Chris Thile

The Mandolin player Chris Thile demonstrates the styles he plays in this video from Guitar Techniques.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

I conducted this interview with Chris for my column in Guitar Techniques magazine, he was gracious and accomodating throughout. It's always re-assuring when a genius turns out to be a nice guy! Arranging his mandolin lines for guitar was a fun challenge. I left with an hour's footage, I'll see if I can find it!

[@noahhirschl]

Did you ever find it?? Please say yes

[@banjoboston6413]

Did you ever find the footage? That would be so cool and educational to see!

[@mikemcginn4232]

Man the Dudenbostel sounds so good! I prefer it to his Loar honestly, fits his sound and style better IMO.

[@TheVintage1935]

Yes it does!!!

[@banjoboston6413]

Same!!!! I love the open sounding ness to it!!

[@justinjarvis7112]

I love listening too Chris talk about music and the advice he gives is always so useful.

[@akjedediah]

I'm going to turn my mandolin into a planter box.

[@ezgrooves]

The Bach piece at 2:44 is the Guige from the 2nd Violin Partita (BWV 1004)

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman Also, to further my argument, "Temperance Reel" is an Irish tune. Bluegrass musicians have adopted it into their repertoire, but it's not "bluegrass". You clearly don't know your history of bluegrass. You should learn more about it. It is a fascinating music.

[@noahhirschl]

So much good stuff in here. Anyone know where to find the full version? Thanks

[@thomasbrown7328]

He comments that you want to make sure people can dance to some of these songs because that’s what they’re there for!!! To dance to music! Amen, Chris, Amen. I love bluegrass and sure gimme improvisations but that improv had better not kill the dance vibe! On a similar note look at jam bands- tons of improv but the big acts don’t loose that groove. Look to history- why was swing jazz king for the teens and young people and then jazz was suddenly not the popular thing once bebop came around? Make sure the kids and kids at heart can dance, please.

[@spotoboy]

These "new acoustic" musicians are turely amazing. Matt Flinner. Chris, Matt, Bella Fleck, Ben Solie, they all know all genres of music inside and out. Abigail Washburn can play Chinese classical music. It is a wonderful time for music. The avant gaurd is so clean cut and happy; as opposed dark angry underground. If you watched this you are of the few tuned into the future. oh yeah , thanx f'postin'

[@taurotar]

Chris is at truly great musician. I am however a little confused in that when he talks about deconstructing the melody & soloing & then shows an example, to my ear, on some of the semitone glissando that he's playing I still hear dominant 7th blues stuff. After all, isn't that a part of Bluegrass & what distinguishes it from its ScotsIrish roots???

[@Axeman89]

@BardofCornwall glad I could help :)

[@guitarmusic524]

I agree. I was at the 2007 Telluride Bluegrass festival to see Bela, Victor Wooten (whom I had known since Busch Gardens in the 80's), and Allison Krauss w/ Tony Rice & Union Station, etc....and I heard Chris for the fist time - playing w/ Edgar Meyer. Then I heard Ben Sollee...and wow - I knew that's where music was going... I had a doctorate from Indiana U., where you learn where things WERE in music, but I had never had the experience of KNOWING where things were GOING with such certainty.

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman If you find any of the old original recordings of the tune "Temperance Reel" there is never an F in that melody. End of discussion. Making up nonsense has absolutely nothing to do with "feeling". That just what people who can't play say to justify their lack of substance.

[@monologtube]

I also would love to see the whole interview. It's rare you see this kind of instructional stuff from Chris...

[@ozzmonaut]

@hyaenidae If you read the July, 94 issue of Bluegrass magazine, Chris and his father talk in an interview about how the mandolin was the first instrument he remembers,owned, and trained in. He began asking about the mandolin when he was five, and was given one by Joey Latimer later a few months later. He began playing it on his own and two weeks later began lessons under John Moore.

[@fiddlejustin]

@bluegrasssingingman I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or serious, but I think that you might be on an Andy Kaufman level of comedic brilliance. Too many of your comments have been removed from this thread for me to be positive, but I have to assume that you're joking. You're like the KZbin commenter's version of getting on stage and playing the Mighty Mouse theme song. Truly funny.

[@NickleJ]

He criticises blues licks and specifically the use of the flat 7th (referring to the F while playing in G), but I know I heard a flat 5 and maybe a flat 3 grace note or two in his solo ;) The main point though is that people (myself included) often abuse their blues licks, because blues licks tend to fit in well with almost any chord progression, and consequently end up destroying the original melody and feeling of the song.

[@quinnanderson7130]

Couldn't have said it better. It becomes more apparent when you hear the same player on multiple songs, and each example sounds so similar to the last one. No homage to the melody or theme of the song leaves the solo detached, like it's not even part of the song.

