Learning trad mandolin but can play guitar

Feargalpatrick

Hey there,

Im kinda new to Boards but here it goes.

I want to get into playing trad music. I played guitar for many years. all sorts of stuff from blues, folk to rock etc. so I thought that mandolin would be a good place to start. I borrowed one for a while and liked the sound of it. I learned Harvest Home... my first trad tune!

I would say I could play it to this standard...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgV8mZaOubM

That is not me playing though

Anyway, what I would like to get from this thread is really, an idea of where to start. What are some good tunes to know to start off with. Tunes that are both perhaps good for beginners to become proficient with the techniques but are also common in Trad Sessions. There are some tunes I would know to hear but would have no idea what names they are known by. Also are any scales worth knowing more than others. Coming from blues, pentatonic was all I knew, that and major.

I may also try to learn accompaniment on guitar whilst learning the tunes on mandolin. It may give a more rounded appreciation of a tune.

Lastly any advice on purchasing a mandolin?


Lookin back over this thread I realise there is a lot in it?

Any experienced advice would be most welcome. Thanks!

Best,

Feargal

carpenter23

hi,i am in a very similar situation, perhaps a bit further along, but i decided to go with banjo (having played guitar for 9 years) i know a good few tunes at this stage i can give you the names of them if you would like,i'm not sure if all of them would be as suitable for mandolin as they are for banjo but seeing as you mentioned harvest home (which i do on banjo)i would imagine they would be ok!!

some of the tunes off the top of my head

The boys of bluehill
The rights of man
The rambling pitchfork

Thats all i can think of for now but i hope this helps in you in some way,best of luck!!:)

glord

Do you guys want lessons?.I know your seasoned guitarists but there different technical aspects to playing tunes on these instruments like triplets,ornamentation,etc. I could get ye going pretty quickly by yourselves id say.Heres me so you know im not talking out of my arse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfGEYwW-seA

I have played in all irelands and all that craic so know good deal about trad.

Im based near Kinnegad,Co.Westmeath and lessons are reasonably priced and i think they would be benificial in your cases. The mandolin is tuned the same as the banjo and can be played in a similar style so i can help out with that too

carpenter23

Thanks for the offer ,and very nice playing by the way:),but i'm abit far for lessons (the south east)

Feargalpatrick

carpenter23,

Thanks for all of that. A nice help. Like the tunes to looked them up there. Need to invest in this mandolin and I'll make a start.

glord,

Amazing playing!! Some talent you have there and by that video you'd be a good guy to go to lessons with. Unfortunately I'm living in Phibsboro and it would be a bit of a trek to get to you. Thanks for the offer though. I appreciate it.

Thanks to you both and keep up the playing!

glord

I havent played much mandolin but i would say a .60mm or .73mm dunlop pick will do the job .

Havent seen alot of good trad mandolin player,but this fella is doing something right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJToa5v5ytA&feature=plcp

You can get the tunes here:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/
This may help also:
http://theirishtenorbanjo.ning.com/

The leg of the duck is an easy tune

Good Luck