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Mandolin For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/mandolinuk to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Media at a Glance
Introduction
About This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organised
Part I: Being Bitten by the Mandolin Bug
Part II: Starting to Play the Mandolin
Part III: Putting Playing Styles into Practice
Part IV: Purchasing and Caring for Your Mandolin
Part V: The Part of Tens
Part VI: Appendixes
Icons Used in This Book
Accessing the Audio Tracks
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Being Bitten By the Mandolin Bug
Chapter 1: Becoming Acquainted with Your Mandolin
Riding the Mandolin Wave
Loving the mandolin sound
Joining a vibrant community
Enjoying a great choice of mandolins
Meeting the Mandolin Family
Reaching the highest notes: Mandolin
Playing with an alto voice: Mandola
Lowering the tone: Mando-cello
Spotting the rarely seen mando-bass
Accompanying the family: Octave mandolin
Getting to Know Your Mandolin’s Anatomy
Looking at the body
Introducing the neck
Using string vibrations to produce sound
Chapter 2: Getting to Grips with Tuning and Terminology
Coming to Terms with Musical Terminology
Identifying musical notes with letters
Sharpening up and flatting down your notes
Stepping up to the mark: Distances between notes
Scaling the heights with chords and scales
Grasping the Tuning Basics
Sounding Tuneful: Methods for Tuning your Mandolin
Using an electronic tuner
Tuning your mandolin to itself
Tuning to another instrument
Chapter 3: Getting a Handle on Your Mandolin
Sitting Down on the Job
Playing While Standing Up
Strapping Yourself in to Play
Part II: Starting to Play the Mandolin
Chapter 4: Making Music on the Mandolin
Playing Without Having to Read Music
Understanding tablature
Reading chord diagrams
Developing a musical ear
Keeping the Musical Beat by Counting
Feeling the beat
Counting to four
Dividing up beats
Extending notes: Half notes and whole notes
Dotting and tying notes
Resting: Playing the silence
Repeating sections of a song
Simplifying time signatures
Introducing Your First Five Chords
Getting to grips with the G chord
Choosing the C chord
Discovering the D chord
Adding the A chord
Examining the E chord
Strumming chords: Getting some rhythm patterns together
Breaking Down the Parts of a Song
Finding the beat: Rhythm
Moving on to chord progressions
Strumming the chords
Performing the melody
Playing along with other people
Playing Your First Songs
‘Ode To Joy’ theme
‘Down in the Valley’
‘Go Tell Aunt Rhodie’
‘Skip to My Lou’
‘Red River Valley’
Chapter 5: Picking with the Right Hand
Holding the Pick
Supporting and Guiding Your Right Hand
Touching the bridge
Brushing the pinky
Resting on the rib
Arching your wrist while strumming
Picking Up and Down
Picking alternate strong and weak beats
Getting down with down-strokes
Visiting Ireland: Jig picking
Rolling out the notes: Cross picking
Developing Good Tone
Finding the sweet spot
Picking the right pick
Keeping a loose grip
Getting your pick angle right
Following through: The rest stroke
Keeping things loose: It’s all in the wrist
Playing Louder Isn’t Always Better
Understanding dynamics
Knowing when not to play loudly
Choosing when to play loudly
Balancing act: Four strings are louder than one
Sustaining a Note: Tremolo
Staying in time: Measured tremolo
Varying the pace: Free tremolo
Playing melody with slow tremolo
Practising Your Skills
Trying out alternate-picking exercises
Keeping-time exercises
Chilling out with rest exercises
Becoming dynamic with volume exercises
Stretching out with tremolo exercises
Chapter 6: Fretting Notes and Chords with the Left Hand
Positioning and Working with Your Left Hand
Positioning your left hand
Tying your fingers to the frets
Exercising the left hand
Creating effects with your left hand
Discovering More Essential Chords
Trying out a few major chords
