Starting up the neck

[red7flag]

At the advice of many of you here at the Cafe, I am in the process of learning to play many of my standard tunes moved up 5 frets (or whatever number), but not playing with a capo. So you use your index finger for the 5th and 6th fret, middle for 7th and 8th and so on. The value of this is two fold. One, playing a tune this way allows you to play in any key. Two, this forces you to use all five fingers in a useful way. The pinkie becomes a very useful and needed digit. This process has finally freed me from the nut, but is still very much a work in progress.

[UsuallyPickin]

Be patient, it takes awhile to get used to. But well worth the journey. Keep track of the relative chords and where the I , III and V are in each of the three main chord forms. That will allow you to add double stop harmony tones to your moveable melodies and scales. Enjoy the journey. R/

[pops1]

Sometimes I will play tunes up the neck in several places for fun, but mostly when I go up the neck it is for an improvised lead and not a tune. Scales are very helpful to not only improvise leads, but to play tunes too. Being comfortable with scales in different patters makes playing tunes up the neck easier.

[JeffD]

So you use your index finger for the 5th and 6th fret, middle for 7th and 8th and so on. .

Yes. Third position, because your index finger is where your third finger used to be. It is reinvigorating. Makes the mandolin a new instrument. Cheap way to satisfy a little MAS.

[Lord of the Badgers]

three biggest things I've learnt so far.
1. FFcP (what you're referring to I guess) for learning the major scales.
2. Learn the notes on the fingerboard, by learning the notes at the dot markers... as they are often alternate tunings for mandolin family (CGDA, DAEB) - that one was so obvious when I read that here! But my god... so useful!
3. Heavy pick, and finding the hold technique that works for you

[JeffD]

FFcP (what you're referring to I guess) for learning the major scales.

Kind of. For me, really, it was re-envisioning the fret board as if it started at the fifth fret. As if that was the new shoreline. FFcP becomes one of the ways of coping with that new world.

It is a biggie. A great biggie. At least it was to me.

[mandocrucian]

You may find this helpful:
http://www.elderly.com/bluegrass-up-the-neck.htm

[red7flag]

Bob, thanks for the reference to FFcP (Four Finger closed Position system). For your further reference, here is a link where Ted Eschliman really explains the concept in detail. http://www.mandolincafe.com/eschliman1.html

[Pittsburgh Bill]

I just recently learned this is what people were talking about when speaking about playing in the third position.
So upon learning that a structure exists for playing in the third and in the second position rather than playing up the neck helter skelter, I am reteaching myself accepted structure.

[wildpikr]

You may find this helpful:
http://www.elderly.com/bluegrass-up-the-neck.htm

+1 for this book.

[red7flag]

The first couple of songs I learned up the neck where difficult both for my ears and my fingers. I had not hit that many wrong notes in a long while. Then, like with most things new, it started to flow. Was rough on the first couple of tunes this morning, but today the process was much faster and there is some comfort. I can see where this is headed. Like UsuallyPickin said, "Worth the journey."

[twilson]

Couple of things that helped me up the neck.

Shift positions via an open string when you get the chance. That is, if you are playing in the first position and hit an open string, its a good opportunity to shift to the third position for the next note. Smoother that way, I think. You can do the same thing when shifting from third to first position. Also works in first/fourth position shift.

Also, if you are playing up the neck, frets are closer together. So I use this as an opportunity to sometimes use my third finger where I would normally use the pinkie (as in a first position riff). My pinkie is just weaker, sounds stronger to me to use the third.

Agree with above that scales, scale patterns, and modes up the neck are really helpful

Hope that helps.

Tim Wilson

[red7flag]

I took this a few steps farther and worked on the other FFcP position that Ted spells out. I found the fourth one myself by starting the G scale on the 2nd fret and working up to the second scale of G. However, now I understand how it works. Just worked out the 2nd and 3rd positions. WOW. Thanks Ted for all the work you did to help us get this. This approach has totally opened the mandolin, mandola, and OM to new approaches.