Up and Around the Bend, Part 1: Melody

from: Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist

This lesson is part of the course Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist.

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About This Course

Learn to play solos on classic bluegrass songs and instrumentals using bluegrass mandolin techniques like tremolo, double stops, two-string melodies, and more.

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I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky

In this lesson you’ll learn the bluegrass standard “I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky” using a common technique in bluegrass mandolin: playing melodies on two pairs of strings. Sharon starts this lesson by talking about the basic right-hand technique for playing two pairs of strings at a time. She shows you how to keep the pick out on the edge of the strings and not let the pick dig in past the strings as well as how to slightly rotate your wrist so you can play all four strings (both pairs) at once. Sharon also gives you advice on practicing this technique with a metronome, with some ideas for exercises you can do.

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The Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin Subscription Includes:

More than 75 intermediate bluegrass mandolin video lessons
More than 55 great bluegrass tunes and songs to play
Extensive right- and left-hand technique lessons
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High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see close-ups of both hands in action
Play-Along videos so you can practice what you’ve learned
Downloadable audio MP3s of each tune

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Up and Around the Bend

Up and Around the Bend, Part 1: Melody

Up and Around the Bend, Part 2: Harmony and Chords

Up and Around the Bend, Part 3: Melody Play-Along Track

Up and Around the Bend, Part 4: Harmony Play-Along Track

Up and Around the Bend, Part 1: Melody

Béla Fleck’s tune “Up and Around the Bend” comes from his classic 1988 bluegrass instrumental album Drive, which featured Sam Bush on mandolin, Tony Rice on guitar, Mark Schatz on bass, and Mark O’Connor and Stuart Duncan on fiddles. In this lesson you’ll learn the melody as well as a harmony part that was played by one of the fiddlers. Sharon walks you through each phrase of the melody of “Up and Around the Bend” in this video, and ends by showing you the chords to “Up and Around the Bend,” which change frequently in the B part.

"Up and Around the Bend" (Available to subscribers)

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← Ashland Breakdown, Part 4: Melody Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Up and Around the Bend, Part 2: Harmony and Chords →

Previous Lesson

← Ashland Breakdown, Part 4: Melody Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Up and Around the Bend, Part 2: Harmony and Chords →

Previous Lesson

← Ashland Breakdown, Part 4: Melody Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Up and Around the Bend, Part 2: Harmony and Chords →

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Up and Around the Bend, Part 1: Melody

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