Becoming sadder with some minor chords
Opening up to seventh chords
Focusing on barré chords
Trying out Left-Hand Techniques
Changing your left-hand position
Moving up the mandolin’s neck
Playing two notes simultaneously: Double stops
Chapter 7: Playing ‘Jethro’-Style Three-String Chords
Introducing Jethro Burns’s Three-String Chord Style
Perfecting Three-String Major Chords
Root-on-top major chords
Third-on-top major chords
Fifth-on-top major chords
Mastering Three-String Minor Chords
Root-on-top minor chords
Third-on-top minor chords
Fifth-on-top minor chords
Trying on a few Seventh Chords for Size
Root-on-top seventh chords
Third-on-top seventh chords
Fifth-on-top seventh chords
Seventh-on-top seventh chords
Revving up for Jazzy Chords: Nice!
Sounding unresolved with diminished chords
Adding augmented chords to your mandolin armoury
Dressing up some minor chords: Minor sevenths
Chapter 8: Playing Mandolin Music: Scales and Melody
Understanding How to Play Melody
Listening to the great players
Speaking a tune
Rising to the challenge of scales
Exploring some Major Scales
Discovering the D major scale
Accessing the A major scale
Getting to grips with the G major scale
Avoiding sharps and flats with the C major scale
Trying Out Minor Scales
Mining the A minor scale for two different approaches
Playing solo with chord melodies
Experiencing the Power of the Pentatonic
Taking five with the major pentatonic scale
Moving on to the minor pentatonic scale
Part III: Putting Playing Styles into Practice
Chapter 9: Playing Music from Yesteryear: Old Time, Rags and Blues
Searching out the Past: Old-Time Music
Strumming for old-time fiddle tunes
Waltzing on the mandolin
Playing all Raggedy on Purpose: Ragtime
Syncopating your mandolin melodies
Practising ragtime chord progressions and patterns
Playing away your Sorrows: The Blues
Introducing the blues rhythm
Chording up for the blues
Playin’ the blues: Some tips and techniques
Influencing other genres
Chapter 10: Giving your Mandolin a Speedy Workout: Bluegrass
Getting a Grip on that Bluegrass Rhythm
Gathering Together the Bluegrass Elements: An Original Mandolin Style
Fiddling about with fiddle tunes
Adding the blues style
Using tremolo
Adding extra bars: Irregular time
Picking up Bluegrass Melodic Techniques
Using the right hand
Playing out-of-chord positions: The left hand
Exploring other left-hand ornamentations
Building Bluegrass Instrumental Breaks
Learning the song
Making your break sound like bluegrass
Chapter 11: Travelling to the Emerald Isle: Irish Mandolin
Following the Melody One Note at a Time
Listening to learn Irish tunes
Swinging with triplets and the lilt
Discovering the Irish Music Modes
Using a standard major scale (Ionian mode)
Tackling a standard minor scale (Dorian mode)
Meeting the other major scale (Mixolydian mode)
Encountering the relative minor scale (Aeolian mode)
Playing Irish Rhythms and Tunes
‘Reeling in the Years’
Jigging around the dance floor
Slipping in a jig
Being all at sea in a good way: The hornpipe
Playing Irish Tunes with Other Musicians
Chapter 12: Taking a Quick World Tour
Returning to the Mandolin’s Birthplace: Italy
Strolling to play
Making great use of tremolo
Varying the tremolo speed
Visiting the Concert Hall: Classical Mandolin
Gliding towards acquiring a classical mandolin technique
Exploring arpeggio uses in classical music
Introducing mandolin orchestras
Heading to Brazil
Getting hold of some basic choro rhythms
Trying out some choro chord progressions
Considering choro melody
Chapter 13: Swinging to Those Jazzy Rhythms
‘It Don’t Mean a Thing. . .’: Swingin’ the Melody
Introducing swing
Respecting the mighty eighth note
Using syncopated rhythms
Playing in all 12 keys
Simplifying Jazz Chords
Working with Jazzy Chord Progressions
Keeping it moving: the 1-6-2-5 progression
Getting the blues, jazz style
Achieving a good swing feel
Swingin’ with rhythm changes
