How to Play "Brilliancy" /// Mandolin Lesson (Advanced)

Here's a mandolin lesson for Sam Bush's version of "Brilliancy" with the tab/notation transcription on screen. Throughout this video we'll dive into the details for all the techniques and position shifts Sam's using, and we'll play through the piece section by section together. PDF copy of the transcription is available on my Patreon page.
Check out Sam's original recording of the piece here: open.spotify.com/track/2NKeut...
✅ Subscribe for even more mandolin videos and lessons - kzbin.info...
🚀 Support my Patreon Page for tons of exclusive mandolin goodies like, pdf transcriptions, bonus lessons, and more - / davidbenedictmandolin
WATCH NEXT:
🎵 "Brilliancy" Performance /// David Benedict Mandolin- • "Brilliancy" Performan...
🎵"Grey Owl" /// Mandolin Lesson - • How to Play "Grey Owl"...
🎬 How to Play Fiddle Tunes Playlist - • How to Play Fiddle Tunes
MY WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
🤡 Golden Gate 1.3mm X-Stiff Triangle Clown Barf Pick - amzn.to/3h2Mud3
🧶 D’Addario XTCM Strings - amzn.to/35iwyAt
🐟 D’Addario Micro Tuner - amzn.to/3InvSII
🧣 D'Addario Microfiber Cloth - amzn.to/35mHcqg
💪 Dan Voight Arm Rest - voightmandolins.com/get-a-quote
🛡️ Mandolin Tone-Gard - www.tone-gard.com/
🎸 My Apitius Vanguard F5 Mandolin - www.apitiusmandolins.com/Model...
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
🎥 Check out my weekly video series #mandolinmondays - • Mandolin Mondays
🎙 Give a listen to my recorded work on Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/6kjiO...
MY BANDS:
☕ Cup O’Joe - www.cupojoemusic.com/
🚢 The Foreign Landers - www.theforeignlanders.com/
LET’S BE FRIENDS:
💌 Sign up for my email newsletter - mailchi.mp/7d8a93a927a3/youtu...
🌍 My website - davidbenedictmandolin.com/
📚 Facebook - / davidbenedictmandolin
📸 Instagram - / davidbenedictmandolin
⏱ TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@davidbenedict...
ABOUT ME:
My name is David, and I play the mandolin. I've played with multiple award-winning bluegrass bands across the world including Missy Raines, Mile Twelve, Cup O’Joe, and The Foreign Landers, and I curate the weekly mandolin video series #mandolinmondays hosted by the Mandolin Cafe. But most of all, I love sharing my love of the mandolin with others. I run an online mandolin learning community on Patreon, and I also make videos to share my thoughts, ideas, and general mandolin enthusiasm with other mando aficionados. Find out more at the links below:
🌍 My website - davidbenedictmandolin.com/
🚀 My Patreon Page - / davidbenedictmandolin
*Just a little disclaimer that I’m endorsed by some of the companies represented here, and a few of my "weapon of choice" links above are affiliate links that bring in a small percentage of revenue for the channel.

[@waynesworldofmandolin3616]

Great lesson! I was one of three judges for the Merlefest mandolin contest probably around the year 2006 and 3 of the contestants played this tune. One of em knew it....

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Ah thanks so much, Wayne! Means a lot coming from you! Been really enjoying the videos on your channel! Would be so fun to do a virtual colab sometime!

[@mmills8344]

One of my favorite compositions!

[@f5mando]

Just heard the "Glamour & Grits" version. I now appreciate this lesson all over again, David.

[@bapple999]

Been enjoying the Mandolin Mondays for a while- love the lesson!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad to hear it! Thanks so much for watching!

[@evanseymour4172]

Fantastic 💥 Thanks 🙏 Lesson Parts A 5:28. B 6:08. C 6:46

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad you liked it!

[@evanseymour4172]

@@DavidBenedictMandolin Absolutely the clearest to follow for this song! Now maybe I stand a chance 🔥!

[@reinaldobarriga1372]

Fantastic lesson,thanks

[@sellark]

Brilliant! Pun intended. Your KZbin movies plus Patreon access are excellent! And I’m having a blast working on this one.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Great to hear!

[@gwennbair3976]

Wonderful challenge, thanks David.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@timmcninch]

Finally building enough chops to attempt this one. Slowly, bit by bit! By the way, if you play Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" in A on the mando, there is a strong resemblance to the melodic shape of Brilliancy, I think... I wonder if that is intentional, coincidental, or all in my imagination???

[@ronnierutledge4256]

Russian rag and whayasay would be great songs as well to learn advanced mandolin techniques. This lesson was perfect. Thank you for all the great content!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Great suggestion! Glad you're digging the videos!

[@ronniecraft3895]

this is good,but this will take time to master , thanks David you are a awesome picker !!!!!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Thank you kindly!

[@laurensjoensen7188]

Thanks for the great lesson, very helpfull.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

My pleasure, Laurens!

[@tomhaefner5213]

Thanks. This is very helpful!!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@f5mando]

Learning to play this has contributed quite markedly to improving my playing. I feel like I just cleared a hurdle, and gained a few fitness points for my trouble!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Brilliancy is definitely a landmark in any mandolin player’s progress! Congrats!

[@f5mando]

David~Would you consider doing a lesson on Sam's 'Whitewater' solo on Bela's "Drive" album? I can make out most of it, but a few notes are keeping me up nights!

[@pghedges]

Fabulous videos, David. Thank you. By chance, have you transcribed the harmony parts to Brilliancy?

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Thanks Posey! Haven't transcribed the harmony yet, but that's on the list! Might share it with the folks on Patreon in the next week or two.

[@jimwood5161]

You need to direct people to the original version by Howdy Forrester (Fancy Fiddlin' --- Country Style), this tune's composer. Sam Bush is basicly just playing exactly what Howdy played on fiddle. Howdy's fiddling had a tremendous influence on Bush's mandolin playing.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Yeah, Howdy was an amazing musician! Love that Howdy in Hickman County tune he did too!

[@peterhackman4991]

In 1969, at the Bean Blossom Festival, I bought a copy of "1000 Fiddle Tunes" from Roger Sprung. From that book I realized that Brilliancy is composed of sections of two traditional hornpipes, Passaic and Trafalgar. Howdy Forrester didn't compose them, but he may very well have been the first to combine the two. I don't know of any earlier recording than the one on Fancy Fiddlin' from 1960 or thereabouts. Jimmy Riddle played the piano on most of the tunes. I recorded Brilliancy with a four piece BG band in 1969, 25 years before Sam Bush! Our version featured some beautiful Yankee style banjo on the first two sections. Bush's version of Brilliancy differs substantially from Forrester's in the second section. According to Bush himself he learned the tune from Byron Berline, not Forrester. This tune has NOTHING in common with Eck Robertson's Brilliancy Medley, except the key, A major.

[@stevenacord7642]

👍

[@f5mando]

Thanks, David. I love this tune. It may well be the happiest tune in the world! I've picked it up slightly differently from the Gondola Sessions version (it was the only solo version I found). Sam's variations are in different places than in this arrangement, plus one other phrase 'variant', which would be the melody on the second section ascending line the first time through. kzbin.info/www/bejne/emeulp-Kds1laJY

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad you like it!

[@f5mando]

@@DavidBenedictMandolin I don’t just like it. I love it! Thanks, David.

[@Lightbluechevy]

Who's the odd guy here who dislikes this video?

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Probably Sam Bush 😆