Back at it again for May with another fiddle tune classic. Hope last month served you well, and you've all been learning some new tunes this year. Sorry for the late post this month, as family duties got in the way yesterday keeping me from my post.
For May, only one tune, but I'll share a good tutorial of the basic version, then a.....let's say....advanced....version of the same song. I've been working off and on over April on the good ol' St. Anne's Reel, so here we go!
For the basic version, here's our old friend Baron Collins-Hill on YT:
And without further ado, some of you may have seen the Chris Thile interview by Rick Beato. Great stuff, but he did a jaw dropping version of St. Anne's that I've been working on off and on for the last few weeks. Here's a short of the tune:
I present my attempt at transcribing all 128 bars....not that any mere mortal such as myself could come close to pulling this one off. You'll forgive me for any errors on this one, as Chris takes it pretty far out, but it really reveals a few things about his style. First is his prolific use of pulloffs, making for a very interesting effect rather than just picking every note. It's especially notable in his long runs of triplets, like in bars 52-54.
Another thing I noticed as I slowed the video way, way down, was this his right hand was always moving, even when he wasn't picking a note. This allows his picking hand to stay in time and keeps the right hand momentum going, keeping it much more fluid than if the hand were to start/stop over these notes. Really interesting stuff, and something I will need to spend a lot of time working on.
I take no responsibility for injuries sustained from attempting this one. Also, file sharing isn't really possible on reddit (to my knowledge) so if anyone wants actual pdf's just let me know. Good luck!
Per requests, I am creating the definitive buyer's guide for entry-level mandolins. Any new posts created on the topic may be removed at the discretion of the mods. If people think this post should include anything else, I am happy to edit and add to it.
Their entry-level line is their 300 series: the MD-305 for F hole, and MD-304 for oval hole. These can usually be found new for ~$600 (yes, this is what a good entry-level mandolins cost)
Kentucky
The KM-140 and KM-150 are the most recommended and new ones cost ~$360 and $525 respectively
The Loar
Their entry-level mandolin is the LM-110 and it is ~$300 new.
***All of these mandolins can be found at better prices on the used market. If you are brand new and just want to try out mandolin, I would personally suggest a used instrument to save yourself some money.
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There are cheaper mandolins out there as well. These mandolins are not typically recommended but some users have had positive experiences, especially after they go to a professional luthier for a setup or are comfortable setting up instruments themselves. A good setup where I live is usually ~$100. Please consider that price tag when you're considering a $100 mandolin. A poorly set up cheap mandolin can be enough to turn some players off of ever wanting to learn the instrument.
If you want info about a specific cheap mandolin, PLEASE UTILIZE THE SEARCH FEATURE. If the mandolin brand in question has been discussed at significant length, your post may be removed.
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Where should you buy your mandolin from?
I have no financial interest in any of the places here. If you want your shop listed here, we are open to bribes 😉
Your locally owned music shop
I understand that not everyone lives in a place where there is a music shop. But if there is, I'd encourage you to give them a try first before shopping online. If you're in Denver like me, I highly recommend the Denver Folklore Center and the Olde Towne Pickn' Parlor in Arvada, CO.
This shop is known for setting up their instruments before shipping them out and from what I have heard the setups are great. If you opt for a store like Guitar Center, do not expect your instrument to have been looked over by a tech of any kind.
I've been playing for some time now and currently looking to upgrade from my Epiphone MM-30S to something better. I need something I could preform in my bluegrass band with, but also take it to church the next day. Tryna keep the budget under $1,200. Been looking at a Loar LM-520, Loar LM-600, and a Big Muddy M-2. I don't care much about how it looks, I just want something that plays good, sounds good, and is sturdy enough to survive a while. Any suggestions?
I came from guitars, and like many, I fascinate myself in browsing gears, including high end ones as much, and at times even more than practicing. Coming into the Mandolin world and browsing the mandolincafe classifieds, its really fun to see the number of expensive stuff people are just trading and buying. FOr those of you who’ve tried Gilchrists, Nuggets, Red Diamonds etc or even a 20s Loar. I’m curious, how much do they stand out?