Changing keys with the 2-5-1 progression
Accompanying yourself: Chord melody
Mixing Things up: Jazz with Other Styles
Heading down to Texas: Western swing
Waltzing with the Muppets
Blending jazz with other genres
Chapter 14: Blending Styles: Dawg Music
Meeting David Grisman
Groovin’ to some Dawg Music
Heading down south: Dawg Latin
Get up, get on up: Dawg funk
Accenting Your Grooves, Dawg-Style
Scratching like the Dawg
Stretching out with one long chord
Part IV: Purchasing and Caring For Your Mandolin
Chapter 15: Selecting and Buying a Mandolin
Exploring the World of Mandolins
Finding out about F-style mandolins
Assessing A-style mandolins
Rounding out F- and A-style mandolins
Tossing around pancake and other flat-top mandolins
Plugging in with electric mandolins
Bandying about with a bandolim
Noticing Neapolitan mandolins
Spending the Right Amount
Discovering What Makes One Mandolin Better than Another
Barking up the right tree: Types of wood for mandolins
Polishing off the types of finish
Getting comfortable: Mandolin playability
Making it up: Types of mandolin manufacture
Aging well: New versus used mandolins
Locating Mandolins for Sale
Buying in bricks-and-mortar shops
Going online
Putting a Mandolin through Its Paces
Chapter 16: Building Your Accessories Kit
Gathering Together the Must-Haves
Picking extra picks
Clipping on an electronic tuner
Strapping on the mandolin
Protecting your mandolin
Stringing along your mandolin
Buying Extras that Improve Your Playing
Keeping steady with a metronome
Taking lessons from books and DVDs
Leaning on a music stand
Recording made easy
Playing along with backing tracks
Slowing down the music
Using a webcam for online lessons
Bringing on the Bling
Attaching accessories to your mandolin
Making life easier in other ways
Chapter 17: All Change: Replacing Your Mandolin’s Strings
Preparing to Change Your Strings
Knowing when to change strings
Selecting the right strings
Removing the Old Strings
Re-stringing Your Mandolin
Chapter 18: Caring For and Repairing Your Mandolin
Maintaining Your Mandolin’s Health
Wiping down your mandolin
Controlling the climate
Getting a good case or bag
Keeping an instrument stand handy
Setting-up Your Mandolin Yourself: Only for the Brave
Adjusting the action
Tackling the truss-rod adjustment
Slotting the nut
Setting the bridge: Intonation
Turning to the Professionals
Dressing or replacing the frets
Repairing cracks
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 19: Ten (or so) Tips on Becoming a Good Mandolin Player
Listen to Mandolin Music
Get a Good Teacher
Keep Your Mandolin Nearby
Play Your Mandolin Every Day
Find People to Play Music With
Practise with a Metronome
Go to Mandolin Camps or Workshops
Practise Slowly Using Good Technique
Develop a Musical Ear
Acquire Some Music Theory
Record Yourself
Have Fun!
Chapter 20: Ten Mandolin Players You Need To Know
Bill Monroe (1911–1996)
Chris Thile (born 1981)
Jethro Burns (1920–1989)
David Grisman (born 1945)
Dave Apollon (1897–1972)
Jacob do Bandolim (1918–1969)
Yank Rachell (1910–1997)
Mike Marshall (born 1957)
Caterina Lichtenberg (born 1969)
Carlo Aonzo (born 1967)
Chapter 21: Ten Ways of Tapping Into the Mandolin Subculture
Attending Acoustic Music Concerts
Trying Out Mandolin Workshops
Visiting Mandolin Camps
Going to Acoustic Music Festivals
Joining a Jam Session or Orchestra
Reading Mandolin Magazines
Making Use of the Internet
Joining a National Organisation
Exploring Your Own Town
Spreading the News
Part VI: Appendixes
Appendix A: Chord Charts
Appendix B: Reading Standard Musical Notation
Starting at the beginning: Treble and bass clefs
Signing in with the key signature
Timing is everything: Time signatures
Getting the speed right: Tempo
Knowing the style
Pitching in with high and low notes
Discovering note duration
Dotting and tying notes
Getting louder and quietening down: Dynamics
Articulating your playing
Appendix C: Audio Tracks
Cheat Sheet

