# Technique, Theory, Playing Tips and Tricks > Theory, Technique, Tips and Tricks >  Fixing the Flying Fingers!

## Amanda Gregg

Hey everybody,

My goal for this year has been to fix my awful flying fingers problem. In case you have never heard of this dread disease, this means that my left hand technique is inefficient because my fingers move too far off the fretboard when not in use. I'm not unhappy with my speed or cleanliness, but I can anticipate a time in my life when my joints might not be so forgiving of my sloppiness. 

One thing that has (perhaps counterintuitively?) helped is going through Ted Eschliman's FFcP exercises.  I actually find I have more control after a few "weight lifting sessions."

I was wondering if you all have found tricks that work to improve this aspect of left hand technique besides the very helpful ::cough, cough:: advice I keep getting from people at jams to "just do it, ya know."

Tony Watt's advice was to sit really close to a computer keyboard drawer so that your fingers would hit the wood when you moved too far off the board, for punishment.  Maybe I could rig up some kind of shock collar?  :Wink: 

Any tricks?

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## Tom Smart

"Old dudes"?

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## Amanda Gregg

They don't have them at bluegrass jams where you are? LOL

Sorry, perhaps, "oldER dudes" would be better?  :Wink:   I'm a 28 year old female, victim to much mansplaining.

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sgrexa

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## bigskygirl

> "Old dudes"?


Ha!   :Popcorn: 

Reminds me of a clinic I went to once where two very young woman were playing as a classical duet, at some point they were asked about meeting guys and one of them said " yeah, all we meet are chubby, old guys filing their nails..."

You coulda heard a pin drop.....I thought their rep was gonna keel over right then and there.

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## Amanda Gregg

Edited  :Smile: 

Now, to the discussion?

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## bigskygirl

Stand or sit close to a wall so that your fingers can't fly off the fretboard too high.  I was fortunate to have a guitar teacher early on that emphasized keeping your fingers quiet.

I often watch banjo players......does that make me weird......?.....their freting hand fingers are very calm as they play, Alan Munde is the most relaxed dude I've ever seen when it comes to quiet fingers while playing.

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## Amanda Gregg

> I often watch banjo players...their freting hand fingers are very calm as they play, Alan Munde is the most relaxed dude I've ever seen when it comes to quiet fingers while playing.


This reminds me of another piece of advice: keep your hands in chords/double-stop shapes as you move through a melody.  This has been very helpful to me as well.

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## clobflute

I have the same problem.  When I look at really seasoned mandolin players, it seems like they keep their fingers really close to the strings; maybe they don't even use the little baby pinky finger and move fluidy.  They must have a really low action mandolin to enable such speed, as well as finger strength.  Fingers fly to gain the pressure x velocity effect to hammer down the string onto the fret to stop it buzzing for beginners like me.   If you strengthen your fingers with a varigrip, you'll notice a difference in two months?

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## avaldes

Take video of yourself, and compare it to carefully observed video of top players to see if you have a problem. If your fingers don't fly more than theirs, then I would say it ain't broke.
I will be somewhat contrarian (yes, I am an old dude) but I would concentrate on relaxing the fingers that are not fretting a note, as opposed to holding chord shape. Holding the shape with a soft, relaxed hand is OK I suppose, but keeping tension all the time cannot be good. With respect to advocates of grip exercisers, they work for some, but I would be very careful of injury. You don't need finger velocity unless you are hammering on a note. Otherwise, good technique can get a clean note with a lot less force than you think.
As to range of motion and injury, more motion may be a good thing. Classical guitarists (guilty) are taught on free stroke and arpeggios to bring the right hand fingers all the way to the palm in exercises if not in actual playing. The left hand technique is "minimum motion principle", which is some version of avoiding flying fingers. But I think the problem is when the fingers rigidly point away from the fingerboard, rather than failing to hold them within 1mm of a string.

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Amanda Gregg

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## bigskygirl

> This reminds me of another piece of advice: keep your hands in chords/double-stop shapes as you move through a melody.  This has been very helpful to me as well.


