Bach update

Yet another attempt at the Bach presto. I feel like it is gradually getting closer... slowly. I've now been playing around 4 and a half months.

While I was trying to do this, I stuffed up the cadence of the first section and thought I would share, because it was such a disgusting chord to finish on! Instead of a regular perfect cadence (A7-D) I accidentally barred the E string and struck it which had the effect of adding an augmented 4th to the D chord - NOT very Bach. Here's samples of the two endings, in case you're not sure what I'm talking about. The first sample being the cadence that Bach wanted, the second is my rather offensive stuff-up.

Bach: Two-part invention in D minor

Ah, I see I'm neglecting the blog already. Never fear, it doesn't mean I've been neglecting Mycroft, just that I've had a few too many fails with technology and have become a bit disgruntled with it.

I was determined to record duets with myself (seeing I don't have a jamming buddy) but it turns out all those cute little YouTube videos of people for example singing all 6 parts of such-and-such a capella must be made using some fancy program... because I sure as hell can't find something that will allow me to essentially merge the audio and visuals of two videos together! Nothing free at any rate.

Anyway, rant over. I gave in and had to extract the audio from two videos to make this one. It's the Bach D minor two part invention (originally written for piano... and I have played it many years ago on piano too, if memory serves me). Had to transpose most of the lower part up the octave as it was written in bass clef. Now there's a nice way to screw with your mind - transpose on a not very familiar instrument! Had a bit of difficulty syncing the two tracks correctly, but I think I got them pretty close in the end. Some wayward rubato tripped my up when I was trying to record the second part. It's harder than I anticipated to duet with a partner who is COMPLETELY inflexible. Oh, and my trills are pathetic. Obviously I need to work on those!

Mando-bling

It's been a bit of  big day for Mycroft. First headed down to Hillcrest to try out and buy an armrest. Considering most of the demand is in the States, I was very surprised to find that one of the few people making them is right here in Brisbane (well, almost). David at King Brown Mandolin Armrests was awesome and knocked together a bit of a selection for me to check out. I settled on the standard  design, but he also does some over the tail-piece armrests and can add a lovely little inlay if one so desires.

They look good, but the best part is of course what they add to the playability of the instrument. I find it much more comfortable on the forearm, and don't end up with a massive indent from the edge, and I believe it does open up the tone a little too.

After this purchase I headed back into city territory to The Guitar Shop at Paddington to pick up a hard case I had ordered. This is something I probably should have done sooner considering how clumsy and uncoordinated I am, but thankfully no disasters befelled Mycroft while he was housed in a soft case. Sigh of relief now that I've got the hard case.

So here's little Mycroft, all dressed up in his new mando-bling. Now we just wait for the strap. Oh, and the strings. Looking forward to trying some nice new Elixirs.

Bach again

Right, here we go again. The Bach is almost up to speed now, but still with mistakes. Stupid nerves.

Temporary solution to the crap strap problem: use it like a necklace! Gets the mando into more or less the right position, but that thin round braid really cuts into the neck. I ordered a beautiful flat braided strap to arrive from Lakota. Can't wait for it to arrive.

Finding the balance

Okay. I think I've finally sorted out this strap business and I've come to the following conclusions about my particular mandolin strap:

a) It's crap
b) It's too long
c) It's too thin as a round braid
d) It's crap
e) It's got about as much grip as a thin, lubricated snake

Did I mention it's crap? So, it doesn't position the instrument correctly as it's too long, and as it's thin and gripless the headstock is irresistibly drawn towards the ground. It even creaks when you have the intended loop around the scroll! Need I add that this thing is seriously crap.

I have, however, managed to tweak it so that it works more or less like a mando strap should, by feeding the loop back on itself and wrapping it around the scroll again. This solves the "too long" issue and then presto - what folks have been saying on the mandolincafe forum starts to happen - I can more or less keep the mando in position just with the pressure from my right forearm. Drop the pressure from the right forearm, though, and the "no grip" issue takes over, sending the headstock not quite so far groundwards.

But...

FREEEEEDOME!!! I can move! I'm not stuck in this awkward seated position while playing and I can even go for a wander around the house while I play if I want. Jury's still out on whether or not I actually play any better standing, but it feels better. That's important, right?

I'll replace the strap, I think, because it's now actually a tad short and the thin braid kind of cuts into my shoulder. Folks on the cafe have made some very useful suggestions, and I will try to follow their advice by getting a thicker, flat strap, preferably with a bit of grip. The straps made by Lakota (from elk) look absolutely gorgeous and importantly are soft, from what I've heard, and last an age so I may just give in and cough up the dough to ship in one over here.

Moral of the story? Straps are awesome. This strap isn't.

