I must say since joining this group I have learned a lot of great things and get better replies then when I post in the regular forum. Thanks to everyone in the group! I started playing mandolin again after a break to play ukulele, mainly to try to help my strumming. I don't know what it is but my upstrum sounds awful. I don't know if it is my grip on the pick that causes it but it really makes me want to put down the mandolin again. So does anyone have any exercises for working on the upstrum?
I have just started to incorporate chords into my playing and I've noticed that I'll often miss the strings entirely on the up strum. I don't seem to have this problem with the guitar. Must be a bigger target that I'm shooting for on the guitar;-)
I wish I knew. I play guitar and its not an issue for me. Every once in awhile I get a little overly into it and can snap a string. I've only had my mando a few weeks and have already snapped a G string . If your pick is heavy enough to handle the tension on mando strings, all I can suggest it to practice slowly at first, then pick up the pace. Good Luck!
Actually, I was just doing a little strumming and I noticed something that may come into it. I don't know if this is valid for mandolins as well as guitar but I tend to fall into guitar habits. On down strokes I sometimes just hit the upper/bass side two or three strings and on upstrokes I tend to just grab the bottom two or three strings. One pattern I caught myself in for a 4/4 time was Down(bass) - Down(all) - Down(bass) - Down(all) -Up(treble) done at a pretty good clip. The Down-Up transition was quick with my pick not dropping much below the bottom string. Kind of 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 & - 1 - 2 - 3 -4 &. Sometimes for 3/4 time -- Down(bass) - Down(all) - Up(treble) - Down(all) 1 - 2 & 3 - 1 - 2 & 3 Or - Down(bass) - Down(treble) - Up(treble) - Down(treble) - Up(treble) - 1 - 2 & 3 & - 1 - 2 & 3 & These are things I don't usually do consciously anymore. I know I often vary patterns from measure to measure too. Using one pattern (in the same time) for one measure and a second for the next, then back to the first. One very important thing is to keep your hand chugging up and down at a steady clip. Even on strokes that don't strike the strings. Keep it chugging. Play around with it. It'll come!
I am going to try some different picks and see what happens. I seem to be hitting the strings okay and if I try down up strum using my finger it sounds okay on mandolin and ukulele.
I'm with ya there. My upstrums sound awfull and I miss the strings often. I attribute this to learning coordination. It certainly takes more for the uppick and upstrum....We will get there =).
Hi - I have been doing the 'chugging' and it works re keeping steady - but takes some getting sued to. The other thing I found helped was to move the mando so my right arm kind of ran level along the direction of the strings - this helped hitting on teh upstroke which i was missing or twanging loudly. it was a bit strange to start with as its hard to do that and really see what frets your left ahnd fingers are on - but it makes a difference for me.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will give them a try when the rest of the house is not sleeping
This is a problem for me also. Picking is coming along just fine. The simple chords I'm using come easily and clean. My problem is with strumming and in particular the Upstrum. This was also the same constant issue with me when I was trying to learn the guitar. I have been considering picking up a uke just to use it for practise strumming. I'll keep at it. I'm not going anywhere.
Some folks are mentioning looking at the fretboard. I see that in some videos some have a tendency to lean the mando back toward them. Could this be part of the upstrum thing? My hand needs to move parallel with the top plate to get a good strum. Could you try just holding one chord, and holding the face of the mando more vertical when you strum to see if its easier?
I had not noticed that until you mentioned it. I will have to give it a try.
So I tried holding the mando different ways and it seems to sound better on the upstrum but it is still not there yet.
@bwachter70 - one of the things i was told on my mando weekend last week was also to not be afraid to really strum hard - that did work for me a bit. yesterday i strummed with my finger and the upstroke sounded much better - just need to replicate that with the pick every time now!
oh - and another thing the tutor said was strum like you were playing through the next strunbg - even if your not.
I think my biggest problem is the pick twisting in my fingers. I am paying attention to my chord fingering and the next thing I know is my right fingers are twisting up trying to hold the pick.
