surfnorthwest wrote:One thing I would like to start using is a madolin on some of my recordings. Ever since I heard Led Zeppelin 4 with the Battle of Evermore I have wanted to pickup a mandolin. Never really learned to play one but how hard could it be?? Learn to tune it and a few chords
Been playing mandolin for 9 years now and I strongly encourage it, especially for anyone who is into recording. Mandolins add another texture to recordings and sound so great with an acoustic guitar(s) or other instruments. And believe it, playing one also strengthens the fingers and makes you able to play way up high on the guitar better too. After a couple of days on the mandolin I can pick up a guitar and play much better up high than usually because the mando gets your fingers used to the smaller fret spacing. I really like to play a guitar up to the 24th fret and playing the mandolin makes it easier.
Like you I really dug "Battle of Evermore" and had been thinking about learning it on mandolin for years. I also loved the sound on "Mandolin Wind", "Gasoline Alley" and "Maggie Mae" from the early Rod Stewart era.
So back in 2001 I finally bought a decent quality "A" model from Mid-Missouri Mandolins, handmade in the Ozarks (and a couple of chord books, etc.) It's got a rosewood body and neck, Englemann spruce solid top, and ebony fingerboard. It has a rich, mellow sound with good sustain as contrasted to an "F" style, which are used more for bluegrass, and which have a choppier, brighter tone. I use it for a mysterious, modal sound and for medieval sounding stuff or folky things and to complement the guitar and recorders (the flute things). It's very easy to learn the basic open chords but it can get very complicated with all the inversions and alternative shapes, etc., like the guitar can. And that's just down in open position. I thought I would have to play for a while to work up to "Battle of Evermore" but it kind of popped out after just a few days because that song is very "mandoliny", and not at all difficult to learn really. Now to play it smoothly in time like Page all the way through is another matter!
It's easy to begin on mando and impossible to master, I think. At least for mere mortals. The difficult part is its tuned in fifths rather than fourths so the scales and shapes are totally whack. But violinists use it so it can't be a bad thing. It is like upside down and inside out compared to guitar tuning. For example, tuned EADG from top to bottom instead of bottom to top. I love playing it and it helps me to break out of the box, so to speak. And it's great for your chops because you cannot get away with any "tricks" too much, like hammer-ons and string bends, to fool the people, lol, like with guitar. And the double coursed strings have more tension and need to be picked or plucked accurately like on a 12 string. It really sharpens your rhythm chops, guaranteed. Chords in the open position are lots of fun, sound great, and pretty easy. Single lines and melodies a little bit trickier cuz they just don't resemble a guitar's scale shapes. And up past the 7th fret....I get a headache and certainly can't play with abandon w/out screwing up. Very, very humbling sometimes. Prepare to be humbled.
FWIW, I play it acoustically and when recording it a condenser mike. I have an Epiphone also with a transducer pick-up but it's not as good an instrument and the pick-up doesn't sound natural so I only play the Mid-Missouri mandolin. Incidentally those go by another brand name nowadays. I am familiar with the Michael Kellys but don't have experience with them. Get one of good quality and you can never go wrong. Your recordings will be better and you'll get years of enjoyment and satisfaction from it. Here's a picture of the mandolin.
- Mid-Mo M-4 Solid Rosewood w ebony board and Engelmann spruce top.JPG (61.67 KiB) Viewed 1894 times
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