Right hand placement for tremolo picking

[gar1013]

Just curious how people are placing their right hand for tremolo picking.

I just got my Mandolin yesterday, am starting with Amazing Grace as my first song to nail, and I think it really needs some tremolo.

I'm coming from the guitar world, so I'm used to doing some serious palm muting when playing thrash metal.

Is resting your hand on the bridge advisable, or perhaps using the body of the mandolin for support....or should one be simply doing the strumming without touching any part of the instrument?

[Jim Broyles]

General rule of thumb seems to be do not touch the mandolin at all with your picking hand. Reality for me is that I rest on the strings just behind the bridge so as not to palm mute and I play tremolo from the same position that I pick almost everything else. I don't change just to play tremolo.

[Brent Hutto]

Exact same position as non-tremolo playing unless I'm doing something different that I'm not aware of. According to my teacher at this past week's lesson I was bearing down on the strings a little extra when I played tremolo and it sounded rough. Hopefully I've broken that habit now...guess I'll find out at the next lesson!

[gar1013]

That's what I was afraid of. Good thing I can break a bad habit before it begins!

[Brent Hutto]

With due respect to Jim Broyles, who knows far more about playing than I do, there are far more people whose hands touch something than there are who "float" with no contact at all between their right hand and something. Whether on the bridge or behind the bridge or a finger touching down, the vast majority of good players do something other than float.

If zero contact is indeed some sort of ideal then it is an unattainable one for most players But not palm muting is a good thing for sure.

[Jim Broyles]

That's why I said the "general rule of thumb seems to be" don't touch mandolin with right hand BUT the reality of it is that I almost always rest on the bridge and/or the strings between the bridge and tailpiece. And I wouldn't say that I know more about playing than anybody.

[Philphool]

I totally agree with Jim's first post.

[Ian Rossiter]

Since I've gotten into playing Gypsy Jazz guitar, I've noticed that I'm using the broken wrist/flicking out a match right hand position on mandolin for tremolo picking. I think I've been doing this for awile now,but have only now noticed it!!