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Jazz Mandology |  Building A Traditional Tune Repertoire |  Roving Gambler

Roving Gambler

by Dix Bruce

When I was first learning to play the mandolin, I loved keys like G, C, D and A. I did my best to stay away from keys like F, Bb, Eb, and Ab, which I thought were more difficult than the others.

Playing in those latter keys, often referred to as "flat keys," does require the mandolinist to fret more notes to play melodies. Keys like G, C, D and A, except for C, often called "sharp keys," tend to have more open string notes than the flat keys. So, if you know melodies in the sharp keys with lots of open string notes, it can be an adjustment to play in flat keys. However, as I progressed as a mandolinist and was forced to play in flat keys, I realized that they aren't any more difficult than the sharp keys. They're just different. Knowing how to play in sharp keys and not in flat keys is like knowing only part of the alphabet: You can only get so far before you run out of gas.

This "Roving Gambler" solo is in the key of Bb. You'll notice that it has no open string notes. That doesn't mean that the Bb scale doesn't contain any notes that are played on open strings, just that this particular melody has no open string notes.

I arranged this solo for my "First Lessons: Mandolin" book/CD/DVD set as an exercise in both playing in a flat key and employing something I call the "note fill in technique" to take a simple melody and change it slightly so it will sound fuller in the bluegrass mandolin style.

Melodies that are sung often include notes longer than quarters and eighths. These longer notes tend to fade out on acoustic mandolin, which has limited sustain. You pick a note and off it goes into the air. To remedy that, we add in extra notes. For example, if a melody has a half notes held for two beats, we'll change it into four eighth notes on the same pitch.

Look at the example #1 below. It shows the first line of "Roving Gambler" as written for a singer with half notes in the second and fourth full measures. Below that, in example #2, is the same passage with eighth notes substituted for the halves.

Exercise 1:

Exercise 2:

Audio Example

Adding these notes gives the melody a fuller, more mandolinic and bluegrass flavor. Try the whole solo below. You can also listen to it on the accompanying MP3. The italic numbers between the standard notation and the tablature are suggested fretting finger numbers.

Mel Bay just released a new package of "First Lessons: Mandolin" which includes the book, CD, and brand new DVD starring yours truly. It includes more information on the note fill in technique mentioned above. I hope you'll check it out! If you're an intermediate mandolinist, you might be interested in my "Getting into Bluegrass Mandolin" book and CD set. Come visit me online at www.musixnow.com. You'll find lots more free, downloadable music for mandolin and guitar on the site. Keep on pickin'!