Customer Reviews

Watch And Learn Introduction to Mandolin (DVD) Tutorial and Introduction

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a start-from scratch video that is well organized and breaks things down pretty well, so it delivers honestly on the title. You really don't need the companion book, this is self contained and takes you through several tunes at a pace beginners can work with. I think the Cochran video is better, in terms of the breadth of material, but this one is very useful too and a good place to start.

I'll be up-front, I did not like this video much. Most of my gripes are with the content, production value, and DVD setup. I will say that my opinion is heavily swayed by the Fender beginner's guitar DVD, has influenced my opinion on what an instructional DVD is really capable of.

CONTENT: I bought a cheap mandolin. Nothing great; just something to noodle around on. I fiddled around with it for a few weeks before buying this DVD. During that time, I searched the internet for some basic mandolin chords and didn't really find what I was looking for. Only about 3 major chords. Therefore, I bought the DVD in hopes that it would teach me at least the major and minor chords, if not a little more. Nope, the DVD teaches the same 3 chords. I have a free Android app that displays all kinds of crazy chords for mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele, bouzouki (whatever the hell that is), and a Cavaquinho (bless you!), but this DVD only teaches three major chords. I also learned how to play "Oh, Suzanna", which is a ripping good time on any occasion. I do not remember much else for content, but I do know that this DVD did not meet my satisfaction for learning chords.

PRODUCTION VALUE AND DVD SET-UP: The production value and DVD setup were also irritating. Many other DVDs are organized in short lessons or blocks that last around 5 to 10 minutes. This type of organization makes it easy to locate the section you want and view it several times in order to reinforce your learning. This DVD does not have that. It is one long lesson that runs about an hour or so. If there is a special lesson that you want to watch over again, you will probably have to fast forward through a bunch of footage to get to it. Hopefully, you will recognize that part when you see it.

Another thing that I did not like about this DVD was the lack of jam tracks, which improve the usability of many instructional DVDs.

Overall, if I had known then what I do now, I would not have bought this product.

Book is good enough to do minor stuff for your axe. Pictures are ok. Most are exceptional, but a few could have been better. Over all, I'm pleased with the book despite the odd shape.

I have been playing the strung instruments since age of 9 and I am now 60 years, and I never had one person show me, (other than "music" class in elementary school), and I could NOT understand a thing other than the pitches of the lines and spaces...and I had music in all 8 grades, (and I was told buy a nun that playing a guitar was not playing an instrument), what was I doing???
But dad bought my brother and I a Harmony $49.95 "F"-Hole- Auditorium Acoustic guitar back in 1956 or so, but, before dad died in Mar.24, 1958 at age 43, he did show my brother some chords as "dad" played in a small band in a local club, and, I watched, but, ended up picking up what dad showed my brother, and I kept going w.o. any instructions even though by 13-14 I was playing rhythm in a band. I was considered one of the best as I had natural rhythm and picked up everything by ear since and now I play a multitude of instruments, (all stringed)and played Bass after the 6-string, and I was one wild string playing Bassist, I played chords and all I learned in Rhythm and lead playing I applied to the Bass and it was exciting, but, because of poor family finance situations, I ran late in everything I wanted to do, so here is one idea we never had: A teacher by mail who, if you have the money,($14.95) who will teach you for as long as you wish and as many times , any song, which was the way I learned in my room, I played those songs over and over until I could hear every note and beat the crappers out of any "so-called" Guitarist, even the "pain-in-the-butt"
insistors that we MUST stick to the music as written, while I had imagination, and I would out play anyone that stood beside me or in most circumstances of that sort.
Then, as I could afford music on sheets, I could pick up the melodies as I knew (as I had said) the scales, the "F-A-C-E" and "E-G-B-D-F" names of the lines and spaces, then I taught MYSELF that way, when applying it to guitars, Basses, now, Mandos, and I fooled around with trying a nice "Fiddle" which I found that the short strokes of Bluegrass and country was somewhat easier that the classical way of playing the "Violin", which encompassed those long strokes per bar.
Now, next, is the Banjo, but, I don't promise myself much as now I repair and give Acoustic guitars away to deserving kids, as I love the expressions,(I also prefer to see a guitar or Mando on a person's arms instead of 'needle-tracks') but, I do recommend trying to play (au natural)"by ear" first, just to prove that you DO have the aptitude of a Guitarist or Mandolin player, then go out and buy a CD or DVD such as "Bert Casey" and "Geoff Huhwald", and follos the course, but, first lesson from "ol' Fourstrings" to you is: learn what you can first, and that will show you and all who pay for the instruments that your new music machine will NOT be gathering dust in a corner like most Bibles today, then when your heart starts to beat faster when you want to play, you'll know..this is for you!!
So, go on, get a guide of some sorts, but, these are the absolute best ways, as if you can play along after you play the tapes or CD or DVD, then you know that you will be successful at your new hobby, and you do have "it", as you MUST have "IT" before any money is spent!!
I knew I had "it" as my heart skipped beats when I smelled a music shop or saw a catalog of Guitars, where I saw my 1st Bass and figured out what a four (4) stringed guitar was about, then I always listened to the "boomp-boomo, boomp-boomp" of the "std." Human Bass metronome".
Forget that, as if I ever had to play a Bass like that I would slice my neck on my first night on stage, none-the-less, I can tell you, I am still here as I flew on the strings as I learned(taught myself) the octaves, and knew where were my chords, therefore "riffs and runs" and then my solo's and chords and my more melodious parts.
But, for a review of these CVLS methods and their teaching abilities...nothing like them as I own them as well as chord books also, so do NOT be stuck playing what others say you're supposed to play and what, where and how the music says, "DO" and improvise, you may be the next Jaco Pastorious, Buddy Gee, and I am not going on any longer so I want you to think and meditate on what I just wrote down, as I may not be around much longer, so utilize your time, get your instrument and get these starter CD's and DVD's and get it on, before "life" get's YOU on!
Rick "fourstrings" Lauzon
fourstrings@embarqmail.com