Does mandolin improve guitar technique

[Leester]

As with everything, it can help in some respects, as well as hinder in others..

This too has been my experience. Of course you develop bullet proof calluses, so that's helpful. I played guitar for 50 years before picking up the mandolin a couple years ago so had to unlearn the 'death grip' left hand technique many guitar players bring to mandolin. Once that was done things smoothed out quite a bit. As others have noted, it make me pay closer attention to my playing of guitar as the tuning and chord shapes are quite different. With the acoustic duo I play in an evening of music involves my shifting between 12 and 6 string acoustic guitar and mandolin from song to song so this practice has helped me apply the skills learned on each to the others. I'm still tempted to unleash some tremolo on guitar, but have been able to resist this so far!

On Sundays I play bass with a worship group so all bets are off on those days. On rare occasions I've switched between electric bass and mandolin in the course of a worship service. Now there in a challenge in terms of technique and left hand positioning!

[NickR]

Jerry Reed sang "There are 1865 different ways to play the guitar." If you play the mandolin- which can only really be played in a few ways as compared to the guitar, you will accentuate skills that will improve your flat picking. I used to think that mandolin would make my fingers stronger for the guitar but I do not now believe that is the case. If you want strong fingers, then play a guitar with heavy gauge strings and a high action. You can also do plenty of heavy manual labour as well- anything that demands your hands are used- become a masseur, for example. I do believe that playing mandolin will add to your skills but if you want to improve your guitar skills- spend time on the guitar and equally, the opposite is true. The mandolin is a far more portable instrument- and I have taken a mandolin thousands of miles over the years. Anyway, here's Jerry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdk8fu3a7IM

[WaxwellHaus]

For some reason when I read Nick's post my mind immediately substituted 'Lou' for 'Jerry' and I experienced something like the audio equivalent of vertigo when the music started.

[stevedenver]

I am of the opinion that there may be gains in musicality and ear training, and general musicianship, and similar overlap, but general they are different instruments, and you will get stronger at that which you practice.

I play mando, guitar , banjo and bass.

I agree with jeff, some musical stuff can improve, get a different perspective.

when I started mando, I was transcribing in my head from guitar. now I think in mando. yet, this can offer some insights and new perspectives.

I do not think playing mando improves any technique other than mando.
in fact I find that if I stay off any instrument too long, subtle muscle memory suffers...ie being able to play without looking at the fingerboard, eg sliding from the open position to say the tenth fret on guitar, or vice versa on mando.

I can sure say that the super light touch banjo takes, and the heavier touch of bass can easily be lost. I don't play my banjo or other instruments with as much pressure as I do my mando.

for me, each has a unique touch needed.

[Rick Jones]

I believe that any time you spend with an instrument on your lap and a pick in your hand is time well spent. Probably 45 years ago I worked out (on guitar) a "Medley Of Irish Fiddle Tunes" off David Bromberg's Demon In Disguise album. Every time I have a guitar out, I go through them once before I put it away. I have probably played this medley thousands of times. I have never played them all the way through correctly, though I have played every part of them correctly at some point. I swear SOMEDAY I will get all the way through them without screwing something up. After many months of playing only mandolin, I had a guitar out a few weeks back, and before I put it in the case, I went through the fiddle tunes like always. To my utter amazement, I blew effortlessly through all the passages that have consistently tripped me up all these years. That's not to say I didn't trip over some other things, but the known trouble spots were no longer trouble. Others have theorized, and I also believe, that the increased precision needed to play the mandolin transfers over wonderfully to guitar. And, in an unrelated development, last week I decided to see if I could play that same medley of fiddle tunes on the mandolin, which I had never tried before - and to my amazement, they were RIGHT THERE under my fingers. So I have concluded that all the mandolin time has done wonders for my ear and my familiarity with mandolin, and it has also done wonders for both right- and left-hand mechanics and precision on guitar. Either way, I'm a happy picker!

[OldSausage]

Ask not Mandolin Cafe for advice, for they will tell you both 'yes' and 'no'.