Strap Fail

So, I have been playing my mando in all kinds of awkward positions in the attempt to keep the neck at a comfortable angle whilst avoiding having the left hand bear too much of the weight. I have played with my feet up on a laundry basket, I've played in the car with one foot planted into the compartment below the stereo (surprisingly comfortable and effective, actually!). But always seated. I thought that the best solution for this might be to get a strap, and this would fix everything... I was quite wrong.

This is one of the sucky things about living in Brisbane: music shops don't stock mandolin stuff. They rarely even stock more than one or two token mandolins, let alone straps, strings, picks, tone guards and all that jazz. So how am I supposed to try stuff out and see if it works for me? I can't. Just have to order stuff online and hope for the best.

My strap arrived from the US and here's what happened.

Well frak. That's pretty much the opposite of how I want the weight distributed...

How the heck do I make this work...?

Guess I could get used to playing like this. Not.

How are people supposed to use these things?! Is my mando just weighted weirdly or is the strap somehow not functioning how a strap should? I guess it's a little slippery, but surely even with a little grip this would not be enough to stop the mando falling the wrong way. Grrr. The quest for a good playing position continues.

Progress at one month

I've been playing mandolin for a little over one month now, so I thought it was time to share how I'm going with the Bach again. It's still nowhere near ready, but I've more or less memorised all of the notes now. A few mistakes, and I'm suffering from a bit of alzheimer's towards the end, but I hope to work on this in the coming weeks.

Can't seem to stabilise my pick-grip, which is a bit annoying, because it makes a surprisingly big difference to the tone. The one I'm using in this take is probably a bit unconventional... oh well, call the mando-police! I might just keep experimenting.

Bach: Presto from Bach's violin sonata in g minor

Still uber excited about my new Mandolin. Mycroft may be a cheaper Chinese knock-off, but I'm quite happy with how it's sounding and playing.

The new E strings seem to be holding up alright, after I managed to break them both in an attempt to lower the bridge action. D'oh! They're a tad tinny sounding though, and probably too bright compared with the other strings so I'm tossing up if I should try medium gauge strings next time or if I just need to try a different brand. There are a few variables to consider - who would have thought a silly string instrument could be so complicated!

After two and a bit weeks playing mandolin I have almost got the A section of the Presto from Bach's G minor Violin Sonata down. This is really making me appreciate just how much thought string players put  into hand positions. There are always a couple of solutions for every phrase, so I have had to make some decisions... eep! Still not quite happy with some of my choices, but I may yet find better solutions. We will see.


Here's me, not quite rockin' the Bach yet, but getting there:

Here's Chris Thile rockin' the Bach big time. How to put a beginner to shame:

And so it begins

I finally bought a mandolin. It's been a long time coming, and technically I have the Punch Brothers to thank in a very round about kind of way, though I think it was inevitable that the day would come.

It began when I was a kid and I heard REM's Losing My Religion. Though I was a fairly grungy kid, and dabbled on guitar from time to time, I distinctly remember hearing that mandolin and thinking "Geez, there's something a bit special about that...". Of course I got distracted by other bands and had flings with other instruments (brass is to blame, mainly) and started having to focus more solidly on piano during high school.

The mandolin was somewhat forgotten until years later my uncle brought one back from Vietnam. Ooooh the envy. I had a bit of a play and it seemed a fairly decent instrument considering the price. When I mentioned I'd like to get one some day, my uncle kindly offered to get me one next time he went to Vietnam. But even then I was quite an audiophile and was a little freaked out by the idea of buying an instrument I had neither tried nor heard. It didn't end up happening and I forgot again - memory has never been a strong point.

Then came the Punch Brothers. Can't precisely recall how I stumbled across this group. I think I was doing some research into mandolins and progressive rock and I found some Chris Thile videos on YouTube which led to one of them doing a Radiohead cover. Oh my GOD!!

Radiohead... ah... Folks who know me know that I'm a little obsessed, so this was a perfect match really. I knew then that I definitely wanted to (nay, needed to) start learning. But I still wasn't in any rush to blow my precious dollars on a new instrument.

I'd been listening to the Punch Brothers albums on high rotation (between Radiohead) for a few weeks when the announcement came that they were coming to Australia. I could hardly contain myself. And then I looked at the dates and venues. They were coming to Sydney and Melbourne and even Adelaide, for f%@& sake, but not Brisbane. Gutted. Desperate, I looked into getting a flight to Sydney to see them, but the best case scenario would have be at least $250-$300. I could put that kind of money towards something that would last a lot longer...

So, I did it. I went to the only music shop in Brisbane that stocks more than a couple of second-rate mandolins (thank you, The Guitar Shop at Paddington!) and was in raptures with the little entry level F style Eastman - the MD315. It was bright but not tinny and had some nice, sweet overtones. "Fruity" as the helpful sales assistant described it. It's no Gibson, but it sure kicks the ass of the entry level Fender.

Introducing Mycroft the Mandolin, my new favourite distraction. ❤