hand position

[reeljigs]

Does anyone rest the pinky of their right hand on the mandolin while picking? (kind of like banjo players) My hand keeps wanting to do that, and I actually find it easier to find and pick the correct strings that way - but I am afraid that might be a bad habit to get into.

Also- does anyone know of any two finger chords for the following:

Em
B
Bm
Bb
F
F#m
C#m

thanks

[Unseen122]

Em is like this on the D string first finger on the second fret (the note of E) second finger bars the Cnat (on the A string) and the G (on the E string). That is all I know. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[duuuude]

Go see the mando player in the James King band, he rests his pinky on the pickguard and can play like lightning, so much for the "right" way to do things.
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[TommyK]

If you have an arch top mando with raised pickguard (some refer to as finger rest) then you'd be using the finger rest as it was intended: A place to anchor your pinky and maybe ring finger while picking out the melody, thereby keeping your mitts off'n the sound board so it can resonate fully. #
If, however you can rest your hand on a sky hook and not miss the notes, why change? #For that matter, why keep the finger rest attached at all? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
My guess is that if you play those hemi-semi-demiquavers (like white lightnin'), the rest / guard would just get in the way and the heat generated by the friction of your pick to rest would ignite the whole affair. Quite the conflagration! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif
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[reeljigs]

Can you clarify sky hook?
I do not have a pick guard- I've just been resting my pinky on the top of the mando. Is that what most people do?

[Jeffers]

I'm guessing that "sky hook" means that your right hand picks the notes without any part of it touching the mando. Personally, I don't plant any fingers but with quite big hands, the meaty part at the base of my thumb rests on the strings just behind the bridge whether I like it or not. Used to wonder if this was right but having seen the Chris Thile video, the big man said he did that himself a bit so I guess it's ok! Also heard people who play Webbers with those wooden things on the strings behind the bridge say they make great hand rests.

I took the pick guard off my Tanglewood because it was rattling and got in the way of chops and I wasn't using it any way - not too fussed about scratching the finish on that shoebox!

People say you can play whatever way you like and that's the truth! You can get some very pretty "harpy" sounds by picking way up the strings but you kinda need to used the sky hooks for that because there's precious little to rest on up there.

Hope the info's useful! Jeffers http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif