Re: Playing Loud and Staying Loose?
Obligatory "not all genres are the same" post here.
In some styles of music, you have to pace yourself even when playing loud. You might "whip it like a mule" if you're taking a Bluegrass solo, and then stepping back from the mic to chop chords. But when playing Irish/Scottish trad, even in a loud session, I might be playing a set of three reels that lasts for 5 minutes of high-speed, continuous picking. Sometimes longer, for sets of those insane 5 part pipe tunes, or the long Cape Breton-style sets. OldTime players can sit on one tune for a long time, when they get into one of those trance states at a jam.
If I burn out early with hard picking, my hand starts to lose the ability to play smoothly and cleanly. There's no point in burning out early like that. So I have to find a middle ground, where I can maintain a decent volume for continuous fast picking of 8th notes without a break, for a full set of reels. And still be ready for the next set of reels.
Paul's advice above, about remembering how mandolins project (especially with F-holes) is a good reminder. I often feel I'm not loud enough when playing with a gaggle of fiddlers and concertina/box players, but I know I'm not hearing my mandolin like the people across the circle in a session. I have to continuously remind myself about that, so I don't push too hard.
One tip I can offer for more relaxed playing with volume, is not to choke up too much on the pick, with just a tiny bit exposed. I try to keep my thumb/index fingers back far enough that I feel a little bit of "float" in the pick as it moves across the strings. Not so much that I could drop the pick, or play too softly. Just not choking up and clenching tight on the pick. I still get very good volume on the pick attack this way, and it encourages a more relaxed feel.
Lebeda F-5 mandolin, redwood top
Weber Yellowstone F-5 octave mandolin
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