As a guitar player for 25 years who loves shred metal, I had to really remove the ego from my mandolin playing. This lesson hits the nail on the head. Slow down until it's second nature, then speed it up just a little. I always went in 5bpm increments, but that's just me. Enjoy your vids, man! They've helped me a lot!
My college trombone instructor used to use to say "practice makes permanent" IOW, make sure you play slowly enough to play with accuracy. If you consistently play so fast that you are making mistakes, you are training your neuro-pathways to play mistakes. I *really* appreciate your lessons. I'm a long-time guitarist who could never play fast. Somehow, I missed the part about keeping everything loose and relaxed. I'm kinda gobsmacked at how much this has helped me in just a few days. I just started playing mando a couple of weeks ago and am really have a lot of fun, and progressing faster than I imagined I would or could. I'll be contributing to your paypal account. One last idea: a former piano instructor taught me this technique to use when working through any piece of music. Occasionally play it staccato, then legato, and back and forth. Also, swing it, then play it straight, swing it then straight. (dotted quarter+ eighth+dotted quarter+eighth.) Lastly, reverse the swing (eighth+dotted quarter+eight+dotted quarter.) This allows your brain to have a little more time for every other note change. When you switch to the other pattern you brain gets a little more time for the other note changes. Hope this makes sense. I assume this would be helpful for any instrument. It also breaks up the monotony.
Find your edge and lean over it. Don't hang back in your comfort zone all the time, stagnating in security. Nor should you fall off your edge, stressing yourself unnecessarily, unable to appreciate the experience. Funny isn't it? How music and life are synonymous.
I've been playing the mandolin for a few months now, and I'm really slow. I just found a metronome accessible for the visually impaired on the Google Play store, and am playing around 40 beats a minute.
The way you play like popular artists is practice...that's the one & only way to do it...if you're beginning, expect to play like a beginner until you put in the practice time...there's no secret code or shortcuts to get there, you just have to spend enough time with a mandolin in your hands playing it...that's how you learn to play like your favorite artists...🖖🏿😎👍🏿
Apologies for incoming silly question. Can someone explain how the beat on the metronome (eg 60) links with the actual notes played in the scale, Is it four notes to a tic ? Or are you just tuning into the general speed of the tic toc? I find this bit hard to discern, maybe I lack a musicians ear. Thanks.
In this lesson he's playing 4 notes per tick. In standard music notation that would be four 16th notes played for every beat. I think it's a bit arbitrary. You can practice some exercises playing a quarter note or two eighth notes for every beat. you can even do triplets. the important thing is that you are always stay in sync with the metronome. This helps with carefully tracking your progress, but it also helps you play with precision to the beat.
If he’s in 4/4 with metronome clicking each beat he’s playing 16th. 4 notes per beat. But he’s more likely playing 8 notes (one scale) to a bar, so 8th notes in 4/4 but the metronome is clicking every 2 beats. Most bluegrass and Irish reels are written in 4/4 and if you were playing along with a metronome it’d be clicking on each group of 4 notes. So 2 beats per bar. At Irish sessions he would need to take the BPM from 65 to 98 for a normal bouncy but not fast session pace for reels. Some crazy sessions will play at up to 115 but they start to lose flavour at that speed.
Thank you very much for providing this helpful advice for free
Makes sense, thanks, will check out your other vids
As a guitar player for 25 years who loves shred metal, I had to really remove the ego from my mandolin playing. This lesson hits the nail on the head. Slow down until it's second nature, then speed it up just a little. I always went in 5bpm increments, but that's just me.
Enjoy your vids, man! They've helped me a lot!
Great lesson .. thanks!
My college trombone instructor used to use to say "practice makes permanent" IOW, make sure you play slowly enough to play with accuracy. If you consistently play so fast that you are making mistakes, you are training your neuro-pathways to play mistakes.
I *really* appreciate your lessons. I'm a long-time guitarist who could never play fast. Somehow, I missed the part about keeping everything loose and relaxed. I'm kinda gobsmacked at how much this has helped me in just a few days. I just started playing mando a couple of weeks ago and am really have a lot of fun, and progressing faster than I imagined I would or could. I'll be contributing to your paypal account.
One last idea: a former piano instructor taught me this technique to use when working through any piece of music. Occasionally play it staccato, then legato, and back and forth. Also, swing it, then play it straight, swing it then straight. (dotted quarter+ eighth+dotted quarter+eighth.) Lastly, reverse the swing (eighth+dotted quarter+eight+dotted quarter.) This allows your brain to have a little more time for every other note change. When you switch to the other pattern you brain gets a little more time for the other note changes. Hope this makes sense. I assume this would be helpful for any instrument. It also breaks up the monotony.
Thanks for these additional tips
Thanks I love your lesson
Find your edge and lean over it. Don't hang back in your comfort zone all the time, stagnating in security. Nor should you fall off your edge, stressing yourself unnecessarily, unable to appreciate the experience. Funny isn't it? How music and life are synonymous.
+bkind Absolutely right! Well put. Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
I've been playing the mandolin for a few months now, and I'm really slow. I just found a metronome accessible for the visually impaired on the Google Play store, and am playing around 40 beats a minute.
Could you do a video for very beginners about how to play like Jesse Stewart in his songs like sirens call, cold beer and marauder please
The way you play like popular artists is practice...that's the one & only way to do it...if you're beginning, expect to play like a beginner until you put in the practice time...there's no secret code or shortcuts to get there, you just have to spend enough time with a mandolin in your hands playing it...that's how you learn to play like your favorite artists...🖖🏿😎👍🏿
Thank you for the reference to a couple of other videos. Do you use this technique with the metronome with songs as well as scales?
top advice , thanks
Good advice. Thanks very much.
Thanks for watching!
Apologies for incoming silly question. Can someone explain how the beat on the metronome (eg 60) links with the actual notes played in the scale, Is it four notes to a tic ? Or are you just tuning into the general speed of the tic toc? I find this bit hard to discern, maybe I lack a musicians ear. Thanks.
In this lesson he's playing 4 notes per tick. In standard music notation that would be four 16th notes played for every beat. I think it's a bit arbitrary. You can practice some exercises playing a quarter note or two eighth notes for every beat. you can even do triplets. the important thing is that you are always stay in sync with the metronome. This helps with carefully tracking your progress, but it also helps you play with precision to the beat.
Would that be considered quarter notes?
He's playing sixteenths.
If he’s in 4/4 with metronome clicking each beat he’s playing 16th. 4 notes per beat.
But he’s more likely playing 8 notes (one scale) to a bar, so 8th notes in 4/4 but the metronome is clicking every 2 beats. Most bluegrass and Irish reels are written in 4/4 and if you were playing along with a metronome it’d be clicking on each group of 4 notes. So 2 beats per bar. At Irish sessions he would need to take the BPM from 65 to 98 for a normal bouncy but not fast session pace for reels. Some crazy sessions will play at up to 115 but they start to lose flavour at that speed.
so now i have to go buy a Metrodome
metro gnomes prefer to be called little subway people now.
You can get a free metronome app for your phone
You talk too much. It's really boring. Just cut to the chase right away.
I notice your channel doesn't have any content. I guess you don't talk at all.
@Da-oo Langchiang yes why give advice or context when giving a lesson.