Can You Teach Yourself To Play The Mandolin?

Can You Teach Yourself To Play The Mandolin

Mandolin is considered to be one of the sophisticated instruments that you can also take on your travels. It suits the bluegrass and folk music, creating soothing and melodious tones that everyone enjoys. But is it easy to learn to play mandolin? Or going a step further, can you teach yourself to play the mandolin?

Why Is It A Big Question?

Because it is as a matter of fact. Learning how to play the mandolin is not a DIY project. You cut some papers, fold some corners, use glues, and you are done. No, learning how to play a musical instrument is not an easy task. It requires determination on the students’ part, and their passion to drive them to better their skills.

This question is more important because remember the old times? Even the basic education was limited to nobles or rich people. That improved, but the price to hire a music instructor still put such skills out of the range of the public. Such skills are valued, which is why some people wonder if they can teach themselves to play the mandolin on their own, avoiding paying high tuition fees to an instructor. But we are not living in the old times right now, are we?

You May Also Read: Best Mandolin under 2000

Can You Teach Yourself To Play The Mandolin:

Fortunately, we are living in an age where the public has access to a lot of knowledge that is absolutely free. To learn the mandolin on your own, you can either read a tutorial from any music website. But the better way to achieve that goal is to watch free YouTube tutorials. There are a lot of videos on the platform that explain the entire process in detail, and they don’t even charge you anything!

Should You Learn How To Play The Mandolin Yourself?

We would not recommend that. See, the problem with that is no matter how enthusiastic you are at the beginning; you might lose that feeling as the time passes. Eventually, you will just abandon this endeavor altogether. It is because no matter how good those tutorials are, you still don’t have an expert with you who can point out your mistakes. When you don’t notice any improvement in your skills, you will lose the drive.

If you are really that cash strapped, or just don’t want to meet a stranger, you can just avail online courses. You would still need to show your face at the meeting, but it can be done through Skype or Zoom. You can avail either one-on-one live tutoring using Skype, or paid video-based training courses.

What Is The Best Way To Learn To Play The Mandolin?

The most effective method for learning how to play the mandolin is to take direct lessons from an accomplished mandolin teacher. Usually, this would mean that the student will meet with and receive lessons from a reputable music teacher. These lessons can either be one on one or in-class format with other people.

You May Also Read: Best Mandolin Under 3000

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Is the mandolin easy to play?

Ans: Compared to other instruments, the mandolin is pretty easy to learn. The reason behind this is that this instrument has fewer strings, with 4 strings repeated twice, making 8 strings in total. Additionally, compared to many other stringed instruments such as the violin and guitar, reading tablature is definitely a lot easier.

Q: How long does it take to learn to play mandolin?

Ans: If the student or learner dedicates 30 to 60 minutes each day, they would be able to have relatively decent mandolin playing skills in 3 months. But to have the mastery, it requires a lot more practice than 3 months.

Q: What are the best mandolins for beginners?

Ans: (refer to the article: best mandolins for the beginners)