The Mandolin

[SergeOfArniVillage]

I haven’t posted anything to a music forum in a long time, but I figured I’d share something I recently wrote. I’m a pianist, but I’ve been listening to a lot of guitar players lately. I decided it’d be interesting to turn the piano into a fake stringed instrument (in this case, a “mandolin”), supported by a fake orchestra.

 

https://app.box.com/s/9o21auov75u3eq08eb10g73pg4qy8xxm

[MikeRobinson]

Can't follow the link. Please re-post using some other service.

[SergeOfArniVillage]

That’s weird, the link to the mp4 works fine for me 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Thanks for letting me know, here’s a YT link instead.

 

 

[MikeRobinson]

Several very interesting techniques that I hadn't thought of before, particularly those 32nd's used as "ghost notes," and creative use of triplets.  I'm surprised that the song didn't end in "three crashing half-notes," though!  I can hear the work of a lot of other composers in this.  Very nicely done.

 

However ... nothing to do with "a Mandolin," as far as my ears can tell!  It's piano recital all the way, and well done for being just that.

Edited November 18, 2021 by MikeRobinson

[john]

Hey

 

A nice breath of fresh air.

 

As Mike said, some great use of technique emulating mandolin techniques. At points I was feeling the mandolin come through, though that was fleeting. I get that you are trying to give an impression of, not replicate, however a few things to consider that will aid that emulation…

 

Part of the issue was the range of the instrument. A mandolin has the same tuning and range as a violin. As such the left hand piano part was often too low. While you did limit your right hand to 4 notes, it is worth remembering that the mandolin can only play 4 notes at a time, full stop.

 

Your triplets and trills helped with the effect of a mandolin, but the unrealistic application of some techniques broke it. For example: the low trill with the melody above. Nice on a piano but impossible to pick that and play the top line. Even if the trill was accomplished with left hand hammer-on-pull-off with no picking, to then play the top line would have been pretty impossible.

 

Two common mandolin techniques that you could have used would have been moveable chords incorporating the melody into the chord changes. The most common being those that use the open strings of G, D, A and E. Of course barre chords can be used, but their use is more limited. The second is where a high melody is played over low ringing notes as a drone. Yet again the low notes tend to be the low G and D strings as open notes, leaving the melody and harmony to be played on the A and E strings.

 

One other technique that might have helped is the stuttering sound created by the right hand, usually on a chord. The simplest is where the fingers of the right hand play a chord (most commonly) one down stroke strum / arpeggio, staggered and overlaid on the previous down stroke strum / arpeggio. It’s created by dragging your right-hand fingers across the strings. Usually this is lead by the ring finger, them middle, then index creating a kind of delay effect. The more complicated version sees the same technique followed by the same order of fingers as up strokes, creating a rippling effect.

 

It’s not very typical mandolin music. It’s not really an issue other than it doesn’t help when you are trying to be evocative of a mandolin. Mandolin’s often play relatively simple, easy to remember melodies. Your melody is ever changing and because of that, not too memorable. I think it would take several listens for your melody to catch.

 

Setting all that aside… as a piece of music it is engaging and it flows well. I did enjoy listening to it!

[MikeRobinson]

Unlike John(?), I don't play the mandolin ...

Edited November 23, 2021 by MikeRobinson

[john]

1 hour ago, MikeRobinson said:

Unlike John(?), I don't play the mandolin ...

I started playing the violin when I was 7, so picking up a mandolin when I was about 18 - 19 was fairly intuitive. Sadly, my mandolin is broken after being dropped on it’s strap fixing many moons ago. I keep meaning to get a new one. That said, if I had the money, I think I’d buy a bouzouki first (an octave lower, same tuning). It’s a lovely instrument to play!