Mandolin
5 Interesting Facts About the Classical Mandolin
The classical mandolin has a long, rich history that dates back centuries. Whether you’re new to the instrument or a seasoned veteran, it never hurts to get a glimpse into its storied past. In that spirit, here are five interesting facts about the classical mandolin.
Mandolin Tuning Tips with Mike Marshall
Mandolin master, Mike Marshall, has been quoted to say that, “If you play the mandolin for 30 years, you end up tuning it for 15 years and you play it out of tune for 15 years.” It’s true, it takes patience and skill to tune a mandolin and to get it just right.
Beginner Mandolin Practice Tips
Master mandolin player, Mike Marshall, loves working with players of all skill levels. From beginners to the more advanced player, Mike offers valuable insight to help any mandolin player take their playing to new heights. Read More
Mandolin Chords – The Wabash Cannonball
Mike Marshall brings 35 years of experience to the ArtistWorks Online Bluegrass Mandolin course. Students have unlimited access to his comprehensive video library which contains hundreds of mandolin lessons, as well as hundreds of tabs and mp3 play-along tracks.
Mike covers important topics such as:
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Adjusting the Action on a Mandolin
Today we’re going to talk about an essential skill for all the serious picker: adjusting the action on the mandolin. Learning how to do this is fairly simple and can save you time and money in the long run, so it's definitely worth knowing. With the right adjustments, you can make playing your mandolin much easier and more comfortable. You don't want the action too high, but not too low either.
Before we get to the action, so to speak, let’s discuss a few common problems and how to address them.
Mandolin Tips for Right Hand Playing
You may know this, but it's worth repeating: the right hand is crucial for mandolin mastery.
Although our tendency as mandolinists is to focus on problems of the left hand, involving scales, patterns, fingering, and where and how to play a phrase, the true arbiter of one’s ability is often the right hand. Given that rhythm is of primary importance in music, our right hand is our timekeeper, as it were, which allows us to ornament and punctuate musical lines in various ways. The ability to control these shades and nuances is what distinguishes mastery from mediocrity in the world of mandolin.