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Thread: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

  1. #1
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    I have been watching the interesting Peter Jackson documentary "The Beatles - Get Back" and one thing that really impressed me is how great a rhythm guitar player John Lennon is. He has what I would call a "perfect" right hand and seems to be able to do any type of strum/rhythm part that is needed with ease. So it really delighted me during Part 2 (of 3) when he breaks into these perfect double-stop tremolos on his blonde Epiphone electric. A smoother, more fluid right hand you'll never see... all I could think to myself was gee, too bad this guy didn't get into the mandolin... he woulda been a natural!

    Hell who knows... maybe he and John Paul Jones had late-night mando sessions in cache behind the backs of the other "lads". The mind boggles!

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    Perhaps you already know that John started out on banjo, a gift from his Aunt Mimi, IIRC. He graduated to guitar and changed the world. But as we see here, he occasionally revisited his roots. George did more with mandolin than any other Beatle. There are a couple of numbers on "Gone Troppo," and another one or two somewhere else, I think. Paul had a minor hit with "Dance Tonight."

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    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    As a teacher I am always trying to have my students learn some Beatles tunes. Especially the beginner students who "want to play bluegrass". I always throw a few Beatles curveballs at them to get their chordal/melodic knowledge a bit more expansive...

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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    As a teacher I am always trying to have my students learn some Beatles tunes. Especially the beginner students who "want to play bluegrass". I always throw a few Beatles curveballs at them to get their chordal/melodic knowledge a bit more expansive...
    Rhythm YESTERDAY will do it.
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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    "Rhythm is everything" - Jaco Pastorius

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    Registered User Bren's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    He picked up so many different instruments in the Get Back series, once they got into the new Apple studio.
    Various guitars, a new lap steel that arrived in a box, another lap steel or dobro.
    The fender six string bass.
    Sure if there was a mandolin there he would've been on it.
    Bren

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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    I just don't buy that Lennon would have been into mandolin because it is so technical. McCartney did get into mandolins because he clearly enjoys that aspect of music (although he cares a lot more about songwriting). I don't dispute that Lennon had a great right hand and could have played mandolin if he cared to. But Lennon never felt confident in his technical ability and was not as much of a jammer as George, Paul or Ringo.

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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not so sure John was as interested in playing as writing. Paul and George seemed to have been more adventurous in this area. I lament The Beatles' overlooking the mandolin, while The Rolling Stones included it memorably a couple of times. That is indeed one way The Stones were better than The Beatles (ducks to avoid a flung can of worms). Even so, that mandolin was not played by a Rolling Stone, but by hired hand Ry Cooder.

    There were those rare dalliances mentioned above by former Beatles. Doesn't seem to have been a big thing for them. I read that Paul picked up a mandolin one day and, fooling around with it, came up with the main general idea for "Dance Tonight" - much the same way that Steve Earle had done with "Copperhead Road." Paul seems to have been the most adventurous instrumentalist of the Fab Four, even with George sorting out the sitar, quite a challenge. I knew of George's fondness for ukulele long ago, during his lifetime. I only learned about him playing mandolin a few years ago.

    PS: The first time I heard a Beatles song get the bluegrass treatment it was "From Me To You." "I've Just Seen A Face" may be the most often bluegrass-ized Beatles song. The original version was pretty darned close in the first place.
    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!

  14. #9

    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    A luthier friend of mine, Kevin Parsons from Newcastle Upon Tyne, made a ukulele for George Harrison. George had asked Tony Zemaitis to make one but apparently Tony wasn't keen on that. After Tony died, Kevin got involved with making Zemaitis style guitars and a contact of George Harrison's asked Kevin to make a ukulele for George with a heart shaped soundhole. Kevin Parsons made it and George got it not long before he died.

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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    I knew George was into ukuleles - a mate of mine once produced a metal bodied resonator for him. He’s always regretted banking the cheque!

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    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    For doublestop leads that work well on mandolin, look to Chuck Berry. He influenced the Beatles and played some great, concise doublestop leads on his songs. He was influenced by Bill Monroe. So what goes around comes around.

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  18. #12

    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    John sadly passed at the age of 40. Who knows what instruments he would have used if he lived longer. He was into growing.

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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    I think the first time John really showed what he could do with his right hand was on All My Loving, amazing rhythm guitar and I can hear this transferring to mandolin.

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  21. #14
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    Absolutely! That concise up and down strumming pattern with that noticeable pulse... wow! Thank you so much for mentioning that. Not easy to do... at least not for me!

  22. #15

    Default Re: John Lennon - Mandolinist?!?

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    Absolutely! That concise up and down strumming pattern with that noticeable pulse... wow! Thank you so much for mentioning that. Not easy to do... at least not for me!
    Yeah, still working on “All My Lovin’”! Then I plan to graduate to “This Boy”—even harder …

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