There is a spectrum of player that runs from the die-hard, "drill sergeant" devotee, one who likes to pound out scale after scale, arpeggio after arpeggio, and all kinds of physical calisthenics, to the other end, the "Freebird Jammer," one who just wants to play--no rules no boundaries, just willy nilly what comes to the fingers. Between the Boot-camper and the Blower, there resides a happy medium midst this continuum we'll simply call the Crossword Puzzler.

Think about what goes on when someone attacks a crossword puzzle. It's a game, a pastime, but hardly a mindless activity. Anyone who tackles the challenge of word variations required to master a good puzzle ultimately builds personal vocabulary, as well as verbal skill. It requires imagination in hub and spoke of the wheel of context. It's an exercise of the mind totally driven by application.

The best music exercises are ones written with a purpose that transcends physical and sets up the brain for the aesthetic. We try to take this approach in all our drills throughout the JazzMando site and hope you are able to match measure with musical relevance. We explored this in last week's "Math, Eggs, and Mandolins" article, the notion that it's the small, rudimentary math processes that ultimately tie the neurons of the brain into the higher functions of science.

There is a connection and you'll enjoy your practice so much more when you see it.

An eight letter word for "spontaneously invent."

Improvise.

Further:
Chromatic Mastering
'ii V7 I' Major Patterns
'ii7b5 v7 I'minor_patterns
Start your day out with a song
Bringing it home

Posted by Ted at 07:12 AM

Eleven year-old Coco was survivng her Advanced Math class. Her instructor suggested in Parent/Teacher conferences that the pre-Algebra learning would come much easier if she were more flluent with her multiplication tables. In other words, the rote drilling of practicing and polishing single digit "times," 6 x 6, 7 x 9, 8 x 3, etc. was an activity that would bode well in developing a more intuitive sense of numbers that would become essential to higher level math.

Think about using numbers in real life. When a cook is serving omelets to 30 people, does he/she calculate exactly how many eggs he/she will need in planning the meal, or is there an intuitive sense based on culinary experience? Is it a matter of how many individual eggs, or cartons of eggs? You buy them in cartons after all (store generally don't sell individually) so thinking in dozens is actually a life skill; more likely to purchase four cartons of twelve eggs. Does one think the individual quantity of 48 as a function of 4 x 12, or does intuition kick in?

As youngsters, we practiced the times tables to understand the process of multiplication, but at some point we got beyond the process, and the results themselves became intuitive. We look at the number 64 as an instuitive product of the action of 8 x 8, without actually mentally calculating. At some point, we go from the primitive computation to instinct.

This is what drilling scale patterns and arpeggios is all about. In the beginning, we are looking at the components and make-up of an A scale, the C# in there, the G# that leads to the A, the E which is the 5th of the key, but eventually it becomes an intuitive entity unto itself. You come to an A chord in the song and you aren't thinking these elements, you're just thinking "World of A."

If you are new to the whole FFcP approach to learning the fretboard, be content that the early stages of understanding will start at this primitive level. You are developing a tactile memory, which over time will become something to build your intuition on. The cerebral part, the music theory might be overwhelming now, but over time it becomes subliminal recognition. The cognitive world of "hunch," "premonition," or even "feeling."

For now, just let your fingers enjoy the exercise.

Further:
Dr. Mao: Four Exercises to Sharpen Your Brain
Fingers, Ears, Brain
FFcP Studies
On Perfection
Osmosis and Effective Practicing

Posted by Ted at 08:09 AM

Sometimes it's right there in front of your face, as close as your computer terminal. We look for inspiration and knowledge from method books and teachers, but there are plenty of good resources out there within the click of a mouse. We hope you consider the treasures here at JazzMando are some of them, but we'd like to highlight a particular library of learning that can keep you studying for a long time, practical knowledge in some fairly bite-sized chunks.

Understand we're not saying you shouldn't spend money on published materials or attend a good workshop; there's nothing like having a well-organized curriculum of study strategy on the shelf or an inspirational teaching veteran to set you properly on course. We think you can supplement these experiences with your own online exploration, and we are definitely in the "Golden Age" of self-enhancing materials.

