It's our 5th year anniversary since the book "Getting into Jazz Mandolin" was released (September 2008). We have some great free resources here on the site, but if you really want something in your hands that is both systematic and comprehensive, consider a purchase of "GiJM." It remains a strong Mel Bay best-seller, something you should consider for purchase, either for your own personal use or you can spread the love and give it as a generous and thoughtful gift to your mandolin playing friends.

This will bring joy and fretboard mastery to anyone willing to invest a little time in the FFcP based exercises as they are laid out in the context of unraveling jazz. However, this is not just for the jazzer, anyone seeking to leave the world of cowboy chords, let alone the key of G, will find this approach useful.

If you wanted an extra electronic copy to carry around with you, it's now available direct from Mel Bay in an eBook format.

Lots of great information for you here around the site, but there's nothing like the compact, portable access to the book's methodic approach.

Purchase information: Getting into Jazz Mandolin
Purchase information: Amazon

Getting into Jazz Mandolin

What this book offers:
A clear, consistent course progression. The player starts with something already known (the Major Scale) and develops patterns (FFcP) that can be intuitively expanded. Jazz variations are introduced incrementally, and by the end of the book, the player should be relatively comfortable improvising.

Clear language. Advanced music theory is explained with unpretentious prose, uncomplicated terminology and good humor. A mandolinist could simply play through all the exercises, and at very least, get more proficient with the fretboard, at best build some higher level jazz vocabulary.

Supportive Audio. The 70-minute CD included gives audio examples, as well as limitless opportunity to practice and jam with the exercises. An additional web-based audio page on the JazzMando.com website, Webtracks" offers expanded opportunity to hear and interact with even more sound tracks and professional artists' interpretations of the music and concepts.

Tab and notation. Exercises are written in both standard notation and mandolin tablature to communicate proper fretboard positions. Fingering markings are included to suggest effective finger placement.

Posted by Ted at September 25, 2013 5:25 AM