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Thread: Fingerstyle mandolin

  1. #1
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    Default Fingerstyle mandolin

    I'm relatively new to mandolin, 2-3years. I gave up the pick on guitar almost 30 years ago and I had been mostly strumming chords on the mando. Lately I've been trying to expand my playing a little, goofing around with some fingerstyle stuff, and doing some picking using alternate thumb and forefinger technique to get a little speed. I love the tone of finger as opposed to pick. Anybody else see (or hear) things my way?

  2. #2
    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    If you're playing by yourself, and amplified if on stage, you might find this workable, especially accompanying your singing.

    I've seen a couple of folks use this technique, and felt like it worked, sorta.

    If you're playing along with other instruments, I think you'll find it hard to be heard at all using fingers to pick the mandolin. (I do strum with my finger sometimes while a guitar is taking a soft break and not well amplified.)
    Phil

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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin


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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    Ry Cooder is my new hero!

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  6. #5

    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    I ran into this today and thought of this thread. A real nice mix of fingerstyle and pick work from Kym Warner of the Greencards.


  7. #6
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    A couple of years ago I bought an inexpensive Rogue mandolin, took off 4 of the strings and took a crack at finger-picking. I didn't take it too far, but it was quite fun and interesting, nonetheless.

  8. #7
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    IMO you will be better off hybrid picking with a flatpick as in the K.W. example, and using your middle and ring fingers to "pick" . Longer fingernails will be an additional help. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  9. #8
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    My youngest son (stepson and 29 years old) plays mandola this way and to my astonishment and I should say envy has no trouble being heard.
    Big Muddy EM8 solid body (Mike Dulak's final EM8 build)
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  10. #9
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    I linked to this video in another thread, but here it is again. Ken Holbrook playing fingerstyle (with finger picks) on a mandocello.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg8eSGaCHz4

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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    I play with a fingerstyle guitar player, whenever we've played out I'm miked so I don't get lost. When we're just playing for the neighbors or wives they seem to hear me ok. Holding a pick feels so foreign to me now that I wonder if I can go back!

  12. #11
    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fingerstyle mandolin

    My journey into fifths-tuned ukuleles has led me to explore fingerpicking on mandola. Adds another color to the palette, for sure!

    bratsche
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