Media at a Glance

Audio

Sound of the mandolin’s four open strings. Basic counting. (0:38)

Eighth notes (quavers). (0:17)

Sixteenth notes (semiquavers). (0:18)

Whole notes (semibreves) and half notes (minims). Dots and ties. (0:34)

Repeat signs. (0:50)

Playing the rests. (1:42)

Counting exercises. (3:06)

Simple strumming patterns. (1:20)

Strumming patterns with chords. (1:58)

'Ode to Joy' theme. (1:36)

'Down in the Valley'. (1:46)

'Go Tell Aunt Rhodie'. (0:45)

'Skip to My Lou'. (0:47)

'Red River Valley'. (1:28)

Basic alternate picking. Crossing strings while alternate picking. Alternate picking a syncopated phrase. Alternate picking an off-beat phase. (2:20)

Down-stroke technique. (0:30)

Jig picking pattern. (0:23)

Cross-picking forward roll. Cross-picking reverse roll. (2:04)

Four-stroke tremelo. Six-stroke tremelo. Eight-stroke tremelo. Twelve-stroke tremelo. (1:23)

Free tremelo. Slow tremelo. (0:38)

Four notes per string exercise. Three notes per string exercise. Two notes per string exercise. (1:07)

String-skipping on the g-string. String-skipping on the d-string. String-skipping on the a-string. String-skipping on the e-string. (1:53)

Two-measure pattern using only two strings. (0:39)

Dividing the beat by two. Dividing the beat by three. Dividing the beat by four. Dividing the beat by six. (1:07)

Rest exercise one. Rest exercise two. Rest exercise three. (1:23)

Dynamics exercise one. Dynamics exercise two. (1:46)

Tremelo exercise. Trying out tremelo on a song. (1:20)

A left-hand finger exercise. (0:51)

Note-to-note slide; single-note slide as embellishment. Note-to-note hammer-on; single-note hammer-on as embellishment. Note-to-note pull-off; single note pull-off as an embellishment. (0:45)

Jethro-style super pull-off. Hammer-on pull-off combination. Muting fretted and open notes. (0:42)

Jazz chord progression using Jethro-style three-string chords. (0:46)

Jazzy blues chord progression using Jethro-style three-string chords. (1:00)

The Flop-Eared Mule' mandolin version. (1:59)

Simple Gifts' melody. (1:34)

Minuet in G' melody. (1:54)

Skiffle Mando' rhythm. 'Skiffle Mando' melody. (0:53)

Waltz Ukrainian Style' melody. (2:19)

Bighorn River Sunset' arrangement for solo mandolin. (1:17)

Angelina Baker' in the low octave. 'Angelina Baker' in the high octave. (1:25)

Poor Wayfaring Stranger' mandolin arrangement. (2:19)

Three old-time strumming patterns. Melodic strumming for old-time fiddle tunes. (1:16)

'The Arkansas Traveller'. (1:52)

'The Girl I Left Behind Me'. (1:43)

'Soldier's Joy'. (1:42)

'Waltz of the Little Girls'. (1:58)

'White Hair and Wisdom'. (1:46)

'Stone's Rag'. (1:46)

'Eight String Rag'. (0:52)

Typical 12-bar boogie-style bass line. (1:07)

Basic 12-bar blues chord progression. Quick to the four with a turnaround. (1:12)

First basic eight-bar blues progression in the key of G. Second basic eight-bar blues progression in the key of G. Eight-bar blues progression using a few more chords as a turnaround. (1:22)

'Workin' That Riff'. (1:29)

'Three Shots of Rye Whiskey'. (1:13)

'Country Boy Blues'. (0:44)

Slow blues rhythm. 'Slow Cookin' blues. (1:30)

Bluegrass 'chop' rhythm. (0:23)

Whiskey Before Breakfast', old-time fiddle version. 'Whiskey Before Breakfast', bluegrass style. (0:26)

Some Bill Monroe rhythmic patterns. (1:04)

Bury Me Beneath the Willow' melody. (0:41)

Uncle Bill' using down-strokes. (0:41)

Double-stop crawl. (1:09)

'Kickin' Mule'. (1:14)

Bury Me Beneath the Willow', instrumental break. (0:40)

Straight eighths (as used in reels), triplets (as used in jigs) and lilt or hornpipe. (0:33)

The Drunken Landlady'. 'The Drunken Landlady' with triplets. (1:49)

Hag at the Churn'. 'Hag at the Churn' with triplets. (0:50)

A Fig for a Kiss'. 'A Fig for a Kiss' with slip jig triplets. (1:08)

'Little Stack of Wheat'. (1:54)

'O Sole Mio'. (1:21)

'Torna a Surriento'. (1:12)

Triple glide stroke with d-string as bass. Triple glide stroke with g-string as bass. Excerpt from 'La Fustemberg Variations'. (1:41)

An excerpt from 'Sonatina in C Major'. (1:12)

