This week I will explain some key issues I am experiencing in learning the mandolin using only “youtube” and “help forums”. This process has actually been smoother than I had imagined. However, there have been some issues I have experienced.
I am the type of learner, especially when it comes to learning a musical instrument that just wants to learn quickly. I have a hard time remembering what it was like when I could not play guitar or trumpet. I know I struggled a bit, like beginner would, but I have since become very skilled in each of those instruments. In fact, I majored in music for a semester of undergraduate studies at Michigan State University as a trumpet player. I decided to change majors because I believed it had turned something I enjoyed to do for fun and as a “stress reliever” into a “stressor”.
Anyways, I mentioned that story because it has been difficult for me to be a “beginner” again.
The first thing that has been difficult for me has been simply finding time to practice. With no set time that I am scheduled to practice it has been easily left out. It seems I put it on my “to-do” list everyday. And even with my newly discovered organizational technology, springpad.com, I find myself skipping it or not making time for it. With lesson planning, studying the teaching content, grading papers, reading, doing graduate school homework, and life in general has proven to be very busy the last few weeks.
Another thing that has been a challenge in learning the instrument has been playing for longer than 20 minutes when I do find time to play. My fingers are fairly callused for playing guitar and pressing down the steel strings, however, the mandolin is double-stringed. This means that every time I play the G-string, I have to press down two strings. It gives the instrument a unique and “folksy” sound, but means I have to build up stronger calluses on my left-hand finger tips.
As a learner, it has been a challenge learning without a teaching book. I have a good ear, so I can hear things and usually figure out how to play them, but learning the basics without a book to sit down with has been difficult. The youtube videos have been great for starting, stopping, and repeating certain teachings, but have also been limited in communicating questions back-forth (as you would with a hands-on instructor). This is where the “help-forums” come in handy. However, these have been difficult to navigate and sometimes you won’t get answers right when you need them. By the time, you get a response or find a response that answers the question it is stopping time.
Now, besides these difficulties, I am seeing a lot of progress and having fun doing it. This has been a great experience and I am right on pace for reaching my goal of learning a few songs I can sing while playing the mandolin!
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Winning in Education 
As an interesting aside, one of my good friends in college started as a Music Ed major and played trumpet, but ran into the exact same situation that you described; the amount of time he had to spend working on his trumpet skills began to slowly affect his love of just making music. He eventually left the program as well, finishing up with a degree in special education.
I’m right there with you on the lack of feedback on the Youtube videos. I would much rather have someone to get quick responses and feedback from….however, I do like that I can move at my own pace with the videos. I like the simple, quick write up you have here, and the challenges of time and “getting it done” are likely to hit anyone doing something like this. It would be great to see some of the videos that you’ve been using; just for us to hear the instrument, or an example of where you want to be with it.