NEW MANDO!

[pickinchik]

So, I finally got my first mandolin. #It is an ebay special on a Johnson Savannah. #It just arrived and I don't know what to do now. #There are way tooo many strings. HA HA #

I am a hated banjo player of 1 year and love the mando sound, so I talked the hubby into one this Christmas. #A DVD called Mandolin Primer came with it and all I have done so far is tune it. #I am trying very, very hard not to touch it till Christmas, but it is so lonely and neglected. #

Anyway, the point to this whole thing is HELP! #What do I do now. #Is not planting your pinkie on the mando important as the guy says on the DVD or what. #It took me so long to get the plant down for the banjo, that now I can't imagine trying to keep my fingers off the darn thing. #

Oh well, I am just happy to have one, and can't wait to immerse myself in it. #Thanks for being here people.

Pickin and grinnin in NC!
Mandy

[Jon Hall]

My first suggestion would be to take it to a good technician and make sure it's set up properly so it's easy to play and tune.

I agree that planting the pinkie isn't a good thing. It will restrict your playing and probably cause you to "tense up".

I'm sure you'll get a lot of good advice.

[harleymando]

always.....play it like nobodys lisnin!!!

[Celtic Saguaro]

Actually, it's a matter of personal preference.

Nothing wrong with touching your pinkie. I do it especially when playing melodies. It can make it easier to find the next string your pick is hunting for. Just don't press on the mandolin top or pickguard. That will cause problems. A light touch is what you want. Touching with the pinkie doesn't necessarily make your playing slower as some claim.

Learning to play without touching is fine, also. I like it when I'm playing chords. But, it takes some concentrated effort to learn to keep your right hand in the proper plane, that way. Much better to plant your pinkie than dig holes in the top of the mandolin with the pick like some people do.

[John Zimm]

It took some months of practice, but I have finally broken the pinkie planting habit, and I now just lightly rest my wrist on the bridge. I hope to get an armrest one day, which seems to help.

As for playing, I would start out this time around by learning notes and scales, but also learning how to play some melodies as well. One nice thing about the mandolin you'll find is that a lovely, simple melody can sound just great on our beloved instrument. This is especially true once you get the hang of the tremolo.

Also, play a little every day, unless you are getting frustrated. I've found that my playing can improve after setting the mando down for a couple of days during a particularly frustrating time.

That's about all the mando wisdom I have to dispense.

-John.

[pickinchik]

Thanks folks, #I guess I really wanted someone to tell me it would be OK if i planted that pinkie sometimes. #I find that if I go more than 2 days without practicing my banjo that it is really hard to get going again once I pick it back up. #I went on vacation and it took me almost a month to get back to playing as cleanly as I did before I left. #

Mandy

[gnelson651]

Before I started mandolin, I played the banjo so I planted my pinkie. But I was finually able to break that bad habit. Why? I found that planting will restrict the wrist. This will cause you to have problems with your tremelo. It will also decrease your speed. Planting is OK for the banjo; bad for the mandolin.

Yes, I know that some people are able to over come the limitations of planting. But there is a good reason it is not recommended. For most, it will limit your right hand movements.

It is important to maintain a loose wrist when playing, as if you are "shaking out a washcloth." Also grip the pick loosely between your thumb and index finger.

Start out with Jon Moore's Picking exercise (http://www.mandozine.com/index.php/techniques/techinfo/picking_exercises/) to warm up your right hand.

Learn two-finger chords (http://www.mandolincafe.com/two.html). Learn scales, triads, and arpeggios. Practice Aonozo scales (http://www.mandozine.com/index.php/techniques/techinfo/aonzo_family_scales/) They are hard at first but worth the effort.

Try to figure out a simple tune by ear. Learn some simple fiddle tunes such as "Boil'Em Cabbage Down," "Cripple Creek" and "Ol' Joe Clark."

Have FUN!!!

[Kevin Briggs]

Don't know about th epinky thing. I do it for accuracy. I find resting my wrist on the bridge muffles the sound a slight bit. I tried using no pinky and no wrist resting, and my hand went everywhere. I'll try to stop though, it's ruining my finish in that spot.

Try Mandolzine for some good tunes: http://www.mandozine.com/

You just have to download Tab Edit to view TAB and listen to the songs. It's safe and free.

[Kevin Briggs]

Also, pratcie everyday, no matter what, for at least 20-30 minutes.

[jmcgann]

Anchoring/planting is bad news and will mess you up.Get good habits straight away, life is short! (http://www.johnmcgann.com/techtips.html)

[Bertram Henze]

Ok, as for anchoring you will hear as many opinions as there are people, and everyone is right. I am planting down without limitation, but then I mainly play melody - celtic, that is. Just find out what works for you, and what works for your mandolin. If you have to anchor, the anchor point schould not be too deep below the strings, so with the height of a standard adjustable bridge you would need a pickguard to rest on.

Bertram

[mandolin123]

Watch Adam Steffey play. Whatever feels comfortable to you and you get sound out...... do it.

[pickinchik]

Thank you all so much for the links and such. #I'm having so much fun already. # #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Mandy

[caddy jim]

Hey Mandy, all good advice especially the practice. Get out there and jam with others. I live in Asheville and we have a lot of get togethers in the area. You'll learn a lot by just going observing other pickers and asking questions. You'll find that most are happy to show how it's done. Have fun, that's number one!

Jim

"truth can only wonder"