Our friend Scott Tichenor at the Mandolin Cafe has compiled a couple decades of his own studies, along with some other contemporary big names to give you hours, if not months of incredible material. Practical, concise, and real-life applicable, you can pick up tricks from Pete Martin on Texas style chord progressions, theory tips from Professor John McGann, cross-picking studies from Mickey Cochran, and a slew of other very practical information by some of today's best teachers.

These lessons are guaranteed to change your life.

Or we'll double your money back...

Guide to Mandolin Triads by John McGann
Texas Style fiddle tune chord progressions by Pete Martin
Four-Finger Closed Position by Ted Eschliman
Various Meters & Time Signatures by Niles Hokkanen
Modes made easy by Niles Hokkanen
Pat's chord shapes by Pat McClintock
Octave Mandolin by John McGann
Swing Mandolin I by Seth Rosen
Swing Mandolin II by Seth Rosen
Swing Mandolin III by Seth Rosen
Crosspicking Series - Introduction by Mickey Cochran
Crosspicking Series - Lesson 1 by Mickey Cochran
Crosspicking Series - Lesson 2 by Mickey Cochran
Crosspicking Series - Lesson 3 by Mickey Cochran
Crosspicking Series - Lesson 4 by Mickey Cochran
Jazz chords
Two-finger chords
Building Speed
10 Licks in B
Perpetual motion
Rhythm changes I
Rhythm changes II
Rhythm changes chords
Tuning
Bluegrass lesson
Up the neck
Improvisation
Texas swing
Pick direction
Swing guitar

Explore: Mandolin Cafe Lessons

Also, get the Mandolin Cafe News feed

RSS: http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/rss.html

Posted by Ted at 08:13 AM

For the folk/bluegrass musician, the notion of closing up fingerings and forsaking the open strings seems very much counterintuitive. The majority of the repertoire is based on open string keys, songs played within the relative comfort and safety of of G, D, or A. In those keys, you not only have the root of the key in an open string, you have that important 5th (D, A, E) to ring out in the Tonic chord and Dominant. You can strum and ring all you want, sometimes with a forgivable dispensation of missed strings. So why worry about closing things up and torturing the pinky with that 7th fret stretch? Let's look at four reasons:

Horn Keys. The church hymnal strikes fear in the heart of many a novice mandolinist. Keys of F, Bb, Db are not uncommon as the literature is written for voice register. Same thing with Broadway tunes and you have an entire body of jazz written for the sax and trumpet. Understand if an Eb alto sax is trying to play in the key of A with the rest of the band, he/she has to think in F#, which explains why so much "horn" music is in the keys of Eb (C on the a/sax) and Bb. Friendly to the mandolin? Definitely not if you're expecting to use much in the way of open strings, especially on those critical notes of tonic and dominant.

Transposability. So you learn the FFcP, study and master all kinds of patterns that are now movable. So what do you gain? THE WORLD! You can move intuitively across strings and frets, and now you're not thinking note names, you're thinking scale degrees and patterns. Some might argue you aren't "thinking" at all any more--just "doing." In other words, you improvise through an intuition based on sound and feel. You "sing" the music through your fingers. We've enjoyed the feedback of many who have achieved this sate of FFcP Zen. "The notes are just coming to my fingers from nowhere!"

Range extension. This goes along with the transposablity; you now aren't limited to the lower frets of the mandolin but are free to securely wander in the upper altitudes of the fretboard. Once you adapt to the closer spacing of the 9th through 15th frets, you are practically handed a new instrument. This is a cool way to get around.

Tonal variety. Yes, the resonant zing from an open string is natural sonic beauty. There is also an articulation consistency when a succession of notes is completely closed in fingers. Play the open D on your mandolin and follow up with a 7th fret (G string) D; you'll hear a tonal difference. One isn't necessarily better or worse, just more consistent with the other notes you're playing in a sequence. Also, if you're really in control, you can get a subtle vibrato on a long sustained note. This is why orchestral musicians actually prefer closed over open fingerings.

We recently took a step back and submitted in our June MandolinSessions column, a review on what FFcP is all about. If you are new to this, or simply want to understand the overview mechanics of the Four Finger Closed Position, take the time to read this. Also, if you wouldn't mind, job security is a good thing; submit your comments (positive, hopefully) in the Feedback section on the bottom of that article. (Love the 5-star ratings, too.)

