My intention had been to draw a clear distinction between what the fiddlers play, and what they tend to call it, and what the mandolinists play, and what they tend to call it. And yes, there is a real difference in usage! The fact is that violins and mandolins do not have a one-to-one correspondence, neither in the sound that they produce nor in the method of playing.
DavidKOS can choose to call these things "slurs" if he prefers, but recognize that he is porting the word over from the way it's used with the violin. It's technically a
legato, not a slur. And yes, language can be a sensitive thing. But in my part of the mandolin world, no mando player I happen to know would be on board for calling them "slurs." Or legatos. Instead, they are quite happy to talk about "hammering-on" and "pulling-off." Interestingly enough, these two phrases were popularized in the modern folk era by Pete Seeger in his banjo instruction book, if I'm not mistaken.
Classical mandolinists use different language, with things like like "legato phrase" and "left-hand pizzicato." Folk players rarely, if ever, use that language.
Yup, nobody wins these kinds of disputes! Amen to that. But I was just trying to clarify for the OP, because she wanted to know what to do when faced with a "slur." And I told her. Hammer on. Pull off. Or slide.
And please don't call it a "slur" if you're among folkies...
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