alubin - Posted - 01/05/2011:  08:31:52

Hey everybody-

I just got my first mandolin three days ago and I'm really loving it! Just so I don't start out picking up any bad habits, I was hoping someone could enlighten me on the proper position for the picking hand. Is it supposed to be free-floating? Is it OK to plant a finger or two on the pickguard? What about having the heel of the hand resting on or behind the bridge?

I've been trying to keep the hand free-floating but I notice that the heel seems to be resting on the strings behind the bridge if I'm not paying attention. Is that bad technique?

Thanks!

Petimar - Posted - 01/05/2011:  09:46:17

You see top players doing all sorts of different right hand things. I don't believe there is a "best" way. I do believe there is a most ergonomically efficient way, though.

I've done a bunch of videos on good ergonomics as taught me by a good performing arts doc. You can see them through my website

petimarpress.com.

Best of luck.

Tomm - Posted - 01/05/2011:  09:46:34

I'm sure most will agree that "planting" to some degree or another is not necessarily bad, however, I would recommend becoming comfortable playing either completely un planted or just a light graze or touch here or there, whatever your comfortable with. Guess through experience I'm saying definitely don't have to plant. On down the road you will back up and see the need to be able to play without the plant. I learned this on guitar years and years ago when right hand (my pick hand ) technique wasn't allowing me to progress and do certain things. The culprit.............I was always planted which severly limits your wrist action. Now I plant, graze and play closed fisted depending on what I'm doing in the course of the song.

Edited by - Tomm on 01/05/2011 09:48:17

m - Posted - 01/05/2011:  10:37:06

Mike Marshall also has some good beginner tips here,

daddario.com/DADMediaDetail.Pa...diaId=352

Edited by - m on 01/05/2011 10:38:27

irishbanjos - Posted - 01/05/2011:  13:13:53

I place the hand over the strings and strum/pick less than 0.4 inches (1 cm) away from the end of the fretboard. I don't know if it's ok, but when I'm playing solos, scales or any kind of picking, I prefer to lay my hand on the strings after the bridge (that is, where they don't sound, where they go from the bridge to the tailpiece). It's easier for me to play picking patterns like that.

mandoteacher - Posted - 01/05/2011:  14:25:38

I'm all about saving myself from carpal tunnel, hence my hand position:

1. keep my right 3 bottom fingers tucked in loosely, not extended
2. hold pick medium tightness between thumb and forefinger
3. hold wrist parallel to strings
4. gently rest the heel of my hand on the strings behind the bridge

I uploaded a video demonstrating this technique on my Youtube page: youtube.com/adamrsweet

irishbanjos - Posted - 01/05/2011:  14:38:36

quote:

---

Originally posted by mandoteacher

I'm all about saving myself from carpal tunnel, hence my hand position:

1. keep my right 3 bottom fingers tucked in loosely, not extended
2. hold pick medium tightness between thumb and forefinger
3. hold wrist parallel to strings
4. gently rest the heel of my hand on the strings behind the bridge

---

alubin - Posted - 01/05/2011:  14:56:52

Thanks for all the responses! I'm noticing a little soreness in the wrist area today, which is not a good thing. I'm definitely going to try these methods to see if the soreness goes away.

mandolinman31639 - Posted - 01/05/2011:  15:25:15

First thing is get rid of the pickguard LOL

irishbanjos - Posted - 01/06/2011:  00:04:24

quote:

---

Originally posted by mandolinman31639

First thing is get rid of the pickguard LOL

---

Tomm - Posted - 01/06/2011:  04:27:31

Another great point Adam made was keeping his wrist parallel to the strings. Along with "digressing" and (re) learning to play unplanted and close fisted, Years ago I realized why so many play with they're instruments so high. Great example would be Clay Hess. The higher you can comfortably play the more natural the right angle between your upper and lower arm will become which translates to your lower arm and wrist being parallel to the strings. For me it made for much better pick control, tone and outright power in my playing. This might not work for some, but it is an approach to give a try if your searching.

mandolinman31639 - Posted - 01/07/2011:  16:48:40

Pickguards get in the way and block sound from coming out

quote:

---

Originally posted by irishbanjos

quote:

---

Originally posted by mandolinman31639

First thing is get rid of the pickguard LOL

---

Why?

