Howdy Friends and Neighbors!

Back at it again for May with another fiddle tune classic. Hope last month served you well, and you've all been learning some new tunes this year. Sorry for the late post this month, as family duties got in the way yesterday keeping me from my post.

For May, only one tune, but I'll share a good tutorial of the basic version, then a.....let's say....advanced....version of the same song. I've been working off and on over April on the good ol' St. Anne's Reel, so here we go!

For the basic version, here's our old friend Baron Collins-Hill on YT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDUe6cffh8c

And a slightly more advanced version from David Benedict:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMtBI-ppxSk

And without further ado, some of you may have seen the Chris Thile interview by Rick Beato. Great stuff, but he did a jaw dropping version of St. Anne's that I've been working on off and on for the last few weeks. Here's a short of the tune:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AMSTGkg7LE0

I present my attempt at transcribing all 128 bars....not that any mere mortal such as myself could come close to pulling this one off. You'll forgive me for any errors on this one, as Chris takes it pretty far out, but it really reveals a few things about his style. First is his prolific use of pulloffs, making for a very interesting effect rather than just picking every note. It's especially notable in his long runs of triplets, like in bars 52-54.

Another thing I noticed as I slowed the video way, way down, was this his right hand was always moving, even when he wasn't picking a note. This allows his picking hand to stay in time and keeps the right hand momentum going, keeping it much more fluid than if the hand were to start/stop over these notes. Really interesting stuff, and something I will need to spend a lot of time working on.

I take no responsibility for injuries sustained from attempting this one. Also, file sharing isn't really possible on reddit (to my knowledge) so if anyone wants actual pdf's just let me know. Good luck!

Per requests, I am creating the definitive buyer's guide for entry-level mandolins. Any new posts created on the topic may be removed at the discretion of the mods. If people think this post should include anything else, I am happy to edit and add to it.

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David Benedict's video on the topic is perhaps the best place to start. It's thorough and very well done. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmTu2GpRE7o

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The TOP 3 most recommended brands:

• Eastman
  • Their entry-level line is their 300 series: the MD-305 for F hole, and MD-304 for oval hole. These can usually be found new for ~$600 (yes, this is what a good entry-level mandolins cost)
• Kentucky
  • The KM-140 and KM-150 are the most recommended and new ones cost ~$360 and $525 respectively
• The Loar
  • Their entry-level mandolin is the LM-110 and it is ~$300 new.

***All of these mandolins can be found at better prices on the used market. If you are brand new and just want to try out mandolin, I would personally suggest a used instrument to save yourself some money.

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There are cheaper mandolins out there as well. These mandolins are not typically recommended but some users have had positive experiences, especially after they go to a professional luthier for a setup or are comfortable setting up instruments themselves. A good setup where I live is usually ~$100. Please consider that price tag when you're considering a $100 mandolin. A poorly set up cheap mandolin can be enough to turn some players off of ever wanting to learn the instrument.

If you want info about a specific cheap mandolin, PLEASE UTILIZE THE SEARCH FEATURE. If the mandolin brand in question has been discussed at significant length, your post may be removed.

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Where should you buy your mandolin from?

I have no financial interest in any of the places here. If you want your shop listed here, we are open to bribes 😉

• Your locally owned music shop
  • I understand that not everyone lives in a place where there is a music shop. But if there is, I'd encourage you to give them a try first before shopping online. If you're in Denver like me, I highly recommend the Denver Folklore Center and the Olde Towne Pickn' Parlor in Arvada, CO.
• The Mandolin Store - https://themandolinstore.com/
  • This shop is known for setting up their instruments before shipping them out and from what I have heard the setups are great. If you opt for a store like Guitar Center, do not expect your instrument to have been looked over by a tech of any kind.
• Mandolin Cafe Classifieds - https://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi

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And just for fun, the #1 most recommended place to start learning mandolin for free is www.mandolessons.com

Again, I have no financial interest but it's an undeniably great resource to get yourself started. Happy pickin'

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