Download John McGann's Gypsy Picking for Mandolin!

MichaelHorowitz

This lesson demonstrates how to employ the Gypsy Picking technique on the mandolin. Includes 5 notated examples, 9 MP3 audio examples, and 3 pages of text. Several of the examples are mandolin versions of Django's most classic phrases. Written by mandolin virtuoso John McGann.

For more info see: Gypsy Picking for Mandolin

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jmcgann

Thanks to all who bought the first lesson. I have several more in the pipeline including material on chord voicings and comping; scale and arpeggio choices for soloing; and three tunes with mandolin solos transcribed and analyzed. All for $5 a pop, whadda deal! :twisted:

Bohemian

Years ago I was at Gryphon Instruments in Palo Alto CA
There was a new Selmer /Mac octaive mandolin by Dupont. I nearly bought it. It was so good, great range and playabilty, Fantastic tone and well made. It was a pparently 1 of 2 moade.. the other having gone to Elderly. I called the next day to hold it.. right.. sold. Bummer. I have though about that instrument now for 10 years and thought it the ideal machine for Gypsy Jazz mando.

Do you have any awareness of any Sel/Mac style octave mandolins being
built?

John, I understand you play a Sobell octave mandolin Can you tell me what the scale length is and the gauge of the strings.

I do enjoy mandolin and have owned over 50. I was primarily invloved with classical mandolin but quit playing for nearly 10 years due to a shop caccident seriously damaging my right hand..i have mnaged to get back quite a bit of control but no longer fingerpick (like I used to and one of the reasons I am going back to flatpoicked instruments)

You say the future is bright for Gypsy Jazz MAndolin. Could you elaborate please? And do you frewquent Mandolin Cafe..
I'll go take a look at the Gypsy JAzz section, thoiugh I usually hang in builders and Classical...

Thanks

JeePee

Please, see the brand new Dupont's web site:

http://www.acoustic-guitars.com/

jmcgann

http://www.johnmcgann.com/om.html

The Sobell is 23" but has a nice low action, so the stretch isn't too bad (for me). I use .047 .032 .020 .012 as recommended by Stefan. It is already so Macaferri-esque tone-wise that I wouldn't have a use for a another- although I have an open mind about it and would love to try some others...The Djangolin looks really cool, http://website.lineone.net/~djangohodson/ maybe he'll make some OMs...

The future looks bright for mando in gypsy jazz as long as there are players who can really improvise and who understand the idiom, and are not just bluegrass players moonlighting.

The idiom, like any idiom, must grow and change in order to evolve. Imagine if Django lived to be in his 90's today- how his music would have changed through the 50's on, who can say; but look at how he himself never stopped growing, writing for big bands, listening to and loving classical music of all sorts...so I believe as long as a mandolin player can cut it and it is good music in the idiom, it'll eventually be accepted.

Of course, I am 100% Gadjo and an outsider, so what do I know, I could be lynched after my first solo playing with the Europeans. :twisted:

BTW More mando lessons available here shortly!