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All I know is that I look at the music (I play classical from sheet music) and my fingers know where to go. I don't really think of them as "notes by name" most of the time. It just happens. ...

To all who have posted such great observations: THANK YOU!!!

Excellent thoughts - thank you. I'd come to similar conclusions myself but I thought perhaps someone had figured out "an illusion" of sorts to create the exact same effect. But alas there's no...

David - yes, exactly!

Yes, an often misunderstood bowing technique particularly prominent in Strathspeys..

Is anyone familiar with a particularly unique approach to creating the effect of a strathspey snap bow when playing a mandolin? Perhaps this question is better in the Celtic forum - not sure but I...

I'm curious if the group of L&H's you are referring to all were strung with Thomastik strings? Do you happen to know? Thank you.

I really love my Lyon & Healy Model A for classical. But honestly the mandolin that sounds the best to you; that has the greatest playability for you; that appearance wise really grabs you - that's...

My metronome is adroit at pointing out some of my really stupid misreadings of sheet music!

I think thickness, pointedness, and bevel all interplay together. So you might like one thickness when there is a bevel or a point - and not like it when the point and/or bevel is different. So you...

Got it - although I had the impression that some strings are a much harder "carbon steel" vrs a softer "plain steel". Sounds like that is not the case for E-strings? If the only difference between...

Well we can laugh together - but your experience helps! The material is the same? Thank you!

Don't laugh too hysterically at this one:
I currently have an EJ80 .012 E-string on my 23" scale octave. If I experiment a bit, what factors (thickness and material) would shift in the direction of...

As a newbie classical student I don't find it makes me "down pick-centric". It does make me acutely aware of the wonderful potential of judicious and thoughtful pick use on the music. I also find it...

Great video - thank you for posting!

Yes, that's precisely it!

Ha! Another knitter - yes'

I'm curious if any of you who play classical music on an octave mandolin hold it in the position depicted here - with the neck angle at 45 degrees or much more? Just by accident tonight I held my OM...

For many classical players it is absolutely a part of their technique and used when the music dictates its use. It is definitely not just a temporary learning tool. I have no idea about other genres...

I'm very curious if anyone on the Cafe owns the F5 Mary is referring to and would be willing to post pictures? Thank you.

I don't think it's a reflection of how "good" a player is; or that the player is a "beginner"; or anything else. Like picks; like pick grip; like strings; like mandolins - it's individual preference....

My experience is that the particular instrument you are playing may impact your choice of pick thickness. For example, I prefer a thinner pick for my bowl back. I suspect that most people will prefer...

My OM has a 23" scale and I have no problems with a floppy G string - or any other strings. Going to an OM from a mandolin does require a different approach to fingering but it's not really a huge...

Welcome Eric. You will find that the Cafe is an unbelievably great resource for all things mandolin. The members are kind and generous with there knowledge.

I so much enjoy listening to Gertrud Troster's CD Nakano: Jewels for the Mandolin that I just wanted to make sure people were aware that music for these pieces is available on the SheetMusicPlus...