Tremolo

[Steve S.]

In "Mastering the Mandolin" Simon Mayor recommends that tremolo be from the elbow in order to achieve more controlled dynamics. Well, my heart sank as I read this. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Bruce Evans]

Yeah.

Read another book. I am absolutely certain that you can find one that recommends doing tremelo from the wrist.

[berkeleymando]

My classical mandolin teacher got really upset with me in my first lesson with her when she saw me move my elbow. Tremolo is in the wrist, for sure. That's not to denigrate quirky technique, but it seems odd to put it in a instructional book.

[odeman]

I found that the only way to play tremulo is like the violinists do with their vibrato - just do it - and do it for long stretches at a time until you figure out what's comfortable for you. There don't seem to be any shortcuts.
Personally, I flip the pick around and play on the round side, and sometimes tilt it to make it smoother.

[Steve S.]

I'm glad that everyone finds this suggesstion of tremolo from the elbow as appalling as I do. Simon Mayor is a great player and maybe this is just something unique to his sound. As for me......no way! Notwithstanding his advice on tremolo, I do think that "Mastering the Mandolin" is a really worthwhile method book, as discussed on a thread on the Celtic message board.

[Chip Booth]

Couldn't help it, I had to jump in with another opinion and another method:) I had a private lesson with Radim Zenlkl who showed me how he uses elbow, wrist and, I think mostly, forearm tremolo. He seemed to generally disapprove of wrist tremolo because it inhibits speed, but uses it for some specific things. #He has amazing control and smoothness using the pivoting forearm method so I have attempted to adopt that as my main method. #It has been one of the weirdest motions I ever tried to make, but once it fell into place it is so much smoother than the other two. #I have to admit though, I don't have as much power from the forearm and usually use it to tremolo across only one course. For more than one I often find myself resorting to the elbow where I have more strength, but not nearly the smoothness. If you haven't tried the forearm you must at least give it a shot.

Also just had to mention "tremolo" is spelled "tremelo", "tremulo", and "tremolo" in this thread http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Chip Booth]

By the way, Radim seemed to fully embrase elbow tremolo as a valid method, and taught and used it.

[Keith Wallen]

One thing that I do, that was mentioned earlier is to turn my pick slightly so that its not parallel to the strings at maybe 15 degrees off. This makes the pick roll off of the strings easier so you don't need so much power to push it through that also helps with speed. I don't use the elbow but more of a forearm and wrist motion.

[Peter Hackman]

Reading this thread I had to check myself; seems
I at least move my forearm a bit, but the main action
is in the wrist. Normal? However, trying to adjust to
my new mandolin without a pickguard I tend to arch my hand backwards
ever so slightly which tends to lock my forearm.
Not sure whether this is the right thing to do;
sooner or later I will have a mini-pickguard installed.

[mandodebbie]

Since I'm a newbie (I've been teaching myself for four months), my hand/wrist movement is rather stiff. I have enough trouble just simply picking both strings together, or even the correct ones, never mind tremalo. When I do render a tremalo, it is usally by dumb luck. One must have a delicate touch, with the pick on an angle - at least that is what I have discovered during practice. It cannot be forced; almost like making love. Feel the love, man! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[bmac]

I like Odeman's advice... "Just do it!".

I have been working at tremolo for about seven months (as long as I've had my mandolin) and my approach has evolved over that time. I suspect I am doing a lot wrong from an academic point of view, however the sound has improved until it is now quite convincing. Once I get the sound under control I can further experiment with pick position, wrist and/or elbow movement, palm position, finger posting, etc. I know I have some problems with my technique, particularly palm position and posting, but I am confident these can be worked out with practice.

Although there may be a "right way" and a "wrong way" probably 95% of mandolin players are self-taught and most kind of evolve into a technique which is suitable for their style of playing and interests. I think setting up a "right way" and "wrong way" as a ridgid standard for the self taught beginner can lead to frustration while the important thing is really the sound and "If it sounds right, it is right."

[skipper]

I'm with you on that, bmac. The "there's only one way that's right" mindset seems not only just wrong, but pretty elitist. Looking at the technique of even the legends also shows pretty big differences in a lot of aspects, I think somebody on CoMando/Mandozine put together a list of the greats and how different their playing styles were.