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This thread needs bumped. It got me to spend a summer teaching myself to be not utterly terrible on tinwhistle. 
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Jul 11, 2017 10:34
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I can make myself available for anyone wanting to learn the mandolin or the Irish bouzouki. I can also do Skype lessons for a small fee if anyone's interested.
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Jul 11, 2017 14:40
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Coohoolin posted:I can make myself available for anyone wanting to learn the mandolin or the Irish bouzouki. I can also do Skype lessons for a small fee if anyone's interested.
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Jul 11, 2017 19:29
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Hiro Protagonist posted:Which would you recommend to someone fairly new to music? Which is more expensive? Can you recommend a particular beginner brand for each? I would start with the mandolin if you're new. It's tuned in 5ths all the way up like a violin and there's loads of accessible tabs and practice exercises available online from a large mandolin community. Irish bouzouki is a trickier instrument that requires a bit of previous musical knowledge to deal with properly given its playing style (a melody and rhythmic combination for counterpoint), and because of the unorthodox tuning (GDAD, three 5ths and a 4th). I don't really have a preferred beginner brand, it depends on where you are and what's available. Ozark are pretty ubiquitous around here and they make mandolins and bouzoukis., My "beginner" mandolin was a Stagg I ordered off amazon drunk one night (best decision I ever made), and then I picked up an Ibanez for $300 when I was visiting my grandparents in Phoenix. Make sure you try A style and F style mandolins, they have pretty different sounds.
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Jul 12, 2017 11:47
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My Merlin/M4 is proving to be super fun to noodle around on and way more intuitive than guitar, but it's also kinda making me wish I'd bought a mandolin because learning songs by ear via watching people play on YouTube is incredibly incredibly hard.
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Jul 26, 2017 20:11
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Rime posted:My Merlin/M4 is proving to be super fun to noodle around on and way more intuitive than guitar, but it's also kinda making me wish I'd bought a mandolin because learning songs by ear via watching people play on YouTube is incredibly incredibly hard. Got that same issue with the bouzouki. Slowing down Andy Irvine videos is a paaaaain. But yeah should have got a mandolin, they're intuitive as well and there's a wealth of resources online.
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Jul 28, 2017 18:30
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With how much I adore the sound of the bottom dual mandolin-type strings on this, I'll probably grab an S8 for my birthday next year. Not that the Merlin isn't awesome, it's so so easy to just pick it up and throw together a tune out of nothing. Feels like cheating as an instrument, really. I'm trying to learn some jigs and reels now, I feel like that's where this will really shine.
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Jul 28, 2017 21:13
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It does look fun, what's it tuned in, dad? Although why not just buy a dulcimer?
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Jul 29, 2017 00:19
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GDGG. I wanted something portable, super simple, and with high novelty factor. So far it delivers on all fronts.
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Jul 29, 2017 00:35
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My mother-in-law had a mandolin randomly collecting dust and around a month and a half ago I decided to give it a try. I think I'm picking it up alright, although my hands suck at some of the chord shapes I think I'm getting better with time. My biggest concern at the moment is that I'm doing something incredibly stupid that is going to bite me in the rear end somehow (holding the neck wrong, placing fingers wrong, strumming wrong, all the above) and I have no idea how concerned I should be about this. I've scoured mandolincafe and watched videos/mandolessons/etc but all the advice seems to vary from "if you're not in pain everything is probably great" to "OH MY GOD IF YOU PLANT YOUR FINGER/GRIP THE NECK/BEND YOUR WRIST YOU WILL BE CURSED TO AN RSI/CARPAL TUNNEL/MEDIOCRITY FOREVER". Basically I'm completely new to playing any instrument and was wondering how concerned I should be about... everything ever, I guess. I don't even know if this is the right thread for this, just randomly clicked the ad and saw mandolin talk!
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Jul 29, 2017 02:46
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Crust First posted:Mando Questions The best advice I could give is to find a teacher nearby and start taking lessons, especially if you're unfamiliar with playing stringed instruments. It's a lot tougher to break bad habits the longer you reinforce them. That being said there are a whole lot of books and other online resources for mandolin playing that should steer you in the right direction. If you go on MandolinCafe and search for beginner books you should get some decent results. I did exactly that, and these were the results I got. Worth noting, I have not read these books, they're just the ones I found from searching. "Complete Mandolinist" by Marilynn Mair, "Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners" by Bert Casey, and "Beginning Mandolin" by Greg Home. As I stated, I have not read those books, they were just the most recommended ones I found on the Cafe. I've only been playing for 2-3 months and the mandolin has quickly became my favorite instrument, I find myself reaching for it more than any others, and I'm really excited to learn more styles than just the Celtic music I've been playing.
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Jul 29, 2017 23:21
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Please refer to my avatar for an excellent mandolin book recommendation.
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Jul 29, 2017 23:46
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Pham Nuwen posted:Please refer to my avatar for an excellent mandolin book recommendation. That is an amazing av/username combo. 
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Jul 30, 2017 00:25
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What they said. I started just playing off of tabs and reading Chris Thile interviews for technique. I then had to change technique for playing Neapolitan or classical stuff. Basically try to play as many different types of music as possible. EDIT: I'm absolutely exhausted right now but I'll do an effortpost tomorrow about basic techniques. I've been playing for nine months and made great progress so I think I might have some insight to share. Coohoolin fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Jul 30, 2017 |
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Jul 30, 2017 00:59
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nerd plus rage posted:I used to play Appalachian dulcimer when I was way younger. I've been thinking of getting back into it. Does anyone know where I can get one in New Orleans? Craigslist doesn't have any. (Preferably less than $150 or so). Thanks! (late reply but) I think the cardboard dulcimer is generally recommended for that price ($50ish), sounds pretty solid for what it is. You'll need to get it online though.