I don't so much keep my hand in a chord shape as I try think ahead in the tune and decide how to finger a run or what shapes I'm going to use.  I think this only comes (for me anyway) after many repetitions of the tune.  If I let my mind wander that's usually when I crash.  I'm not saying to stay laser-focused but for me I have to concentrate to a certain degree or I forget what comes next......or, maybe it's just old age.....I'm not an old dude, just an old biddy....ha

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## little george

You might become rich adapting this: http://charlwood.com.au/classical-fi...eaching-guard/ to our beloved mandolins  :Smile:

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Amanda Gregg

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## Ma.Mando

Hey Amanda,

I'm really glad you brought this up. I notice it in the video you posted and its been on mind since.
I too had that problem on the guitar. Many years ago I enrolled at Berklee thinking "yeah I can play" well I soon found out I didn't know squat. The first two things to fix was the thumb placement and keeping the fingers over the strings.
If you have taken lessons I'm surprised it wasn't addressed but if self taught I'm not. It's one of those things that one may not pick up from a book. 
But you do understand how important it is and you will correct it .

I've been playing and taking mandolin lessons for 4 months and the left hand technique and alternate picking are two areas I've been mindful of from the start. It's just a matter of retraining you hand. 

This is one exercise that I was taught 
For one string - will use the D string
1.Fret the E with your 1st finger 
2. Keeping the first finger down fret the F with your 2nd finger 
3. Keeping both fingers down fret the G with your 3rd finger
4. Keeping the 3 fingers down fret the G# 4th finger

note: when fretting a note the other fingers should be over(just above)the fret that they will cover.
This makes sense on the guitar because of the one finger one fret rule. For the mandolin you can change it up by playing F or F# with the 2nd finger or used the 4th finger on the 5th fret.

That's the easy part. Reverse the order. It can be tricky to control the little finger. It may want to fly off and it may feel awkward.

Next up -scales
When traversing the neck all the fingers move together.
Play a G scale. Keep the fingers behind a fretted note down. And again non fretted fingers need to be over the strings.

Finally using this technique play Irish tunes.They will help you develop the speed you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

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Cecily_Mandoliner

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## JeffJones

Everything in Ma.Mando's post is gold. I was going to suggest something similar, but I think that post said it much better that I would have.

I would maybe just add a step zero to Ma.Mando's list; 

0. Bring your left hand up to ready position and then hover your fingers, as best you can, over the position they are going to be fretting for the exercise, and then relax into that position.
That position is really what you want your fingers to learn. That should, more or less, be your starting point and ending point for all left hand finger movement.  Fingers curved around close(~ish) to the string and relaxed, not straightened out away from the strings. You would also want to be making a point of relaxing, as much as possible, at each step along the way.

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## JeffD

I learned it taking fiddle lessons. My teacher was classical, and keeping fingers down was everything for a long time. I got into the habit and it transferred to mandolin. 

I know this is true because the tunes on which I still struggle to keep my fingers down are tunes I learned before I took up the fiddle.

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## swampstomper

I am surprised none of the above good advice has mentioned a key point to solving FF -- namely keep fingers down, once they are down, until they need to be lifted. In this way the "back" fingers on a string are already in place when the "front" fingers are fretting and releasing. Even better is to put all the fingers you will need down on the string at the same time. Think "Devil's Dream": place both the 3rd (5th fret) and 2nd (4th fret) down at the same time. Play the A/G#/A by just lifting the 3rd finger and re-placing it. Lift both together to get the open E. Repeat.

I also find FFcP an excellent exercise, using the same technique. When the "upper" fingers are off the strings, try to keep them "hovering" over the right spot, anticipating where they will be placed when fretting.

The pinky is impossible to control precisely because of the linked muscles with the ring finger, but practice (FFcP) makes more or less perfect. I watch videos of fiddlers holding a position with 3 fingers and then working that pinky to get the highest note. It does tend to "fly" more than the other fingers, even with real pros.

