Re: How did Mando change/improve your guitar flat picking?
For me, mandolin helped improve my flatpicking for fiddle tunes on the guitar. I dove into mandolin for years before really trying to apply the techniques to guitar. By that time, I had the tunes memorized enough that it was a fun challenge to try them on the guitar.
Then I found jazz. I played mandolin with a gypsy jazz group for about 8 years before buying a selmer style guitar. The knowledge I gained learning jazz on mandolin was fairly easily transferred to guitar, but in this case many melody passages that seemed complicated on mandolin felt more natural on guitar, especially songs written by guitarists. Also the jazz rhythm and chords I find much more fun on guitar, but I can more easily play faster tempos on the mandolin.
In short, mandolin playing has constantly evolved and informed my guitar playing, and guitar has equally informed my mandolin, especially with jazz. It is a positive feedback loop!
2014 AL Smart F5
1988 Givens A
1921 Gibson A
2009 Peter Zwinakis Selmer Guitar
2002 Martin D-18V
1999 Huss and Dalton CM Custom
Several Old Fiddles
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