I'm enjoying my new mandocello immensely. I was hoping to get some thoughts from more experienced players before I build any bad habits.
In my practice time so far, I've tended to revert back to mandolin fingerings (2 frets per finger and not shifting) once I get up the neck. It's workable when I have finger 1 anchored on fret 7. A big stretch but still a temptation at fret 5. Is that OK or is there a better way to think about it?
Also, playing in first position in the C major scale is pretty easy with mandocello fingerings (like the way Mike Marshall describes on the D'addario video), like this:
C major scale (fingerings in parenthesis) starting on low course and ascending
C(open) D(1) E(3) F(4)
G(open) A(1) B(3) C(4)
But in the key of D or A, I noticed that I tend to play it differently:
D major scale, starting on the low course and ascending
D(1) E(2) F#(4)
G(open) A(1) B(2) C#(4)
D(open)
Is that a good general technique for finger placement in first position? It would be closer to the C-scale placements to put finger 3 down (the ring finger) instead of 2 (the middle finger) but feels less natural, and seems to put a bigger stretch in the pinky.
I can't think of a way to play in first position in these keys without either shifting or using upon strings.
Lastly, any essential resources that you can recommend to help me get my fundamentals down for mandocello?
Thanks!
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