/r/mandolin
A subreddit for the wonderful world of mandolin.
From A-style to F-style, bowl-back to flat-top, bluegrass to metal, differences do not separate us, the mandolin unites us. If you love picking, strumming, listening, crafting, or just plain love the mandolin, this is the subreddit for you!
We're working on our FAQ, got a good idea? Tell us on the stickied thread! Cheers r/mandolin!
Relevant Subreddits
Mandolin Websites
Mandolin Cafe the internet's biggest mandolin website
Jazz Mando great resource website for a wide range of styles for mandolin run by Ted Eschilman
Emando the electric mandolin resource page
Mandozine a web site for mandolin, which hosts a music archive of almost 3,000 songs, transposed or transcribed for mandolin.
Free Bluegrass Backing Tracks A wide range of free bluegrass backing tracks with OR without solos, all at variable speeds. An essential resource for the improving picker. It's a labour of love so feel free to donate! (the site is in no way affiliated with r/mandolin)
Mandolin Tuition
Artistworks mandolin instruction with Mike Marshall
Banjo Ben banjo, guitar, and mandolin instruction
MandoLessons for free mandolin lessons, including tablature and standard notation for tunes
Bradley Laird "everything you need to know to start playing the mandolin" according to Bradley!
/r/mandolin
23,699 Subscribers
The blackest crow in GDGD
19:10 UTC
How high the moon (jazz mandolin)
15:57 UTC
Playing feedback requested, left hand fourth finger woes
Hi all. I am a relative newcomer to the mandolin. I already play the violin, piano, and guitar (took viola and piano lessons through my childhood, guitar just self-taught).
Thought I’d post a video of me playing an exercise from “The Complete Mandolinist” by Marilynn Mair, specifically the exercise on Page 19. This exercise is good for me because it contains a lot of fourth finger, which I am bad at. I’ve also found that focusing on exercises is much better for me than doing what I was doing before, which was just choosing random pieces in D out of Irish/contra-dance songbooks and playing them. I still do that, haha, but I am trying to follow more of a structured program. I am hoping to get a teacher soon. There’s actually an Irish music group near me that offers lessons, so I’m hoping to connect with them.
My mandolin is a Northfield Calhoun that I bought used. I love the sound, how it looks. It’s just great.
This video was at the end of a frustrating practice session with this exercise. I started out way too fast, kept making mistakes, slowed it down multiple times, but by that point I think my right and left hand were so tired I just kept making even more mistakes. So the lesson is, start slow, and then get faster. Rather than the other way around!
I think my biggest problem is that my left hand is absolutely full of tension. Additionally, I feel like my whole hand contorts to get the fourth finger into play, and it’s such a stretch that it’s hard to reset my hand afterwards. At the end of a session on an exercise like this, the bottom of my thumb aches, and I can feel the wear on my thumb when I’m moving quickly between fourth finger on the A string and first finger F on the E string. My left hand is the same on the viola/violin too, to be honest. It’s hard to picture getting to a place where the fourth finger is effortless.
I think the right hand isn’t terrible, even though it was the hardest part of playing initially. Any faster than this and I would start hitting the wrong strings (even more). For some reason my natural playing position isn’t over the sound hole, which is weird. I have to consciously think about moving my hand to play over the sound hole.
Anyway, any feedback or thoughts on the above is appreciated!
15:46 UTC
How old is this mandolin?
Hi guys! I'm super new to the mandolin world and I found this one at an antique store. I was wondering if anyone could find or knows information about it since googling hasn't gotten me anywhere. There's no stickers or tags with any names or anything to identify what type it is.
Thanks guys!
15:11 UTC
New to Mandolin
Hey I'm new to mandolin. Played guitar 10+ years.
I got a Vangoa mandolin to try the instrument, but it sounds really off. I watched the pinned video and now I see it's bad. Any advices to improve the off-tuning and such ?
10:22 UTC
I'm a complete newcomer. Did I get a good price?
I was able to snag a 'Global' brand a-style mandolin from the 70s and it's case for $68 including shipping.
I did my research and found out they were Korean imports that were also out under a multitude of different names (I think 'harmony' was one of those names but I'm not sure)
This will be the first proper mandolin I've ever owned. Is it at least ok for what I payed?
05:10 UTC
Online Mandolin Teachers?
Is learning mandolin from an online teacher over zoom/skype acceptable?
02:42 UTC
Original Tune - November
Hi friends! Here's a quick simple tune I wrote for mandolin about 6 months into my journey with the instrument back in 2023. I revisited it today and added in a banjo backup part. Thanks for listening!
