Search:

There is a very short video on Youtube of Wayne Benson talking about this book and that was enough for me to order it. One of the best decisions I've ever made, as it's probably the best mandolin...

Niles teaching materials are some of the best.

It is simply a quick explanation of how moving the closed pattern up or down the neck will give you a different scale. By lowering the first finger to the 4th fret and starting on the B...

Ultimately it depends on the kind of pick a person uses. If it's a hard material like a BC pick, yes, filing or sanding the edge can work, although if it's that hard it may not need this kind of...

They are hiding out with the unmatched socks.

Makes sense. I have tried that too when I wanted to reduce the pointed-ness of a particular pick. Glad you shared this tip!

Yay! I was going to say, if it sounds great, do it twice!

One of the big reasons I like the (blue) Dunlop Tortex picks is that I don't have this problem, like I did with the classic plastic picks like Fender.

And when one gets worn out, I throw it away...

The contour of the pick edge is as important as the smoothness. Whether there is a sharp point to the edge or more of a curve makes a big difference in the tone.

How is your mandolin being picked up so far? If you don’t have a pickup (or at least a suitable good mic already), chances are that if you can only hear 50% of yourself, everybody else in the room...

It might be more money than you want to spend but the Bose S1Pro, which is battery powered, would work perfectly IMO.

Billy

I have used similar nail buffer when making custom picks out of Ultem plastic. I used Dremel and coarser sandpaper initially but ended with nail buffer.

I use a sharp knife and scrape it across the pick like a scraper. It works well and gives a nice smooth edge.

I have used a similar nail buffer on my fingernail tips for years (I'm primarily a fingerstyle guitar player). They give the nails a nice smooth edge that gives an attack on the strings without...

Pick on...

I play for an audience of one-me. When I do play at jams I chop on the 2 and 4 and sing harmony. I have also adopted the B.B. King method ....play the instrument and don't sing or sing but don't...

Uncle Paul, a couple thoughts. It sounds like you are well along on your journey, just not happy where you are. Maybe we can step back a bit, and think about your goals.

Dependence on sheet...

Brad,

I just took up the mandolin and I don't really play it, yet. I know maybe four chords. But... I go to YouTube and just type the words " Backing Track " and pick something not fast paced rock...

I’ve headed up our youth praise band for several years now (though we’ve only played a couple of times since Rona hit), and say to just keep at it. You’ll figure out how to work the mandolin into the...

You mentioned that there are no mandolin parts in the praise music you play, so you have used your knowledge of theory to add some parts. I'm not very familiar with praise music, but I am familiar...

I hereby nomiate Uncle Brad for "The Most Thoughtful Response on the Internet" award!

Let's not forget this gem

https://youtu.be/-tCoGGcsi0I

There's plenty more good authorities providing advice on the tubes, as well

John Suhr, who makes awesome electric guitars, has a pretty great quote, something like: Most tone problems can be cured with practice.

Tone is an ongoing journey, and you’re at the beginning of...

As mentioned by Montana Matt it appears you're only playing downstrokes. Try practicing a four note half scale using down up down up. For instance start on the D note (3rd string open) and work up...

Also, you can change your tone by drying different pick materials, thickness and shape, as well as the way you are attacking the strings.