Category Archives: Mandolin Lessons

Mandolin G Blues – Very Simple

Play a simple blues riff on the mandolin


Simply playing something simple is often fun, so that’s what’s behind this shuffle Blues in G for mandolin. No chords required and just strumming two strings (forget the other two strings) and fret a few notes and you are playing some blues mandolin (quite an oxymoron, it would seem). Quite simple and very fun, in my humble opinion.

How to Play La Cucaracha on Mandolin

One on the most quinessential mexican mandolin tunes.


I’m still having fun playing my mandolin and as mentioned in the video, I was just playing around and accidentally came across this song. There may be other versions out there, so keep in mind that this is my version of La Cucaracha. As usual I’ll update my blog – binarygraphite.blogspot.com – with some info on this song. Also, please subscribe and check me out on Facebook (become a Fan!).

New electric mandolin — “Maid Behind the Bar”

Take a listen to this electric mandolin – you can hear the difference between the electric model and a regular acoustic model.


This is a video that’s a two-for. On the one hand, this is a new electric mandolin (an Epiphone Mandobird IV) given to me by my late uncle, Robert Thacker, who played a huge role in my taking up music. On the other hand, it’s a tune that’s been recorded many times before but was requested on mandolin by the user Guitar1201. Hope you don’t mind that’s it’s on an electric, buddy.

A Bowl of Bula with Mark O’Connor on the Mandolin

Here is Mark O’Connor doing one of his best pieces on the mandpolin.



One of Mark O’Connor’s mandolin signature pieces! “A Bowl of Bula” Mark O’Connor’s mandolin playing in this video from 1991 features the deft dexterity of both hands and powerfully loud strumming. O’Connor wrote this mandolin piece in 1984 while in Figi. To hear a group version of this song, link here to a 1987 video. www.youtube.com O’Connor became the World Mandolin Champion in Kerrville, TX as a teenager in 1982. Mark plays violin exclusively as of 1997, giving way to a bursitis and tendonitis condition in his right arm that would not allow him to play the mandolin or guitar any further at his top form. But the condition allows Mark’s violin bow arm technique to operate free from injury, with no hindrance. www.markoconnor.com http twitter.com www.facebook.com

Mandolin Solo in D

Frank Wakefield plays a solo in D on his mandolin.


Frank Wakefield playing one of his many original classical style mandolin solos at the Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp Faculty Concert on September 8, 2007. This concert was part of the Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp held at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky September 7- 9, 2007. Introducing Frank is Mike Lawing, the assistant director of the Museum.

Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C

People forget that some classic composers also used the mandolin. Here is a Vavaldi Concerto in C. Great sound.


Hannover International Ensemble The Hannover International Ensemble was founded in 2010 by international students from the Musikhochschule Hannover, led by conductor and mandolinist Alon Sariel. The project’s aim is to present high standard concerts of artistically high quality music executed by talented and qualified international students. The young ensemble has performed in several occasions in and out side of the school, including a Matine at Hannover Landesmuseum and the Stifttung fuer HMT annual concert. It’s first program, Neue Alte Musik, was a great success and was received very enthusiastically by both critics and audience. Contact info: Alon Sariel — Artistic Director +49-(0)176-62352313 alon.sariel@gmail.com Alon Sariel (1986 – ) graduated from the Jerusalem Music Academy and specialized at the Brussles Royal Conservatory and Music Hochschule in Hannover. During his studies at the Jerusalem Academy he has won the first prizes in the Chamber Music Competition, The Competition for String Instruments and The Conducting Competition. Alon Sariel was awarded the Audience Prize in the name of Meira Gera at the Aviv Competitions in Early Music and a special reorganization from the Jury of the Ben-Haim Competition for Israeli Contemporary Music. As a classical mandolin player he have won top prizes in the European Mandolin Award (Greece) and the Rafaelle Calace Competition (Italy), receiving the America-Israel Foundation Scholarships since 2002, The Chais Foundation