Choro rhythm, slow. Choro fast rhythm 1.Choro fast rhythm 2. (0:32)

Gaucho Corta Jaca' with one-bar slow rhythm pattern. (2:28)

Gaucho Corta Jaca' with two-bar faster rhythm pattern. (1:57)

Swing rhythm: two-beat, all short or muted strums. Swing rhythm: two beat, long-short. Swing rhythm: four-beat Charleston rhythm. (1:57)

'The 105 Year Old Cat'. (2:24)

'Limnology'. (1:08)

'Ode to Swing'. (1:07)

'Three Keys'. (0:57)

'Auld Lang Syne' chord melody arrangement. (1:09)

'Swingin' Leather Britches'. (1:34)

'Muppets on the Titanic' (2:04)

Gypsy-bossa rhythm pattern. Choro rhythm pattern. (0:26)

'Mr Natural' played with gypsy-bossa pattern. (1:45)

'Mr Natural' played with choro pattern. (0:54)

Dawg samba rhythm patterns. (0:52)

'16/16' solo section chord progression. (1:49)

'Pneumonia' rhythm patterns. (0:37)

Funky 'Pneumonia' solo section. (0:36)

'Swang Thang'. (1:52)

Mandolin For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition


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About the Author

Don Julin is a total mandolin geek. For over 30 years, Don has been playing and listening to mandolin music, buying and selling mandolins, travelling great distances to attend mandolin gatherings, and in general loving the mandolin.

Don is a regular contributor for the Mandolin Café (www.mandolincafe.com) discussion forum and he writes periodical jazz instructional articles for Jazzmando (www.jazzmando.com). He has developed a reputation for being one of the most eclectic mandolin players on the scene today. From Mozart to honky-tonk, from traditional fiddle tunes and Led Zeppelin to modern jazz, Don has spent most of his adult life challenging the boundaries of the mandolin.

As a mandolin teacher, Don offers private instruction via Skype or in person, and has held mandolin workshops and master classes around the world at locations including Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan, and Cesare Pollini Conservatory of Music in Padova, Italy. For the last few years, he has been heading up the ‘Swing Jam’ at David Grisman and Mike Marshall’s Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz, California. He has many free mini-lessons posted on YouTube (at www.youtube.com/donjulinlessons) and is available for workshops or master classes. Don currently lives in Traverse City, Michigan, where he also leads ‘88 Strings’– an ensemble of mandolin and guitar students and area pros in a community-based plucked string ensemble.

Don has released 13 CDs of original music and has played on countless others. His original compositions have been used on many network and cable television programs along with NPR’s All Things Considered. Recent clients include HBO, VH1, MTV, NBC, Showtime, Bravo, National Geographic Explorer, Fox Sports, Hermann Miller Corp. Barmensen Labs, and the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

For lessons, workshops, booking, or to just talk about mandolins, you can reach Don through his website at www.donjulin.com.

Dedication

To my wife and best friend Kelly, my parents Don and Joan, and my daughter Zara.

I love you all, and I dedicate this book to you.

Author’s Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank David Grisman, Mike Compton, Marla Fibish, Chris Acquavella, Don Stiernberg, Rich DelGrosso, John Goodin, and Tim Connell for being the inspirations that they are and for sharing some of their mandolin expertise. Also a big shout out to Scott Tichenor, Mike Marshall, Richard Perlmutter, and Alan Epstein for providing some ‘human interest’ content to help break up the monotony of one scale exercise after another.

I am grateful for the editing team of Mike Baker, Steve Edwards, Ben Kemble, Andy Finch, Matt Flinner, and Arthur Stern who, against all odds, were able to turn my ramblings into something worth publishing.

Thanks to Stan Werbin and Dave Matchette at Elderly Instruments and Trevor Moyle at TAMCO for supplying photographs of rare mandolins. Thanks also to my friends Bill White, Fred Swaffer, Daniel Hansen, George Powell, and Adrian Bagale for lending instruments for the photographs and recordings used in this book.

