Learning classical pieces on mandolin?

[Thilefan]

What pieces have you all been learning on the mandolin?

I thought it would be great for those of us that are learning them to have this place to post our findings, frustrations/questions, fingering tecniques, or any other aspects of classical pieces that have been worked on. This topic is for mandolin only (feel free to start a similar thread in the guitar or fiddle discussion boards as well).

Have fun!

~Thilefan

[Thilefan]

I am working on a piece called Bach Suite#2...althought don't know if that specifically describes the piece I am working on, or whether that is just a part of a whole other piece. *??* Anyway, I have really been enjoying studying this piece (as well as experimenting with it). I have tried playing it in several different positions...what an awesome piece. It is a conglomeration of flute solos with a couple of violin pieces as well, backed up by an orchastra in the traditional Baroque-era style.

Has anyone else played this piece? If so, what do you think of it?

~Robin

[mandofocus]

Just finished learning both parts to Bach's Minuet #4.
Looking for more.

PJ :cool:

[mando_andy]

I told my mandolin teacher early on that I would love to try all kinds of music on the mando, (jazz, classical, rock, bluegrass, etc... it's all good!) Currently I'm working on Concerto Op. 3, No. 8 by Antonio Vivaldi. It was made for two violins, but my teacher and I will do it on mandolins. Before that he gave me The Orange Blossom Special to work on. (that's a lot of fun to play!!! esp. when it's REALLY fast!) Before that we worked on a canon...you know, the one that goes Da, dah dah Dum, dah dah Dah da da da Dum, da da Dum, da da Dum, da da da dee doo day Dum? :D...I don't remember who wrote it, but on the top right corner of the music sheet is a name (Johann Pachelbel) so I guess that's him. (I'm terribly ignorant in the field of classical music) My teacher and I played it together and it sounded wonderful.... I am so in love with that song now... I asked him to play it with me on the violin while I played along on the mando since he is primarily a violin teacher/player. The only problem was, it was hard to hear myself over his violin! I didn't realize how loud they are. Anywho, I'm a big fan of classical music...it's very much my cup of tea. (hehe sorry to sound snooty...classical does that to me. :D)



[party]

[Banjo_Ken]

A lot of violin music works suprisingly well on mandolin, particuraly Bach. I've heard Chris throw in a lot of Bach during the jams in the middle of the fox. Of course, he makes it sound like it was written for mandolin. I'm working on Sonata #1 right now, hoping to perform it at a recital next year. Bach's concerto for two violins also works really well with two mandolins (except possibly in the slow movement).

As for other composers, it gets harder, because later composers were writing for a more sophisticated instrument, and a lot of times used long held notes (not easy to translate to mandolin). I've been playing around with the first movement of the Mendelssohn violin concerto. This actually can be translated fairly well to mandolin, but it's very very difficult. I really need a better mandolin before I can really play it, because the piece often goes very high up on the fingerboard (translate to 19th and 20th frets on mandolin), and my instrument can't produce much of a sound when I get up that high.

Ken

[mando_andy]

If there is any reason to go see NC in concert, it would be for The Fox. :D

I know what you mean with the peices getting very difficult to translate to mando...there is one part of the peice I'm working on that holds one note for 13 beats...during that I usually just tremelo a little bit...

Violins are better than Mandolins at being played way high up...one thing I'm really jeolous of Chris is that he can play very high and stay clear...and playing the G and D strings high and not sounding really flat and odd...:D I guess that's just the difference in quality of Mandolins...

I play a FM-80 Rogue 'cuz that's what I could afford. But oddly enough, I've also played some Ovation mandolins and Washburn mandolins and I've prefered the sound of mine over the others. I guess the price doesn't always equal the quality.

Good luck on the recital! I know it's early, but, why not? :) Good luck! And happy Easter everyone! [party]

[mandofocus]

I just found a midi file for Bach's partitas yesterday. I already rearranged Partita #4 from 4 violins to one mando. Seems like it's gonna be really hard to learn but I'm definitely up for that challenge.

PJ :cool:

[AmandaLynn]

Is anyone here playing the Bach Partita #3 (E Major)? 'Cause yeah...that piece rocks my world.

[Banjo_Ken]

I've been playing the E major partita for a while. I first decided to learn it after hearing Bela Fleck play it on banjo. I figured if he could do it on banjo, I could do it on guitar. I've learned the whole piece over the last year or so, now I've just got to be able to put all the parts together and play it at a reasonable tempo ;)

Ken

[Luna]

One of my favorite pieces to play is Bach's Jesu,Joy of Man's Desiring. It flows so beautifully on the mandolin.

[Adyn]

I just started learning my first Bach piece (which happens to be my first classical piece ;) ) It's Bouree II from Suite No. 3 in C Maj for solo cello. I had a HECK of a time finding out where it came from LOL, the book I have (sheet music) refers to no less than 4 pieces as Bouree. Which I finally, after some research, figured out why LOL. I learned something new yesterday... Bouree: A lively dance style from the Baroque period, in 4/4 time, and the phrases begin on the last beat of the bar So I discovered that many of Bach's suites have Bouree's. Thus my confusion LOL The dumb book makes no note of what suite the Bouree comes from, which is very annoying.

I was looking to find a recording of the piece, because while there are 3 Bouree's on the CD that came with the book, alas I picked the one they didn't put on there :p Anyhow I wanted to know how fast it is supposed to be played (also no tempo clues in the book, thanks Mel Bay [lolol] ) So after listening to lots of midis (crude, but effective LOL) I finally found it. Happily, it's at a speed I can play LOL. (or at least will be able to once I get it all learned... I'm reading from notation not tab, which is slow going for me still) Though the 1st movement of the piece has tremelo chords, which I ummm, can't do yet. I cab't even do a normal one on one string LOL. Ah well, someday!! For now I am playing the second movement and really liking it. It's a great workout for the fret hand, lots of pinky work & such. Definately a step beyond the basic fiddle tunes I've been working on as far as complexity... which is working a different part of my mando brain ;)

[Luna]

That's a great piece, but you're right, a serious workout for the pinky. I've really enjoyed trying classical music on my mandolin. When I first told my teacher I was interested in learning to play classical pieces, he told me I was on my own. He's a strict bluegrass/Celtic music sort of guy. It's been a challenge, but worth the effort.

[whitingrass]

try learning some paganini caprices that will give you a major brain strain. #3 ,#5, and #16 are especially cool for the mandolin. holy crap he was either a freak or a genius.

[Adyn]

[party] I made it through the Bach piece! Wheeee!! Now I just have to bring up the tempo a bit more and play it cleanly (always the goal, eh? LOL) I'd like to find another one to work on soon... that was fun to learn! Hard, but fun ;) My notation reading has improved vastly just by working through that piece. I've been trying to be good about reading something new every day because when I stop I tend to get rusty :p Do you guys mostly play by ear, tab, or notation?

[Luna]

I read music well, and can read tabs, but they make me feel lazy. I've been training my ear to hear the notes, but it doesn't come naturally, so it's truly a challenge.