19:18 UTC
help with busted g strings
heyo, one day i picked up my mandolin and the g strings sound all fuzzy when played, but seem to play clear when its held facing upwards? i cant identify a specofic cause myself so was hoping someone here could help or just tell me if i need the strings replacing! any help appreciated, and thanks im advance <3
15:16 UTC
New Neapolitan Mandolin i got from a friend
It was his grandfather's originally and he played it a lot, after he passed away my friend didn't want to keep it so i asked of i can buy it
Only 2 small dents in the back, nothing that can't be fixed tho. I have the ability to restore some parts if needed.
E and G string are tuned, A and D are out of tune tho lmao.
New to Mandolins wish me luck!!! So i don't suck for long hopefully!!!
08:22 UTC
Angeline the Baker and St Anne’s Reel in “Holbrook” tuning (one step down on all strings)
06:33 UTC
when it comes to the mandolin
Any good music sheets with exercises?
02:22 UTC
Advice on an old bowlback mandolin
Hi all !
Last week I bought an old beautiful bowlback model to try learning the mandolin. I also use extra light strings. (GHS A240)
But I'm pretty new in this background (I'm a violonist and never played guitar) so I unfortunately didn't notice some problems on this mandolin...
I feel it very hard to play. At the first place, I thought I was just very bad but after looking more closely, the height of the strings on the fret board is very high (around 6mm at the 12th fret)
And because of that, the tone isn't right when I use frets. (it really hurts hears !) I tried to move the bridge down to the maximum but it's not enough.
I ask a luthier about it and he estimates the repair (new bridge, un-curve the neck, redoing all the frets) at around 2000€ and suggest me to just give up and buy another one.
What do you think ? Is it totally hopeless for this mandolin or is there some way to make it at least a little more playable ?
11:44 UTC
Nirvana - Rape Me arranged for solo mandolin
17:39 UTC
Chord help
New to the Mando but former guitar player. The basic chords are coming easy for me but the ones where you need to hold one finger on four strings is frustrating like the Em or Am or the ever frustrating F chords! My fingers aren’t big enough to hold all four strings down. Any suggestions?!
13:29 UTC
Octave Mandolin Info Please...
Hello all, does anyone recognize the manufacturer of this mandolin, based on the headstock? I'm guessing the seller cannot tell, otherwise it would be listed. Additionally, do you think it's worth the $400 asking price? It looks pretty, but this could be garbage.
Thank you!
https://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/msg/d/bellingham-octave-mandolin/7822027651.html
00:28 UTC
Transcription Tuesday #92: Wildfire (Andrew Marlin Solo)
19:23 UTC
Azalea Waltz Played on an #eastmanmd305 Thanks for listening.
12:06 UTC
I'm new to mandolin
Hello, I'm new to mandolin but I do play guitar, I messed up quite a bit but it's progress nonetheless, here's a rough cut of summertime, please critique me, I'm trying to get better. Thank y'all!
03:47 UTC
New Harmonizing Fiddle Tunes Series!
18:12 UTC
Paramento - Spanish Waltz on Mandolin
09:40 UTC
Restringing My Mandolin
This is not a typical post.
Two days ago I bought a set of Martin strings for the mandolin that has been in my attic for over 10 years. It was my uncle’s and I’m not sure it’s ever been played. I thought it might be fun to film the process of restringing it. Before I had even really gotten started I hit myself in the head with a cupboard door and gave myself a mild concussion. I kept going, but the fact that it was my first time handling a mandolin and the delirium of the knock to the head resulted in mistake after mistake. The whole process ended up taking about 150 minutes. I look like a lunatic. And it’s pretty embarrassing. I don’t really have anyone in real life to share this with, maybe there is someone here that can appreciate the journey. My head is still sore, I should probably see a doctor.
08:54 UTC
Dancing in the Moonlight intro - Yonder
Been playing guitar for 2 decades, and my wife just bought me my first mandolin. I'm stoked and stayed up late trying to figure this one out! It's almost there 🤌🏼
06:55 UTC
Help me find the date for my great grandpa's mandolin
This mandolin has been in my family for generations and I'd love to figure out how old it is. Any one know how to find the date?
05:23 UTC
Brand recommendation for outdoor gigs
I play guitar and mandolin mainly outdoors, and we have a sound system so it needs to be acoustic/electric. I don't want to spend a ton, because it will be exposed to varying levels of humidity and sun, but I want it to sound good. Any recommendations for one that will have the most bang for the buck and stand up well to some harsh treatment?
01:39 UTC