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I agree with "whatever gets the job done" ... but I also believe in doing whatever I can to strengthen all my fingers, especially the #$&%#()(# pinky. Lately I've been spending a lot of time working...

The answer is YES. It is completely ok to shift up one fret, two frets, 3 frets etc. Don't even overthink it for a second.

No matter how much time and effort I spend (or waste) trying, my pinky...

Discussing the fingering of one little four-note figure doesn't make much sense. The optimal fingering may depend on what comes before or after it. It's perfectly OK, often normal, to use the same...

Thanks for the clarification, I forgot about F# living in other places:)

You should be able to make that stretch with a bit of work over time. My small hand can do it just fine on my 15" scale...

I've been working on half past four recently too. Great tune. If I understand you correctly you are talking about the run which includes the accidental G (the third bar of the A section). I play...

I love this video of this cellist explaining why this piece is so very iconic and brilliantly composed.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIge2mYdTtM

What Mark said, definitely, but I'll also add two things:
(1) I find it easier to shift from a 1 to a 1, eg an A (on the G-string) up to a C, or an E (on the D-string) up to a G, and vice versa...

In a C major tune, you can often use a note on one of the four open strings to give yourself the time to shift into 3rd position or back down to first. That’s one useable hint. G, D, A, E are all in...

Well, more than 5 years later and I assumed that this book would not be reprinted. However, someone else asked me and my friend dug deep and found that it was reprinted and is available here, sold by...

Once in a while I get serious. This is the time. We have but one tool to get a handle on this. Without the ability to test, it is each person's job to assume you are positive, just asymtomatic....

In my experience HO's and PO´s work differently from the guitar on mandolin. PO´s tend to have more snap, and HO's can be a bit weak. An HO works best on the mandolin when followed by a picked note...

Getting an octave mandolin made a tremendous difference in my pinky dexterity and strength. It’s an expensive way to work out the pinky, lol, but it’s translated positively on mando, guitar, bass,...

That pull off is still a tough one to do..not only does the pinky usually have the smallest pad on it compared to the other fingers,but the way you hold and play a mandolin,your hand is slanted at an...

I would add that pulling off can be made more effective by giving the string a little flick as you pull your finger off. This can make pulling off your 4th finger to your 3rd sound pretty good. The...

The link didn’t work for me, but TD’s and Jim’s posts above are very helpful information.

I agree with T.D. The musicality comes first. Perhaps there are some folks who can pull it off (no pun intended) however I believe that the physiognomy (is that the right word) of the fingers #3 & 4...

I do this sort of thing all the time when playing..let's say your playing part of a scale on a single string,you use all 4 fingers to go up the neck,keeping the index as an anchor,,like you were...

Is this the same tune?

https://www.slippery-hill.com/system/files/recordings/PumpkinVine.mp3

Here is TAB from the Cafe Tab library.

I know this might sound like the easy way out, but have you tried sliding from the five to the seven? Not quite the same effect as hammering, but somewhat similar. Just a thought.

Your impression is absolutely correct since the OP even states that in his first post. I just wondered if it is necessary to actually hammer on from one note to the next, especially for that...

The tune itself would help! But I got the impression that it was an A string D to E , and would work better than an open E.
As you say, the tune is the key.

As is the case DK gives good advice. For me shifting always comes down to what all comes next. Then if / when I shift positions I try to get everything I can before I shift again. Check your setup....

Can you tell us what tune you are working on, maybe post some notation of the tune and point out the trouble spots. That would probably help all of us. I think this "ring on 5th fret D of A...

The answer I'd give as a teacher is you need to practice the 3rd/4th finger combination to build strength and speed.

That said, many players would probably shift and use the 2nd/3rd finger.

If...

Having had an MT since 2002 to about 2016 - it sounded great at the beginning but there was little need for improvement and I am not sure it did. My Italian Spruce MT2V top has improved over time -...