Read Jazz Mandology "Closed Fingerings"

Further:
The Importance of Pinky
Doublestops and Barre Chords
The Ab Position
Fear of Flying
Leading Off Third Base; The benefits of third position fingering

Join the FFcP 'Fretboard Yoga' Facebook Group

Posted by Ted at 11:13 AM

We all have different motivations for playing. A couple weeks ago we explored Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours principle of mastery from his recent bestseller "Outliers." Not everyone is cut out to me a mandolin immortal, let alone, few of us have the time to even try. Nonetheless, we have to maximize what learning time we do have, and try to find the balance between learning acceleration and enjoyment. We want to talk about a quick way of doing both, "starting out with a song!"

We've always advocated including 8-15 minutes of warm-up time in your daily practice regimen. The purpose here is to get the muscles and circulation going, as well as mental synapses for effective playing and efficient learning. Most often, you'd start your session with the exercises, but how about a twist to this? Start with a familiar tune. Let's suggest "Autumn Leaves."

You'd play through the melody of the song once or twice (try it in 3rd position!), maybe run through the chords a few times. If you're up to it, improvise a few choruses. Then, get your brain going and isolate the tonal centers. The big ones in this song will be E minor and G Major:

Note in the above diagram, we've tinted what we feel to be G Major in red, E minor in blue. (Don't worry about the rest of the song, that's for another discussion). Next on your activities, go to some FFcP exercises in the key of G. Play them through in the 1st position (4th FFcP on D string 5th fret). Get the feeling of where everything is, especially the 'I vi7 ii7 V7' arpeggios; note the chord similarities within the song. There's a reason for those measures!

Move up the fingerboard with a 2nd FFcP basing your 2nd finger on the D string 5th fret. Same thinking as you play the exercise, how will you use these patterns in your improvising of the song? Experiment with other higher position variations; move between them if you can.

You can than tackle the E minor the same way, starting with the Dorian/Minor FFcP, 1st FFcP D string 2nd fret. Again, check out the 'Em G F#m7-5 B7' progression within the exercise and try to wire your brain for where these lie. Move them up the fingerboard, too.

After you've worked these, go back and do some more improvising on "Autumn Leaves". You should notice more ideas coming to you, sort of in an "auto-pilot" sense. This is great because it allows your brain the higher function processes of thinking big picture structure of your solos, where you will peak in intensity, where you'll take mental "breaths," how you're going to end. This can get you away from just sitting in front of some chords and "blowing."

Purpose. Meaning. Improvisation with intent.

Occasionally, let it start with a song.

Further:
Are you improving?
Practice Regime; A Balanced Diet
Why Play?
Super FFcP
Advanced FFcP: Over the Fingerboard

Posted by Ted at 12:15 PM

When summer approaches and the opportunity for porch picking and festivals finally arrives, the issue of mandolin cleaning comes up. First, if you are the kind who actually covets the distressed mojo of a worn, battle-fatigued instrument, this article is not for you. Stop reading. Also, if you're the kind who doesn't see the need to take care of anything you own, one who still has the unopened nose-hair trimmer from Fathers Day (hint, hint, hint, Dad), you aren't going to have much patience or use for any of these recommendations, either. The notion that cosmetic and care translate over time into attractiveness (and resale value) will be very much lost on you.

Understand there are three kinds of elements that deteriorate an instrument's finish, and they each require a somewhat different approach to care. First, there's the human, skin oils, perspiration, saliva (gross, yeah?), and these all have different impacts base on a player's body chemistry. Some can be devastating over time, others just take an occasional wipe. The second is environmental, dust, pick micro-shavings, smoke, and will vary with the frequency and intensity of your activity. The more your mandolin is out of the case, the bigger the issue. The last is weather, humidity, temperature, all the factors of nature you need to keep in mind for not only maintaining the finish, but the larger issue of the wood itself. We'll call this last one "just say no to crack."

