Mandolin Lessons

Furthering Sacred Knowlege Through Music

2009-12-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

There is a science behind music and the hidden sacred world. Science binds all of this and it is real. Find it in sequences and tricks. You can move people, cast spells on them and leave your audience spell bound. Musicians do this all of the time. Check out some sacred sequences in this video.

Musical Spell

2009-12-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

The occult is a hidden body of knowledge that shows us for example sacred symbols and numbers that translate into music. Most musicians are occultists and use sacred knowledge to improve their music vibe. I try some of that in this video.

Sonic Incorporation

2009-11-17T01:54:00.000-08:00

Music has a sonic nature to it. We hear it in our head. Sonic dynamics tell a story. They give credence to the lyrics. Sonic communication occurs between musicians. And sonic sounds bring home a melody. The sonic intangible aspect of music the by far the most important. Are mandolins sonic instruments? Not as much as a guitar but that is why most mandolinist play both instruments. The video below is of a sonic melody. Go figure.

Mystical Mandolin Number Of Notes

2009-11-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

When jamming play a certain amount of notes and stop for a split second then play another number. Doing this unlocks numeral power which brings out BASIC musical moods. I do that a bit in this video.

What Pick Should I Use When Playing Mandolin

2009-10-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

There are many opinions when it comes to picks but it is important to consider your playing objectives when purchasing a pick. Certain picks produce certain sounds. Many players use a bunch just like they use multiple mandolins. Many professional players have an acoustic and an electric mandolin to adapt to various band situations. Obviously with a largely formulaic and engineered music industry it may be important to study how various pros have achieved certain sounds with their setup. In this video I play mandolin with a fairly hard and regular sized pick. My playing adapts to that. I like the precision timing of the beats with a hard pick. I loose the subtle nature of a fine pick where I could get some amazing smoothe tremelos. But at the end of the day all to their own. I actually have one of ever imaginable pick so I suspect that picking with something you appreciate is where it is at.

Changing Phase On Mandolin Music

2009-09-08T13:48:00.001-07:00

Music and mandolins are about phase shifting. Music has natural points in rhythm. At the breaks change. That is it. Enjoy this video where I change phases.

Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Fleshing Out Your Mandolin Playing

2009-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

It is important to flesh out your fingers. Use every finger to play the mandolin that way your sound is thicker. The timing will improve because 4 is an odd number but in licks goes even which is a good riff sound. Tell us how you want to improve your mandolin playing?

Just some of me in video here.

Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Mandolin Players Are Often Defined By What The Do Not Do

2009-09-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Most mandolin experts product a lot of sound with few real movements. The reason for this is as they develop their arms and body only preserve the essential movements and discard the rest. You will notice the mandolin will not move at all. It is perfectly at home in the relaxed arms of the artist. Watch this video and tell me how I could improve my hand work to settle down more so to speak on the mandolin.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Mandolin Rhythm

2009-09-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

In mandolin music Rhythm is everything. It is good to develop a healthy swing and other rhythm dynamics in your playing. To do this it is important to play then listen in play back so you know what to feel for if you rhythm is off. Check out this video where I mess with rhythm.

Mandolin Repertoire Techniques

2009-09-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

It is extremely important to learn the chords and melodies to your favorite songs. Playing through these things will improve your mandolin playing for the better. Here I do some mandolin playing on the song Joker Man which is some fun and easy chords!

Finish Your Mandolin Solos In A Different Energy For Effect

2009-08-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

It can be helpful to change the energy and dynamics in some way to mark the end of a solo or jam. Whether it be playing a bit louder, softer, different notes or whatever signals can improve any music piece. In this video I noodle a lot but the end is a bit different. See what I do to create effect at the end of the video.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Coming Down With The Mandolin Scales

2009-08-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

Scales are a vital part of learning how to play. Memorize the scales. After you have done that I will address a common scale problem that people have when playing. Often people go up a scale and do not retrace back their steps. This is a mistake for many reasons.

1. The ear loves repetition

2. The retraced scale often has different dynamics

3. It is easier to build something else off of this

I demonstrate going out and coming back in scales on mandolin in this video. Also pay attention to me fingering frets on the G string something that many beginners never do. Learning to incorporate the G string into your solos and playing is essential.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Lesson 2 : The Mandolin Angle

2009-08-30T00:39:00.001-07:00

There is no true optimal angle for playing mandolin. Many players are dynamic with the angle. In this video I mess around with the angle and produce different sounds accordingly. I like the perpendicular to the ground. Then like 30 up or down for picking indivdual notes in chords. And even higher for hitting the money notes. :) Angle is meaningless because it does not correlate to timing, or development of the player. But a mandolin is a very technical instrument because unlike a guitar that supports the body naturally, the smaller mandolin is a game of angles and attacks.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Lesson Number 1 : Relax The Hands When Playing Mandolin

2009-08-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

In the video above I make countless mistakes on the mandolin, but the mistakes that I make when my hands are relaxed do not sound like mistakes. Whereas when my hands get tense on the mandolin the mistakes ring through. The more you play and develop the more relaxed you hands will get. Also getting a decent instrument that you are conducive with is key also. This mandolin that I play is warping a lot and I will eventually dump it. Issues of playability are ultimately what needs to get solved because everything else, the theory, chords, scales, songs, and advanced type of music are all obtainable with practice. The better and more relaxed you get the better the mandolin will sing its songs. Cheers.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb

Who Am I, What Is My Interest In Mandolin ?

2009-08-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

My name is Joe Gelb and I enjoy playing on mandolin. I created this blog to post some of my playing and talk about mandolins and music in general.

- Joe Gelb

http://www.twitter.com/josephgelb