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Aug 2, 2017 06:13
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Pham Nuwen posted:Please refer to my avatar for an excellent mandolin book recommendation. drat that avatar has paid for itself in saving me time...
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Aug 10, 2017 00:34
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Sorry to be gone so long, but life has been pretty topsy-turvy, and even when I have SA play-time I've been posting elsewhere because I want to only post here when I have my mind focused and ready to help goons with music, so no slight intended. I have big, big instrument news to share and a ton of cool items in the collection and a non-profit organization in the works, so do keep following and I'll try to be back and regularly contributing to the thread by September or so. Once I return at full-strength, I also plan to do a small "reunion" and PM folks who started learning cool instruments in years past in the thread and see who ended up getting really serious (like the one goon I helped repair a taishogoto who now is a semi-serious taishogotoist). Apologies again for the absence, but life has been a madhouse since May or so, but I'm getting heavy back into music these days...
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Aug 11, 2017 20:58
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I found a fife in the local music shop, helping to alleviate my flute withdrawl. It's like a cross between a flute and a tinwhistle. Super fun TBH. Super cheap too, I highly recommend it if you don't want to shell out for a flute.
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Aug 12, 2017 03:33
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sliderule posted:I found a fife in the local music shop, helping to alleviate my flute withdrawl. It's like a cross between a flute and a tinwhistle. Super fun TBH. Super cheap too, I highly recommend it if you don't want to shell out for a flute. Got a photo or brand-name for your fife?
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Aug 12, 2017 04:25
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For the harp/zither/kantele/cheap fans, note that in the last year or so sellers have cropped up on eBay selling variants of the Russian gusle and various Baltic lap-harps, often for $100 or less, ranging from 5-string to 12-string. Definitely a viable option for anyone wanting a small, quiet, and easy to play instrument. I would avoid the massive plethora of older trapezoidal gusli since those are more music education toys for kids, but the longer ones like these are likely a great buy, and it's pretty hard to mess one of these up so I wouldn't have much fear of getting a bad one for $100: Note: don't confuse the Russian gusli, a lap-harp, with the Balkan gusle, a 1-string fiddle played in the lap. Though by all means watch eBay for one of those if you like. FAKEEDIT: this is a larger gusli than most of the cheap ones, but this photo is too awesome not to post: 
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Aug 12, 2017 17:57
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Got a photo or brand-name for your fife? It's "American Fife" by "Woodstock Music Collection". I got it locally, but it's probably this one: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-Percussion-Inc-American-Fife/dp/B0002I1FD6 E: 20 Canadian doughnuts at Long and McQuade. Tan Dumplord fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Aug 13, 2017 |
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Aug 13, 2017 06:35
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I have been playing my NAF, thank you Thread for introducing them to me. You're right they are the easiest instrument I've ever come across. I had someone make me a custom (Classical)Kemence and it is beautiful <3  The maker was really cool, reasonably priced and he sent pictures of every step of construction which was really interesting. Of course as a bowed instrument it's not one of the easiest to learn so I'm making slow progress, but it's been fun! I'm in love with the sound of the instrument so hopefully one day I can do it justice.
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Aug 13, 2017 07:45
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Big Bug Hug posted:I have been playing my NAF, thank you Thread for introducing them to me. You're right they are the easiest instrument I've ever come across. What kind of music are you doing on kemence? Are you doing specifically Turkish/Balkan music or just liked the method/tone and are using it for other genres?
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Aug 13, 2017 20:30
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Both! I like Turkish music but there is no possibility of a teacher so I'll be self taught. I really just love the sound so I'm going to experiment with it.
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Aug 14, 2017 00:29
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That kemence is really cool! Good luck with it! As for me, I picked up ocarina because of the thread and it's a fun little instrument. I play it at home and carry one around in my backpack. I can play tons of stuff by ear, and I also enjoy it when nerds ask me if I can play stuff from Zelda and I tell them I only know Final Fantasy songs. The range is a little limited, but it's fun to play and I can't complain about the sturdiness and portability. I keep thinking about picking up more stuff, like NAF or tin whistle, but I also want to learn something stringed one of these days, like guitar or mandolin. I'd be coming at that as a complete beginner though, and I'm sure teaching myself on a new kind of instrument is a good way to pick up some really bad habits. Not to mention there's the ever-present concern about my practicing being too noisy for my wife to bear.
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Aug 14, 2017 12:51
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Thinking about picking up a drum/percussion instrument and looking at an udu. Any recommendations of a good quality and good sounding udu for under $200?
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Aug 31, 2017 02:32
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djinndarc posted:Thinking about picking up a drum/percussion instrument and looking at an udu. Any recommendations of a good quality and good sounding udu for under $200? Do you have a preference for fiberglass or ceramic? And do you want a purely traditional pot-with-hole or are attracted to funkier variants like double-udus and the like? In your range (in US/Canada at least): fiberglass or a traditional go Meinl, for funkier variants LP is the main game in town. If you're undecided on features, I'd choose from the Meinl fiberglass ones myself.
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Sep 1, 2017 08:12
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