I would like to thank all of the great mandolin players past, present, and future that inspire us to pick up the mandolin.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Vertical Websites

Project Editor: Steve Edwards

Commissioning Editor: Mike Baker

Assistant Editor: Ben Kemble

Development Editor: Andy Finch

Copy Editor: Kate O’Leary

Technical Editors: Arthur Stern, Matt Flinner

Proofreader: Mary White

Production Manager: Daniel Mersey

Publisher: David Palmer

Cover Photos: Trevor Moyle: The Acoustic Music Co.; Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments (www.webermandolins.com)

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Senior Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers, Carrie A. Cesavice, Joyce Haughey

Proofreaders: John Greenough, Melanie Hoffman

Indexer: Claudia Bourbeau

Brand Reviewers: Jennifer Bingham, Zoë Wykes, and Carrie Burchfield

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Foreword

It is with great pleasure and a sense of pride that I welcome you to Mandolin For Dummies. Our unique little musical instrument – the mandolin – is one filled with limitless possibilities. Whether you’re just learning or you’ve been working at it for a considerable amount of time, a wealth of valuable information awaits you within these pages.

The mandolin had its beginning in Europe centuries ago. During the natural migration of humans seeking new opportunities and a better life, people often took with them the family mandolin which was portable, unlike the bulkier guitar or piano. The mandolin found itself in new surroundings, mixing with unfamiliar music and cultures. New music genres were being born. The influence of Italian music took hold in Brazil and spread to other parts of South America. Europe’s classical music found a good home in today’s Asian mandolin orchestras. In the United States, penniless immigrants who had entered the country through New York’s Ellis Island ultimately mingled with the descendents of African slaves to create new styles of soulful, hyper-charged folk music.

It’s within this context that we celebrate the mandolin, which brings us to the book’s author. Don Julin has dedicated his entire life to making great music on the mandolin. He’s a musician’s musician. At performances, Don might be trading solos with a Hammond B3 organ, cello, drummer or electric guitar. On occasion, you find him performing solo mandolin with a loop recorder where he layers his own back-up in real time. Don also works with everyone from folk singers to seasoned jazz professionals. As if that isn’t enough, he leads ensembles of all sizes (including a mandolin orchestra), composes for film and television, has owned a recording studio and is widely recognised for his writing and teaching. In short, Don is a musician you won’t find tied to or limited by any genre.

Diversity is Don Julin’s strength. In him, we have the perfect author for Mandolin For Dummies and a terrific mentor to lead us forward in one of life’s great joys – playing music. Enjoy!

Scott Tichenor Mandolin Cafe (www.mandolincafe.com)

Introduction

Mandolins heal the world! Recent scientific studies show that the mandolin has the amazing ability to reverse the ageing process, give temporary relief from depression and anxiety, and possibly even cure cancer. Experience the miracle of this diminutive yet powerful instrument!

For many years this was the opening statement on my website (www.donjulin.com). Even though it may not be backed up by a legitimate medical study, this little sales pitch has put smiles on the faces of many people. I hope that it encouraged some readers to pick up the mandolin and begin to feel the healing.

From Mozart’s ‘Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra’ to Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Battle of Evermore’, the mandolin has brought that special something to a wide range of musical styles for more than 200 years. The instrument that started out serenading passengers on gondolas in Venice, Italy, played the leading role in the development of bluegrass in America. Although to some people the mandolin looks like a little guitar, hearing a few notes is enough to show that this is no guitar: the mandolin is much cooler than a guitar!

About This Book

You don’t have to read Mandolin For Dummies from cover to cover, and I promise there’s no test at the end! Think of this book more as a reference that allows you to go straight to the topic or technique you’re interested in. If scales aren’t your focus today, simply bypass those sections and jump to another topic. (Those scales or timing exercises may look (or sound) good in a few months.) This book has useful information for the beginner, but also includes some sage advice from some of today’s top pros.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of this book:

check.png Look carefully at the photos: Positioning your hands properly is very important to obtain a good tone from your mandolin. The photos give you a better idea of what your fingers need to look like than just using the chord charts.

check.png Listen to the audio tracks: Music is sound, not paper, and so even though I use paper to communicate many elements of music, the end result is sound. I use the audio tracks to demonstrate many of the songs, techniques and exercises that I describe in this book. I recommend listening to each exercise a few times before trying to play it.

check.png Read the charts: I present the songs and exercises in tablature, rhythm patterns for strumming and standard musical notation. You certainly don’t need to read music, but it’s provided for those who already can. (Appendix B covers standard music notation.)

What You’re Not to Read

Throughout this book, I mark some paragraphs as Technical Stuff. These technical bits aren’t necessary to being able to play great mandolin but may give you a deeper understanding of the relevant exercise or concept.

