I put some monel strings on my mandolin in a heavier gauge and tried to lower the action, but now the G string rattles sometimes, and it no longer sounds warm and resonant, but thin and plunky and it's bothering me. Did I mess something up? Is there a way I can get her back?
I just started playing mandolin a few months ago but I have trouble making myself practice. My instructor has me playing through a book trying to learn bluegrass standards but also wants me to learn scales and folding scales, pentatonic scales and the like. I'm not really into the older bluegrass stuff but realize it's kind of necessary to learn in order to be able to jam with other people. I also have a bad tendency to forget exactly what I should be practicing as far as scales and stuff when I get home. I'm also supposed to be doing ear training using this app on my phone which I've honestly been neglecting too.
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There are songs I listen to on the radio and sometimes I'll come across one and for that moment I really want to learn how to play it. I drive a lot for my job and listen to a lot of music...I also work a lot, and by the time I get home I just don't really want to do much of anything but sleep.
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I went to a festival and my neighbor was the chillest dude and would just play along with me even though I didn't really know what I was doing and I didn't feel like anything was expected of me and I was just able to not worry and have fun and it was great! I just want to be able to do that but better!
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Is there a way to make this feel less like work and more like something I want to do? Some way to keep it fun and interesting while still learning the basic things I need to be learning? Any fun ways to learn to improvise other than just repetition? Or a way to make the repetition feel not so repetitive?
This will be my first bluegrass festival. I'm still not sure when I need to head out. I will be coming from several hours away and am wondering when the earliest I could come and set up camp and stay the night would be, or if I need to get a hotel or bnb for a night or two. Was a little confused cus I think it said you could set up the previous Sunday but I don't think you could stay.
Also. What should I bring with me? I'm guessing your typical camping gear and that kind of thing. What is the best way to keep yourself fed while there? I know there will be vendors but that would get expensive. Maybe a cooler with some sandwich stuff and stuff to make campfire food at night?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have a vacation coming up and have never been to a festival before. Haven't even been to a jam. I decided to look on YouTube to try and get a feel for these festivals but wasn't finding much. For Nor-easte'r I found a video from a family that went there and they showed different things they did there which was helpful. All I could find on Wind Gap were a lot of videos of the performers and a few of the jam sessions but nothing about the general atmosphere or workshops. I found the jam sessions kind of intimidating as a beginner. No way I could play in the ones I saw. I am having a hard time deciding what to go to.
Some of the things I liked about Nor-easte'r were that it looked more like just a general folk festival with all kinds of music going on. I really liked the variety. Wind Gap looked to be strictly bluegrass which is okay, but the more traditional stuff isn't really my thing. Nor-easte'r has a drum circle and I also really like drums, so that seems like it would be pretty cool. The vibe just seems pretty chill overall.
Something I would like to attend is workshops. I couldn't really find any workshops for the instruments I want to learn at Nor-easte'r but the only list I could find was really blurry, and the only stuff it looked like I would enjoy was the stuff for kids. I'm trying to learn about lutherie and they had a cigar box guitar making class for the kids. But I'm an adult! Lol. Wind Gap looked to have workshops for all the bluegrass instruments, but after seeing the level of some of the players at the jams I feel really intimidated. I also don't know how one on one the workshops are and I feel like they would be above my level.
The only bluegrass instrument I've really learned much on, and it isn't a lot yet, is mandolin. And I still haven't learned enough to keep up in a jam. My teacher says I'm good at picking up stuff by ear so at least I have that going for me. Don't know how to do chop chords yet. I know a few scales but still mess them up if I try to go fast, and I know basic two finger G, C, and D chords.
I'd really like to learn some banjo and fiddle, but I've only picked them up a couple of times and played around with them a little. I took a couple classical guitar lessons in college and think I could pick up rolls fairly easily. Violin uses a bow, and I don't come by that naturally at all. I am pretty good at picking up on rythyms, was a drummer in high school. I am all over the place on tempo in my mandolin lessons, mainly because I'm having difficulty playing without making mistakes. My last lesson when I actually got used to playing something and it felt easy, my teacher said I was right on time. I have difficulty finding time to practice, and difficulty making myself practice when I actually do have the time, but that's my fault. I mainly just want to do it for fun, but you have to make yourself practice to actually learn anything.
