The Complete Mandolinist Volume 4: Ensembles and Etudes

Marilynn Mair’s prolific career as a performer and recording artist has set a benchmark for classical mandolin accomplishment for nearly half a century. In this, her sixth book for Mel Bay, she turns her knowledge and compositional talents to helping fledgling plucked-string players find interesting music to play with friends. The book features a series of 10 Open Ensembles with interchangeable parts that work for a quartet of mandolins and can also expand to include other mandolin-family instruments and guitar. A series of 10 Progressive Etudes develops skills, while essays on musicianship explain musical concepts. Additionally, the inclusion of duets and trios of greater complexity rewards those striving to improve. Bursting with innovative ideas and music for plucked-string ensembles, and including over an hour of recorded examples, the book is a must for students, teachers, and orchestra members looking to stretch their musical wings. Read more