Splitting strings

[Matt Hutchinson]

Hi all

How many of you use the split string technique on a regular basis? I tend to find myself using it pretty regularly, mostly so I can get a bit of honk from having both major and minor thirds or a fifth and a flat fifth at the same time. I played with a fiddler and sometime mandolinist the other day who was amazed by this technique - something I thought was pretty standard.

So, who uses split strings, how often and what for?

cheers

Matt

[Paul Cowham]

Hi Matt,
My understanding is that very few people do this, but I may be mistaken. I tried for about 5 minutes after reading the Jesse McReynolds interview on this site, and decided that it was not going to be possible try and make my left hand do that. Do you have a video of yoursef doing this though? I'd be really interesed to see how you do it and it may inspire me to try.

Do you play in pub sessions in London? Occasionally I go down there and I'd be interested to see how you do this, or if you're up in Manchster and fancy a pick do let me know.
cheers,
Paul

[Bruce Clausen]

Here's a nice Bm11 chord I came up with on another thread:

4(04)4(05)

Notes are B-(D-F#)-C#-(E-A). Finger with 2, 3, 4.

Good for intros and endings, but I wouldn't want to try and grab it on the fly.

[Matt Hutchinson]

Do you have a video of yoursef doing this though? I'd be really interesed to see how you do it and it may inspire me to try.

Do you play in pub sessions in London? Occasionally I go down there and I'd be interested to see how you do this, or if you're up in Manchster and fancy a pick do let me know.
cheers,
Paul

Hi Paul

No video I'm afraid - probably wouldn't help much anyway as my fingers would hide what I'm doing. Basically I fret the lower course with m,y index finger and grab the higher one with the nail (or very tip) of my middle finger. Feels pretty natural now but it's a tricky one to slip into the middle of a phrase!

I do play at the Forest Hill session (south east London) sometimes but don't make it down every week

cheers

Matt

[JeffD]

I never use a split string technique. And every pick stroke I do hits both strings of the pair.

Frank Wakefield (and others) have used alternate tunings that involve changing the pitch of one of the strings. I have tried this and it and its interesting, but its a lot of messing around for one or two tunes.

I agree about the effectiveness of

both major and minor thirds or a fifth and a flat fifth at the same time

I do that sometimes to great effect, by finding a way down one string and up the neck.

[rwmanos]

Hm can't really understand what splitting strings is . :S

[Matt Hutchinson]

Hm can't really understand what splitting strings is . :S

It's a technique where you fret any two courses separately so, for example, fretting the upper A string at the 4th fret and the lower at the 2nd to get notes that are close together (which is tricky sometimes on an instrument tuned in 5ths)

[John McGann]

I believe Jesse's string spacing may be a bit wider to make this easier; he also grows his pinky nail out to help facilitate this.

Jesse McReynolds is an absolute genius of the mandolin; one listen to his tracks on Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza (Acoustic Disc) will prove it instantly. What a great musician!

[Matt Hutchinson]

I believe Jesse's string spacing may be a bit wider to make this easier

Which makes me think...on octave mandolin (which has wider spacing and more fret space to work with), I find this technique doesn't work so well. Think it has something to do with a higher register and (therefore) more string tension. Just not something I ever think of on the OM but use regularly on the mandolin.

Odd, eh?

Matt

[Phil Vinyard]

Radim Zenkl also does this split string trick. Saw him do it in performance at Kaufman Kamp in 2010, and then he showed us some of it in class the next day. As John says of McReynolds, I think he grew out the nail on his pinky to help do this.

[John McGann]

Radim's instruments have very unusual spacing, the pairs are a bit wider and the courses are further apart than usual- I got to play one of his a few years ago, and it was actually quite comfortable (though different!). He's an amazing musician and great guy!