---

m - Posted - 01/07/2011:  19:37:30

[quote]Originally posted by mandolinman31639

Pickguards get in the way and block sound from coming out [quote]Originally posted by irishbanjos
Not true.

Edited by - m on 01/07/2011 19:37:59

m - Posted - 01/07/2011:  19:39:35

[quote]Originally posted by mandolinman31639

Pickguards get in the way and block sound from coming out [quote]Originally posted by irishbanjos
Not true'

irishbanjos - Posted - 01/07/2011:  23:12:26

quote:

---

Originally posted by mandolinman31639

Pickguards get in the way and block sound from coming out

---

dmiller - Posted - 01/08/2011:  22:56:42

To answer two questions here (one about right hand position and the other about pick guards):

1.) Pertaining to right hand position. I don't know the proper technique, but the way I have ALWAYS picked mandolin is with the right hand lower palm resting on the strings right between the bridge and the tailpiece. After reading the initial post here, I tried to plant a finger on the pick guard, and found that my palm rested naturally (anyway) on the strings below the bridge. IMO, "planting a finger on the pick guard doesn't do any good.

When picking banjo, I HAVE to plant one (not two) fingers to be able to pick it. If I try to plant the ring finger as well as the little finger, my right hand becomes (in effect) crippled. That ring finger just HAS to float free for my banjo picking. The same concept is true for me (on mandolin) with my palm resting squarely on all the strings below the bridge, if I want to be able to play any notes on it. In essence, "planting the palm on the mandolin (imo) is the same as planting a finger (or two if you can) on the banjo. It gives you a "focal point" from which to deliver the energy from. It gives you a base from which you can "attack" the strings.

2.) Now - - - pick guards. I fail to see how they could impede a mandolins sound. Mandolin pick guards aren't glued into the surface of an instrument, like a guitar pick guard is. The pick guard on my mandolin is connected by 3 points. A clamp on the treble side of the mandolin, and a hole in the bridge, and a hole in the fingerboard. In other words, it's pretty much "free-floating" and doesn't impact the dynamics of the mandolin's bracing /etc./ that was built into the instrument. Just because the pick guard on mine happens to cover a portion of the sound hole, doesn't mean that it is detrimental to the sound coming out of the instrument. The sound comes from the dynamics built into the mandolin, and a pick guard "hovering" above that sound hole won't diminish the sound.

As always - - - I add the "usual" disclaimer since this works for me. This is imo. YMMV.

m - Posted - 01/08/2011:  23:18:59

The sound of a mando radiates off the top, not out of the F holes, the way that a speaker cones makes sound. In order for it to function, air must be able to move in and out of the "box". A closed speaker cabinet has ports to let air in and out, letting the cone vibrate as it is driven by the electric signal. Vibrating strings drive the top of the mandolin in the same way.

m - Posted - 01/08/2011:  23:20:01

The sound of a mando radiates off the top, not out of the F holes, the way that a speaker cones makes sound. In order for it to function, air must be able to move in and out of the "box". A closed speaker cabinet has ports to let air in and out, letting the cone vibrate as it is driven by the electric signal. Vibrating strings drive the top of the mandolin in the same way.

dmiller - Posted - 01/08/2011:  23:26:38

Oh - - - and to add to my point about pick guards, here's a pic of my 68 Martin D-35.



The pick guard came loose and I removed it entirely thinking to sand the surface/ get the top clean/ and re-glue it.
With the pick guard off, the guitar IMMEDIATELY started to open up and sounded much better.
Eventually I lost the pick guard, much like Monroe eventually lost the original scroll on his mandolin.
In my case, the pick guard on the guitar did impede the sound. Not so on the mandolin, though.