Workshop Topics and Tips

Chord shapes and how they work together

Left hand techniques:  Slide, pull off, hammer-on, double stops: different ways to do them, where to use

Right hand: how it should move, best way to hold the pick

How to make up a break to a song:     Know melody first (demonstrate using a couple of songs, and in different keys )

Double stops:( demonstrate in different keys, open and closed positions, phrase by phrase using double stops)

Back up: (demonstrate in different keys using double stops)

Once you can play the melody, how do you think up variations? / Improvise?

• Identify the most important melody notes

• Find different ways to approach one important melody note

• Different ways to play one phrase-rhythmically, or identify the important notes and demonstrate the different ways to get to them and different ways to attack them

• Using licks

• For improvising it helps to be listening to a lot of music, live and recorded.  The stimulation helps you create something new.

• Learn arpeggios (chord tones) for each chord in the song and play with those only, altering order and rhythm, once known

• Think up or pick out a rhythmic figure from a recording and use that,

• Make a backup tape and play with it

• All of your listening and imitating experience will help you improvise

Monroe's style and how it changed over the years

• Doesn't play a different note for every stroke
• Repeated notes were his way of playing long fiddle notes
• what else can you observe?

How to play in a jam session

What is ensemble playing?  What role does each instrument play in a bluegrass band?

Mandolins makers, how to set up your mandolin, strings, taking care of

Tremolo:  relax, pick lightly, using the shoulder of the pick helps

Speed:  how to acquire it?

How to learn from recordings

• Figure out or find out what key it's in

• Listen to just a few notes at a time, find those on your instrument, memorize them 

• Listen to the next few notes and repeat the process.  This is tedious at first but gets easier with practice and will greatly expand your hearing and playing ability

Co-mando email discussion list: subscribe at www.flatpick.com

Another great resource: Mandolin café web site at www.mandolincafe.com

Roland White's Approach to Bluegrass Mandolin

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• 31 tunes in tablature 
• 2 CDs with slow and medium-tempo recording of each tune
• guitar rhythm and mandolin in separate stereo channels
• beginner and intermediate level
• performance tips and variations for intermediate and advanced players
• complete instruction for getting started on the mandolin

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