The "What are you learning" Thread!!

[Thilefan]

I think it's about time for an official thread for the topic.

This is a place for people to discuss their latest musical project, and to ask questions ect.

Also, if you are interested, put in your messenger name, if you have a microphone, people can work it out with audio. :D

So, I guess I better start this off.

I use YIM, and my screename is (you'll never guess!!!): Thilefan

My question is:

If you are playing mandolin with a diverse bunch of other musical instruments, what do you think the best type of chords are to use? Chop chords, open chords, bar chords? It doesn't really seem like the mandolin has a set type of chords like the guitar, and every mandolin player seems to do it a bit differently.

--What do you think?

~M&M

[fiddlechick21]

I had to pick other, because you could only pick one choice. I'm currently tinkering with the mando parts in The Hand Song as well as some bluegrass songs and some Scottish fiddle tunes. I'm a pretty crappy musician, but I've got this one song, O'r The Moor Among The Heather sounding halfway decent.

I'm on AIM and my sn is ToreUpYankeeGirl. Once in a while I go on YIM and I'm knquail on there. And yes I have a mic somewhere, I'll have to hook it up if I can find the darn tootin' thing.

[SilverLiner]

I'm still trying to get through Raining At Sunset. I'm gradually getting through the first part. I've just about got the intro down that he does on the dvd which helps the rest of that first bit. Here's my take on it.

----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0---------0-----0-------------
- -4-/-7-----7--------0------------0------------0----------
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----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0---------0-----0-------------
- -6-/-7-----7--------0------------0------------0----------
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----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0---------0-----0-------------
- -6-/-7-----7--------0------------0------------0----------
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----------------0------[12]----------
----------0--------0--------[12]-----
- -6-/-7-----7-------------------------
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There's the odd harmonic in there I think and maybe a couple of different notes but I think this is the general pattern for it which is used between different phrases.

Any ideas, comments?
P.S - good thread :)

[argan]

I voted other for the same reason. More than one choice.

I am learing kind of a celtic, bluegrass and nickel creek

[Nate-o-ritis]

In reference to Thilefan's little chord question.. my answer would be chop chords.. there are of course instances where it would be more tasteful to use other chords, and i'm most certainly not limiting myself to just chop chords, however the sound they produce is pretty unique to the mandolin.. especially handy if there is no type of percussion involved.. get to hit that backbeat! But this is the thing that I find so incredible about the instrument.. there are so many different things you can do with it.. heavy melodic line playing, percussive chops, lush open chords, the possibilities are endless and so is the amount of enjoyment that comes with playing!

[invisio1222]

I am learning mainly bluegrass, but some celtic and newgrass (Sam Bush, Tim O'brien) stuff.

I agree with Nate on the chord question. I have been playing guitar for almost 18 years and I never had as much fun as I do playing the mandolin. (Plus, living in Nashville, guitarists are a dime a dozen and I am not up to Nashville standards on guitar even after 18 years).

[Thilefan]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I have been testing different sounds in relation to backup, and I think I've found the style that I like the best. It allows a player to backup just about any style very tastefully. However, I don't really have much info about it. Do any of you know texas style backup on mandolin? If not, do you know where there is a database of texas chord progressions? I like the chops too, but in order to back up some types of music, chops don't seem to work. (Such as classical music or jazz).

Silverliner, that looks pretty good! I haven't tried that part for quite a while. If I have a moment this evening, I'll take a look and see what I come up with too! :D

~M&M

[SilverLiner]

Yeah, let us know what you think :) I've actually changed my mind about it after watching the dvd closely and instead I think it's...

----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0-------0-------0-------------
- -4-/-7-----7--------0----------------0--------0----------
-------------------------------------------------------------

----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0-------0-------0-------------
- -6-/-7-----7--------0----------------0--------0----------
-------------------------------------------------------------

----------------0--------0------0--------0---------0------
----------0--------0--------0-------0-------0-------------
- -6-/-7-----7--------0----------------0--------0----------
-------------------------------------------------------------

----------------0------12---------------------------------
----------0--------0-------12-----------------------------
- -4-/-7-----7---------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------

[Thilefan]

Have any of you tried learning Radim Zenkl's songs? One of my favorites is Restless. I wrote it out about 5 years ago, and just stumbled over it again. It's a great tune.

Also, have any of you attempted to learn Old Cold Coffee on the Dashboard? I have tried quite a few times to transcribe it, but there is a small part on the second part that keeps throwing me off! If you have learned this, please help! :D

~M&M

[wandererunlost]

I'm currently learning how to play Ode to a Butterlfy. I'll tell you that the music is pretty difficult, not terrible. But, it's the playing up to speed part that I'm not going to develope for at least another 10 years (I've been playing for four at this point.)

