Week 1 Progress Report

No self-respecting self-teacher works without some kind of curriculum, and since I have a modicum of self respect, I am starting off my studies with a book/CD/VHS combo. This is the set of learning tools we bought at the same time we acquired the instrument. The book by Bert Casey is redundantly titled Mandolin Primer for Beginners and begins by describing the parts of the mandolin, what to do with your left and right hands, and how to tune--pretty much what a primer should do. It then moves into simple exercises and songs in the key of G.

WARNING: In this entry I'm going to publish some stuff that only a music teacher (and the family of a beginning music student) should ever hear. I recorded myself playing a few of the exercises that I had been practicing during the first week of my mandolin studies, and I'm going to post those recordings here.

The Venice

We found this pretty little mandolin on e-bay, oh, at least six or seven years ago. It was made in the mountain village of Paracho, known as the "Guitar Capital of Mexico", by a very old mustachioed gentleman who has forgotten more about the craft of lutherie than most people will ever know. Actually, it was probably made by the new guy that had just been hired a week before. It sells for about a hundred bucks, after all.

But cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad--it just means you shouldn't expect the best. I've heard this mandolin played by a real musician, and in the proper hands it makes beautiful music. In my hands, well, sounds come out of it. I'll get there eventually.

Genesis

I've pulled out my cheapie little mandolin (again) and decided that this time I'm really gonna learn it. This blog will hopefully chronicle my efforts. Though I'm sure there's a good chunk of narcissism involved--this is the facebook generation after all--I'm writing this blog at least in part to watch my own progress and have something to look back on when I'm an accomplished musician (cough).