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Thread: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

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    Default Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    I realize that different tones can be realized depending where between your fretboard and bridge you strike the string. But I also would guess that most of you have a "sweet spot" where you do the lion's share of your pick striking to get the best, fullest, sweetest tone out of your mandolin. So on a linear scale with the 20th fret being 1 and the bridge saddle being 10, where do you do most of your pick striking?

  2. #2
    Registered User Steve 2E's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Between 2 and 3 on the mikerofone scale.

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    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Usually somewhere near the end of the fretboard would be the sweet spot soundwise when picking for me.
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    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Just almost exactly where Steve notes his picking position, and that is also just where Jill mentions too - my mandolin is one of my own builds with a 375mm scale length.
    I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe

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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    I'd say about the same for me

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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve 2E View Post
    Between 2 and 3 on the mikerofone scale.
    Me too that.

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    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    I’ve noticed that I’m often around a 7 or 8 location especially when performing, because when I’m just playing backup and I take a moment to really relax into a groove I’ll consciously move to a 1-4 position and sometimes a -4 to 1 when gently strumming. The sound there is big and mellow.
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    === High Strung === gfury's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    I aim for around 3, but often find myself slipping back around 10. I'm working on it ...

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Nearly all of the time I'm aiming for the strings, but sometimes I miss.

    I usually play around the soundhole on my teens Gibson oval hole A model. I'll vary the position a bit - nutward for a softer sound, bridgeward for more bite, a brassier sound. I do rest my wrist just behind the bridge what is probably considered too often. It increases my accuracy - really don't want to miss the string. Generally I don't contact the bridge enough to dampen the vibration, but it is convenient to be close enough to do that when I want to produce a more definitive rhythm sound. So I guess on your scale that'd be between 2-7, more or less.
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    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    Usually somewhere near the end of the fretboard would be the sweet spot soundwise when picking for me.
    This

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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve 2E View Post
    Between 2 and 3 on the mikerofone scale.
    OK, I’ve never come across this term; thought it was a joke. If it’s actually a real thing then where is it defined?
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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    That's the OP's nom de plume.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

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    Registered User JiminRussia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Where do you do most of your pick striking?

    I’m pretty much still a beginner, but Recently I have become more aware of where I am picking on the long axis (the line from headstock to bridge) of the fretboard. Up to this time I have been trying to teach my fingers where the strings are on the short axis (across the width of the neck). I almost have them trained on the “Y” axis, I just need to train them on the “X” axis. I try not to do this by any visual clue, my eyes have enough to watch already. Instead, I listen to the tone and when it starts to get thin and tin can sounding, I know that my picking has slid down towards the bridge too far. I don’t know why, but my hand never drifts up towards the nut, always down towards the bridge. It is a constant effort, but I believe that I’m gaining on it. My goal is to get to the point to where I can hear the tone shift and make the correction before the audience notices.
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