Mandolin RIFF demo - Special Agent

This is the mandolin riff that I use for my live gigs for Special Agent. Song by Sleepy John Estes. The mandolin is tuned 1 1/2 steps down, so the G string is E. Yank Rachell used to do this, down to E or to F, to match his singing voice. See a live version of the tune here: http://www.youtube.com/user/bdeivert#p/a/f/0/BrRFOlMPDzs

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blues mandolin
• national rm-1 mandolin
• sleepy john estes
• yank rachell

[bdeivert]

Hi Al, in the explanation I explain that I tune the mandolin down 1.5 steps.

instead of G D A E it is E B F# C#

cheers

BERT

[IshdafishMusic]

I like your playing and am very interested in playing the blues and swing on my mandolin. Thanks for the insight into that tune.

[alfactor1]

This is an excellent, song-defining riff! It's nice to have your comments Bert; however, I bet they will mean more to another performer than this rookie. Did you tune the mandolin down as someone else observed?

Al

[properjob]

Bert, when you tune your mandolin down one-and-a-half tones like that, does it create problems keeping it in tune? I've tuned down my old mandolin, and the 'A' strings - now the F# strings - are IMPOSSIBLE to keep in tune for some unfathomable reason....the strings are not old, either

[whanzi17]

sounds NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[properjob]

@properjob And OF COURSE I meant 'riff', not 'rift'!

[properjob]

Damn that's nice, Bert. Going to have to practice that rift and then, in the great, long-established blues tradition, 'borrow' it rather a lot!