Sidebars (shaded in grey) contain little nuggets of mandolin knowledge that you can use to impress people at social events. They may feature wisdom from a famous mandolin player, a story about a mandolin personality or a little-known historical fact. You don’t have to read these sidebars, but they make for some fun reading while you’re taking a break from practising.

Conventions Used in This Book

I use a few conventions in Mandolin For Dummies to help you navigate your way around the book:

check.png The Internet has made being a mandolin enthusiast more fun than ever. When I reference a website that you may want to check out, it appears in this very official-looking monofont type. Rest assured that when an address breaks across two lines of text, I haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. Just type exactly what you see in the book, as though the line break doesn’t exist.

check.png I italicise important words that may be new to you, and define them nearby.

check.png Instead of writing ‘picking hand’ and ‘fretting hand’, I use ‘right hand’ for the picking or strumming hand and ‘left hand’ for the fretting hand. I apologise if you’re left-handed, and ask that you read ‘right hand’ to mean ‘left hand’ and vice versa.

check.png The terms ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ have different meanings depending on which hand I’m referring to. I use ‘up’ and ‘down’ to describe the right-hand movement for strumming or picking. An up-stroke is the motion of picking or strumming where the pick is moving up (against gravity). A down-stroke refers to picking or strumming with a downward motion (with gravity).

I use these same terms a bit differently for the left hand. ‘Up’ or ‘higher’ refers to the note’s pitch and indicates moving your left hand or fingers towards the body of the mandolin (see Chapter 1 for the different parts of the mandolin); notice that the sound gets higher. ‘Down’ or ‘lower’ also refers to pitch and indicates moving your left hand or fingers towards the headstock of the mandolin (notice the sound gets lower).

check.png I indicate minor chords with a lowercase ‘m’ after the chord name. So ‘A minor’, for example, is ‘Am’.

check.png I use the US terms for indicating the length of notes, with the UK terms in parentheses. Therefore, I refer to whole notes, half notes and quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. These US terms seem more logical and clear than the UK equivalents (which are semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver and semiquaver, respectively). Check out Chapter 4 for more details.

Foolish Assumptions

The only assumptions I make about you are that you’re interested in discovering more about playing the mandolin, that you’re using standard tuning (G, D, A, E) and that you’re playing with a pick. I don’t assume that you can read music or that I know what style of music you want to play (or that you should be interested in only one style of music). I don’t even assume that you own a mandolin yet.

How This Book Is Organised

Mandolin For Dummies is organised so that you can easily get to the information you want quickly, without spending a lot of time hunting around for it. The chapters are grouped into the following six parts, which are broken down into chapters, each covering a specific subject, skill or musical style.

Part I: Being Bitten by the Mandolin Bug

This part is for mandolin beginners or those needing a reminder of the fundamentals. Chapter 1 contains an introduction to the mandolin family of instruments, and all the various parts and their names. Chapter 2 shows you how to get the mandolin in tune, and in Chapter 3 I guide you towards finding a comfortable position, holding the mandolin, when sitting and standing.

Part II: Starting to Play the Mandolin

In Part II, I get down to playing the mandolin. I suggest that you take things slowly: discover and practise a few techniques, and have fun with some tunes. When you feel confident about what you’ve picked up, maybe go back and pick up a few more tricks. This part gives you all the exercises you’ll ever need.

Chapter 4 shows you some of the basic elements of counting, tablature, chord diagrams and strumming, followed by a few simple songs. Chapter 5 explores the world of right-hand technique, such as holding the pick, right-hand support, pick direction, tone development, dynamics and tremolo, as well as some exercises to strengthen and loosen your right hand and wrist.

Chapter 6 focuses on the left hand and describes fingerings for both open (easy) and closed (a little tougher) positions. I also discuss left-hand techniques (for example, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs and muting) and loads more great chords. Chapter 7 is all about a specific way of playing chords that was a favourite of the great mandolin virtuoso Jethro Burns: three-string chords. Chapter 8 describes a few common scales and some basic tunes, as well as more sophisticated ways to play accompaniment. I also show you how to use various left- and right-hand techniques to turn a plain melody into something very special.

