MANDOLINS HEAL THE WORLD

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Two basic wrist actions: one for picking and one for strumming.

Don Julin

This video demonstrates how to take a simple lick in G and move it to the key of C and the key of D.

Don Julin

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This six part lesson will take you through the process building a traditional bluegrass style break for the bluegrass standard Long Journey Home .

Don Julin

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Notes and people are alike in that they both appreciate it when we remember their names.

Learn were the notes D, G, C, and F are on all four strings.

Learn were the notes Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db are on all four strings.

Learn were the notes F#, B, E, and A are on all four strings.

This lesson uses the six notes A, G, F, Eb, Db, and B in ascending and descending patterns. 

Jordan Ramsey

Jordan Ramsey

This lesson uses the six notes Bb, Ab, F#, E, D, and C in ascending and descending patterns. 

Learning to count and identify the beat is a crucial skill that all good musicians understand. At first, this can one of the most difficult parts to learn but will become easier over time. 

Dividing the beat by two, three, and four. AKA 1/8 notes, triplets, and 16th notes.

Once you can hear the strong beats, it is time to start subdividing beats bt two, three, and four smaller beats.

This exercise uses whole notes, half notes and quarter notes and their equivelent rests. The concept is to be able to continue counting whether you are playing a note or waiting for the next note by playing a rest. Be sure to mute the note at the beginning of the rest so that the end of the note is just a precise as the beginning of the note. Remember that rests are silent. 

This exercise introduces you to ties and dots. Ties linking two notes together and a dot placed directly after the note are two ways of increasing the length of the note. The tie combines two notes by adding their length together, so two quarter notes tied together is the same as one half note. A dot increases the length of the note by 50% so a half note followed by a dot would be worth three beats. 

This lesson includes eighth notes. In general eighth notes are where mandolin players start using alternate picking requiring an understanding of which notes are played with a down-stroke and which one are to be played with an up-stroke. 

An essential mandolin picking technique. 

Which finger goes on which fret?

Developing a good organized right hand is essential in becoming a mandolin player. 

The king of all mandolin techniques: The Tremolo! It all starts with being able to keep a steady down-up motion with your pick while staying in time with the music. 

Free or expressive style tremolo varies in speed and intensity to fit the mood of the music. 

Syncopated melodies and rhythms are more challenging than straight melodies and rhythms. Mandolin players need to pay close attention to pick direction in order to handle syncopated rhythms. 

These right hand coordination exercises are favorites of many of todays mandolin superstars. These will surely improve your overall timing and alternate picking skills. 

Alternate picking works fine for fiddle tunes but your blues, jazz, and ballads just won't sound as good as they can until you have spent some time playing only downstrokes. 

Jordan Ramsey

Jordan Ramsey

Jordan Ramsey

Jordan Ramsey

A dampening technique used to stop a note.

Slides are a common left hand ornament. This lessons cover two basic types of slides.

A left hand slurring technique.

Adding an open string to your melody can really add a dimension to your sound.

Two exercises that will strengthen your fourth finger.

This strumming technique can come in handy when playing old time music or traditional country songs.

These strumming patterns work in a variety of musical styles.

A couple variations to spice up you rhythm playing.

This rhythm style is great for ballads, love songs, and a variety of places where strumming seems too much.

This technique will turn your mandolin into a percussion instrument, the driving force of a bluegrass band.

Don Julin

Don Julin

This strumming pattern is useful in many styles of popular music.

Four moveable seventh chords forms that you can play on three strings.

Three major chord shapes that you can move all over the neck.

A great mandolin key that is easy to play in two full octaves. If you have no experience with scales, this is a good place to start.

The key of A major is another great mandolin key. Many bluegrass classics are in this key.

The key of D is the most popular key for fiddle tunes along with being one of the easiest scales to play on the mandolin. 

It makes no difference what instrument you play, the key of C is the most common key in the world. You can play the C major scale on the piano by simply playing only the white keys. It's not quite that easy on the mandolin, but it is a key we will need to know.

The key of E is a favorite of blues/rock guitarists. Must have to do with the fact that guitars have two open E strings. If you want to play any classic rock or guitar driven blues songs, the key of E major will come in handy. 

B is for Bluegrass! Learn it, love it. The key of B major has a very bright sound that is well suited for the high lonesome sound that is heard in traditional bluegrass songs.

F is fairly common and is easy to play on the mandolin.

Bb is a fairly common key that everyone should know. 

Eb is a common key in the bebop world. 

You should be ready to play in Ab when the time comes. Could be a jazz standard, or could be a singer/songwriter type with a capo. Either way don't make the mistake of thinking you will never play in Ab.

Not a very common key for mandolin but if you want to play jazz, you will need to know all 12 major scales.

The jazz standard "Body & Soul" is commonly played in Db. 

Learning scales up and down the neck is cool, but in the real world, we mando-people spend most of our lives in first position. (below the seventh fret) I've heard Del McCoy say  that there is no money past the fifth fret. Of course he was talking about guitar so for mandolin we extend tit to the seventh fret. Learning all keys in first position is more difficult that learning moveable scale patterns because each scale has it's own unique pattern in first position.

After working through all 4 moveable major scale patterns, you get try you hand at playing all 12 keys in first position. First position refers to playing below the seventh fret and using open strings whenever possible.

Don Julin

Crucial Scale Sequences are four specific mathematical algorithms that you can apply to any scale in any key, in both ascending and descending patterns. Daily practice of the Crucial Scale Sequences will help build individual left hand finger strength and dexterity, along with fine tuning your right hand alternate picking skills.  

is moveable major scale pattern can be played anywhere on the mandolin neck. By moving this one simple pattern you will be able to play major scales in a variety of different keys.

This moveable major scale pattern can be played anywhere on the mandolin neck. By moving this one simple pattern you will be able to play major scales in a variety of different keys.

This moveable major scale pattern can be played anywhere on the mandolin neck. By moving this one simple pattern you will be able to play major scales in a variety of different keys.