Watching banjo players does show how little they move the left hand finger but they have such light strings that it is not much help with our two-course, high-tension strings.

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## bratsche

> You might become rich adapting this: http://charlwood.com.au/classical-fi...eaching-guard/ to our beloved mandolins


Yeah... just get the right size rubber bands to fit around different sized fists loosely enough to give the fingers freedom to move just the correct amount,  package them attractively, include pro endorsements, and call it something like the "Roosting Fingers Mandolin Teaching Guard", and voila, you can sell 'em like hotcakes!
 :Laughing: 

bratsche

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## Ivan Kelsall

The one 'top player' who for me,personifies the 'flying finger' concept,is Ronnie McCoury. His fingers fly around like demented bats at times,but they keep on hitting the right notes. Unless your current technique is really causing you a problem go with it. I'm certainly not saying that you shouldn't correct your technique if it really is a problem,but if it's not ..... Regarding ''the time in your life..."
business,that's possibly a long way off & very likely,if you do have any hand problems,they won't be down to your mandolin technique. Those things creep up on folk who've never touched a string instrument in their lives,
                                                                                                                                 Ivan

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## Beanzy

What's really done the trick for me is a combination of

Playing exercises to prepare for duo-style pieces. Pettine has a DuoStyle Primer I use as well as Gertrud Weyhofen's "Technique on Eight Strings" (I & II)

Jetro Burns books were and are a real help here too as he seems to base many of his picking-patterns out of smart use of leaving fingers down.

Using my pinky to damp strings and making sure it was mostly held close hovering over the G or D course. 
The other fingers tend to stay low once you get used to controlling the little finger. Initially it seems rediculously difficult to just leave it relax there and it'll snap down at the most inopportune moments, especially if you think about it. I think the little finger is pretty basic in the signals it responds to so you need to put in work to get it anyway fine-tuned. 

Very much a work in progress all this although 'flying fingers' is no longer a problem, proper control needs more work for me.

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## AlanN

I'll third the idea of keeping fingers down when ascending/descending the fingerboard. The pickers who do this are the ones you say 'they make it look so easy' when you see them pick. Butch was a huge proponent of this. And then there are guys like Ronnie M. - go figure. Jethro had terrific technique. Jethro's Tune starts with all fingers down on the E string to do that awesome pull-off he does.

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swampstomper

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## Tom C

> I learned it taking fiddle lessons. My teacher was classical, and keeping fingers down was everything for a long time. I got into the habit and it transferred to mandolin. 
> 
> I know this is true because the tunes on which I still struggle to keep my fingers down are tunes I learned before I took up the fiddle.



Absolutely. hard to do as taught though. Barry Mitterhoff is the perfect picture of efficiency. He makes it look so easy but I find it takes a lot of finger independency to achieve this level. Lifting 1 finger while keeping others down. Knowing if you coming back to that note...etc

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## SincereCorgi

> They don't have them at bluegrass jams where you are? LOL
> 
> Sorry, perhaps, "oldER dudes" would be better?   I'm a 28 year old female, victim to much mansplaining.


Well, little lady, I imagine your left hand position in subtly influenced by your incessant thoughts of, say crocheting, or tying pretty bows into a pony's mane...

'Flying fingers' is an issue with literally every instrument I can think of except percussion and voice, and I don't think there's a easy fix for it. For me, mirror practice and a timer give me the best results. Set the timer to go off every X minutes, and check to see whether your hand position has reverted to sloppiness. It's a drag but it works for a lot of stuff. Try to position yourself at an angle to the mirror where it's most obvious what your left hand fingers are doing; this is not the same angle as for checking out your right hand technique. It's easier for violin because you can literally see how high your fingers are getting.

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Amanda Gregg

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## Jim Garber

I am surprised that, other than Mr. Corgi above, no one mentioned the low tech solution of playing in a mirror. Plenty of other costily and odd contraptions but not that.

