By Joe Carr
 
  I’ve been working on a book of Monroe style mandolin for Mel Bay and in the process, I wrote several “in the style of” arrangements of tunes I didn’t have recordings of Monroe playing. This caused me to start thinking about Monroe’s approach to complex tunes like “Blackberry Blossom” and how the solos might sound if he had ever recorded them.  I borrowed 2 techniques Monroe used extensively (and I talk about in the book) note repetition and efficient solo design.
  To keep an uninterrupted flow of …

Chord progressions for the mandolin that just plain sound good.
By Ted Eschliman
PDF
The Lizard Brain
Biologists will describe the physiology of the brain, using long, multiple-syllable words illustrating cortexes and regions of where processes occur, varying in degrees of motor and analytical complexity. You have the more complicated areas of thought and decision-making, and others more basic in life function, like keeping your heart going and breathing. There’s a section that handles the most primitive of survival needs, informally called the “Lizard Brain.” Those who study anthropology view it as the archaic …

by Michael B. Gregory & Jill McAuley
In this issue we bring you two versions of a somewhat popular but very much underplayed traditional Irish reel known as Miss Monaghan.  The first version is the one that appears in the book, School of Mandolin – Irish Mandolin, published in February 2009 by Mel Bay and authored by Joe Carr and myself. This book is published with an audio cd in which every tune in the book is played at a somewhat relaxed tempo.  In a session setting, the tunes are played much …

By Joe Mendel
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 Peter Coombe began playing music at the age of seven, playing piano for several years and having a go at recorder, piano accordion, button accordion, violin and mandolin, and is currently trying his hand at the hammered dulcimer. Having been “downsized” from his job in the computer world, he recently became a full time luthier, after having built mandolins for 16 years during his off hours.
 
Joe Mendel: Hello Peter, Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed. I have seen many of your instruments on mandolincafe.com and really …

by Wendy Anthony
The Tune:
Soldier’s Joy, in the Key of D, is a well-known tune, played in both bluegrass and old-time traditions in many areas of the world, and is believed to be one of the most popular fiddle tunes. Though the true origin of the tune and meaning of the title is unknown, variations appeared in tune books in the late 1700’s.

Listen to the MIDI: 90 | 120 | 160 bpm
Printable Sheet Music: pdf

Techniques:

Overview of Tune: In Part A, the melody line travels down & up a portion of …

By Matt Raum
PDF
This article is supposed to be about jam session standard fiddle tunes but I thought that in this issue I would talk about chopping instead.  It’s the type of thing that’s pretty near impossible to teach in a book so I thought that as long as I’m doing these Youtube lessons I should do one about how to play a rhythm chop.  I think it’s a lot more fun to play rhythm on mandolin than it is on guitar or anything else.  We spend more time chopping than …

Happy Spring – Hopefully, the long Winter is over in your part of the world.
This time Michael Gregory gives a couple of levels of Miss Monaghan’s Reel. Matt Raum gives us a “chopping” lesson. Wendy Anthony shares Soldier Joy. Ted Eschliman shares some chord combinations. Joe Mendel interviews luther Peter Coombe. All in all a packed issue. Enjoy!