Mandolin picking technique: ridiculous

I love how he keeps the two voices going. Is the pick hand anchor common for mandolin players?
 
No, it isn't.
I was wondering. I remember that Chris Theile doesn't but I didn't know if he was the exception:



I think that without the anchor he seems to get a more open sound out of the instrument. The first guy with the anchor is using more elbow and his faster passages are more strident. Might be because he's needing to tremolo the two voices though. I've never put much thought into Mandolin technique before.
 
I was wondering. I remember that Chris Theile doesn't but I didn't know if he was the exception:



I think that without the anchor he seems to get a more open sound out of the instrument. The first guy with the anchor is using more elbow and his faster passages are more strident. Might be because he's needing to tremolo the two voices though. I've never put much thought into Mandolin technique before.


It limits the range of motion, for sure. I've thought about it a lot over the years, and I see no advantages of anchoring, and I do see disadvantages. Of course, people can and do great anyway.

Mandolin picking technique is identical to guitar, really. Though it does demand more of everything; precision, clarity, etc.
 
It limits the range of motion, for sure. I've thought about it a lot over the years, and I see no advantages of anchoring, and I do see disadvantages. Of course, people can and do great anyway.

Mandolin picking technique is identical to guitar, really. Though it does demand more of everything; precision, clarity, etc.
It seems like you would need to have more force to play through each course like Thile does that I would need on guitar. I've spent the last year or so trying to get away from any kind of anchoring in my guitar playing and its killing me. When I can do it right I get such a better sound out of the instrument though. As long as I'm nt trying to play quickly I'm cool. On rock gigs it's definitely slowed me down though:

 
It seems like you would need to have more force to play through each course like Thile does that I would need on guitar. I've spent the last year or so trying to get away from any kind of anchoring in my guitar playing and its killing me. When I can do it right I get such a better sound out of the instrument though. As long as I'm nt trying to play quickly I'm cool. On rock gigs it's definitely slowed me down though:



Looks good to me. My biggest suggestion would be to start focusing on incorporating double-stops, triple-stops, and chords. :tongue:

I think that this might me a great project for improving picking speed; Bach is always the answer.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Acoustic_Adventures_Classical_DADGAD_Bach_Edition
 
You can play a mando like a guitar sure. But you are gonna sound like a guitarist not a mandolinist.
The two right hand techniques are very different actually.
Study Bill. All the greats do. Thille, bush, Grissman, all will tell you the started out with copying Monroe.

 
Looks good to me. My biggest suggestion would be to start focusing on incorporating double-stops, triple-stops, and chords. :tongue:

I think that this might me a great project for improving picking speed; Bach is always the answer.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Acoustic_Adventures_Classical_DADGAD_Bach_Edition
Actually thats the subject of the fourth video I'm doing for Truefire this month...basically thickening up blues lines by using 3rds, 6ths and triads. :grin:

I'll definitely look at the link when I get a chance. Taking off to regale drunks with Jimmy Buffet and Black Keys nonsense in a few minutes...
 
Oh God... Evan Marshall is unreal!
There are videos of Thile anchoring his pinky, most often he doesn't. It doesn't seem like a habit you'd want to develop.

thanks for the Tony McManus download!
 
You can play a mando like a guitar sure. But you are gonna sound like a guitarist not a mandolinist.
The two right hand techniques are very different actually.
Study Bill. All the greats do. Thille, bush, Grissman, all will tell you the started out with copying Monroe.



I don't think there's that much of a difference if you've explored bluegrass or Celtic guitar; DUDDUD for jigs, stuff like that.

But you can't think that way if you're playing classical.
 
I was wondering. I remember that Chris Theile doesn't but I didn't know if he was the exception:



I think that without the anchor he seems to get a more open sound out of the instrument. The first guy with the anchor is using more elbow and his faster passages are more strident. Might be because he's needing to tremolo the two voices though. I've never put much thought into Mandolin technique before.

This is also incredible.
 
Looks good to me. My biggest suggestion would be to start focusing on incorporating double-stops, triple-stops, and chords. :tongue:

I think that this might me a great project for improving picking speed; Bach is always the answer.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Acoustic_Adventures_Classical_DADGAD_Bach_Edition
I checked that out but I'm not too excited about spending that much time in DADGAD right now...this is fun though: http://www.premierguitar.com/articl...tpicking_Fiddle_Tunes_Inside_The_Cuckoos_Nest

I think a little Back in standard tuning might be a good thing for me to look into though.
 
Maybe one day I might able to flatpick decently.

I'm working on the Evan Marshall pieces in the OP. I think it'll take at least a couple of months to get it down clean, but I think it'd be worth it.

It was the same way with pami and piami fingerstyle tremolo.
 
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