In addition, what I would also suggest is to slow whatever you are playing and be mindful of keeping your fingers in the proper position. You may not really need to play anything special -- just play some of the pieces/tunes you are most familiar with -- ones you have performed and play them slowly in the mirror watching your hands. In fact, the more I think of it, the more I think it is better to play the most familiar ones -- so you are the most relaxed -- but re-learn them without the flying fingers.

You are an excellent player from what I see on your videos. I know you can do it.

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## sgrexa

I took a few classical lessons from a brilliant domra player in Philadelphia named Tamara Asta. This was the first thing she pointed out to me after watching me play for a few minutes. She was brutally insistent on keeping all four fingers as close to the strings as possible and in the proper position at all times. I think the best thing you can do is be cognizant of this bad habit and try to put this into practice at all times. One of the exercises she suggested was to use your pinky to hit notes at the 7th fret instead of an open string on tunes you already know. This can be difficult but it will force you to think about what you are doing and you will gain dexterity in the pinky dept. for sure!  As Tom C. mentioned above, leaving fingers in place on notes that you will be coming back to very shortly takes some practice and getting used to but becomes easier with time. You are so young and have time on your side so it is good that you are recognizing these things early before they really become entrenched. I am one of the "old dudes" that learned a lot of things the wrong way and am now paying the price!  :Wink:  Tim O'Brien is the master of finger efficiency IMO: 




Sean

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## Amanda Gregg

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and encouragement.  I will keep you updated on my progress!!

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## Ivan Kelsall

The ''flying fingers'' scenario is a parallel to the wrist movement one.Some players hardly move their wrist at all, & others like Sam Bush, have their whole arm moving up & down like a pump handle.I know that SB has a physical problem that requires him to play like that,but he gets it done & so do others. If ''whatever way works for us'' stick with it IMHO - it's the music that's important, not the technique. I'm waiting for the super picker with flying fingers & a right arm that moves like a steam train piston - now that's action !, :Grin: 
  One thing  - IMHO, you'll never have a super efficient left hand technique like Tim O. if you have a medium to high string action. There's too much left hand downwards pressure required & of course the corresponding movement of lifting the fingers off again.If you have a fairly low action you're fine,
                                                                                                                                                                       Ivan :Wink:

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## Amanda Gregg

Ivan, you pointed out that Ronnie McCoury has some FF, and you also point out that high action does no favors.  My setup is actually very similar to Ronnie's.  We both use J75s, and we both have high action (because I want POWER!!  Seriously, this Stiver I have really pops with a high-action, high gauge setup.  Look out!). 

I've noticed I really have two problems going on with my left hand.  The first is classic flying fingers, especially in my third finger: the fingers just leave the fretboard too far.  The second is that, probably because I used to support the weight of the instrument on the knuckle of my first finger, I tend to rotate my third and fourth fingers away from the neck when using my first and second fingers.  You can probably see this in any of my youtube videos.  

By the way, for anyone else working on this issue, video is actually way more damning than practicing in a mirror. I practice in a mirror all the time (mostly focusing on my right hand), but it was not until I took some videos that I noticed how terrible my left hand looks. Video seems to really highlight left hand motion.

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## JeffJones

I gave a very generic suggestion earlier but I looked up one of your videos and have a more specific suggestion for you, if you are interested. 

I thought your general left hand position is great and it looked to me like you are really only having an issue with your ring finger, and maybe to a lesser degree you middle finger, flying away(I see you just said the same thing). It looks like it may even be tied to certain note patterns, not just every single time you use those fingers. Which is good, often times when I see people with FAFS (Fly Away Finger Syndrome) it is all their fingers all the time. Yours is more like a specific movement where you have the issue, which I think will make it easier to address.

I like to come up with exercise's to help me solve problems, either in a song or to fix some technical issue I want to change in my playing. You can work on this using scales, or songs, or even while doing the FFcP exercises, but I like breaking it down to the smallest and simplest phrase I can come up with so I can focus on just the one thing I am looking to fix. Then you can move on to working on it in other, more complex, contexts.

