Crosspicking and Split String....what's the difference?

[Duane Graves]

Crosspicking I know a little and can do it some but Split String (developed by Jessy McR so they say) I have no clue on. What is the difference? Can someone talk me through them both? --dgg

[allenhopkins]

Cross-picking: playing arpeggio figures (like bluegrass banjo rolls) by playing three strings of a mandolin alternately, in varying patterns. Often one of the strings functions as a "drone" (like a banjo 5th string), while the melody is played on the other two strings. Here's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosspicking) a relatively decent Wikipedia article on the subject.

Split String: entirely different and pretty much unrelated. Involves fretting only one string of a course, leaving the other unfretted, using the fingernail. Fretting the "outside" first string with the index fingernail at the third fret, so that the first strings sound E/G, for example. Requires exceptional fretting precision, to avoid muting the unfretted string. I have never seen Jesse M fret both strings of a course in "split string" technique (i.e., each first string fretted at a different fret); hope the more knowledgeable will chime in with additional info.

[MandoSquirrel]

I think that about covers it, unless you can find Andy Statman's book on Jesse's style. AS' Jazz Mandolin book/CD set from Homespun uses them, but doesn't concentrate on Jesse, but is more general.

[sunburst]

I had the good fortune to hear Lorraine Duicit playing my mandolin (in my shop, while she was waiting for me to finish the frets on hers). At one point, she was playing chords that I realized had more than 4 notes, so I asked; "are you splitting strings?". She showed me several chord positions using split strings, not just the outside first string, but middle strings. Needless to say, I was impressed, but not really being a mandolin player I can't pass those chords along, and I don't know if she fretted both strings of a coarse, but I'm sure it's possible.

[Mike Bunting]

Jesse probably discusses crosspicking here. http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_001318.shtml

[Duane Graves]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4um6RyYrlE

There is some good cross-picking in this vid which is evident and the title says there is split-stringing going on there too.....but I can't really identify where by sight or by sound....can you? --dgg

[Jim Garber]

I had the good fortune to hear Lorraine Duicit playing my mandolin (in my shop, while she was waiting for me to finish the frets on hers).

It is Lorraine Duisit -- she was in Trapezoid many moons ago, right? She was the teaching assistant in our Jethro workshop when he taught the one and only time at Augusta Heritage Arts Workshops early 1980s. Actually she taught the first morning because JB was late. I believe that Jethro played split strings. I think there may be a tune he wrote with split in the title. I have to check.

[Mike Bunting]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4um6RyYrlE

There is some good cross-picking in this vid which is evident and the title says there is split-stringing going on there too.....but I can't really identify where by sight or by sound....can you? --dgg
There is no split string work going on and there is nothing in the title about it. John Jorgenson is a masterful picker though.

[sunburst]

It is Lorraine Duisit -- she was in Trapezoid many moons ago, right?

Yes, spell-check flags it either way, or I'd have probably gotten it right in spite of my dyslexia. I even Googled it to be sure I spelled it right! Oh well...
She had some fun Jethro stories too, BTW.

[Mandolin Mick]

Allen did a good job defining the styles. A good example of Jesse's split string work is Grave in the Valley by Jim & Jesse. Crosspicking is difficult but split string is really difficult ...