Mandolin

[Mikey]

Any mandolin players here? I've always liked the sound of them on certain numbers and wondered how difficult the transition from guitar to mandolin would be. Would welcome views and findings from those who play both.
Either that or it's a case of shoving the capo even higher up the guitar neck!

[dave robinson]

Back in the seventies, we made a record that had a prominent mandolin part and I had to learn to play it. This was whilst we were with Dave Berry and was our first attempt at a single in our own right. We were given a song written by Herman's Hermits just after Peter Noone had left them and the band changed it's style when Pete Cowap joined them and they went a bit 'country rock'. The song was recorded at Strawberry Studios and produced by Eric Stewart - I played 12 string acoustic guitar on the track and Pete Cowap played mandolin and he gave me the co-ordinates which I took on board and learned the part.
Although I managed to do it OK, I didn't like it much as it was so small and tedious, but we did a few numbers with it as McGuinness Flint's 'When I'm Dead 'n' Gone had charted and the Newcastle band 'Lindisfarne' were very big - and they used a mandolin, so we did a few of their tunes in our own act. I still have the mandolin and sometimes play thes few tunes, but I'm not keen on it although it is effective. The recording secured a record deal for us with the Charisma label but we blew it because of conflicting opinions with their A & R man and a producer who wanted us to be the Bay City Rollers . . . . . . . . . .

[JimN]

Any mandolin players here? I've always liked the sound of them on certain numbers and wondered how difficult the transition from guitar to mandolin would be. Would welcome views and findings from those who play both.
Either that or it's a case of shoving the capo even higher up the guitar neck!

I first became acquainted with the mandolin quite a few years ago - the female singer and rhythm guitarist in an Irish country band I joined played it*. Later still, I was able to gain experience on electric mandola (which stands in the same relationship to mandolin that viola does to violin).

The tuning between the strings is in fifths rather than fourths (GDAE L-H), meaning that the chord shapes are completely different from guitar. Well, not quite, because the shapes are effectively the mirror image of what you would play on the lower four strings of a guitar, although a bit easier to manage due to the stretches involved.

Once you can internalise the fact of the seven-semitone gap between the strings, tunes are very easy to play. And for certain sorts of music, the sound is just perfect - the finishing touch.

Go on... give it a go!

JN

[*Mary Hogan, reputed to still be playing around N London. Anyone know her?]

[Alan Prudhoe]

the Newcastle band 'Lindisfarne' were very big - and they used a mandolin, so we did a few of their tunes in our own act.

Ray Jackson (from Lindisfarne) also played mandolin on- and co-wrote allegedly - Rod Stewart's Maggie May although all he received was a £15 session fee.

[RayL]

. . . . . and don't forget that if you are saying the word out loud, the accepted pronounciation for the last four decades is, of course, in the Vivian Stanshall manner with the lifting inflexion on the last syllable

"Grand Piano, Reed and Pipe Organ, Glockenspiel, Bass Guitar, Double Speed Guitar,Two Slightly Distorted Guitars, Mandolin . . ..


Ray

[ecca]

I got a ukelele... does that count ?

[RayL]

I got a ukelele... does that count ?

Unlikely, but here's how to find out - ask it to say "one, two, three, four, five . . . . ..

Ray

[dave robinson]

Alan Prudhoe wrote "Ray Jackson (from Lindisfarne) also played mandolin on- and co-wrote allegedly - Rod Stewart's Maggie May although all he received was a £15 session fee"

Our old drummer Tommy Slone from Wallsend was in the early line up of 'Lindisfarne' and left them to join ' Jackson Heights' who were recording on the Charisma label - at that point there was no record contract for 'Lindisfarne . . . Tommy ended up joining Sheffield outfit 'Bitter Suite' who also had a record deal, but it was 'Lindisfarne' who proved to be the 'big cheese' and they became one of my favourite bands of all time. I got to know them all through Tommy and Jacka told me the story about 'Maggie May' , much the way Alan described . . . . . £15.00 for his work on Maggie May . . . . . bummer or what?

[Alan Prudhoe]

I understand Ray Jackson now works as a graphic designer, although he can still "cut the mustard" when he wants to, as this clip from Tim Healey's "Song for Sammy" Charity Bash in 2008 proves.
It was a memorable night at Newcastle City Hall and he got a fantastic "Geordie" reception.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqPjPl2dUm8

[Alan Prudhoe]

I got a ukelele... does that count ?

Me too - shall we form a band.

With me little ukulele in me 'and .........