In this case I would suggest something like this:

|-5--2--0-|
|---------|
|---------|
|---------|
or if you prefer something that fits a 4/4 measure a little nicer

|-5--2--0--2--|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
played real slow* making sure that the ring finger stays in close as you go from the 5th fret note to the 2nd fret note. Then, I would play it as a pull off, trying to keep the ring finger as close as possible. Once you get comfortable playing this exercise at speed and where you can stay relaxed while keeping the Ring finger close, then you can move on to a song. (You can also replace the 5th fret Ring finger note for a 4th fret middle finger note as well, if you think the middle finger need some work.)

Pick a song, the Dry & Dusty song you posted a video of in another thread would be a good one, that has a lot of Ring to Index movement and just be real deliberate about keeping the ring finger close. Then break the song down into phrases and do the same thing, slowly work through the song and make a point to get to where you are not just keeping the ring close, but that you are relaxed while doing so. I think once you start to master this in an exercise and then a song it will start seeping in to all your playing.

This is basically what I have done in the past to change things about my technique where I have determined something needs to change. It is not necessarily fun, but it has worked for me.


* - I like to tell students that they should find a pace that seems intolerably slow, and play it at half that speed.

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Amanda Gregg

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## Amanda Gregg

Jeff, thank you, I look forward to trying out that exercise (I will have great patience!).  In playing around, I found that descending riffs like the one you suggest are the hardest.  I will keep you updated on my progress.

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JeffJones

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## Ivan Kelsall

Amanda - Just for the sake of finding out if  _'they work for you'_,try a set of DR MD11 'medium' strings on your Stiver. They're the same gauge as J74's but they are a _very_ powerful sounding string. They just might give you the power along with amazing clarity without the need for the added finger pressure needed to fret J75's. However - I have DR MD12 'heavies' on my larger than standard Lebeda,& even they feel better under my fingers than J75's did when i tried them. The action on both my mandolins is 'medium',but i get all the power i need with the DR strings. The added bonus is that they last for ages without loosing their tone.The MD11's on mine have been on for close to 7 months,i'd have gone through 3 sets of J74's by now.
   Re. practicing using a mirror. That's something i've done in order NOT to look at the fingerboard too much. I do my best to strike a 'John Reischman pose' & look 'nonchalant',but i look like a jerk anyway !,  :Redface:  
                                                                                                                                                      Ivan :Grin:

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## John Flynn

Yeah, if you don't get those fingers under control, you could wind up playing like this guy:



If you play like Dawg, I guess you need to work on "head control" also. Or these two:



I could have posted vids of a few other great players that would make the same point. Don't get me wrong, I think finger control is a good thing and I try to get mine under control. But I think the "flying fingers" thing can also add some punch to playing. That continuous, simultaneous hammer-on/pluck sound is exciting. So I guess my thought is to worry more about the sound you're making than how you're making it. Finger control is a pedagogical issue. I only worry about those issues if it affects the sound I'm making.

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## jshane

> ....So I guess my thought is to worry more about the sound you're making than how you're making it.


I agree, unless what you are doing habituates into something that is preventing you from making OTHER sounds you want to make.....

(DANG, dont Mike and Caterina sound GREAT!...)

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## Andy Hatfield

I dunno, man...This "Flying fingers" thing is an over-rated problem in my book.  If you're a beginner to intermediate player, your fingers just move more.  Watch any 14 year old guitar player, and you'll see that.  

What does it sound like--that's what really matters.

Jack

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## Amanda Gregg

> I dunno, man...This "Flying fingers" thing is an over-rated problem in my book.


It may be overrated. Let me put it this way: suppose a player is having problems both with flying fingers and a weak right hand.  I would advise that player to spend years fixing the weak right hand before giving a second thought to flying fingers assuming that the player could produce quick and clean notes with the LH.  I'm pretty happy with my RH, and I have a little time, and since improving my left hand control can only be a good thing, here we go  :Smile: 

Ivan, I will try anything.  Are these the ones?