A halfnote gets 132 bpm. It's outragous.

I don't know how Chris Thile can play this that fast, and yet still give the piece the pure clean sound that it has.

(PS What DVD are you watching?)

[Thilefan]

That's great. :) Ode to a Butterfly introduces so many new ideas and tricks to the mind, as well as being a great finger excercise.

I'm glad you're not taking the speed up too high at first. Playing it slowly and perfectly will get you there faster than taking it to the top notch right away (from experience, I can tell you this hehe).

While I don't have a problem with the speed in Ode to a Butterfly, the triplets in the second solo of Chris' have provided a huge challenege to me. Only recently have I been able to understand how it fits together.

One of the ways Chris is able to get such a unique and clean sound on this song is the key it's in. The key of 'E' is a great key for this song. Lots of open notes, which generate a clear and clean sound. Not to say that Chris couldn't get this sound in any key. :D

When you asked ...what dvd are you watching? Did you mean for 'Old Cold Coffee on the Dashboard,' or another tune?

~M&M

[SilverLiner]

As ever, I'm still trying to get through Raining At Sunset...and as ever, it's still driving me crazy lol.

[oink42]

I've spent the last six months building up my fiddle tune repertoire so I can join in at bluegrass sessions.

Over the last few days I have tabbed out Stumptown, turning it into a simple AA/BB fiddle tune arrangement. It looks surprisingly simple on paper, but then I've taken out all the fancy triplets that Chris does on the record.

It's in E, and I've never played anything in that key before, so my fingers are taking time getting used to the new positions on the fretboard. Give me a year or two and I should be able to play it up to speed :p

[wandererunlost]

At this point in my playing, I'm starting to get quite frustrated. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because I can play things clean slow (as everyone can) but when I speed them up they start to get real choppy. This is natural, I know, but I'm still trying to fix it.

I think it may have something to do with the way I was taught (my instructor never taught chords, or improvizational techniques) or maybe its the size of my hands. I can play bouzouki as though it were a mandolin, which is pretty awesome at times, but can become frustrating.

If anyone has any tips, I I]really[/I] want to grow with this instrument. I love it, and in many ways worship Chris Thile. I need to gain more of a knowledge of the instrument, but I'm not sure how to start.

You who are more experienced, or have ecperience in my situation PLEASE HELP ME!

CONTACT ME Thile734@yahoo.com

[Thilefan]

Is that your instant messenger address as well as email? If so, sign on sometime and well play some and talk. I know what you're going through :)

~M&M

[speacock]

I'm working on Bittersweet Reel off of Stealing Second. It's been great for me learning intervals and extending my ability to improvise using larger jumps. One tendancy I have from my guitar playing days was to think too linearly when doing runs and solos.

Also been working on Song for a young queen.

On Dobro, which I play as well, I am working on laying down a dobro track for Golden Pond and then putting the mandolin part over the top and a little mini project.

I picked up a Viola recently to work on that since my wife already has a cello. That way I can work on both and add some string sounds to any stuff I record. I use the free program audacity to record and mix parts together... great pratice and fun

[Thilefan]

Those are great tunes. I really enjoy playing the tunes from his older solo cds, they flow real nice. As you mentioned, they are also very good finger excercises. What kind of cello and bow does your wife play with? I am considering upgrading the cello I have.

I've just finished learning Pachabell's (sp?) Cannon in D. I think that is got to be one of my favorite classical pieces. I only wish I had a better violin to play it on. :p

Yesterday I also learned a good portion of Stumptown. While fairly simplestic, it is pretty fun to play. Try it out! ;)

~M&M

[wandererunlost]

(PS That was my email, my sn is shoottothrill734 but is not quite operational at the moment.)

[speacock]

to Thilefan:

for the life of me I can't tell what kind of cello it is... lol

I picked it up years ago when she expressed that she had wanted to play since childhood. (mucho brownie points to me)

I actually play it more now than she does. It makes a nice fill to lay a little bass down when I record. My bowing is still a bit lacking. My viola work is improving. I picked one up as cheaply as I could.

Like most of my instruments... interest I have ... Cash I don't ... lol

I too have done a little picking around on stumptown. Nice tune. I espically like what chris does on the upper frets behind seans solo. The guys has a great sense of flow and handoffs between breaks.

I have made good progress on bittersweet reel. I'm approaching the dreaded triplets section. [eek!!] And young queen has been good for my cross picking.

[mandogirl]

I ticked other cos I'm learning pretty much any of those other than rock. Tuneswise though I'm learning When Mandolins Dream, Stumptown and Limerock.