Chris Thile: Tips on how to crossover from guitar to mandolin

I've just started learning the mandolin and came across this great Chris Thile video on crossing over from guitar to mandolin. I think Chris is exactly right about the challenges guitarists face when making the shift from guitar to mandolin. The string spacing is definitely a challenge, but I'm finding the biggest obstacle is the tuning. Going from standard tuning on the guitar to the mandolin's fifths based tuning is a real brain/finger tester! Still I'm absolutely loving playing the mandolin and I'm …

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Jul 21, 2010 What's New, Gear Add comment Share

My New Mandolin!

Here's a shot of me with my new mandolin! It's an Eastman MD515 and it sounds absolutely fantastic!

Jul 16, 2010 What's New, Gear Add comment Share

TEDxOakville

I'm going to be playing at the TEDxOakville Launch Party on Tuesday, June 22! This should be a fantastic event and I'm thrilled to be working with New Media artist Faisal Anwar. You can check out some of Faisal's work here.

The TEDxOakville theme is: "Can an individual in Oakville really make a difference and change the world?" If you'd like to learn more about TEDxOakville, please visit this page.

To learn more about TEDx, click here.

Thanks and bye for now,
Jamie

Jun 20, 2010 What's New, Live Add comment Share

Water (Video)

If you have a moment, please check out the brand new video for " Water "! This is the first of two videos my brother, Randy, has created for my latest release, Side B . I hope to have the second video up sometime next week. For those of you interested in the creative/tech side of things, Randy created the "Water" video completely in Motion and edited it in Final Cut. Yes, that means it was more than a little bit of work. As a side note, the molecule at the beginning and end of the …

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Jun 17, 2010 Side B, What's New Add comment Share

Auction for Pete Seeger Signed Banjo

My union (Local 1000) is auctioning off a "Pete Seeger-Style" Vega Longneck Banjo (made available by the generosity of the Deering Banjo Company). This banjo was played and signed by Pete himself! The proceeds of the auction will benefit our Emergency Relief Fund and our Organizing efforts to bring the benefits of our union to other musicians. Check out this video of Pete Seeger playing and signing the banjo! If you'd like to place a bid for the banjo, please visit this link . Thanks and best …

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Jun 15, 2010 What's New Add comment Share

Side B

I'm happy to announce the release of my new album, Side B ! As the title suggests, Side B shows a different side to my music making -- the focus on this record is electronic and orchestral textures. I've had a long time love of electronic-based music (I started out on my brother's Jupiter 4 back in the late '70s) and ended up studying electro-acoustic/computer music in school. To date, all of my albums have been guitar-based -- the electronic and orchestral elements were generally in support of my …

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Jun 14, 2010 What's New, Side B Add comment Share