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## Jim Garber

> Yeah, if you don't get those fingers under control, you could wind up playing like this guy:
> 
> If you play like Dawg, I guess you need to work on "head control" also. Or these two:
> 
> I could have posted vids of a few other great players that would make the same point. Don't get me wrong, I think finger control is a good thing and I try to get mine under control. But I think the "flying fingers" thing can also add some punch to playing. That continuous, simultaneous hammer-on/pluck sound is exciting. So I guess my thought is to worry more about the sound you're making than how you're making it. Finger control is a pedagogical issue. I only worry about those issues if it affects the sound I'm making.


I don't see prominent cases of "flying fingers" with any of these three. They are playing fast and loud for sure. OTOH (and not to embarrass her) here is a video of Amanda's playing. You can see that she pulls her hand way out and away from the fretboard at various times. I think it is just wasted movement. I actually am not sure why different strings would make much of a difference. I would just play mindfully for awhile and watch in the mirror and correct when you see yourself doing this.

BTW your playing is excellent in spite of the FF syndrome.

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Amanda Gregg

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## bigskygirl

I agree with Jim, play slower or stand near the wall until you can get the FF under control. It may still sound good but it's a lot of extra effort and not efficient.

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## August Watters

I think I see what John Flynn was commenting on re: FF in Catarina Lichtenberg's duet with Mike Marshall.  Catarina plays of course with picture-perfect technique in the method taught in the German educational system. Sometimes her fingers come off the fingerboard when not in use; in particular when fretting with the first finger holding a note, the other fingers usually do not hover over the fingerboard but travel away. I've seen other great classical mandolinists criticized for "flying fingers" using this technique, but here's my take on it:

Making each finger hover in place (as we American players tend to do) holds a certain amount of unnecessary tension in the left hand. Try this: put your fingers in the usual position over the strings and freeze them; now take them away from the fingerboard and hold them up -- your fingers are not in a neutral position, but are slightly flexed. Let go of the tension in your fingers, and they will open up a little -- still curved, but a little more open than before. Now take that shape back to position over the fingerboard and consider where your fingers are when neither flexor nor extensor muscles are engaged. If your fingers return to this neutral position when not in use, that's one way to play the mandolin!

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Amanda Gregg

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## Jim Garber

I see what you are saying, August, but in the case of Caterina and Dawg I still don't see it as all that extreme as compared to Amanda's case. In the long view, it is always what works the best for you. However if the way you play holds you back from progressing to the next level then it might be something to remedy. it is interesting tho that the German system allows for pulling the left hand away -- I was under the impression that that method of mandolin derives from similar ones applied to the classical guitar. Is that the case for guitar as well?

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## August Watters

Wow, that's out of my league!   :Mandosmiley:

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## Mickey King

Compton has it down I think!

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## SincereCorgi

> Compton has it down I think!


That's sort of an interesting point- Mike Compton is more likely to play out of closed chop chord shapes, which lend themselves better to finger economy.

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Amanda Gregg

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## Jim Garber

...and what would Bill do? Music starts around 0:45 with some good closeups of WSM's hands.

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Amanda Gregg, 

August Watters

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## bart mcneil

I am guessing that you are fairly new to the mandolin,,,, This is normally a problem which will fix itself, if it is in fact a problem. I think you are looking for problems and hence are finding them when in fact diligent practicing will cure them automatically. My own experience tells me that if you think you have a problem you will find it even if it really doesn't exist. At least that is what I did when starting out playing mando,

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## Jim Garber

> I am guessing that you are fairly new to the mandolin,,,, This is normally a problem which will fix itself, if it is in fact a problem. I think you are looking for problems and hence are finding them when in fact diligent practicing will cure them automatically. My own experience tells me that if you think you have a problem you will find it even if it really doesn't exist. At least that is what I did when starting out playing mando,


If she is new, she doesn't show it in her playing, Bart. Check *the video* I posted or search on youtube for amanda gregg mandolin.

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Amanda Gregg

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## JeffD

For every bad technique I there are one or two world class talents that exhibit it regularly. Doesn't mean it isn't still a sub optimum habit and potential problem or impedement to further progress.

