Greetings from Australia!
I thought it a good time to make some instructional videos about tremolo. Here is the first one.
https://youtu.be/TrSLeM3cYd0
Stay safe, stay home and play mandolin Ruth Roshan
Greetings from Australia!
I thought it a good time to make some instructional videos about tremolo. Here is the first one.
https://youtu.be/TrSLeM3cYd0
Stay safe, stay home and play mandolin Ruth Roshan
Thanks for the video, very nice! Please continue. The pick appears to be a Pickboy. Who is the maker of your instrument? It has a very full and bright tone. Thanks again and cheers from Canberra.
Hi Victor,
Thank you for your kind words about this video. The maker of my instrument is a Melbourne maker called Jon Dale.
Best wishes,
Ruth
Thanks for the video - I found it very helpful. Looking forward to the next ones.
I'll be honest, I've never really liked tremolo, and as a consequence, I've never learned to do it well!
However, to be a good all-round musician I suppose I should be able to do it, and when would be a better time to learn and practise?
I thought the first lesson was very good, clear and nicely paced, and I'm looking forward to the rest, so thank you Ruth.
Heh heh, so it's up there with admitting to beating my wife or wearing corduroy?
Seriously, playing trad Irish, Scottish and English tunes there's not a lot of need for tremolo.
David Grisman has a fine tremolo, IMO, in any style he chooses to play. His right hand overall is pretty doggone (haha) incredible . . . love his dynamics!
Clark Beavans
Whenever I hear tremolo, I smell pizza....... That's not a bad thing!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a vet.
Thanks for your encouragement. Lesson 2 is up. ItÂ’s about playing legato and separate notes - counting the strokes. Then we play Danny Boy together. ItÂ’s a building block for lesson 3 about different ways to create dynamics. Stay safe, stay home, play mandolin. https://youtu.be/Z_VHlBve-to
Thanks for the videos, Ruth.
I really like your teaching style. I'm looking forward to the next two installments. Thank you!
Ruth, Thank you for your time to make the videos. Every bit of knowledge one can absorb helps - anxiously awaiting III and IV.
Thanks, Ruth. I have always loved your playing. What is that piece you are playing at the beginning of the first lesson?
Also here are the time points for the first one. I think if you copy them into your Youtube post you it will link directly to that time:
Music
Intro:
1. The pick and how you hold it 2:00
2. Placement of the pick in the mando 3:24
3. Placement of the arm/wrist 4:30
4. Relax 4:45
5. Rest on the string below 5:10
6. Doubling exercise 5:50
Other lessons: 7:00
For everyone's convenience, here are the two lessons embedded.
Jim
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19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
My pleasure SOMorris, Rdean and Bad Habbits
Hi Jim Garber,
Lovely to hear from you! The first piece I played was the beginning of Oblivion (Piazzolla).
I added your timings to youtube and it worked! Thank you.
I’ve just uploaded lesson 3. It’s quite a dense lesson ...
We learn 3 different methods which may be combined to produce the louds and softs with tremolo. We talk briefly about ensuring your tremolo matches the mood. How to play “hell for leather” and how to use tremolo to create brilliance or accent a note.
Here is the link: https://youtu.be/k4l51_bftXw
Stay safe, stay home, play the mandolin.
Thanks again, Ruth.
Quick question: I know this question has generated a lot of back and forth on this forum, but my question is about anchoring when using tremolo. I have been practicing tremolo for a while now, and do not seem to be getting any better. When practicing tremolo on one open string at a time without anchoring, I can only do a halfway decent job with a metronome set at about 44 or maybe 46 bpm, with 4/4 time and tremoloing 32nd notes. If I rest the base of my hand/wrist on the strings just below the bridge, I can get significant faster. Otherwise, I seem to loose control of my pick hand, and the hand starts to move from my elbow more than from my wrist. I could not tell from your video whether you were resting the base of your hand or wrist on the mandolin or playing with just the mandolin "gripped" under your arm just below the elbow. Can you tell me what you recommend?
Hi SoMorris,
Thank you for your question. It is hard to tremolo without anchoring somewhere. I rest my arm on the top of the mandolin but if you comfortable resting your wrist on the strings below the bridge that’s logical to me.
In terms of control at any speed I suggest you focus on resting your pick on the string below after each stroke. Just do down strokes at first and get used to the feel of the pick resting on the string below. Then start adding the ups.
With the E string there is no string below to rest on so you have to sort of remember how it feels to play on the other strings and then try to emulate the feel on the E string.
Hope that helps and happy playing!
Ruth
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