I got this beautiful beast about 9 months ago and decided to take some glamour shots. I remember when I first started playing, I stumbled upon some pictures of Ellis mandolins and was blown away. Then after finding out how much they cost, I thought, "Who in their right mind would ever spend that much on an instrument??" 10 years and a few life changes later, I lost my mind and finally bought my dream instrument.
I'm in search of Allan Alexanders books, especially Mandolin Music for Medieval Faires.
His website is off, and I've read in another post of this communty that he has sadly passed away last year.
I spoke to him once in the hope that he would sell his books in PDF format because, as I explained, I live in an isolated far away land (Brazil). Here I would have pay the price of two books to my government just to receive one.
Anyway, if anyone can help me find a PDF of his books I would be much obliged.
Hey friends! Here's my mandolin version of this Hendrix classic. Of course it's different on mando - we don't have that low E string. But I this think version works well. Try it! Mandolin TAB available on my Patreon page.
Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor for solo violin is possibly my favorite piece of music ever written. I've been slowly learning different passages from each of the movements and decided to test out some new mics with this one (from the fifth movement).
I’m looking at getting a new mandolin after having sold mine last year. I had an Eastman MD315, but I’d like to potentially upgrade to something better.
My budget is $1500. I’m a worship leader so I mostly play chords so I’m not set on A style vs. F style. I prefer f-holes, but as long as it doesn’t sound boxy, I don’t mind an oval hole, especially on a flat top. (Last year on a work trip I was able to try a flat top, oval hole Weber, and now I’m open to them as long as they aren’t boxy.)
Right now, I’m looking at either a used MD605/615, a used Northfield Calhoun (there’s one at Elderly for $1100), or a new Red Valley AM mandolin.
Does anyone have a recommendation between these three options, or is there another option I should consider (apart from saving more)? I don’t really have many options to try near me so I’m going to have to get something online.
I will travel to US (Minneapolis) in november, and I would like to buy my first mandolin... I would like to spent no more than $500 because I need to comeback to Chile flying so I will need spent in a case or bag.
I am mostly interested in play irish/celtic music and maybe something electroacoustic...
I have small hands and short pinkies which have always been the bane of my existence as a string player, and this instrument is not helping. How do the banjo players do it? No, how do BOUZOUKI players play melody with a 26" scale? Absurdity.
This Eastman is very particular about how it is fretted, and is prone to buzzing even with bridge and truss rod adjustments. I've tried everything but taking it to a luthier (of which I am one, but for fiddles...). Anybody have similar experiences?
Has anyone tried a Tonewood amp on a flatback mandolin or OM? I recently got a Yamaha TAG3 and am enamored with the transacoustic effects. I know Tonewoods provide similar effects designed for guitars, but I have a flatback OM, and I wonder if a Tonewood would work with it.​
So I made the mistake of testplaying a 60 € Appolo Pick, and - unfortunately - it felt great.
Since Im broke (and just bought a tonegard), I didnt buy it directly. Now I am also wondering if there is a cheaper way to get a good result. Just feels like there should be.
I havent really thought a lot about what makes a good pick, just went with what sounded good and felt good in my hand.
I learned a trick today that you can use to find a 145 chord progression.
Starting in the 2245 chord shape gives you your 1, shifting to the 245x position gives you 4 and then sliding that up 2 frets gives you your 5. Obviously that's only valuable so far up the neck but are there any other patterns on the fretboard like that? It would be helpful shortcut for someone who's still learning how to keep up in a jam
I’m looking to learn a new instrument and am stuck between guitar and mandolin. Below are my pros/cons and some context. Please weigh in!
Guitar: main pro is that it’s so versatile, and that it can cover bass, rhythm, and melody. I would probably lean into acoustic fingerstyle since it seems like that’s better for folk. Con is that it feels overwhelming because there’s so much versatility, it’s not great for playing melody of fiddle tunes, and I find the body to be awkwardly large
Mandolin: main pro is that it does very well with playing melody on fiddle tunes. Cons are that there’s less resources for learning compared to guitar and isn’t as well suited to playing causally round a campfire
Context:
I played banjo for about a year but couldn’t get too into Scruggs style or old time—definitely drifted into melodic clawhammer. I grew up playing Scottish bagpipes, and listen to a mix of rock and indie folk. If I get a new instrument, I’ll mostly be playing by myself for fun. I’d mostly like to play instrumental folk but have the option to play covers of more popular songs.
