- 1). Learn your mandolin. Every Alfred mandolin instruction book starts by showing you the parts of your instrument and where to find the notes on your mandolin. Get familiar with the open strings first. Once you have them memorized, you will be able to quickly figure out the notes on the fret.
- 2). Practice sight reading. Alfred starts by showing you where the first position notes are on your mandolin as well as on the musical staff. With Alfred, you play songs from the very beginning of the instructional process. The songs are geared to a technical level fitting your place in the learning process.
- 3). Alfred introduces chords as you go. Continue to play simple, single-line melodies (provided in your Alfred instructional book) while practicing the chords. Alfred's chief goal in the beginning is to get you used to playing single lines and then chords.
- 4). Combine chords and melody. The Alfred system begins introducing songs that require you to shift from melodies to chords and back again. Alfred provides you with appropriate songs to match your place in the learning process, gradually increasing the difficulty level so you won't even realize how smoothly you're advancing.
- 5). Practice rhythm and quick-picking techniques. Alfred introduces these elements early on and puts an emphasis on them by providing musical examples that require you to use these skills regularly.
- 6). Adhere to your Alfred lesson plan. There are most often eight books in a learning series. Alfred's approach to teaching mandolin combines theory, technique, sight reading and introduction to various musical genres seamlessly. Work through your Alfred instructional manuals at your own pace and you'll soon be playing mandolin like a pro.
How to Play the Alfred Way Mandolin
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