Re: Wide neck Mandolins ?
Originally Posted by
Randi Gormley
Although I've seen some reference to "practicing more" with what you have, nobody has actually spelled out that you may be holding the instrument wrong, or if they have, I missed it (perfectly likely). You don't hold a mandolin like a guitar. You hold it like a violin/fiddle. Good guitar technique means your hand is perpendicular to the fretboard. that's horrible mandolin technique. If you hold your mandolin up to your chin as if it were a violin/fiddle and see where your hands naturally fall -- at an angle -- you're closer to mandolin technique. With your hands at an angle, you have a better chance of fretting the notes more cleanly and your hands aren't as strained. This may not be your experience -- you may be holding the instrument in the best way a mandolin ought to be handled, in which case a wide neck may be what works better -- but I'd double check your fretting hand position. Just putting that out there.
Coming from playing classical guitar, the typical mandolin neck presented a real challenge, so like others I thought I should look for one with a wider neck. That search brought me to this thread and Randi Gormley's post regarding the increased hand angle for mandolin as opposed to typical classical guitar hand position.
I immediately picked my mandolin, held it to my chin, and viewed the left hand position. I then tried duplicating that hand position while playing a few tunes, and it made quite an improvement.
When I first started, I would hold the mandolin in a comfortable position, while adjusting the hands to fit, which was a big mistake. After reading Randi's post I did it the other way around, making the mandolin position accommodate my left hand with more of an angle.
These changes should save me the cost of another instrument, allowing me to keep playing what I already have. Thank you Randi.
Recording king A-style Mandolin
Eastman MD404-BK Mandolin
Esteve 6008 Requinto Guitar tuned E-E
LaMancha classical guitar
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