Jack Tottle's book

[musicofanatic]

I was surprised to see this is still in print!

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/194817#194817

My first mandolin was a Harmony Monterrey, purchased from a friend for $50. He sold it because he was leaving town and liquidating possessions for lighter travel. He said "You can borrow this", handing me Bluegrass Mandolin by Jack Tottle, but noted, "I'm keeping it and leaving town tomorrow morning, so I'll need it back before I go". That night I shedded and shredded on the first few pages (advancing variations on Bile 'Em Cabbage) for about 6 hours and in the morning he collected the book as he hit the road.

I believe the "Bile 'Em" example was presented in the key of D, on the two strings right in the middle of the neck. I quickly sussed that the figure could be duplicated in G and in A, and eventually, in any key employing closed positions...the doors of discovery burst open and I was on my way!

Was just curious how many others got their start with Jack's book? I worked out of it in 1974...it still being in print makes me presume there must be 1000s sold through the years.

[musicofanatic]

Likewise, when his "Backroad Mandolin" LP came out, there was an enclosed sheet of instructional material for the tunes on the record and I was on that like a cheap suit! Thanks, Jack, for your help in getting me where I am today!

[BGGIB]

I also started with that book in 1974 with a borrowed mandolin, a cheapie. I remember learning Woody's Rag in about a half hour. There was a lot of stuff in that book, cross picking, fiddle tunes
such as Sailor's hornpipe, a good foundation for a beginner. The author included some advanced pieces which I appreciated as a beginner. The big photo of the F 5 on the cover was an inspiration
to strive for. Great beginning book!

[lflngpicker]

I bought the book just two years ago. Thanks for reminder that is a valuable learning tool.

[Dick Dery]

I was surprised to see this is still in print!

https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/194817#194817

My first mandolin was a Harmony Monterrey, purchased from a friend for $50. He sold it because he was leaving town and liquidating possessions for lighter travel. He said "You can borrow this", handing me Bluegrass Mandolin by Jack Tottle, but noted, "I'm keeping it and leaving town tomorrow morning, so I'll need it back before I go". That night I shedded and shredded on the first few pages (advancing variations on Bile 'Em Cabbage) for about 6 hours and in the morning he collected the book as he hit the road.

I believe the "Bile 'Em" example was presented in the key of D, on the two strings right in the middle of the neck. I quickly sussed that the figure could be duplicated in G and in A, and eventually, in any key employing closed positions...the doors of discovery burst open and I was on my way!

Was just curious how many others got their start with Jack's book? I worked out of it in 1974...it still being in print makes me presume there must be 1000s sold through the years.

FWIW, I just checked and found this link is still active: https://www.braccio.me/tottle.html

[Dave Hicks]

I've still got my copy, about 40 years later - the soundsheet has gone missing though.

D.H.

[Ray(T)]

By “sound sheet”, I assume you mena the awful, scratchy, floppy record you had to cut out of the back? I still have the book and the “floppy disc“, somewhere, although I suspect you can probably find its contents on line nowadays.

[Dan Cole]

I still have mine from 40 plus year and the album Backroad Mandolin and tab its great stuff. You can find a digital version of the record online if you look.

[Dave Hicks]

Ray(T) "By “sound sheet”, I assume you mean the awful, scratchy, floppy record you had to cut out of the back?"

Right - those things were rather terrible!

D.H.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Got that book in about 1979 or '80. I learned from recordings and never from the tablature in that book. But I loved to look at the pictures. No Gibson F5s back then (that I knew of) in Germany. That F5 on the cover should be (ex) Joe Val's, no?

[yogiZ]

In the mid 70s a friend had a handmade F5 hanging on the wall and the book lying around. I played guitar at the time but the beautiful double stop version of Bile em cabbage down turned my world around…mandolin became my first love.

[Bren]

I got mine in 1975 or 6. The plastic disc never lasted long and the front cover is long gone.
I'd wager that more players , not just bluegrass, learned off that book than any other single book over the years.
An excellent source for any player from beginner to advanced.

Woody's Rag!

[Gene Summers]

I bought my Jack Tottle book in 1978, at the Jefferson Mall in Louisville, Ky. Still have it and the record, although the page binding has come loose. I learned several mandolin tunes out of it. The Wildwood Flower comes to mind, and Old Joe Clark :-) Great book!

[Sue Rieter]

I've got a copy of this book, and I took it out a few days ago before this thread got going. (I've had it almost since I picked up the mandolin. It had gotten geographically challenged in my house and I'd been looking for it.)

Flipping through it, I thought, wow, this is a pretty cool book. I also thought, wow, there's quite a few versions out there of some of these old songs

[Dick Dery]

I bought my Jack Tottle book in 1978, at the Jefferson Mall in Louisville, Ky. Still have it and the record, although the page binding has come loose. I learned several mandolin tunes out of it. The Wildwood Flower comes to mind, and Old Joe Clark :-) Great book!

Staples or even a local copy/print shop may be able to spiral bind it for you. I've had it done for some of my other music books for about $8.

[Rob Ross]

Bought it in college in 1978 or so, taught myself mandolin with it. At one point, after much painful brute force practice, I could play a passable, but sedate, version of the cross-picking Home Sweet Home. You can download the little black record's tunes here:
https://www.braccio.me/tottle.html

[Dan in NH]

Ok, ok. Sheesh. You’ve talked me into it. It’s available on Amazon. I’ll buy it and add it to my collection of mandolin methods.

[Denny Gies]

I used Jack's book early on and it really helped me.

[WilliamWMeyer]

I learned mando from Tottle's book in late '70s, might not have learned *music playing* without it. I also got Backroad Mandolin & insert, and I have a Tasty Licks vinyl LP.

Therefore, he's a big hero of mine, and I consider him probably underrated. My only quibble with him is that, afaik, he's the only person I've seen review Jim & Jesse's astonishing album (https://www.discogs.com/release/6144...-Instrumentals), and his review of it was kind of lukewarm.

[Bren]

Ok, ok. Sheesh. You’ve talked me into it. It’s available on Amazon. I’ll buy it and add it to my collection of mandolin methods.

I don't think you'll regret it.
I still dip into mine 47 years later.
It covers a satisfyingly wide range of simple to challenging material very well.

[Dan in NH]

Ordered off Amazon. Due to arrive Saturday

[John Soper]

Like Musicofanatic my first mandolin was a <$50 Harmony Monterrey I bought in a pawn shop and I plinked around on it and played Levon style mandolin until I bought the Jack Tottle book in 1974. That mandolin had action like a cheese grater and it was extremely difficult to play above the 4th fret. It wasn't until a later purchase of a better mandolin that I really started playing mandolin, and every once in a while I take out that book for nostalgia's sake. Still a good resource for a beginning mandolin player, despite the fact that there are many more resources available today than there were in the 60s and early 70s.

[musicofanatic]

Ordered off Amazon. Due to arrive Saturday

Damn! I wisht I hadn't'a posted this now...anytime that pig Jeff Bezos gets richer off of anything to do with me I experience guilt, regret and remorse and increased disdain for him. I usually look first at abebooks.com...they list it for $7.23...

[Mainer73]

I still have the copy I bought used in 2004, mostly for sentimental reasons.

[Sue Rieter]

Not sure abebooks and the big river aren't connected somehow, but I hear ya.