Fretboard Studies for the Improvising Mandolinist presents a collection of tools to help improve one's knowledge of the fretboard. Scales, arpeggios, patterns,intervallic exercises and progressions are included. Exercises help the player build muscle memory and musical ideas anywhere on the fretboard. A collection of tunes is also included. Connect the physical with the theoretical and become a better improviser!
Theory and Improvisation for the Modern Mandolinist is a two book series that teaches improvisation in many musical styles along with theory concepts and how they apply to the mandolin. Each book provides access to different backing tracks and solo examples to help you learn. Every chapter includes scales presented in a variety of common formats: standard notation, tablature and fretboard charts. Volume 2, Jazz and Beyond will expand your knowledge of theory by teaching you advanced chords, scales, and progressions. Sample solos and progressions are included at the end of each chapter to practice with the recordings. When finished with this book, you should feel confident improvising over any chord progression, and have a great understanding of jazz theory and how it applies to the mandolin. Includes access to online audio.
Modes on the Mandolin: Improve Your Improvisation is a collection of exercises for the mandolin student to work through to better understand the fretboard and expand their musicality. The collection includes scales, modes, arpeggios, patterns, intervalic and rhythmic exercises, and progressions. It will serve as a valuable resource and a supplement to, but not a substitute for, a good teacher.You do not need to follow the chapters in order, as all of them will help you play and improvise over progressions. The exercises are tools to help you build muscle memory and musical ideas anywhere on the fretboard. Connect the physical with the theoretical. There are examples of common tune chord progressions with ideas applied to them. By creating your own musical ideas over the same progressions, you will find that the practical information given (exercises) turns into functional use (playing and improvising). Once you gain a better understanding of the fretboard, you will notice more fluidity and creativity in your playing
Written in standard notation and tablature for the intermediate to advanced mandolinist, “Angeline the Baker,” “Darlin’ Corey,” and 16 other classic old-time tunes never sounded so good as in these solo arrangements by Tommy Norris. The author himself performs each tune flawlessly on the companion online audio tracks. Suggested chords are provided for optional accompaniment. Care has been taken to select the most popular tunes of this genre for inclusion in this book. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” without it!
With decades of experience on the mandocello and even more on the mandolin and guitar, the author presents a comprehensive and progressive approach to learning to play this versatile instrument. Written entirely in bass clef—the logical clef for an instrument with the same low-to-high CGDA tuning as an orchestral cello—the book starts with basic technique and music theory and ultimately brings the reader to an intermediate to advanced plateau. Whether you come to the mandocello as your first fretted instrument or transition from mandolin or guitar, this method will facilitate your progress as a literate musician. The method includes mandocello etudes by pioneering multi-instrumentalist Myron Bickford (1876–1960), popular folk melodies, a pair of duets, and a few mandocello parts from mandolin orchestra arrangements. Fretboard diagrams and standard notation introduce scales, chords, position playing, and shifting/stretching concepts as each new key signature engenders new challenges. From basic down and upstrokes to tremolo, great attention is paid to mandocello picking technique, sight reading and overall musicianship. Most tunes in this book are written as solos. Along with its online play-along audio tracks, the variety of teaching repertoire in this new method will guide you step by step in mastering the mandocello in several musical genres. Then, as a skilled mandocellist who reads the bass clef, you will be welcome as an optional low voice in any musical ensemble. Includes access to online audio.
No longer confined to basic folk genres, any mandolinist aspiring to a broader comprehension of music, including swing, blues, pop, choro, broadway, and even classical can expand his/her playing and through a working knowledge of jazz fundamentals. This breakthrough approach in mandolin pedagogy takes four uncomplicated fretboard patterns (FFcP) and drills a physical familiarity into the player's fingers, softening the fear of upper frets and prepares for the harmonic alterations necessary for effective and intuitive playing of more complex contemporary music.A brief introduction into modes, the player is eased into jamming with audio accompaniment (CD), and eventually an initiation into the most fundamental jazz chord progression of all, the 'ii V7 I' pattern. from the horizontal (melody) to the vertical (chords) and back, the results are a both instinctive and physical grasp of tonal centers and the improvisational fodder of effective performing. an emphasis on pinky strength, finger control and sustain, the book's exercises also develop the player's concepts of tone and melody. Further supportive resources including MP3 audio tracks are also available on the internet. http://www.jazzmando.com/webtracks.shtml
This methodology book designed for the intermediate to advanced mandolinist offers you, as a mandolin player, a new voice. Or, if you're already crosspicking, many new ideas can be added to your arsenal. Each song includes a preparatory study that allows you the opportunity to gain a solid footing before attempting the piece itself. These studies can be applied in other areas as backup ideas, song ideas, or take offs for improvisation. Styles discussed are: Two-String, Bluegrass, Fiddle, Classical, and Jazz/Ragtime. Written in tablature.
This insightful book is about sound perception and execution on the banjo. Its purpose is to shed light on simple aural connections unique to this instrument, including closed-position as well as open-string fingerings found throughout the entire fretboard. In notation and tablature.
Mandolinists who wish to expand their improvisational vocabulary and spice up their rhythm accompaniment are invited to try some Jazz Mandolin Appetizers. This book and accompanying audio, prepared by chef Don Stiernberg, include a batch of etudes that address the challenges every improvising mandolinist faces. These include common issues such as selecting notes that sound good with chord progressions and finding them on the fretboard. In the first section, new melodies are presented for chord progressions that are often played at swing and jazz jam sessions. These tunes will benefit players of any style. Concepts are discussed at the beginning of each tune such as harmonic analysis and the effects of certain intervals (useful groups of tones). The tablature suggests fingerings for the melodies. The chordal section shows how chords and progressions can be made more interesting by adding color, tension and movement. Chord substitution is also demonstrated. Working through this section will prepare the player with commonly played progressions and will expand their chord voicing vocabulary up and down the neck. Lastly, a study of chord-melody style playing is presented. Playing the melody and harmony at the sametime yields full sounding solo arrangements. Don Stiernberg is a leading proponent of the jazz mandolin style. He has eight available recordings, performs coast to coast and abroad, writes a column for Mandolin Magazine and teaches at several mandolin events. Audio download available online.
