View Full Version : Open string or fretted
aries753
Jul-31-2005, 10:42pm
When do you decide to play the open string or to fret the note? For example, I like to play Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God in the key of D. The song starts F# F# G A F# E. I could play the open A or fret the A on D. To me it sounds more "mellow" with the fretted A.
There are a couple other tunes that I try to play that sound better without the open string also.
How do you decide to fret the note or play the open string?
now if I could only figure out how to play the Descant at the same time.....[I] http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
CraigF
Aug-01-2005, 8:10am
I think you answered your own question, "When it sounds better". The tone is different. When playing a phrase that's on a particualr string, like the one you mentioned, the tone of the fretted note will be the same as the other notes while the open note on the other string is different. This makes the music flow better.
mandocrucian
Aug-01-2005, 8:59am
For single line stuff, a general guideline is that if using the 7th fret keeps you on the string longer (than just one note), use it to stay on that string and also maintain a consistancy of tone quality (especially when the difference is between wound and unwound strings). #If you are going tomove to the adjacent string anyway, then you might as well use the open note.
<span style='font-family:courier'>====================|==================
==============0=2=5=|=====================
===4=5=7=4==5=======|=======================
====================|==================
Also, on descending single line stuff, the 7th fret note #is used to eliminate open strings from ringing over (unless you want the buildup of overlapping notes), as well as keeping you on the string longer.
==3=2=0=3==2=0===2================================ =============
===============5====7=5=3=7==5=3=2================ =================
===================================7==5=4=5=7==5== ==================
================================================== =====
1st phrase of "Ragtime Annie" sounds much better when rocking between strings
D
===================|=====================|
==0===2====0===2===|0===2====0=====0=====|
====4===4====4===4=|==4===4==============|
===================|=====================|
than playing in a position and staying on just the D string:
===================|=================|=====
===================|=================|=====
==7=4=9=4==7=4=9=4=|=7=4=9=4=7===7===|
===================|=================|=== too dry a sound for me
It's not just the pitch choice that matters, it's also how the notes are connected. The phrase below is pretty boring
D
|===================|===0=============|======= ==
|==0=2=5=0==2=5=0=2=|=5===5=2==5======|===
|===================|=================|======= ==
|===================|=================|======= ==
compared to how you might play those same pitches.
Now, the same phrase, in a closed position ala Allman Brothers (^=hammer-on or pull-off) expoiting the slurs and playing between strings (more carryover of ringing notes)
D
|==================|================|=======
|======5=====5=====|=5=7^5===5======|=======
|==7^9===7^9===7^9=|=======9========|=======
|==================|================|=======</span>
Niles Hokkanen
catalog (http://www.btinternet.com/~john.baldry/mando/hokkanen.html)