Beginnner Question Regarding Tabs / Right Hand

[grandmainger]

Hello!

I've just started playing the mandolin, using a printed method (Greg Horne's). I'm very happy so far, and I feel like I'm doing good progress.

1) I was wondering is there is a way to tell from a tab whether I'm supposed to pick one or both strings of a pair in one pick movement.

2) Is there any exercise I can do to make my left hand stronger (like squeeze stuff http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif )

3) I there a trick to harden my fingertips quicker?

4) Can you recommend a book of tabbed tunes? So far, I've learned 'old lazy jane' and 'soldier's joy', and there are a good few more to come in the book, as I learn more, but it would be nice to have a collection of easy tunes to vary a bit!

Thanks folks!

Germain

[levin4now]

Germain,

Not an expert but from what I understand, here are my responses.

1) For the most part, you are always picking both strings. In most cases, for example in 4/4 time, you use an alternating (down up down up) pick stroke, with the down stroke on the beat. I asked the same question about picking one or two strings a year ago and got the "both strings" answer. I guess as you become a stronger picker, and more fluid in motion, your stroke will be picking both strings. [I'd be glad to stand corrected, if a more experience player wishes to comment on this!]

2) I don't know about exercises other than practicing the mandolin alot. That's the best exercising for strengthening that hand, all the while learning about the mandolin!

3) Nope. Just play a lot. They'll be tough as nail soon enough.

4) So many books to choose from that i can't make a good rec. I would recommend that you visit www.alltabs.com, download teh FREE "TEFVIEW" program and download the .TEF files. These are files that contain the standard notation, the tab, and the midi (sound) file. when .tef files are opened and 'played' in Tefview, you can hear the song, play along, slow or speed up the song etc... I think it's a great tool. I believe www.alltabs.com and www.mandozine.com are two great locations to start to find hundreds and hundreds of tabs of different musical genres.

Good luck!

Alan

[Tennessee Jed]

The one string two string question brings me to this question. I can hit both strings on the downstroke but often hit only one on the upstroke. I think it might be that I'm taking an upward angle on the upstroke. Does this make sense? Has anyone else experienced this and what are the remedies?

[Rroyd]

Perhaps you are rotating your wrist as you pick, which will often cause you to pick only the bottom string on an upstroke, although the downstroke lets you hit both strings. This is more likely than an outward motion of the whole hand on an upstroke, but the latter is a possibility. Try to practice keeping your pick stroke or movement parallel to the strings. Just do some exercises or tunes that you know very well so that you can concentrate on the pick stroke and make sure you are hitting both strings on the upstroke. The goal is to develop a technique that becomes automatic, and if you are not having to think about what both hands are doing, that will happen sooner.

[Tennessee Jed]

Thanks Rroyd. I think you might be right. I tried some tunes that I know well and concentrated on what you suggested and it worked. I think also that when I have practiced for a long time my technique tends to get sloppy.

[grandmainger]

Many thanks for the pointers. after 2 weeks playing, my fingertips are already getting harder, and I'm learning tunes off alltabs.com !

Great! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif