Violinist turned mandolinist

[CDVA47]

Hi folks! I'm a long-time violinist who has finally decided to act on a desire to pick up the mandolin. I've done my homework and found myself what should be a nice instrument to start on, and while I wait for it to arrive, I thought I would do a bit of investigating here at Mandolin Cafe.

For those of you who play both violin/fiddle and mandolin, are there any specific thoughts you can offer for someone who grew up on violin and is just now beginning mandolin? Any easy pitfalls, or things to watch out for?

Thanks!

[mrmando]

The left hand will come easily enough. The right hand is an entirely different ball game.

Unless you specifically bought a short-scale classical mandolin, you will notice the 7/8" difference in scale length ... when you go back to the fiddle your intonation will feel a little spread out.

Depending on what styles of music you've played, you have learned either to embrace double stops or avoid them. It's different on the mandolin: you have frets to guide your intonation and there's no need to fear the double stop, or indeed the four-note chord. Learn chords as quickly as you can.

Tremolo is a little different on the mandolin, but if you have a good violin tremolo you'll develop a good mandolin tremolo much faster than someone who has to start from scratch.

[CDVA47]

Interesting about the scale length - I'll have to be careful about that. Thankfully, I'm a chord enthusiast, so those shouldn't come with too much struggle.

Is the similarity between mandolin and violin tremolo something along the lines of knowing how to keep your wrist loose and the like, or is there more to it than that?

[mrmando]

I think it's mostly about the wrist, yes. My hunch is that because the mandolin has more strings at higher tension, tremolo may require a little more force than it does on a violin. But then, it's a 62-gram bow versus a pick that may weigh only a gram or two.

[Santiago]

You'll do fine. You'll love it. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you'll be able to play right out of the case, but it will still take years to play the way you'll want to.

[Capt. E]

Loose wrist is exactly right. Holding the pick at the correct angle with a good angle of attack is another big aspect. The weight and contour of the pick can have a very significant effect on your tremelo volume as well as on the tone itself. Everyone has their favorite style and maker of picks as well as brand of strings etc. Much is based on the type of music you want to play.
Enjoy the great mandolin adventure.

[CDVA47]

Haha, yes, this is what I'm trying to remind myself. I keep getting so excited when I hear these amazing mandolin recordings, then making myself remember how long it takes to get up to that level of playing. It's going to be a bit strange, after so many years of being able to play more or less whatever is on the page in front of me. Then again, that's half the thrill, right?

[CDVA47]

Interesting about the importance of the pick in being able to nail a tremolo. I suppose it makes sense! Do any of you have recommendations as to what sort of a pick would be suitable for a beginner such as myself? Is it entirely a matter of personal preference, or are there pick types that are generally regarded as easier to learn with?

[instrumentality]

The right hand is harder than it looks!

I am a fiddler, now also a mandolinist, just started two months ago. It's a lot of fun and I love the sound of the mandolin. I also love that I can easily bring it to work, or to the park, or wherever...it seems a little more travel-friendly and group-friendly than the fiddle...a lot easier to pick away at it in a social group of other people who aren't doing anything musical than it is to do the same with the fiddle. I also love the fact that any tunes I learn on the fiddle I automatically know on the mandolin, and vice versa, so even when I'm spending time away from one instrument, I'm acquiring tunes for both.

Have fun!

[Capt. E]

I started with a medium sized heavy guitar pick. They are cheap and work well for mandolin. One friend of mine, who plays celtic music, prefers thin picks, but I prefer the sound a heavier pick produces. What type of music interests you? Bluegrass players almost universally use rather heavy picks.

[CDVA47]

I'm more immediately interested in the blues and jazz end of the spectrum, but at this point I'm open to anything that catches my fancy. I suppose a fairly versatile pick would be best?

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Watch this:


It's excellent advice

And if you want more, he's got a couple of instructional videos from Homespun.

Daniel

[CDVA47]

Awesome video - thanks Daniel!

[Mandobart]

I played violin from grade school on, took up bluegrass fiddle in jr high. Startred mandolin less than 1 yr ago. The best thing for me is having a solid understanding of scales and left hand fingerings from violin/fiddle which transfers directly to mandoiln. Another good thing is being able to read music for the mando. Pick up one of the many fiddler's fake books if you want to get started on bluegrass right away. Tremolo on the mando is totally different from vibrato on the fiddle. Tremolo is all right hand where vibrato is on the left. I can get a good vibrato on any fretted instrument, but it isn't as effective as it is on a fretless fiddle. The scale on my full size fiddle is ~ 13" and on my mando ~ 15", so to me its a little more of a stretch on the mando.

[CDVA47]

Does vibrato exist for the mandolin? I've been under the impression that the sustain isn't long enough to allow much in the way of vibrato. Perhaps I am misinformed?

[JeffD]

For those of you who play both violin/fiddle and mandolin, are there any specific thoughts you can offer for someone who grew up on violin and is just now beginning mandolin? Any easy pitfalls, or things to watch out for?

Thanks!

I play both, and have found a fundamental philosophy difference between fiddle and mandolin. That is in how one treats "up the neck".

I find that the fiddler stays in first position until he or she runs out of head room, and then heads up the neck. Except for getting some harmonies, my fiddle teacher and the fiddlers I know, rarely go way up on the D string for example, or on the G string.

On my mandolin, however, I am having a lot of fun up in the stratosphere, playing up in third position across the neck, playing harmonies according to the number system (I, IV, V etc.) free from any particular note or key. (If the root is on this finger, the V chord, or harmony, or double stop, is on these fingers - irrespective of which fret my root is actually on.)

I have known a few very good classical violinists who do this more regularly, and a jazz violinist that is just all over that neck - but it has been my experience that it is more common for mandolinists than fiddlers.

I think its an intonation thing. The frets make the intonation right every time. Where as the only notes I am "sure" of on the fiddle are the open strings.


I tell you, learning the right hand on a mandolin is one heck of a lot easier than on a fiddle. The mandolin has sustain, and once you pluck that string, the mandolin does the rest, you are done with it. On the fiddle, you are responsible for the beginning, middle, and the end of the note. Too much responsibility!

Enjoy.

[Jim Garber]

Does vibrato exist for the mandolin? I've been under the impression that the sustain isn't long enough to allow much in the way of vibrato. Perhaps I am misinformed?

I would say that, for the most part, vibrato could exist on the mandolin but for the std acoustic double course instrument, the effect is lost unless you are playing a real slow tune as a solo. OTOH for a single strung electric I would think limited vibrato might work.

I am a little confused because earlier in this thread you mention tremelo which I would not think would be a violin technique but is used to some extent on the mandolin. Sounds like there needs to be some clarification on what you are asking here.