Frequently Asked Questions: Mandolin Players Mandolinists

Subject: Online lessons
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 14:47:05 -0500

Thanks for having them available.

As a new player (I picked one up seriously at a friends house on
Saturday and owned one yesterday [Rogue RM-100A $40.00 new] ) I was
looking for some quick tips and found them at your site.

As a guitar player it was both easy and hard (relearning chord
structures etc.)

Right now I am looking for some songs that I can use the mandolin as
accompaniment as well as some songs where it takes lead. Bluegrass is
fine but I would also like some folk and (gulp) jazz if anyone plays
jazz mandolin. Can you recommend some recordings?

Thanks again.
Michael M. Wiseman

Greetings Michael,

My suggestion would be to pick up some recording by the following mandolinists:
1. Jethro Burns
2. David Grisman
3. Sam Bush
4. Chris Thile

All of the above are innovators on mandolin...and have taken the mandolin into new realms such as jazz and rock.

Hope this helps, Mickey

Subject: Bluegrass classic albums
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:38:54 -0500

Hey Mickey!

I just emailed you last week about a MMS-3. By the way, I did purchase it from you guys last week also. I am a beginner with the mandolin and fairly new to bluegrass. What are some of the classic bluegrass albums/artists that any player/fan must have? What about essential mandolin players and their albums? Thanks for all your help! I'm looking forward to receiving my mandolin! Have a good one. God Bless, Steve

Greetings Steve,

You've made a tremendous purchase with the Morgan Monroe MMS-3...they're offering the best value in import mandolins today. One that we feel we can endorse with our full faith.

Essential Bluegrass Albums:

Will the Circle Be Unbroken #1 Produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Anything by J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Flatt & Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, Osborne Bros, & Bill Monroe, Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, and many more...(as classics)

Contemporary bluegrass:
Ricky Skaggs
Allison Krause
Jerry Douglas
David Grisman

Avante Garde Bluegrass:
Old & in the Way
Newgrass Revival

Mandolin Players:
Norman Blake
David Grisman
Jimmy Guadreau
Sam Bush
Chris Thile
Doyle Lawson

The above list is by all means incomplete...however, it's a great starting point if you're looking to build a collection of bluegrass and mandolinists...be sure to check out Elderly Instruments for a great source of CDs: www.elderly.com

Hope this helps, Mickey