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Mark Levesque
Mar-14-2004, 7:50am
How do you keep the tremolo going if the bass note is on the "G" and the melody is on the "E"?
Do you just hit the bass note and return to the tremolo a millisecond later?
Frequently the music is written as though both notes should be struck simultaneously.
Is there something obvious that I am not seeing?

Thanks,
Mark

Jim Garber
Mar-14-2004, 8:24am
Mark,
Do youhave a music example of this in a specific piece?

Jim

margora
Mar-14-2004, 10:35am
More experienced performers may chime in, but, yes, one does strike the bass note and begin the tremolo ASAP ("tremolo-staccato" as the German mandolin methods put it; there are very good exercises to develop these skills in Troseter vol. 2) or one can, depending on the passage, play the bass note with left-hand pizz (which, depending on one's coordination, permits the upper line to be sustained through without any break). Left-hand pizz. imparts a special sound, however, which may not be what the composer had in mind (unless it is so notated, obviously). Incidentally, I just got a copy of the Pettine method (from Norman Levine, on back-order for many months), and the two volumes devoted to duo style are very helpful.