I recently discovered that holding my mandolin pick seems to be more comfortable if I hold it with the pick resting on my first two fingers. I am interested; are there any drawbacks to this style of pick grip?
Randy
I recently discovered that holding my mandolin pick seems to be more comfortable if I hold it with the pick resting on my first two fingers. I am interested; are there any drawbacks to this style of pick grip?
Randy
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I say "whatever suits you tickles me plumb to death".
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Check out Paul van Vlodrop from the Netherlands, unique right hand technique, but a super musician (and a good friend):
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Some folks play terrifically with that grip, like Brian Oberlin. On the other hand, I believe Wayne Benson changed from that grip to ‘more normal’ over the ‘Covid time’. He has a good video describing that journey.
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I’m pretty sure that Robin Bullock uses the 2finger style.
As a young mandolin hotshot, I held the pick any-old-way, with two fingers, like a pencil grip, with the other fingers trailing/flailing, with pinky planted, whatever, and managed to blaze solely on my youthful inertia. Now in my advancing years my facility and accuracy with my picking hand is diminished, and I adopted the "correct" (so sez "conventional wisdom") pick grip and it's the only thing that works for me. I was heartened when I learned that Wayne Benson had the same transformation with similarly satisfying results. Whatever works for you, whenever...
too many strings
I will add to the above, that my transition to my current plectral grip occurred at the same time I acquired a very (very, VERY) nice mandolin. In the process of shopping for this mandolin my friend Tom Rozum offered the wisdom that "this mandolin will teach you how to play it", and he was right! This mandolin responds best to the closed-fist grip and gives up it's optimal tone when plectralized in this fashion.
too many strings
There are many different ways that people will hold the pick, think of all the amazing players out there and compare the different ways they hold it. I've found the best for me is the closed right hand, seems the most efficient and can get the most clarity and volume there too.
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