Mandolin Scales.

Subject: Mandolin Scales.
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 11 May 09 - 05:39 PM

Hi folks I have started playing the Mandolin and seem to be coping with the chords ok even the stretch chords. So now I want to learn scales.
There are sites on the internet whereby one can follow and play along with the scales by following the dots that light up and move showing percise finger patterns.
All I can find is Tab and I cant read that yet. Can any one out there help.
Kind regards Pierre Le Chapeau

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Tangledwood
Date: 11 May 09 - 06:22 PM

There are some free mandolin lessons here which should help you.

folkofthewood

Other sites with lots of information are:

Mandolin sessions

Banjolin

Mandolin Cafe

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Tangledwood
Date: 11 May 09 - 06:41 PM

Another source is Music Moose

Be quick as the site will be closing on 1st June. It's video lessons will still be available on YouTube though.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 May 09 - 06:54 PM

G (one sharp, the F sharp note) and D (two sharps, the F sharp and C sharp notes) are the easiest.

G scale (mostly works for E minor too)
G - 0,2,4,5
D - 0,2,4 (that's the F sharp),5
A - 0,2,3,5
E - 0,2 (that's the F sharp again),4,5

D Scale
G - 0,2,4,6 (that's the C sharp_
D - 0,2,4 (that's the F sharp),5
A - 0,2,4 (that's the C sharp again),5
E - 0,2 (that's the F sharp again),4,5

So if playing along with melodeons, just leave out the 5 and 6 on the G string and the 3 and 4 on the A string, and any note you play will be in key! It may not exactly be a harmony but if you keep an ear out and whip off the bum note a semitone up (if that's where a note in key is) or down (if that is where the nearest note in key is), you almost can't go wrong.

If you play on the on-beat, that's good. If you play on the off-beat, that's a bluegrass chop. If you (consistently) miss it just a bit, that's syncopation and adds to the rhythm (if you do it right). If you're behind, that's a back-beat, like Charlie Watts. If you are a little early, that's "toes on the nose", like the Beachboys.

Only slightly tongue in cheek.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 May 09 - 06:56 PM

PS - beware of some Irish players who carry C/D melodeons that bugger up the above scheme of keys, and worse, PJ, who carries a Bb/Eb presumably designed to harmonise with bagpipes or trumpets.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 11 May 09 - 07:47 PM

Thanks Tanglewood Excellent. Tanglewood are Great Guitars too.

Richard I will print off what you have said and show it to folk at me folk mob club on Wednesday. They will make head and tail of it and I pick it up from there......slowly. Thank you both very much,

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 11 May 09 - 07:55 PM

I have one scale mastered its a pentatonic in D. sounds folkie and the people at work say it sound good too? If you heard it you would know where I am coming from and where to go next. Trouble is I do not? (BloodyPar-larva.)I did not know Mandolins were so highly strung and tempermentle. If you dont play them for a while they sulk.
The more you play them the happier they are and the better they sound ? Or you sound.
Thanks agaion.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Nick
Date: 11 May 09 - 09:00 PM

Don't want to be a pedant Richard but you put a G# on the top string on both those and it doesn't belong in the scale he wanted.

G

0245
0245
0235
023 and on

D
(0246) D on the next line is the root hence the brackets
0245
0245
0235

G#

1356
1356
1346
134

A

(1)246   option 7 or
(0) 246 option 7 or
(0) 245 option 7 or
(0) 245

just patterns...

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 May 09 - 10:12 PM

Yes, you're quite right, should be 3, not 4 on top string.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 09 - 03:29 AM

I can't imagine what made me do that...

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 May 09 - 05:45 AM

when practising scales,try this,a four note tremolo down up down up,four picks each note,it will help you to gain competence with the right hand.
down up is recommended ,by some, for reels for groups of quavers.
try also playing a chord, fret top string 3 fret,second string 2 fret.now play this chord like this 3 strings down,2 strings up 1 string down,2 string up.
then start again but reverse all the picking so you start on an up.
you should eventually be comfortable picking in any direction.another useful thing to practise,is playing in 6 /8 time across two strings,lets say second and first,try playing six quavers aee aee down down up, down down up.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 16 May 09 - 05:58 AM

Thanks a lot to all folks for posting this is helping me a lot. Its may help also if I could read Music to play the Mandolin? I have managed so far not being able to read music with Guitar,.

What do you think.? Is it hard to read Music.

I have good natural Rhythm and sense of timing.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 May 09 - 06:19 AM

it is not hard to read music,I think it is a good idea to be able to pick up tunes by ear,and also to learn to read music.
two skills are better than one.
but reading music is not essential.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Mooh
Date: 16 May 09 - 06:44 AM

www.jazzmando.com is the best place for what you are asking I believe. Don't be put off by the "jazz" aspect if it's not your thing, there is more than enough concise information there to please anyone. It's owner is a regular at www.mandolincafe.com too, so questions are easily asked and answered.

Highly recommended.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: alanabit
Date: 16 May 09 - 01:27 PM

I would definitely recommend learning to read music, because ultimately it is the easiest way to learn to progress on your instrument. There is nothing wrong with learning to play by ear - and even less with learning to play by watching and listening to other musicians. The great advantage of reading dots is that you do not have to remember everything. I think people struggle with dots at first for the same reason they struggle with languages. They expect to be fast and fluent immediately - which is being a bit unfair on themselves. When you are starting to learn anything it is always a good idea to do it slowly at first. Once you have got it right, speed comes by itself.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Tangledwood
Date: 16 May 09 - 06:25 PM

Yes, definitely worth learning Pierre. My own music reading skill for guitar and mandoline has never been strong enough to read at playing speed but the knowledge is valuable in learning new tunes.

While it's not intended as a reading course, you might find a program such as Melody Assistant useful. You can enter a midi file of your tune in it then play along with it as the music scrolls. It can also produce a TAB so that you can check the fingering.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: GUEST,Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 17 May 09 - 02:14 PM

Thanks alot folks.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: alex s
Date: 01 May 10 - 06:11 AM

good stuff, Tanglewood, ta.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Tangledwood
Date: 01 May 10 - 07:02 PM

You're welcome. It must be about time that I went back and read them myself. :)

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 03 Aug 10 - 08:16 AM

You lie! It's at least your second post.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 04 Aug 10 - 12:55 PM

£50,000 is used 10/- notes. Leave in the 3rd cubicle in the men's showers at Broadstairs FF after 10pm on Friday.

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:09 PM

Ummm, not sure about the spam that refreshed the thread, at least it's pleasant reading!

My son's high school music teacher points the kids to www.musictheory.net for learning to read music and other lessons and exercises. It's a pretty cool, free, interactive learning site.

In addition to lessons and exercises for learning to read music, under Exercises, Fretboard Identification, select "Yes" to customize, and then you can select "mandolin" and get quizzed on locating notes on the mandolin fretboard.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Mandolin Scales.
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 08:41 AM

Oooooh, cool.

Now if only I could learn to read chords on the stave without pressing my nose to the page.