Basically my main goals for going to a festival would be to learn things, have fun, and try to find some friends and community who share similar interests. I've thought about trying to move my vacations so I could go to one of the larger or more well known festivals, but it's so close now I don't think I could do that. Maybe there's time to move my fall vacation around though if anyone knows of a good festival for me to go to.
Which festival do you guys think I would have the most fun at and get the most out of? Thanks.
I have a vacation coming up and have never been to a festival before. Haven't even been to a jam. I decided to look on YouTube to try and get a feel for these festivals but wasn't finding much. For Nor-easte'r I found a video from a family that went there and they showed different things they did there which was helpful. All I could find on Wind Gap were a lot of videos of the performers and a few of the jam sessions but nothing about the general atmosphere or workshops. I found the jam sessions kind of intimidating as a beginner. No way I could play in the ones I saw. I am having a hard time deciding what to go to.
Some of the things I liked about Nor-easte'r were that it looked more like just a general folk festival with all kinds of music going on. I really liked the variety. Wind Gap looked to be strictly bluegrass which is okay, but the more traditional stuff isn't really my thing. Nor-easte'r has a drum circle and I also really like drums, so that seems like it would be pretty cool. The vibe just seems pretty chill overall.
Something I would like to attend is workshops. I couldn't really find any workshops for the instruments I want to learn at Nor-easte'r but the only list I could find was really blurry, and the only stuff it looked like I would enjoy was the stuff for kids. I'm trying to learn about lutherie and they had a cigar box guitar making class for the kids. But I'm an adult! Lol. Wind Gap looked to have workshops for all the bluegrass instruments, but after seeing the level of some of the players at the jams I feel really intimidated. I also don't know how one on one the workshops are and I feel like they would be above my level.
The only bluegrass instrument I've really learned much on, and it isn't a lot yet, is mandolin. And I still haven't learned enough to keep up in a jam. My teacher says I'm good at picking up stuff by ear so at least I have that going for me. Don't know how to do chop chords yet. I know a few scales but still mess them up if I try to go fast, and I know basic two finger G, C, and D chords.
I'd really like to learn some banjo and fiddle, but I've only picked them up a couple of times and played around with them a little. I took a couple classical guitar lessons in college and think I could pick up rolls fairly easily. Violin uses a bow, and I don't come by that naturally at all. I am pretty good at picking up on rythyms, was a drummer in high school. I am all over the place on tempo in my mandolin lessons, mainly because I'm having difficulty playing without making mistakes. My last lesson when I actually got used to playing something and it felt easy, my teacher said I was right on time. I have difficulty finding time to practice, and difficulty making myself practice when I actually do have the time, but that's my fault. I mainly just want to do it for fun, but you have to make yourself practice to actually learn anything.
Basically my main goals for going to a festival would be to learn things, have fun, and try to find some friends and community who share similar interests. I've thought about trying to move my vacations so I could go to one of the larger or more well known festivals, but it's so close now I don't think I could do that. Maybe there's time to move my fall vacation around though if anyone knows of a good festival for me to go to.
Which festival do you guys think I would have the most fun at and get the most out of? Thanks.
I have a Recording King resonator banjo that has kind of just been hanging from my wall for months now sadly. I want to pick it up and start playing it some more. I noticed the strings are looking kind of dingy. Might be time for a change. I mainly play mandolin so I have some pretty decent calluses built up so I'm thinking string gauge won't matter as far as my fingers. It doesn't hardly feel like I'm pushing down anything after playing mandolin. What are some nice sounding strings for an absolute beginner? Thanks.
I know this is probably a very subjective topic that has probably been beat to death, but I'm looking for some replacement strings. I have an Eastman MD315? and I am a beginner. As far as string gauge I was thinking about getting my first medium set. I've listened to different recordings of different strings and watched several reviews. The d'addario monels are unique sounding and I kind of like that. The flat wound have a very warm tone which is also nice. The XS sound nice and clear and but still rich. I also liked how the stringjoy foxwoods sounded. I know this is a pretty experimental thing but I can't decide which to try first. Any ideas what would sound good on my mandolin? Also, what is the purpose of the custom string gauges? Thanks.