Hey Mandolin players and those thinking about giving the instrument a try. I know that the mandolin is a bit under the radar here at Lessonface, so I've put together what I’m calling a combination list of tracks. A few of these tracks feature the mandolin on familiar tunes you may have heard before and others introduce you to mandolin players and styles that you may not be aware of. If you're interested in playing the mandolin just let me know, I can help you either get started or continue on your mandolin journey.
1. When you hear the word mandolin the name Bill Monroe always pops up. Bill Monroe was the father of bluegrass music and he played the mandolin. A little known fact is that Bill Monroe is the only person who is a member of 3 Hall of Fames: Country Music, Bluegrass Music and Rock n Roll. Listen to Bill play one of his own mandolin tunes called Southern Flavor https://youtu.be/9NcCgsAMxhs
2. One of the first times I ever heard the sound of the mandolin was on the radio in the early 70's on the Rod Stewart classic Maggie May. At the end of the tune you'll hear that famous mandolin riff, one of the all time classics. https://youtu.be/EOl7dh7a-6g
3. Another classic song from the 70's that featured the mandolin was Led Zeppelin's Going to California. Led Zeppelin and the mandolin, who knew! Check out this version. https://youtu.be/mBk98FT-wPk
4. Let's go back to bluegrass and hear from Sam Bush, The Newgrass icon. Listen to him kick off the song Nine Pound Hammer starting at 3:17 of this live video. I can teach you this kickoff! https://youtu.be/Oqd3NbQC7Ew
5. Let's hear from one of the most notable mandolin players of modern times Chris Thile. Chris plays everything from Bach to bluegrass on the mandolin but here he covers True Love Waits by Radiohead, purely inspirational. https://youtu.be/p9mKQKsx1gc
6. One of my all time favorite formats for the mandolin is in a duet setting. Here is an old traditional tune, Silver Dagger, given new light by a great duo on the scene today, Mandolin Orange. https://youtu.be/ZPU7FPhui1s
7. Next up is Sierra Hull. A very contemporary mandolinist on the scene today who has her roots in bluegrass but has developed her own style and sound. Here is a beautiful song from her most recent recording. https://youtu.be/QNmW0PyKyp8
8. Lets get back to the familiar with the REM classic Loosing My Religion and hear that famous mandolin riff to kick off the song. https://youtu.be/xwtdhWltSIg
9. It's back to inspiration and the mandolin playing of David Grisman. David's style is called Dawg Music that he first popularized with his group The David Grisman Quintet back in the mid 1970's. On this cut however he is playing his style in a duet format with the great guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. https://youtu.be/hOt-cZIVvu0
10. A little classical music to round things out with Avi Avital playing the Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C Major. https://youtu.be/9OJ0bsyIryc
This is just a small sampling of what the mandolin has to offer. There are many more players I haven't gotten to including Mike Compton, Marla Fibish, Mike Marshall, Carlo Aonzo, Don Stiernberg and the list goes on. Give the mandolin a try, you know the world needs more mandolin players!
