What song/album inspired you to pick up the mandol

[Sal Mando]

I always like to hear what inspired players to learn to play their various instruments. #I started out as a guitar player and was inspired by the first DGQ album to start learning what Tony Rice was doing. #I always loved Grisman's playing but was never inspired to pick up the mandolin until I first heard Matt Flinner's "The View From Here". #I think the tune "Black's Fork" is the one that got me. #I've been playing guitar for about 20 years and mandolin for about 5, but if I had to be stuck on a deserted island with one instrument, it would definitely be a mandolin. (preferably Flinner's Gilchrist)

[Dave Hanson]

Not a song or tune, my late Uncle Donald Jackson was a great player and my inspiration.

Dave H

[Ken Feil]

It wasn't a song or an album, but rather seeing Homer & Jethro on the Joey Bishop Show on TV. Bishop was a mandolin player and had them on frequently. One show, instead of their usual comedy they played it straight. I was floored at Jethro's playing and I haven't been the same since. (Mandolin wise that is)

[Andrew DeMarco]

Thile on In the House of Tom Bombadil

[Ivan Kelsall]

I heard Ralph rinzler back in 1963/4 with the Greenbriar Boys. I was teaching myself Banjo,but the sound of his Mandolin stuck with me all those years since & that's really what inspired me. The intro.to the song ''I Cried Again'' from the album ''The Greenbriar Boys'' is one of the finest pieces of Monroesque mandolin playing i've ever heard,crisp clean, tremolo & wonderful downstrokes - awesome !!,
saska

[Matt Hutchinson]

To be honest I've always liked mandolin but never thought about buying one. When I left my job a year ago to work for myself my colleagues bought me a mandolin as a leaving present. I've become hooked and have since traded up to a better model.

I hardly play guitar any more and have become totally immersed in the world of bluegrass. I practice mandolin around an hour each day - and that's still not enough.

So it was basically an accident I guess (albeit a very happy one!)

Matt

[sean parker]

i'm primarily a guitar player - it started with led zeppelin III and the eddie van halen's solo on michael jackson's "beat it." however, it was tony rice's solo on emmylou harris' "wayfaring stranger" that turned me 'round to dive into acoustic playing, and there i remain. re: mandolin - it was grisman's "hot dawg" album - is there a better album than this? not imho. tremendous.

[dorenac]

I went to a DGQ concert in Denver around 1980+/- and watched Grisman, Mike Marshall, Darol Unger, Rob Wasserman, and Tony Rice. I decided that night to put down my guitar and learn the mandolin. It's been love ever since.

[steelbuddha]

The seed was planted for me circa 1980 while watching Grisman and the Quartet as described by dorenac above. The seed sprouted after seeing Rowan and Rice in fall 2005. Took me awhile, huh? What I lack in experience, I try to make up for in enthusiasm.

[Ted Eschliman]

Don Stiernberg, "Unseasonably Cool."

[Karen]

For us it was when we went to a guitar lesson and had to wait while the teacher rehearsed with a mandolin player. #We were hooked. #The mandolin guy was none other than our esteemed host of the Cafe and and on guitar was his pal Bill Crahan.

[Soupy1957]

"Mandolin Wind"

-Soupy1957

[Mark Walker]

Reason: #The fact there were four guitar players in church and nothing else - so I took up the mandolin (and banjo ) for variety. #

Song: Jerusalem Ridge #

[CES]

My obsession started off with "The Essential Flatt and Scruggs," and I really wanted to be a veritable "mini Earl." While saving to buy a banjo my father-in-law loaned me his Dreadnaught, hoping to deter me from the 5-string . Unfortunately, I still got the banjo but was then hooked on the guitar, too. Though I hate to admit it, given my penchant for "the masters" (ie, old guys , the first Nickel Creek album pushed me over the edge. I'd been thinking about taking the plunge, but just hadn't done it until that point. I'm now playing about 50 % mando, 35% guitar (because it's easier to pull out and play with my classic rock buddies given my playing ability), and 15% banjo...my wife's now pushing me (ever so gently) to sell the banjo and my current mando to upgrade to a better mando...don't know about casting aside the 5 string, but I like the way she thinks! (But, I think she had a stroke when she saw me browsing the classifieds the other night, so we'll see)...

[Tracy Ballinger]

I've always been more interested in vocals than instruments. The last few years I've been singing in a Southern Gospel group and attempting to teach myself to sing harmony. I discovered that it's easier (for me) to pick up harmony with bluegrass than any other type of music, so I listen to it whenever I get the chance. I couldn't help but notice the instruments, and the mandolin just stood out - I loved the versatility and range of it. That, and the prodding of my banjo-learning friend who needed someone to play with, inspired me to pick it up a year and a half ago.

Tracy

[Alex of the North]

This will sound terrible in this forum, but I was inspired to pick up the mandolin by "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. I think it was really the first time that I noticed the instrument.

[Jaco5]

Last year, I was fixating on melodic lines in my head = specifically, Scott Henderson of Tribal Tech years (all albums) and went out and got me a mandolin because the "voice" was right. Now, it's all about T.Tech, C.Parker and Coltrane...in the mandolin voice...and Chris Thile comping!

[mandomaybe]

Been intrigued by the mando since college days, when I heard Barry Mitteroff playing with a local band called Bottle Hill (anyone remember them? included a hot guitar player name Lew London?), but never pursued it, just hacked away at guitar, until a few year ago when I listened to Grisman and Rice on Tone Poems.

[Brandon Flynn]

Ode to a Butterfly played by Thile

[sully542]

"RIPPLE" - Dawg with the Grateful Dead, early 70's - stopped playing for about 30 yrs. Picked it up again a couple of years ago.

[Steelee]

Step One - Led Zepplin - "Going to California".

Step Two - Began listening to AKUS about 10 years ago and branched out to Monroe, Stanley Bros., Flatt $ Scruggs, Skaggs, and McCoury.

Step Three - Started going to the community center in Vero Beach, FL, where 5 to 10 amateur musicians play bluegrass every Tuesday night. After about 2 years of watching and listening (they seemed to be having a lot of fun) I decided to learn an instument at the age of 57.

Step Four - Of all the bluegrass instruments, I chose the mandolin because: the unique sound, Bill Monroe, and I asked around to some musicians as to which of the instruments would be the easist to learn.

Step Five - I have been playing for 11 months and am having a ball. Finding this site has been very helpful as well.

[Steve Ostrander]

I don't think it was any one album or song that did it for me--it was all of them. I always loved the sound of the mandolin. I liked BG when my friends thought it was square (do people still use that word?) My favorite Led Zeppelin songs were the ones that JPJ played mando on. Being a Dead fan lead me to Jerry and Dawg. Now my ears perk up when I hear a mando in any song, whether country, BG, rock, pop, or classical.

It's amazing how many similarities there are in our stories. Seems like most started on guitar and came to mando later.

[gnelson651]

My inspiration was too many banjos.

Our church was starting a string band and I showed up to the first rehearsal with my banjo. Our pastor also played banjo, played better than me and we needed a mandolin, so I bought one. I haven't touch the banjo since.

[odiepiker]

Russ Barenberg's "Magic Foot".

[Narayan Kersak]

Led Zeppelin III LZ 4 Physical grafitti disc 2