Sometimes a letter arrives that says so much about Marilynn’s work:
Dear Marilynn,
I last communicated with you some time ago when I was seeking advice on acquiring a passable(or any) tremolo. This was after collating your on-line advice from the internet and any hard copy that I could get. … Read More »
Q: As a form of motivation for doing scales, I purchased your and Mr. Sa’s choro book. When looking through it, I saw no indications for downstrokes and upstrokes over any of the notes. I understand the general rule of placing downstrokes on more accented notes (on beats, etc.) but with the syncopation of choro I was wondering if this rule still applies. Is there any general rule dictating where downstrokes and upstrokes should be in syncopated music like … Read More »
Q: I’ve been a student of your method since late this summer, and I’m enjoying the progress I’ve made under the guidance of your book. Melodic possibilities are opening up to me now, and I’m starting to get a bit more gratification from my playing. Thank you!
First, I have a question about tremolo. Forgive me for being yet another novice confused about the specifics of tremolo, but I was wondering if it’s acceptable to (with the right hand) lightly … Read More »
Q: Marilynn,
I love your method book. I am currently finishing up a different book that is for beginners and plan to work with yours next. Just by reading through it, it has already helped me greatly with my tone. My biggest concern right now is: How do I organize my practice time. I am mostly self-taught. What is the best way to warm up? How much time should I spend on each of the four sections of your book? … Read More »
Q: In your article on the Mozart song “Komm, Liebe Zither, Komm” you mentioned that the piece was probably written for the 6 string Austrian mandolin. Has anyone sat down with various instruments to see which one the music fit most naturally? Zither was the German word for cittern, so I thought it was written for something in the cittern family, like an English Guittar or a waldzither.
-CM
A: Well we do know that it was written for mandolin, … Read More »
Q: My son, a senior in high school, has been playing mandolin for about 5 years and enjoys playing a wide variety of music including jazz, new grass, and classical. As he anticipates going off to college he would like to attend a school where he could advance his skills on the mandolin. do you know what colleges could provide a focus on this instrument? Also, he would like to attend several mandolin camps this summer. Could you recommend several … Read More »
Q: I have been learning mandolin for a year or so and have just purchased your Complete Mandolinist and already it has helped me in regards to tremolo technique especially, but in many other ways too. I live in a rural area of Australia where I could find only one tutor of mandolin and to my dismay on buying your book I find I have been using different fingers for the frets from those you advocate in your book. This … Read More »
Q: I have been playing the mandolin for about a month now and am confused by a tiny, yet seemingly huge issue. Specifically, the upstroke. I’ve purchased your book (an awesome work by the way) and in it you say to just play the lower of the two strings on any given pair when doing an upstroke. In addition, I recently read your tremolo technique article on your website and there was no mention there of whether or not to … Read More »
Q: I have a couple of questions about your mandolins. I’ve noticed one of the mandolin you play is a Lyon and Healy-style instrument, is this a replica or an original? If it’s a replica, who was the luthier? Would you recommend this instrument to a “classical” mandolinist? I’ve also seen pictures of an a-style mandolin that you use, who is the maker of that instrument? I’ve greatly enjoyed reading your articles, especially the one on the Beethoven’s works, it … Read More »
Q: I’m just starting out with the mandolin and bought your book on recommendation from a friend. I must say that I’m really looking forward to working though the book. I’m interested in medieval, classical and english folk music and am glad to see a resource that is a bit more grounded in musicianship than the normal ‘here’s three chords and away you go’ approach. One question I have – is it generally true that in the downstroke you always … Read More »
