4/20, so I don't think the guy remembers ...
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    The recently posted cover of Kiss by Prince blew me away
    Diego

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    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    I've been messing around with Donovan's "Season of the Witch" and the horn fills on "Mustang Sally."

    The Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog" is kinda fun on mando too!
    “Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher ‘standard of living’ is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free.” -- Aldo Leopold

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
    Girouard A
    Silverangel A
    Eastman 615

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The whole song sounds great, and the solo, when played completely on the D-string (let the open A ring along), works well.
    mando scales
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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Eddie Cochran's rockabilly classic "Summertime Blues," reimagined for mandolin, with a bit of The Who's flavor for good measure.

    I bet he did it in E; I do it in A for my voice, and for rocking-ness.

    The 2245 form enables a hammer-on riff similar to the original. The intro chord riff is 2245 2245 2245 2455 / 4677 4677 4677 2245

    After two verses, I do a solo that is derived from standard issue jug band riffs:

    5555320--002------ CHORD RIFF (Do this all twice)
    ---------34----320-0
    -------------------4-
    ---------------------

    2222555588888888 2245 chord (or whatever fill you like)
    5555999999999999
    ----------------------
    ----------------------


    2222555588888888 5555320--002-----
    5555999999999999 ---------34---320-0
    ---------------------- -------------------4-
    ---------------------- ---------------------

    I do that last 320 as a 16th note smear - it's more rock 'n' roll that way.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Oye Como Va is 5355, 4355

  15. #14

    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Here's a really nice version of "Little Wing":

    https://youtu.be/Yl6FwpTm1PA

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    I’ve listened to that version of little wing for years and would pay money for the sheet music / tabs. Great inclusion!

  17. #16

    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    I do several Little Feat songs on mandolin:

    Willin'
    Dixie Chicken
    Fat Man in the Bathtub
    Teenage Nervous Breakdown
    Sailin' Shoes

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Love Little Feat. Wouldn't even try to do too many of their songs, the way they do them being 1) perfect; 2) band related; and/or 3) beyond my capabilities as a solo performer. But I will do "Willin'" and "Sailin' Shoes" at the drop of a hat (or a tip), and an old band of mine did "Dixie Chicken" at just about every gig for nearly three years. A couple months ago I posted a version of that by way of demonstrating something or other and whipped up "Sailin' Shoes" to show how well solo mandolin can work (as far as my abilities go ). Should be easy enough to find. One of these days, I'd like to work up a version of "Lafayette Railroad," a cool little instrumental on DC.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent works really well on mandolin. I tend to play it on my Banjo Mandolin
    "Always carry a large flagon of whisky, in case of snake bite and, furthermore, always carry a small snake."


    Kevin

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prince of Darkness View Post
    Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent works really well on mandolin. I tend to play it on my Banjo Mandolin
    I would love to hear what that sounds like
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    The Grateful Dead's Tennessee Jed is lots of fun on the mandolin.

    Of course Dawg's mandolin contributions to the Dead repertoire are legendary.

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Any instrument is good for any kind of music. Pete Stampfel plays "Goldfinger" on banjo. David Lindley played "Minglewood Blues" on oud!

    Sometimes I play "Born to Be Wild" and "The Letter" on mando. It's fun.
    Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)

  24. #22

    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    More folk than rock… but the audience really seems to like Cat’s In The Cradle (in A) and Sound of Silence (in Am) on the mandolin.

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    A buddy wondered whether this would be possible, so ...

    still trying to turn dreams into memories

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    Default Re: Surprising mando songs?

    Lawdy! Back in the 80s (for goodness' sake) I had a sort-of girlfriend whose favorite bands/artists were Talking Heads and Frank Zappa. So for her, and for fun, I figured out "Psycho Killer," words and all. Had to look up the words in the bridge somewhere (pre-internet), being beyond my high school French. Every now and then I'd bring it out at a folk festival or some such place and scare all within earshot - and hopefully thrill or at least amuse a few. Such fun!

    Nice job. Thanks for goosing up that memory.

    PS: Word from Talking Heads is the original negative for "Stop Making Sense" has been found. So look for a greatly-improved-quality release in the not-too-distant future.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

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