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 »
Author Archives: Marilynn
Q: One string on the upstroke?
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 »
Posted August 17th, 2010
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Q: Pettine picks & self-teaching
Q: I am 49 years of age and just purchased a mandolin. I have played the piano and have found the mandolin, or it found me, after much consideration for a new adventure and furthering my range of music. When I purchased my mandolin I purchased your new instruction book “The Complete Mandolinist”. I have tried to find the Pettine picks but without success. I have tried locally and have searched the internet. Will you please help me find them … Read More »
Posted August 17th, 2010
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Early Brazilian Sheetmusic
For years Marilynn has been researching 19th-century Brazilian music and composers, and this fall she will be archiving and scanning the numerous copies of manuscripts she has accumulated from the Biblioteca Nacional in Rio de Janeiro. All of this music that is in the public domain will be scanned and available here for download in PDF form.
Material will begin to be added in the Fall of 2010.… Read More »
Posted July 31st, 2010
Brazilian Music Sites
If you are looking for more information on Brazilian music, Marilynn highly recommends these sites:
A Agenda do Samba & Choro: A page, in Portuguese, that is chock full of information on groups, CD releases, and concerts in Brazil. There is also a link to “partituras,” Portuguese for sheetmusic, where you can download a motley collection of leadsheets and arrangements in Encore or pdf form.
Loronix – Music from Brazil: Zeca Louro promotes forgotten Brazilian music not commercially … Read More »
Posted July 31st, 2010
live mp3s
While Marilynn has numerous CDs for sale, it’s always interesting to hear a performer live in concert. And she’s performed with many great artists in her career in ensembles that never made it into a recording studio. So here are some live recordings, and a couple of other mp3s that you may find interesting.
Goldberg Variation 1? – J. S. Bach
Marilynn Mair, mandolin; Adam Larrabee, mandocello
recorded in concert, ??, Dayton, OH
Goldberg
MP3jPLAYLISTS.inline_0 = [
{ … Read More »
Posted July 31st, 2010
Q: What speed should I tremolo?
Q: I am a student of your mandolin method (after 13 months of studying in earnest, I am on page 78) and I have been working since the first Branzoli tremolo exercise on my tremolo. Could you please tell me how fast one should reasonably be able to tremolo? Say in terms of four strokes for each beat of the metronome (so 120 b/m would be 480 tremolo strokes), how many beats per minute would be reasonable? It is important … Read More »
Posted July 27th, 2010
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Paulo Sa has a new CD
Paulo Sa’s new CD, “Brazilian Things,” is out and it is a gem! You can hear clips and buy a copy at CD Baby. Paulo wrote all the music and recorded it with his crack quartet. he mixes jazz, samba, and bluegrass with his Choro roots to come up with a truly unique musical sound. Highly recommended!… Read More »
Posted July 25th, 2010
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ComunidadeNews artigo sobre Marilynn em português
30/12/2009
Leia este artigo em ComunidadeNews
Faça o download do pdf: Norte-americana encontra no bandolim paixão pela música brasileira… Read More »
Posted July 25th, 2010
CoMando Q&A on Mandozine – 2nd session
Celebrity Guest of the Week
This article is a 2nd week of questions from Co-Mando listserv members from November 2003, answered by Marilynn while she was snowed in. Questions include technique– especially tremolo– repertoire, and all things mando.
Read it on Mandozine.
Or download a pdf: CoMando Guest of the Week- mm2… Read More »
Posted July 25th, 2010
