The author recommends the Skaggs and Rice album, particularly praising their version of “Bury Me Beneath the Willow.” Key points include its foundational role for mandolin learners, the significance of practicing scales and arpeggios, and learning the melody for improvisation. The content encourages engagement through comments and donations for ongoing support.
Learning classical pieces on mandolin can provide huge benefits for players of nearly any genre. The masters of these works incorporated some great musical ideas into their pieces including things like counterpoint (great for harmonies) and motifs (great to keep a song or album together). In all honesty, I don’t play classical pieces on mandolin […]
Learning the various scales involved in music is essential to become a better musician. In addition to improving your ability to play melodies and create fun solos, learning scales can help you learn where notes are on the fretboard – which can be a huge help for playing chords and other rhythmic styles too. The […]
This week’s Mandolin Song Breakdown focuses on “Southern Flavor,” a song the author grew fond of after hearing it at the Summergrass festival. The breakdown includes listening recommendations, chord charts, song format, and tips for mastering the melody with double stops. Donations to support the site are encouraged.
The content describes a fiddle tune, “Whiskey Before Breakfast,” emphasizing its variations and learning strategies. Key focus areas include mastering chord progressions in multiple positions, understanding the D major scale, and playing the melody in different positions. Additionally, techniques like double stops enhance soloing and rhythm. Listening to various versions is encouraged.
Before you start playing, whether for practice or at gig, starting with a basic warm up is a great idea. With a good warm up, you can work out some kinks like stiff fingers or bad playing headspace before getting in to the real work. I’ve found when I’m working on a song in practice […]
