Learning the Mandolin

[hypehat]

So, for a show I'm doing in the new year I have been instructed to play a mandolin. Expressly a mandolin, and no other acoustic stringed instrument will do. And tonight, someone has leant me a fairly nice looking one that has received many compliments down the pub. This is nice.

But, dear reader, I don't actually know any music played on a mandolin except this, by Senor Ry Cooder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSpKLgwcXD8 Understandably, it's a bitch.

Does anyone play one of these? Any songs, exercises, or tips you feel especially beneficial to my plight would be much appreciated.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I self taught myself mandolin last year, it was very simple, basically, it's a guitar with strange tuning...

I'd check out some led zeppelin songs, they're easy and help get used to the feel.

[PMcC]

A mandolin is tuned quite like a fiddle. Think of the 1st four strings of a guitar, inverted, where the low E on the guitar is now your highest string, followed by the A, the D, and the G string being your low note. If you are any good at all at playing guitar chords backwards, you will get a kick out of the mandolin right away...Paul

[hypehat]

Thanks for the suggestions! Have spent most of the day tuning the thing correctly - my friends a tonedeaf eejit - and learning a couple of chords and singing blues/spirituals. I'll get it yet. My fingers are too big, however.... if i can play a ukelele....

[adamghost]

I have friends (pros) who, when they have to play the mandolin, just tune it like the top four strings of the guitar.  So that's another possibility if you can already play the guitar.

[hypehat]

That's too tempting.... 

[hypehat]

http://soundcloud.com/samblack-1/goin-to-brownsville-sleepy

Hows this for a weeks work? I apologise for the vocals.....

[Empire Of Love]

http://soundcloud.com/samblack-1/goin-to-brownsville-sleepy

Hows this for a weeks work? I apologise for the vocals.....

Pretty good for a week's work.  Someone gave me a mandolin recently.  I went home and immediately incorporated it into the song I was working on.  I think it sounds good but I wouldn't call it real mandolin playing, I just picked a few notes...and the song remains unfinished or I'd post it here.

It sounds like you are pretty dedicated so it should only get better.

mps