Like cleaning your house, the best way to keep your finish intact is to do a little, a lot. In otherwords, if you wipe your instrument every time you put our instrument back in the case (good habit!), you will have less build-up, less work to do over time. If you are using a good microfilament (or micro-fibre) cloth, you might actually never need a commercial polish.

Ever.

Old T-shirts are a bad idea. They scratch, and you may not notice at first, but over months you'll see the micro-scratches multiply. Terrycloth towels are a HUGE no no. These are ten times worse than about any fabric, and will rob the finishes luster (let alone scratch) over time.

Chamois cloths you use for drying your car are fine; really about any car care cloth is all about preventing scratches, so you can get this or cheese cloth at any auto parts store. The latter is very good for getting major build up, without harming the finish. Micro-fibre is also great, and yes, the same cloth you use for cleaning eye-glasses is perfect, albeit a tad small for your hands.

Don't forget about the less obvious parts of the instrument; besides the body, back, and sides, it's good to get under the strings and around the tuners near the strings. A cue-tip can get to those hard to reach areas, but you may not ever have to worry about that. Some will go so far as to remove all strings and oil the fingerboard. That might be a bit extreme and we'd rather change strings one course at a time and wipe prior to replacing with the new. Setting the intonation on the bridge is work, and we're lazy.

We'll put in a commercial plug for our Jupiter Silkweave cloth. You can buy microfiber locally, but if you want a perfect size cloth you can keep in your case, this is the answer to a maiden's prayer. We even have some flute players in Florida who order these in bulk for their flute students. The Silkweave cloth works great on precious metals, too.

Prepare to wipe out.
More on the Jupiter Silkweave cloth.

Further:
Keep it clean
The cold facts

This short-term investment of time will prevent build up, keep your instrument looking nice, and preserve its overall value.

Posted by Ted at 01:09 PM

Best selling author Malcolm Gladwell author of "The Tipping Point" and "Blink," released a new book last year, "Outliers: The Story of Success." Gladwell has some fascinating theories on what it takes to become an "Outlier" the high achiever, the best, the brightest, and the most successful of people. One of them is his take on the 10,000 hours phenomenon which is especially relevant to the topic of prodigies.

He explains that in the early 1990's psychologist K. Anders Ericsson and two colleagues conducted an experiment at Berlin's "Academy of Music," where the school's violinists were divided into three groups:
1.) Stars
2.) Good performers
3.) Those who were unlikely to ever play professionally and would probably become music teachers.

These were all asked the question: "Over the course of the years, ever since you picked up a violin, how many hours have you practiced."

"All of the violinists had started playing at around age five, and they all played about two or three hours a week during the first few years. However, around the age of eight, an important difference began to emerge in the amount of hours they each practiced. By age 20, the stars in the group had all totaled 10,000 hours of practice over the course of their lives; the "good" students had totaled 8,000 hours; and the future music teachers just over 4,000 hours.

What the research suggested was that once you have enough talent to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. In addition, other studies have also shown that excellence at a complex task requires a minimum level of practice, and experts have settled on 10,000 hours as the magic number for true expertise. This is true even of people we think of as prodigies, such as Mozart."

Neurologist Daniel Levitin reports, "In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years... No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery."

So where does that leave you? Don't have 10 years to practice three hours a day? Most of us in the bifocal crowd certainly don't have, unless independently wealthy. We just have to accept the fact that we aren't likely to become the next Chris Thile or Mike Marshall. That doesn't mean we can't have fun or even get better, but we need to be realistic in our outcome.

We may never be a Tiger Woods, but we can still enjoy golf. A little discipline in moderation can make us better through practice and coaching. We'll probably enjoy ourselves playing the sport as we work to get more efficient and effective. We can't however, afford to be frustrated with unrealistic goals. Balance finger-building exercises with literature, jamming, and listening, and our mandolinning will get reasonably better.

Practice scales musically. Adding some dynamics to the most remedial patterns can make them aesthetically more pleasing. After all, if you can't play scales musically, it's not likely you can play music musically! You likely don't have the time for three ours a day the next ten years; maybe even 30 minutes is a struggle. Still, make the most of practice time and enjoy yourself along the way.

