I'm distress, because i worked alone last month on my octave mandolin to play on backup. I thank i was better( yes a little bit) Now, i can play 90 % time a session.
But when i see last thursday night a great octave mandolin player in Paris, playing like a god. A lot of shift on the neck, strange chords, but wonderful punch... i was stun !
I'm a armless man....
What can i do to play more punchy, like John Doyle, O'Donogh, Lunny....
Playing heavy metal ? Blues ? to change my mind too classical ?
Well, I can tell you what works for me (at the moment re-learning from classical guitar to steel strings and plec):
First, I try to listen a lot (try, because upon hearing Tommy Peoples my office mates get bellicose). I try to /roughly/ imitate the most interesting techniques picking them by ear and trying out different possibilities - a Slowdowner is a great help here.
Secondly, I got me a good book on the basics of jazz and painfully gnaw through it (not literally, mind you), practice, practice, practice... to have a concious understanding of substitution, building chords, jazz chord backing - I prefer straight DADGAD backing, but it's useful to know an alternative and gives you a lot of possibilities and practical knowledge.
It's not a good idea to imitate others all through the way - still, for practice it is very good. Especially the most difficult moments in a track - I pick them like strawberries and practice them to death. Better to have your own room at that point.
And yes, I don't know why, but learning to play melody helps greatly in backing.
Still I must disappoint you - it's almost half-year since I took up flatpicking, and somehow I'm not Dahithi Sproule, Lunny or John Doyle yet...
1. Know your instrument.
2. Know the music.
3. Develop confidence, but lose the cockiness.
4. Play with the best players you can.
5. Feel the music, and play it the way you feel it.
More punchy backup
More punchy backup
I'm distress, because i worked alone last month on my octave mandolin to play on backup. I thank i was better( yes a little bit) Now, i can play 90 % time a session.
But when i see last thursday night a great octave mandolin player in Paris, playing like a god. A lot of shift on the neck, strange chords, but wonderful punch... i was stun !
I'm a armless man....
What can i do to play more punchy, like John Doyle, O'Donogh, Lunny....
Playing heavy metal ? Blues ? to change my mind too classical ?
# Posted on June 15th 2004 by Mandolman
Re: More punchy backup
The better you know the tunes you back, the more ideas about chords, changes and plec-work you will get while playing, IMO.
Snorre
# Posted on June 15th 2004 by snorre
Re: More punchy backup
Well, I can tell you what works for me (at the moment re-learning from classical guitar to steel strings and plec):
First, I try to listen a lot (try, because upon hearing Tommy Peoples my office mates get bellicose). I try to /roughly/ imitate the most interesting techniques picking them by ear and trying out different possibilities - a Slowdowner is a great help here.
Secondly, I got me a good book on the basics of jazz and painfully gnaw through it (not literally, mind you), practice, practice, practice... to have a concious understanding of substitution, building chords, jazz chord backing - I prefer straight DADGAD backing, but it's useful to know an alternative and gives you a lot of possibilities and practical knowledge.
It's not a good idea to imitate others all through the way - still, for practice it is very good. Especially the most difficult moments in a track - I pick them like strawberries and practice them to death. Better to have your own room at that point.
And yes, I don't know why, but learning to play melody helps greatly in backing.
Still I must disappoint you - it's almost half-year since I took up flatpicking, and somehow I'm not Dahithi Sproule, Lunny or John Doyle yet...
Hope you will do better.
# Posted on June 15th 2004 by Janek
Re: More punchy backup
1. Know your instrument.
2. Know the music.
3. Develop confidence, but lose the cockiness.
4. Play with the best players you can.
5. Feel the music, and play it the way you feel it.
# Posted on June 17th 2004 by Audeamus