I'm just starting, advice needed!

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 11:03am

Hi all,
This is my first post. I've been playing the acoustic guitar for a few years now, my friends say I'm not too bad! I have just been given a mandolin and I need some advice on technique. I am only playing basic two finger chords at the moment but I struggle playing strings that are next to each other in the same fret, two fingers don't seem to fit and one finger isn't big enough, the chord sounds very flat. Help please.

**Jim Broyles** · Feb-20-2009, 11:06am

You can barre if you are going to fret the other two strings, or you can practice catching both strings with one finger. That is the way most of us do it.

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 11:20am

Thanks Jim,
It's the one finger method I'm trying. I just can't seem to get both "outer" strings at the same time. I'm not giving up though.

**MikeEdgerton** · Feb-20-2009, 11:25am

I had the same problem when I started. Somehow you figure out how to get those big old fingers on that little space.

**chip** · Feb-20-2009, 11:30am

Practice

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 11:32am

I dont expect to be able to play in a day, just asking for any tips (finger tips?).

**MikeEdgerton** · Feb-20-2009, 12:00pm

This is going to sound a little odd, but since you are an experienced guitar player I'll share this observation. When I played primarily guitar my callouses were on the tips of my fingers. Since moving to mandolin a few years back my callouses have moved to the right side of the tip of my fingers, like around the corner a bit. I don't know if this is common or just what my hands went through making the change. I don't have problems fretting notes cleanly now like I did in the early days. You adjust.

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 12:00pm

Thanks Mike It's good to know I'm not the only one.

**Rick Schmidlin** · Feb-20-2009, 12:17pm

Mike give great advice and thank you Mike for this advice to our new member.

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 12:19pm

Mike,
It did sound a little odd, but it works! Just that slight adjustment of my hand position makes things easier. I'll still need to practice it, but that's what it's all about.

**Drringos** · Feb-20-2009, 12:27pm

Forgot to add THANKS!

**MikeEdgerton** · Feb-20-2009, 1:16pm

You're most welcome.

**mandozilla** · Feb-21-2009, 2:43am

Fretting the mandolin is difficult at first. If you play guitar and then pick up the mandolin, fretting the mandolin feels very awkward. Your left hand has to, for lack of a better word, contort and stretch itself to fit the mandolin and this will come with time.

Also over time, if you continue to play both guitar and mandolin it becomes second nature switching from one to another.

Ditto Mike the Moderator re: calouses...mine are off center towards the right and down a wee bit on the side...quite different from guitar calouses...funny I never noticed that until you mentioned it Mike...HaHaHa

**Mandojulie** · Feb-27-2009, 8:15am

There is apparently a lot of truth in what Mike and all are saying.

I'm going the opposite way. I've played mandolin for two years now - I'm good enough people don't run away screaming - now I've just started on guitar. My fingertips are KILLING me! Ow! Ow! OW!

I really thought calluses were calluses.

Keep practicing, Drringos; I will too.

Julie

**rekx** · Feb-27-2009, 9:05am

Keep a journal!

**EdHanrahan** · Feb-27-2009, 9:53am

Originally Posted by Mandojulie

... now I've just started on guitar. My fingertips are KILLING me! Ow! Ow! OW!

Great comments here on callouses!

This view may seem counter-intuitive to some but, after playing 6 and 12-string guitar for decades, I've always found that, after a break of weeks or months (travel, illness, injury), the 12-string is more fingertip-friendly to dive back into. I credit that to the PAIR of strings speading out the pressure on the fingertip, rather than one string trying to dig its laser-precise groove.

I would have specified "all else being equal", except that all else rarely IS equal. The 12-string may have a shorter scale, or lighter gauge strings, etc., so the fretting pressure is something less than double that of a 6-string, maybe even the same as a 6-string. (I don't tune lower than standard). But I do perceive that the fingertips take more kindly to the wider "footprint" of a PAIR of strings, compared to a single string.

Now that I'm almost full-time on mando (thanks to a year-plus long shoulder injury), the ease of a PAIR of strings seems apparent, at least to me.

Where mandos do vary is their set-up. Some are of medium or low action with medium or light strings, while many have high action and heavy strings (needed for bluegrass battle with those LOUD banjos & fiddles). So mandos don't necessarily require a lot of figertip pressure; I see that as the player's choice. Personally, I expect to grow into higher action, string gauge, and volume(!) as my technique & strength improve.

Julie - As to your going to guitar from mando: A 12-string, set up well, just might feel surprisingly comfortable and familiar. Give it a shot!

Good Luck, and I hope this helps. - Ed

**KCrook** · Feb-27-2009, 10:15am

After playing guitar for 30 years, mostly Bluegrass, I purchased a Mando and started picking. I almost immediately found that the Mandolin is easier on the fingertips, but that try as I might, I couldn't get those annoying string buzzes to stop because my fingers didn't seem to fit. And .. was I going to need Yoga lessons to get my fingers to do that G chop chord???

After struggling for a month, I decided to get a few lessons, and ....

The first thing my instructor told me was that I was playing the Mando like a guitar, and that I would need to learn to play it like a Mandolin, and not a guitar if I wanted to improve. For example, I was holding the Mando to low and too much in the center of my body, and as a result, my left arm was almost "locked," against my midsection, which inhibited the flexibility of my left hand. Once I changed how I was holding the Mando, I was suddenly able to get that "G" chop chord to work, and over the next month, the 'buzzing' went away.

That was only one of the things that she spotted .. lol!

Unfortunately, internet lessons don't tell you things like that. Even if it is just for a few 'introductory' sessions, it might be a good idea to get some lessons. I really helped me.

**Alex Orr** · Feb-27-2009, 10:54am

Same with me. Guitar for a few years. Then mando. Now, mostly mando. I had problems with string buzz early on. It drove me nuts. This is going to sound simplistic but just keep playing, making sure your technique is sound. Remember, unlike a guitar, you don't want to fret just behind the fret. Eventually my fret buzz cleared up. I'm not really sure why, but after playing ti for amonth or so it went away. One thing you also want to do is have it professionally set-up. It could be that the problem is in the mandolin and not you.

**Mandojulie** · Feb-27-2009, 2:14pm

Julie - As to your going to guitar from mando: A 12-string, set up well, just might feel surprisingly comfortable and familiar. Give it a shot!

Good Luck, and I hope this helps. - Ed

Ed, thanks for that thought. A guy at one of my jams always has a 12 string - I'll give it a try!

Julie

**Drringos** · Mar-01-2009, 9:20am

Thanks to you all. I have just had a lesson from a pro. and it really is worth it. I think I made an assumption about the mando (as I have seen it called) being the same, or very similar, to a guitar. I think that was a very poor assumption as I'm sure you all already know. Thanks again and I'm still really enjoying my new instrument. The guitar is looking a bit more dusty these days.