What are you telling me, that in addition to my struggles with technique I sound bad? "You have flying fingers like Dave Grisman, and you plant like Adam Steffey, its a wonder you don't sound either one."    :Disbelief:   :Crying:

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Jim Garber

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## Joel Glassman

I had the flying fingers problem early on & fixed it by doing the following while practicing. Fingers at rest hover 1/4- 3/8" off the fretboard. This is the "up" position. It would be similar to typing. Fingers hover above the keys,reach down to strike,and return to the hover. When playing exercises I'm WATCHING my fingers carefully and not allowing them to fly away or "rebound" off the fingerboard. Here's a video example of Vassar Clements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imFd1XAMLWI He kept his finger tips parallel to the fingerboard. No wasted motion in his playing! Your playing is good, but you are right about the flying fingers thing... A suggestion. Turn your palm towards the neck, so your hovering fingers are close to an equal distance from the fretboard in the "up" position. In your video the "up" position is higher for pinky and ring fingers--the hand is angled out from the fretboard. Also, consider this. You are using flying fingers as an expressive device. Its not one that's heard like a hammer-on, but more like dancing in place while playing. Part of the body reacting to the act of playing. Ray Charles would shake his head while singing...

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## Mark Wilson

I don't give it much thought for myself, but I have pondered over how quiet Tim's fingers are in the close up in this video.  

Starts at 1:08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8_Q_sFHTBw

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## Amanda Gregg

I want to thank everybody who has posted on this thread for your suggestions and support.  I have made some progress since I first posted. I have stopped the wrist rotation problem, which was causing a lot of my difficulties.  The third finger still doesn't have the control I want it to have, but it is getting better.  I intend to post a video some time in the next few weeks to show a "before and after," so you all can see the fruits of your efforts.  :Smile: 

Also, I got some positive reinforcement at a jam I attended on Friday night.  It was loud and crowded, and I have found in the past that at this jam, when pushing to the threshold of my volume and speed, my fingers often don't plant where I want them to.  This time, I focused on keeping my fingers close and noticed that I was making perfect contact more often, and it made the whole experience more fun.

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## CSIMelissa

You'll get there. Earlier in the year I posted a post just like this and I even emailed the author of the mandolin lesson book I'm using to get some advice! Sometimes my pinky still has flight issues (LOL) but I'm working on it.  Enjoy the journey!!!

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## belbein

Watching Amanda's video, it immediately struck me that the reason for those hand motions is rhythmic:  the hand motion expresses a bit of an extra beat or emphasis.  You see banjo players doing this. too.  It adds that little mini-beat, like a pull off does.  If that's it, if it were me I'd try playing excruciatingly slow with a metronome, nail down the rhythm and then concentrate on my fingers.

Great video, by the way!

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Amanda Gregg

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## Tom Smart

It's natural to focus on the work the "gripping" muscles must do to hit the right notes in time, with clean articulation. Nobody really thinks much about the "extending" muscles that are responsible for releasing the notes cleanly and preparing to hit the next note.

The "gripping" muscles are much stronger than the "extending" muscles, and flying fingers may be partially the result of unconsciously trying to overcome that difference. That tendency would be exacerbated if notes are fingered with more force than necessary. Or, at the very least, not paying attention to the action of the "extending" muscles means that fingers can fly unconsciously. But if you think about it, both gripping and releasing actions are equally important to clean articulation, not to mention speed.

So, I'd suggest consciously focusing on the "extending" muscles for at least part of your practice time. You already know where the notes are (pretty good playing in the video), so you can safely ignore the "gripping" muscles and you'll still hit the notes fine. Actively pay attention to the "extending" muscles. Try to get an "equal-and-opposite" motion feeling as you play. This will have the effect of helping to reduce your grip to the minimum amount needed to articulate the note cleanly, and also reduce the rebound or "extending" motion to the minimum amount necessary.

I'm just an average player, but that helped me. Try it.

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