The mandolin is a good first instrument and I’ll tell you why! A good first instrument is the one you want to play. So if you are looking at playing the mandolin and you are interested in mandolin music then I would say the mandolin is a great place to get started. Learning any instrument is hard, and will take a long time to ‘get good’. This is the reason why the desire to play the mandolin is so important. If you are set on a mandolin, here are some reasons it’s the perfect instrument to get started with.
Table of Contents
Why the mandolin is a good first instrument
The mandolin is compact and can be carried with you pretty much anywhere you go. It could even easily fit in a backpack although I would suggest getting a dedicated bag to carry your mandolin. The mandolin is an acoustic instrument so you can get started without amps, cables and a tonne of extra equipment. This also makes the mandolin easy to store.
Technically the mandolin is like any other stringed instrument. You need to practice a lot. The separation of both hands doing different things is always the hardest part of learning any stringed instrument.
Strings
Many people say that having sets of strings on the mandolin makes learning the instrument harder. I would argue against this. The sets of strings are close enough together to act as one string. Your fingers will hurt a little more to begin with, but they were going to sting a little with any stringed instrument. Until you build callouses up on your fingertips, after practice it will feel a little sore.
Tuning
The tuning of the mandolin is quite intuitive once you get the hang of it. You can play many chords with two fingers which means you will be able to play many songs once you have learned these chords. G, C, D and A are all played with 2 fingers and open strings.
Size
The mandolin is a small instrument so this means the frets are quite close together. This will make it (slightly) easier when getting started as you will not have many major stretches to tackle. You could easily learn these chords in a few hours. The difficult part will be changing between them comfortably and being able to make sure each string sounds without buzzing.
5 tips on teaching yourself the mandolin.
- Take your time. Making sure each string sounds good is very important. When playing chords, for example, play each string individually to make sure you can hear each note without buzzing. When you are practising the mandolin for the first time. You are committing string movements to memory. Once you have played the same chord many times your brain will start to move your fingers automatically to the desired location on the neck. If you have rushed the first load of times of doing this, you will end up playing notes slightly off or maybe with a slight buzz. You really want to be able to fluidly move to a chord position on the neck without any wrong notes or fret buzz. Then when you start learning songs you aren’t having to correct yourself. You don’t want to have to go back and learn the basics every time you try to learn or make a song.
- Get a metronome. A metronome if you have never heard of one is a machine or mechanical tool that emits a sound intermittently on a beat. For example, a metronome set to 120bpm will sound a note every half a second. Practising at a steady pace and slowly speeding up will make you a better mandolin player. Like the first tip, there is no use rushing to play faster when your coordination isn’t there yet. Play each note perfectly in time and perfectly sounding before increasing the speed. This will allow you to measure your improvement. You will notice each day you can play faster and faster.
- Practice every day. Make sure you set an allotted time to practice each day. Especially at first. Even if you can only practice 10 minutes a day. This is better than practising for one hour per week. Consistency is key.
- Learn by playing songs. Try to find some songs you would like to play and learn them. Finger exercises are only good for part of your learning journey. You will learn the most and make your biggest improvements from learning songs you like. This will also keep you interested as you will have a tune to play next time some family member asks you to play something (It will happen).
- Have fun. Learning the mandolin is supposed to be fun. Learning any instrument improves your patience and increases your self-esteem but once it stops being fun, give it up. There will be times when it gets hard and you have to push through but the accomplishment you get once tackling and achieving this is priceless.
Alternatives to the mandolin for a first instrument?
As I stated earlier, any instrument you want to play – is the first instrument you should play. There is no easy instrument and you should be always pushing yourself to learn more. Many stringed instruments can be accessible to you once you learn a stringed instrument. One of the differences being you will just have to alter your finger shapes to the desired tuning. The mechanics behind the movement are very similar this is why you will find it easier to transition to another instrument. The hardest part of playing any stringed instrument is coordinating both hands simultaneously. Once you can do this with ease, you are on your way.
Should you get lessons or teach yourself?
I think that you will learn faster and be a better and more rounded musician if you have a music teacher. They will push you to learn things that you would not have thought of. They will also catch mistakes earlier. Though sometimes having a teacher is not practical for some people rather due to funds or time. There are many teachers on youtube who would be good surrogate mandolin teachers. Learning this way can also be beneficial as you can just keep learning the same lesson until you have mastered it and then move on. Or if you get bored of a specific teacher you can just find another. Plus there are many free lessons out there on the internet so why pay for them?
Conclusion
Learning the mandolin is fun and rewarding. Like most instruments, there is a bit of a learning curve but this can be overcome quickly if you follow some of the tips given earlier. If you have the desire to learn the mandolin then it is the perfect beginner instrument. Take your time and practice effectively. Learn each piece well before moving on or speeding up.
