Staccato on Mandocello et al

[FranticTones]

I've been playing a lot of cello and trombone studies which liberally pepper staccato across the sheets, and naturally, because it seems so difficult to execute on mandocello, I've been caught in an insane loop of drilling. My technique has been to use the fretting hand to execute a shortening of notes, either by lifting a finger or placing one down. Ugliness arises, particularly on bass notes--- when dampening by raising the string will rattle against the fret. I've taking to practicing extremely slowly so that I can manage when the note is ringing and when it should be cut off.

At this point I imagine it's a matter of extreme micro-muscle training, though the amount of dexterity to effectively double each note to play and dampen is mind boggling. It's enough work to hit the double courses and keep them them down: to then slightly raise them without ringing certainly doesn't make it any easier. This piece, for example calls for every note to be played staccato as quickly as possible.
It's not surprising, I think, that in so many of the sequences I lapse into playing the notes "normally" instead of cutting them off.

Do any of you CBOM folk have any words of wisdom, relays of encouragement, or simple tales of experiences when it comes to this particular technique?

[Seter]

One idea that you could try is what 8-9 string guitarists and 6+ string bassists do and put a string dampener up at the nut. I don't use one personally but they seem fairly popular.

http://www.rondomusic.com/stringdampener.html

[NotMelloCello]

Or damp it at the bridge with the heel of your hand.

Seriously - how low is the action on your mandocello? This sounds an awful lot to my ear as though the action is really high, and you are having trouble getting from course to course. Having your instrument set up properly can help your staccato become more legato..... as it were.

[FranticTones]

@NotMelloCello 12th fret 2.25mm on the c and 2mm on the a. Any lower and I find the volume suffers. Part of the fret buzz is me hitting the strings too hard to bring out volume. This is a flat-top Dammann and I'm still not used to the acoustics and the feel of the tension in the strings. I know I can definitely work on the technique.

I've taken a bit of your advice with the heel damping. It really helps getting in fast clipped notes on the C course. I don't want the notes to sound with the attack of "muted plucks,"but rather clipped afterwards, so I'm sure I'll have to keep finessing.

[NotMelloCello]

Sounds about right. Practice makes perfect!

[FranticTones]

Proof is in the pudding. Show me yours,