Gladwell has some other interesting observations about achievers. It's a good read; if you're a regular reader here at JazzMando, you're probably the type that would enjoy this book.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Further:
Why Play?
Practice Regime; A Balanced Diet
The Joy of Mandolinning
Are you improving?
January Fitness

Posted by Ted at 07:55 AM

A great pedagogical myth exists in regards to the importance of metronomes. It's not uncommon to refer to these time keeping devices as good for teaching you good time. The problem is this is only the tip of the iceberg. You don't just push the start button and start playing, expecting a good sense of time to wash over you. What do you do when you hit the "off" switch?

There is merit in the notion that a metronome teaches time "honesty." That's because when we play alone with no accompaniment, we get lost in the notes and technical challenges without a neutral umpire there to correct bad timing. We think we've mastered a segment, but it falls apart when played in an ensemble environment. That's why many good classically trained pianist are really lousy accompanists. They've never been challenged by a metronomical "truth."

The biggest benefit of regular metronome use is in developing optimal technique and accuracy within the context of good timing. It's a subtle difference, but the goal of developing a keen sense of time is secondary to playing with rich tone and precision. It's a simple rule of learning; if you can't play it well slow, you can't play it well fast. Trouble spots in your music, difficult licks, sloppy scale patterns, these all need to be mastered slowly, and you can't do that honestly without an effective mechanical meter.

The word "metronome" itself has a rather sterile, clinical vibe to it. This doesn't have to be that way! Let's suggest five different approaches to metronome use:

Time Keeping. The most basic use of the metronome is to take the song you're already playing and set the pace for that same tempo. Again, time "honesty" is a good thing to work for. Places that you stumble should be noted mentally, or better, with a pencil. You can go back later and attack them at a slower speed, but the metronome in its most primitive use just keeps good time for you.

Back Beat. In an ensemble situation, there are many subtle forms of the pulse going on, besides the beat itself. Listen to a good jazz performance (or even bluegrass) and you hear a healthy backbeat. It's one TWO three FOUR. Why not simulate the ensemble by setting your metronome to just hit TWO and FOUR? This can be a challenge at first, but if you have a metronome with some good sound samples, like the Seiko SQ-50 with its crisp woodblock tone, this can be a sonically appealing simulation.

Subdivision. You can double the beat (or triple) for divisions and really keep things honest. Again, in live ensemble performance, you have the subdivisions defined audibly; this is a good atmosphere to bring into personal practice time. If the song is 96 beats per minutes, set the metronome for 192.

Patterns. Some metronomes have built in patterns, like swing/shuffle subdivisions, triplets, Latin patterns, and this can be gold for really feeling a dry etude or scale challenge. The Roland TU-80 metronome/tuner has this function.

Drum machine/Accompaniment tracks. Practice can be far more engaging with a real hi hat/kick drum combination. Drum machines can be set to a different tempo, but backing tracks can be more fun. The only drawback to the latter is you can't vary the tempo. Again, you want to keep your playing "honest," playing with maximum tone and articulation accuracy.

It's about time...

Further
Swing Hard. Pick Well.
Metronome Techniques Part 1
Metronome Techniques Part 2
A look back: Sweeping for tone

Posted by Ted at 01:44 PM

Those who come from a classical violin background (or classical mandolin for that matter) might well question the difference in approach to understanding the mandolin fretboard. We've received questions and have even noted an occasional discussion forum tackle the subject. Time to weigh in publically.

For the uninitiated, the traditional "Positions" is based on a violinist referencing all strings in relation to the "open position" where the first finger covers the equivalent of the first two half-steps (frets if there were...), second finger covers the next two, third & fourth, etc. From the mandolin fretboard equivalent each of the four fingers is responsible for the first 6 frets in open or 1st Position (I). This is a critical understanding for beginning violinists who are not only grappling with learning the vocabulary of the notes themselves, but "tuned" notes. It's hard enough learning the nuance of half and whole steps, as the player moves around the circle of keys, one discovers the magnificent world of "just tuning." Without going into a lot of whole theoretical detail here, let's just say the orchestral world is able to take advantage of "perfect" tuning, but in the piano and fretted world, we compromise with the Equal Temperament tuning. (At best, we are always theoretically playing ever so slightly out of tune.)

