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©2016 Bradley Laird

FREE MANDOLIN TABLATURE from Bradley Laird

Before you read this: This contest was recently won by "Mando Maniac". You can see his winning YouTube video here:

Since this contest (you'll read about in a moment) has already been won, I have decided to "up the ante" and do a new tune and a new contest. Read about it here. The "Who Has the Guts to Play "McDonough" Contest"

Now, if you haven't tromped off to take a look at "McDonough", here is the tune "Bionic Mosquito" and the (now defunct) previous contest:

It was raining one morning recently and I had an hour to kill before I have to go tune a piano in an old country church and this crazy tune popped into my head. It's steady and possibly dangerously annoying... like I imagine a mosquito nano-drone might be. I have a bionic flyswatter ready for them! Have fun with this and I look forward to hearing YOU play it.

If you are the first person who sends me a link to a YouTube video of YOU playing this tune on the mandolin with someone (or a recording) playing the backing chords I will send you a free download link to my book Mandolin Master Class. One other thing, you have to make it public so I can share your video with the world and and make you famous.

I have not had time to record it on the mandolin, but you can hear Lurch play it on his electronic harpsichord here. That will give you the gist of it.

Try those backing chords behind Lurch and you'll "git" where I was going with this thing. The interplay between the melody and the chords is what makes this tune happen!

MP3 - Bionic Mosquito

This tune is a great example of what happens if you just get out of your own way and let the thing come out. I sat down and started fooling around and 15 minutes later it gelled. It will sound like a lot of looping blues scale licks until you plant those chords behind it. The stark difference between measure 1 and measure 3 is brought to you by the change from Dm to Bb in the backing.

Info on position shifting:

The fingering is insanely difficult if you attempt to play it all in "first position." It's really easy if you start in "second position" with your index on the 3rd fret, middle on the 5th and ring on the 6th. Then, shift down to normal first position for measure two. You have one open string which buys you sufficient time to do this easily.

Measure two is index on the 2nd fret, middle on the 3rd and ring on the 5th in this case. In the B Part you stay in second position all the way to the C chord. You'll figure out the rest if you have this much down. It's all either first or second position with nice easy shifts. That 5-7 slide with the ring finger at the end of the A part so easily takes you from first position back up to second. See how it works?

One last thing: The guitar backup is super easy if it is played in Am using a capo at the 5th fret. The chords become Am, F, G, C and Em. See my little short articles on transposition and using a capo if that makes no sense.

Brad Laird's Beginning Mandolin Instruction Course Click here for information about my downloadable PDF eBook which expands on the free lessons here on the site. Larger tablature, more tunes and chords, printable full page format PLUS AUDIO TRACKS of all of the songs and exercises.

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