Arctic Sunburn: Guitar Lesson - 30 Day Trial: Playing Mandolin

Guitar Lesson - 30 Day Trial: Playing Mandolin - Conclusion

The 30 day mandolin experiment began on March 8, 2008 and officially wrapped up on April 11, 2008. If the math doesn't seem to add up that's because I ended up missing a few days and I wanted to make up for it. The experiment simply entailed playing mandolin for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. If you'd like to read more about my experience, you can refer to the archive below.

All in all, playing mandolin was a positive experience. Although the small fretboard took some getting used to, prior experience with guitar definitely helped me. 30 minutes a day didn't allow for me to work on more than a handful of pieces, but I especially enjoyed playing classical pieces.

Here's a list of the items I worked on:

I have no plans for future 30 day experiments at this time, and although it's been a really good run, I may not be updating Arctic Sunburn quite as frequently as I have been over the last few months. Some big changes have taken place in my life, and my priorities have changed as well. I want to thank all of you who have been keeping tabs on the site.

Now for a special bonus: I wrote a composition for the mandolin called Adventure, and I would like to share it with you. It's in 4/4 time and eighth notes all the way through. Have fun!

Adventure by David Andrew Wiebe
Copyright 2008
4/4 Time

||----------2-3-2-0----|----0-------0------|--------5-8-3-5----|--1-0-------0------|
||-o------0---------3--|--5---5-3-5---5-3--|------0---------5--|------5-3-5---5-3--|
||-o----0--------------|-------------------|----0--------------|-------------------|
||----2----------------|-------------------|--3----------------|-------------------|


|--------2-3-5-3-2--|--3-2-0-----0------|--------5-8-3-5----|--1-0-1-3-5-5------|
|------0------------|--------3-5---5-3--|------0---------5--|--------------0-0--|
|----0--------------|-------------------|----0--------------|-------------------|
|--2----------------|-------------------|--3----------------|-------------------|


|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|--5-5-----5-5------|--3-3-----3-3------|--1-1-----1-1------|--0-0-----0-0------|
|------0-0-----0-0--|------2-2-----2-2--|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|------3-3-----3-3--|------2-2-----2-2--|


|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|--1-1-----1-1-3-5--|
|-------------------|--------------0-1--|--3-3-----3-3-5-6--|------0-0----------|
|-------------------|--0-0-5---0-0------|------0------------|-------------------|
|--0-2-3-5-0-2-3-5--|--------0----------|--------5----------|-------------------|


|--6-5-3-1-5-5------|------3-3-----3-3--|------1-1-----1-1--|-------------------|
|--------------0-0--|--5-5-----5-5------|--3-1-----3-1------|------6-6-----6-6--|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|--5-5-----5-5------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|


|------1-1-----1-1--|--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3----||
|--0-0-----0-0------|-------------------o-||
|-------------------|-------------------o-||
|-------------------|---------------------||

This article was written by David Andrew Wiebe, web designer, graphic designer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, guitar instructor, and music expert. Interested in winning a free CD? Click here for more info!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Recommendations? Email me.

Published on April 14, 2008