Crosspicking vs "the Other Kind"

[allenhopkins]

Comparing the two vids, note how much more fretting-hand movement there is in crosspicking. Since at least one, and often two, strings are being used as non-melody "drone" strings (which is not to say that they're not being fretted, to fit harmoniously in the chord, at least most of the time), the melody may played largely on only one string -- whereas in "flatpicking," the player moves to an adjacent string when the melody's pitch goes up or down. You learn some unusual fretting-hand positions and fingerings in crosspicking.

I've tried it, but really don't have the dexterity (or sinisterity, since we're talking about my left [fretting] hand) to do it well. I'll do some slow cross-picked arpeggios behind vocals, on occasion, but I'll leave the real stuff to Jesse McR and his disciples.

Jim & Jesse McReynolds with Larry Roll, Virginia Trio, early 1950's:

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Here's Home Sweet Home played by my #2 teacher today, playing on my new Weber Gallatin. I asked him to play "both ways." He gave his permission to post the video here.

[lowtone2]

He sounds really good on your Weber. Nice mandolin, nice teacher!

[Mandoplumb]

Bill McCall but learning other style of picking won’t help your cross picking.
What you work on, time spent perfecting, is based on what you prefer. IMHO

[Bill McCall]

.....
What you work on, time spent perfecting, is based on what you prefer. IMHO

I believe I said that.

I also don’t think working on crosspicking will help your normal flat picking, although I’m often wrong. But if it did help, it would be written up everywhere as a great learning step, and it’s not.

Everyone’s journey and taste is different. I fully acknowledged my bias in thinking crosspicking is a very niche based technique which is very difficult to utilize, especially in improvising. And besides, who wants to emulate a banjo player

[NDO]

Dang it Sherry that video gave me a case of mandolin envy both for the instrument and the teacher.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Dang it Sherry that video gave me a case of mandolin envy both for the instrument and the teacher.

Don, for the right price . . . .

[Jon Hall]

Sherry, your Weber sounds great as does Gerald’s playing! How are you liking your mandolin? Is the neck comfortable? Does it have a radiused fretboard or is it flat?

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Sherry, your Weber sounds great as does Gerald’s playing! How are you liking your mandolin? Is the neck comfortable? Does it have a radiused fretboard or is it flat?

Thanks, Jon! Loving the Weber. The neck is comfortable, unlike the Gibson. My understanding from Gerald is the fretboard is radiused.

Why don't you move to Irving?

[bigskygirl]

Very nice video, mando sounds great!

Here’s 2 videos of Home Sweet Home - warning no McReynolds xpcking:



And here’s a video of some hot pickers I’ve picked up a few ideas from



Although YouTube can be slowed down, I use the app Audiostretch to slow down and loop videos

[Mandoplumb]

I think of cross picking as more of a way to emulate a Scruggs style banjo roll than a Travis style guitar finger picking. I have listened to, read explanations, and racked my brain to figure out exactly what Jesse McReynolds is doing. What I do is more like Geroge Shuffler did on guitar, which is a constantly varying three note “roll”