Mandolin For Dummies

Master the basics in no time and learn to play everything from blues and bluegrass to jazz and classical From Vivaldi to Bill Monroe, and Led Zeppelin to Nickel Creek, the mandolin has been enriching western music with its distinctive voice for nearly three centuries. If you've been bitten by the mandolin bug and are ready to jump in with both feet, Mandolin For Dummies is your springboard. Been playing for a while and want to expand your repertoire of styles? No problem: Don Julin will fill you in on how to play all popular styles, including old-time, Irish, blues, bluegrass, swing, and jazz – plus a bit of Dawg music. Newcomers and old hands alike will enjoy the mandolin trivia and history liberally sprinkled throughout the book. Get acquainted – buy the best mandolin in your price range and discover how to tune and care for your new best friend Nail down your mandolin ABCs – get up and running right away with mandolin basics, including counting, tablature, chord diagrams, and more Start making beautiful music immediately – right from the start, you'll be playing basic chord patterns, backup rhythms, and simple melodies Quickly master right- and left-hand essentials – before you know it, you'll be picking and strumming, and playing open and closed fingering and articulations like a pro Get the hang of a multitude of styles – Celtic and old-time music, bluegrass and jazz; you'll get to grips with the defining techniques of the most popular styles of playing Audio download includes The musical examples from the book so you can play along Exercises to help you build your skills Open the book and find: A mandolin buying guide Instructions on changing strings, repairing your mandolin, and keeping it in top form How to build an accessories kit The basics of mandolin playing Left- and right-hand techniques to spice up any melody How to play many different styles of mandolin Tips for improving your playing The lowdown on the greatest mandolin players of all time Learn to: Select the right mandolin and accessories Master various chords and picking patterns Play Irish, blues, swing, jazz, bluegrass, and old-time music

Introduction  1 Part I: Being Bitten By the Mandolin Bug  7 Chapter 1: Becoming Acquainted with Your Mandolin 9 Chapter 2: Getting to Grips with Tuning and Terminology 21 Chapter 3: Getting a Handle on Your Mandolin 29 Part II: Starting to Play the Mandolin  37 Chapter 4: Making Music on the Mandolin 39 Chapter 5: Picking with the Right Hand 65 Chapter 6: Fretting Notes and Chords with the Left Hand 93 Chapter 7: Playing ‘Jethro’–Style Three–String Chords 115 Chapter 8: Playing Mandolin Music: Scales and Melody 129 Part III: Putting Playing Styles into Practice  153 Chapter 9: Playing Music from Yesteryear: Old Time, Rags and Blues 155 Chapter 10: Giving your Mandolin a Speedy Workout: Bluegrass 187 Chapter 11: Travelling to the Emerald Isle: Irish Mandolin 209 Chapter 12: Taking a Quick World Tour 225 Chapter 13: Swinging to Those Jazzy Rhythms 241 Chapter 14: Blending Styles: Dawg Music 265 Part IV: Purchasing and Caring For Your Mandolin  275 Chapter 15: Selecting and Buying a Mandolin 277 Chapter 16: Building Your Accessories Kit 291 Chapter 17: All Change: Replacing Your Mandolin’s Strings 301 Chapter 18: Caring For and Repairing Your Mandolin 311 Part V: The Part of Tens  321 Chapter 19: Ten (or so) Tips on Becoming a Good Mandolin Player 323 Chapter 20: Ten Mandolin Players You Need To Know 329 Chapter 21: Ten Ways of Tapping Into the Mandolin Subculture 335 Part VI: Appendixes  341 Appendix A: Chord Charts 343 Appendix B: Reading Standard Musical Notation 347 Appendix C: Audio Tracks 359 Index  365

Don Julin is a professional mandolin player, instructor, and recording artist. Don has spent the last 30 years challenging the boundaries of the mandolin and developing a reputation for being one of the most eclectic mandolin players on the scene today.