Part III: Putting Playing Styles into Practice

This part is all about playing different musical styles from around the world. I take a look at the defining techniques used in loads of different genres, including how to play old-time fiddle tunes, dances and blues (Chapter 9), American mountain bluegrass (Chapter 10) and Irish reels and jigs (in Chapter 11). For those of you with itchy feet or who want to check out some truly exotic styles, try Chapter 12 with its sections on traditional Italian folk, European classical and Brazilian choro. If toe-tapping swing and jazz is more your thing, Chapter 13 is for you, and for something that incorporates many of these styles, plus a smidgen of Latin and gypsy to boot, turn to Chapter 14, where I discuss something called new acoustic (or Dawg) music.

Part IV: Purchasing and Caring for Your Mandolin

In Chapter 15, I describe the never-ending quest for a more expensive mandolin; no, not really! In fact, this chapter deals with buying your first mandolin or upgrading to a better model. I take a look at many different styles of mandolin and discuss where (and where not) to look for a good new or used mandolin. Chapter 16 is about building an accessories kit, from picks to metronomes and recording devices. Chapter 17 gives you a step-by-step guide to changing strings, and Chapter 18 covers care and basic repair of your valued possession, including when to turn to the experts.

Part V: The Part of Tens

This part is a For Dummies trademark and is made up of top ten lists: Chapter 19 helps to improve your playing with practice tips, Chapter 20 introduces you to the greatest mandolin players of all time, and Chapter 21 offers ways to tap into the thriving mandolin subculture.

Part VI: Appendixes

The appendixes contain a wealth of information that you’re sure to find useful for years to come. Appendix A shows you how to make 96 chords, including many that draw a blank stare even from seasoned players. Appendix B is all about reading standard music notation including sharps, flats, key signatures, time signatures and much more. Appendix C lists all the audio tracks.

Icons Used in This Book

I use the following icons to call your attention to information that you may find helpful. These icons are placed in the page margins.

playthis_e.eps This icon lets you know that I demonstrate a technique or tune on an accompanying audio track. Listening to these tracks as you work on a specific skill or tune helps enormously.

remember.eps Paragraphs that I mark with this icon contain important info that people tend to forget. Think of them as the little sticky notes that your spouse or partner leaves on the refrigerator, such as ‘turn the oven off at 5!’. They may not seem that big, but remembering them sets you up well for the future.

technicalstuff.eps These icons are more about the whys and how things work than simply what to do. They can prove helpful but aren’t essential, and so you can skip over them if you prefer, with no damage done.

tip.eps These icons provide expert advice that helps you avoid common pitfalls and so speed up your progress.

warning_bomb.eps Danger! Danger! This icon indicates something that can cause harm to your playing or to your mandolin.

Accessing the Audio Tracks

Mandolin For Dummies comes with 91 audio tracks – each one an essential aid to mastering the songs, techniques, and exercises that I cover in the book. If you’ve purchased the paper or e-book version of Mandolin For Dummies, just go to www.dummies.com/go/mandolin to access and download these tracks. (If you don’t have internet access, call 877-762-2974 within the U.S. or 317-572-3993 outside the U.S.) If you have the enhanced e-book version, you’ll find the audio tracks right there in the chapters – just where you need them.

Where to Go from Here

I’ve written the chapters in Mandolin For Dummies so that they’re as self-contained as possible. This approach allows you to devise your own personal course through the book, depending on your interests and skill level:

check.png If you haven’t yet bought a mandolin, jump straight to Chapter 15 to get advice before splashing any cash.

check.png If you’re a beginner staring at a shiny new instrument, check out the chapters in Part I to start a mandolin journey that can last a lifetime.

check.png If you’re already an intermediate mandolin player, flip to Part III and discover some of the finer points of different musical styles; for example, check out Chapter 10 for exciting rural bluegrass, and Chapter 13 for sophisticated urban jazz.

However you decide to use this book, now that you’ve been well and truly bitten by the mandolin bug the thing to do is relax, read on, and enjoy the ride with the greatest little instrument in the world — the mandolin.

Part I

Being Bitten By the Mandolin Bug

9781119942764-pp01.eps

In this part . . .

I introduce you to the family of mandolin instruments, describe the different anatomical parts of the mandolin and preview what lies ahead in this book. I show you how to tune your mandolin and how to hold it, whether you choose to stand or sit while playing.