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I know this has been discussed ad nauseum and there are lots of vids/tutorials on the subject (I've seen them all) but I have a specific sub-question.
As with my guitar pick grip I've always held the pick with two fingers between the side of my index finger at the first joint and thumb.
My question is what to do with the other three fingers. With my guitar pick grip I let them extend down but I notice most mando players curl them under so I'm wondering what the advantages are?
I’ve had those other three fingers removed since they are completely unnecessary. :)
I have seen a lot of players curl them under, but also others just let them hang. Some folks also plant their pinky o even ring finger on the pickguard or the top of the instrument. That is how you get that lovely corrugated loom on the tops of old well-played mandolins.
I'm having a hard time visualizing (and trying out) what you're talking about when you say "let them hang down." I just tried that and it seems really unnatural. The short answer is that it gets them out of the way (probably even more important on guitar... more strings/wider spacing), and that it feels natural/comfortable (basically a modified loose/relaxed fist).
Mine stick out straight but a little bent, like I'm making the OK sign.
I say do what ever feels comfortable to you. I do both, but mostly let them hang down. I don't plant on the pickguard, but let then slide on it, it helps with control for me. One mandolin has no pickguard so I do both on that one.
I prefer the closed right hand for tone, clarity, speed, and it’s the most comfortable for me. It took a little while for it to feel completely natural because I had to totally change what I was doing before, due to discomfort and tension. But I’m so happy I made the change! So, with the fingers curled in but not touching the palm.
I prefer to keep my hand closed but not clenched like making a fist or anything. I can't imagine having the same control if I let my fingers hang down. However, there are some great players who don't close their hand. Find what works for you and try that.
I like some violin teacher's bow grip advice: Let your hand hang down (palm facing the ground) as relaxed as possible, and only move index & thumb as far as necessary to not drop the pick. The other fingers just stay in the relaxed, slightly bent position. No need to stretch or curl them IMHO.
M. Stangeland lists some 17 techniques on mandozine.com, but basically they fall into two groups. With a pickguard the most common technique seems to be brushing the guard with loosely curled fingers. Without a guard: brushing the strings lightly behind the bridge (check Mike Marshall's d'Addario video), possibly with more tightly curled fingers. Planting or splayed-out fingers is relatively rare.
https://mandozine.com/techniques/rig...righthand.html
Interesting article - but it's pretty much oriented to players in a few genres, not much about classical, Italian or other style players.Quote:
Originally Posted by ralph johansson