Chops and not pork ones. :)

[WmBuoymaster]

Until I can get this darn 4th finger going, and I swear I will practice that, can one chop rythmn with 3? I want to start jamming with my in laws and that messing 4th ain't gonna sound good. I'm trying but the stretch isn't there yet. Thank yall

[John Flynn]

Sure. Just mute the string you aren't playing. Better still, mute it with the pinky in as close to the position it should be in. Eventually it will start doing what it should.

This may not work for you, but I'll tell you what really got my pinky working was learning to play melodies on an octave mandolin. When I first got my OM, I was like a kid with a new toy for a couple of months and barely played my regular mandolins. I would learn melodies and chords on the OM I knew from the regular mandolin, but there was no way I could play most of them without getting my pinky working. When I went back to the regular mandolin, it was like my pinky had gotten "super powers." It just started doing what I wanted it to, chords or melody, without me even trying to make it happen.

[WmBuoymaster]

That makes alot of sense on the pinky powers John. I do use it when I do the melodies I'm learning.

I'll give the the mute thing a try also.
Thanks!

[HonketyHank]

Sure. There all kinds of three finger chord shapes that rely on either the 1st or 4th string to be omitted. With a little practice you can avoid hitting that unvoiced string. for example:
G: fret 4 on G string, fret 5 on D string, fret 5 on A string; or, fret4 on G string, fret 5 on Dstring, fret 2 on A string.
C: fret 5 on G, fret 2 on D, fret 3 on A
D: just move the C chord up 2 frets

[pops1]

I like to mute the E, fret A on second, D on 5th, G on 4th. Will make a great chop and no stretching. I use the pinky a lot in melodies, but don't chord that much so when I do this is what I use. I also like the sound better.

[Br1ck]

Sure. Just mute the string you aren't playing. Better still, mute it with the pinky in as close to the position it should be in. Eventually it will start doing what it should.

This may not work for you, but I'll tell you what really got my pinky working was learning to play melodies on an octave mandolin. When I first got my OM, I was like a kid with a new toy for a couple of months and barely played my regular mandolins. I would learn melodies and chords on the OM I knew from the regular mandolin, but there was no way I could play most of them without getting my pinky working. When I went back to the regular mandolin, it was like my pinky had gotten "super powers." It just started doing what I wanted it to, chords or melody, without me even trying to make it happen.

I'm getting my sales pitch polished now. Honey, I need an octave mandolin so I can improve my pinkie. It's really the only way I can improve.

Answer: Just play where I can't hear you. That's why your music room is detached from the house.

[WmBuoymaster]

Lol! Yea...I've been kicked to the back porch here!

Ran across this..... https://youtu.be/OO-4FIRjgXw

Seems ok but probably not the exact right way?

[mandroid]

Pick hand palm mute works,, mandolin becomes a drum in a drum less band.

[John Flynn]

Lol! Yea...I've been kicked to the back porch here!

Ran across this..... https://youtu.be/OO-4FIRjgXw

Seems ok but probably not the exact right way?

Roland White is a great resource! I think he is one of the great BG mandolin players, way underrated. I took a workshop with him once and it was one of the best workshops I've ever taken. He is very non-dogmatic about BG. He feels the standard chop gets boring pretty quickly in a tune. He showed us variations on both the left and right hand with chops and he said tunes are more interesting if you vary them.

[Timbofood]

Jesse uses three finger chops a lot too,
But were you expecting some pics like this
Sorry, steak not chop but, you get the idea, yes, I will go stand in the corner again!

John makes an excellent point about Roland White, I've been on the Roland train since way back when I was a pup, he completely understands,the "straight" BG form, he also has incredible understanding of syncopation. He will drag a millisecond or push it and the flavor of the whole thing is mind boggling.
I've been lucky enough to have had a few quiet moments with him, what an incredibly kind, generous, funny, smart guy!
His KC railroad blues is a brilliant example,of the variation on chop and syncopated attack.
(The Nashville BG Band one) I think,he sails in about 1:12.

[onassis]

When it comes to BG rhythm, I find that the type or shape of chord used is far less important than steadiness and precision. If you can lock down on the off-beat and sync up with the bass player, then you could be muting all 4 courses and no one would care. Chopping rhythm is mostly about being a BG snare drum.

That said, these days I find myself playing 4 finger chop chords only about 20% of the time. I've mostly switched over to double stops or 3 note shapes. I just find it to be a cleaner, more controllable sound.

[Mark Wilson]

I mute the unused E strings (when chopping 3 finger chords) with lower part of my left index finger. Hand/wrist angle is important - don't hold it like a guitar player or the E will peak out on you. If you flatten out your wrist some with your fingers pointing up the board you can chop open chords

[WmBuoymaster]

Can you find a photo or maybe take one on the position? Im 1 week and 3 days into this. But a quick learner.

[Mandoplumb]

Disagree with some posts. If you mute with heel of picking hand or mute all 4strings there is a slap or a snare sound but no tone. I know there is a lot players today even professionals that have no tone in their chop and I think something is missing. There are ways to chop with 3 fingers and still maintain tone in your chop, good suggestion have been made. I'm mid sixties and my hands are stiffer than they used to be so I use a lot of three finger chords, and the timing on the off beat and working with bass IS very important but IMHO so is tone.

[Ivan Kelsall]

This is the 'G' chord shape that i use all the time. I can play the 'proper' one,but i prefer the sound of the lower G string note,
Ivan

[onassis]

Ivan - I frequently use what is essentially the same G, I just drop the high G note (on the E string) and play it as a 3 note chord. I especially like it in the key of D, where I use what I think of as the "barre" chord shape for D and A, with the index finger at the second fret. That way, I can switch between D, G and A chords, but the index, ring and pinky fingers stay on the 2nd, 4th and 5th frets, respectively. Also, for whatever reason, I've grown to prefer the sound of the barre chord over that of the standard chop chord. More fundamental, somehow.

[WmBuoymaster]

So from what I'm gathering, there's many ways to put together chops. Very cool!

I started practicing the Roland White video last night. It's working for me, for now.

[Paul Busman]

Pick hand palm mute works,, mandolin becomes a drum in a drum less band.

I've done that at Irish sessions when I didn't know a particular tune. I felt it kept me involved, and as I picked up parts of the tune I'd start playing melody. I did keep it pretty quiet.

[Mandoplumb]

Ivan that is the one I use almost always since my hand has become so stiff it's hard for me to get the " proper" one that I used for years. I just don't note the E string, making it a great BG three finger chop chord. I know you put proper in quotes and so did I. We are using proper tounge-in-cheek, just because that is the way Bill did it doesn't mean that is "proper". Is that the BG police I hear coming?