[@TylerSDodson]

@bluegrasssingingman Give up man. Raise the white flag. Have your manager throw in your towel. It's over, haha. Did you even listen to what Chris Thile was saying? He said that particular melody doesn't go to an F. Bluegrass players tend to throw a blues lick or two over it from time to time which screws up that beautiful melody. He wasn't ripping on bluegrass players, I don't believe. Pay attention next time sport and you might not stroke out or have a heart attack so soon. hahaha

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman If you listen to any old recordings of Temperance Reel you will never HEAR an F in that melody. This has absolutely nothing to do with reading music. If you learn the tune from anybody who really knows that melody, you will never HEAR an F. You will however hear an F#. Good luck pretending you are playing by ear when you are actually being lazy.

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman It's not about playing the blues or not playing the blues. It's about improvising over a tune and keeping the integrity of that tune intact. Some tunes have a more bluesy edge to them in which case it's totally cool to play bluesier licks. This particular tune is not very bluesy in nature and bluegrass improvisers have a tendency to just spew blues licks over tunes where those licks really hold no substance. Tune integrity is what he is talking about.

[@patrickhlavinka6364]

This guy always has such good advice.

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman I am glad you finally agree with me. Your original comments are there for the world to see. Over the course of this debate I have swayed you to disbelieve what you had originally said. Welcome aboard.

[@Axeman89]

@horatiohellborn Hey thanks for the heads up man my, sources told me something different. I'll get on it :)

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman In addition, I would highly recommend going back to 3rd grade where they teach people how to use periods and commas correctly. K. Bye.

[@TylerSDodson]

@bluegrasssingingman wwwhhhoooaaaa how did you know? I was sure this was good cover for me.... you see I'm actually Taylor Swift. Good call BlueGrassSinging fellow. Good call.

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman Of course some songs do. He is commenting on "Temperance Reel". He plays many songs that have an F and G in them.

[@BardofCornwall]

I could listen to this all day. Thanks for posting.

[@guitarmusic524]

yea, but his one comment about blues...ehhh - I think we know why the video got cut there. Blues is where it's at. It's SO deep in the culture and the psyche of not only the USA, but everywhere (I know the reaction I got from playing a simple blues at a workshop in Thailand). Thile is still brilliant, though...nobody's perfect, but he's as brilliant and creative a mandolinist as there is.

[@Axeman89]

We'd greatly appreciate that Stuart! Thanks a lot for your work and bringing this footage to us.

[@Dobes2TBK]

Dude's one of those pickers, you either wanna ax the axe, or put in the hours to be able to get near to that level of play

[@LucasGonze]

I enjoyed this a lot, and more than I enjoy his CDs. He's a thoughtful guy with something to say.

[@chickenfriedchickenn]

Any way we could get the subtitles for what you're saying to Chris, Axeman?

[@julesting]

Thanks!!! I've been trawling the internets all night looking for this answer.

[@michelpotier5554]

I love listening Chris talk about music

[@qwargy]

Good advice for students at 3:49

[@apfelstrudelmaster]

hi, its the gigue from bach's d minor violin solo partita =)

[@jaimebac7728]

lol. There is No Fffing around...

[@nubnubs27]

@eliashunter89 Temperance reel!

[@kadenhurst1276]

Anybody know what Bach piece he's playing at 2:44 ?

[@rad1009]

Gigue from partita no2 for solo violin in D minor

[@TyedSoul]

What are the Bach pieces he is playing?

[@USNAVDC]

I think I know the definition of genius now!

[@clamberry]

@TyedSoul Dm gigue.

[@ManHasCorners]

@3:50 that's what I'm talkin' about.

[@Axeman89]

This is it my friend

[@herenow227]

Love to hear Chris in a teaching mode...

[@Fishies125]

This guy is SO inspiring!!

[@qwargy]

Good advice for students at 3:49

[@xAmpersand]

What's the song at 2:45?

[@mikehowton707]

This is so so cool!

[@apfelstrudelmaster]

you're welcome! =)

[@94nolo]

Love this guy.

[@MartynDunnMusic]

Just brilliant!

[@MartynDunnMusic]

Just brilliant!

[@skye131924]

fast!

[@xAmpersand]

Thank you!

[@riverbendhome]

awesome job!

[@adamkeenan5707]

What reel was the first one?

[@alexwarren2872]

Temperance Reel. Played by a demi-god.

[@dgmando1]

@bluegrasssingingman Well you seem to be a very rationale, well spoken individual. I will now leave you to cry slowly while you play "G to F" whatever that means. PS You clearly can't hear anything. Thanks for your time. :)

[@NYyankee02]

Chris Thile turns music into a sport, so awesome!