Beginning violinists depend heavily on the tactile understanding of the fingerboard, each finger in reference to the one before it. It's like finding your way through a dark hall with your feet. Knowing how many footsteps it is in a certain direction when you can't see can keep you from bumping into things.

Now what happens when a violinist wants to advance to higher notes? They move everything up like an elevator, but it's all referenced to the player's first finger in "Positions." The formal understanding of 2nd Position (II) is that the first finger is based on the E string, on the G string a B (or Bb).

From the chart above you can see the 3rd position (III) starts everything on the equivalent of the 5th fret. Of course you've got half steps and other positions to get to eventually (IV, VI, VII), but you get the idea. Everything is referenced to a hypothetical first finger base. This is quite similar to the Don Stiernberg Ab system we've mentioned in the past.

This has worked centuries for violin pedagogy in the past, and there's no reason it shouldn't work for a mandolinist as well. Its benefits include a better understanding of the vertical nature of the fretboard (moving up the length of the string and not just across to more strings), and access to different tonal qualities of the fretboard. Orchestral instruments have a warmer tone up the string (as does the mandolin) and better expressive opportunity for vibrato.

So what about FFcP? Understand the emphasis on the approach of using all four fingers as the base can give you more opportunity in a limited area of the fretboard. You also have more opportunity in shifting tonal centers not being forced to move up the fretboard just to play in a different key. Unencumbered by the need to strive for just intonation (where frequencies of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers), you aren't as tied to the fretless world of perfect tuning (for better or worse). It's also much friendlier to the horn keys of Bb, Eb and F, let alone those dark keys on the dank enharmonic equivalent end of the circle of keys, C#/Db, F#/Gb, and B/Cb.

Which is better, Positions or FFcP? This is like asking what tool is better for building a house, a hammer or a saw? Both are implements to get a different aspect of the same job done. You really need a combination of both. Limiting yourself to just one area of the fretboard in FFcP denies you rich tonal variation. Moving up the fingerboard for every key or tonal center change is hardly an efficient use of movement either, so we recommend using both.

We recommend hovering around the 3rd and 5th Positions as home base in jazz, but with a good set of FFcP skills. You can always move things back down a few frets, and occasionally, use the open string for "tricks" and covering position shifts. For a great challenge, take tunes you already know and try to base them in this area of the fretboard. This is a wonderful exercise for reading through familiar songs of the Real Book.

Further:
FFcP Index
FFcP Moving on Up
The Ab Position
Violin Online Advanced Fingering Chart 1st--7th Positions

Posted by Ted at 12:59 PM

We've recently received several inquiries about the tempos of the recorded exercises on the accompaniment CD in the Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" book. Concerned about the tempo being too fast, these poor souls have felt flush with inadequacy, and we want to explain why the tempos seem brisk and issue a license to NOT speed...

In crafting materials for publishing, we have to take into account the demographic of who will be purchasing the book, and what level(s) to aim for on the intensity dial. We really had the advance beginner folk mandolinist in mind, assuming someone with a degree of familiarity of the fretboard. That's not to say a beginner won't find value in its pages, but he/she will have to be a bit patient. There is a ton of fundamental groundwork here to build off of, and tackling things at slower, comfortable tempos is not only "permissible," it's encouraged!

Two schools of thought on audio support. One is to create a "play-along," a track to perform in synch with. This is great for starting, but once the concepts get into the fingers, the recorded tempo will be too slow. The other approach, and the one we've taken is for the track to be "this is what it will sound like eventually." Getting the "gestalt," the big-picture concept gives you a goal to strive for, but that's not to say you have to start at the recorded tempo. Offer tracks at both slow and fast tempos? Perhaps, but in this case we had over two hours of audio that had to be squeezed under 70 minutes. It was a judgment call.

The priority of tone supersedes speed. If you've been around JazzMando long, you've heard this pounded into you. It's got to be "pretty," it must be comfortable, too. Speed will come later, but there is nothing worse than bad tone at fast tempos.

Slow down!

Further:
Thinking Good Tone Part 1
Playing musically: Part 4, play with maximum tone
Starting with good tone
Putting on the Squeeze
Enemies of Sustain

Posted by Ted at 12:47 PM

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