Machine gun hold

**Soupy1957** · Nov-26-2006, 6:32pm

I've been doing more of my "learning" using the strap and standing for a couple of reasons:

a) By letting the strap handle the holding of the mando, I've
been able to free up my left and right hands more, which
increases my speed and freedom on both hands.

b) I find that keeping my mando level to the floor forces me
to adjust the way I address the neck for chords.

Question: I've noted that a number of accomplished players get into a kind of "machine gun" posture with their mandolins and from time to time during a performance, will adjust their mando back to that position should it wander.
So, in essence, they are moving around on the neck in a "North-South" style, (toward and away from the body) as opposed to the East-West movement that is so typical of the guitar, (for me as well).

Am I imagining things or is it actually "better" to be in a "machine gun" position rather than an "across the body" posture with the mandolin, unlike the guitar?

-Soupy1957

**mandocrucian** · Nov-26-2006, 6:48pm

Face North.
Step R foot 1/2>one step back (you still are looking N)
Angle neck so it points NW. Angle the neck up 20-45 degrees from the horizontal.
Remove safety.
Release your inner werewolf.

**Ted Eschliman** · Nov-26-2006, 9:27pm

Other thoughts: Breathe through your eyes and sing out your back...

**evanreilly** · Nov-26-2006, 9:28pm

I read mandocrucian's orientation tips a while back and played around with the angle of the weapon. I found that he was quite accurate in his view of positioning, and I sometimes consciously aim my mandolin now. Thanks, Niles!

**Soupy1957** · Nov-27-2006, 5:48am

The idea of imagining that the sound comes outa the back of the mando is interesting and I'll explore that a bit.

I want to ammend my earlier post and say that instead of being "North-South" with the "weapon" I think it is really about a 20º-30º angle that I'm really holding it at, but definitely horizontal.

Seems to work better than an East-West hold, don't you agree?

Soupy1957