Mandolinists: Question about right hand pinky

[LimuHead]

I was wondering what you mandolinists out there do. Do you rest your right hand pinky on the mandolin's top when you're picking?

In one of the books I have it says not to, but I'm so used to doing it on guitar that it just happens. I do like the stability it provides. I don't notice it slowing me down or anything.

So do you rest your pinky?




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[Congratulations]

I don't. I find it inhibiting. It's a preference thing, I think.

And some people don't have pickguards to rest their pinkies on.

I have a mandolin tutor that INSISTS that all people should rest their pinkies on the top.

[Rick C.]

Nah, I don't.

I need all the freedom of movement I can get when popping those triplets.


Rick

[rh]

i don't keep it there all the time, but i do touch down a lot.

most of yer method-meisters poo-poo the pinky-planting, but you can see an awful lot of pickers with the little worn spot on the face of the mando (Ronnie McCoury's Gilchrist leaps to mind).

[buddhu]

i don't keep it there all the time, but i do touch down a lot...

Same as that.

There was something on MandolinCafe a while ago where someone had done a kind of survey of how this works out with a load of famous players. I think the thing most often seen was a slightly open right hand with fingers brushing the top of the mando.

[Lorenzo]

That's a good question/observation. I never think about it, so I had to pull the mandolin out to see. When I arch the wrist I lay both the 4th and 5th fingers down on the pick guard...pick gripped between thumb and side of index finger (middle finger hanging loose). With tremolo, you'll get better tone. I use that postion for jigs too. For reels, I lay the wrist flat on the bridge, pick gripped loosely between the thumb and the very end of the index and middle fingers. Sometimes the index finger creeps up and over the sharp edge of the pick to form a kind of triangle. The 4th and 5th fingers are curled slightly yet tight along side the others...and not touching the pick guard at all. With the arched postion, it's easier to pick fast, but laying the wrist flat on the bridge helps me slow the picking down for a steady pace of back and forth...and gives the notes a sharper sounding edge.

[Ro3b]

Here's the survey Buddhu mentioned.

I have my fingers curled but relaxed (not quite in a fist), pick held between thumb and the side of my index fingertip, almost like I hold a pencil except the finger is curled a little more. I rest the heel of my palm lightly on the strings behind the bridge.

I've seen a couple of classical players who don't anchor their hands at all, which amazes me. That takes some serious awareness of spatial relationships.

[buddhu]

Thanks, Ro3b. I thought it was in the forums there. No wonder I couldn't find it...

[Ptarmigan]

Good question LimuHead. ':)'

Like Lorenzo, I had to whip the Mandolin out, to find out. ''

I actually rest the side of my hand on the strings behind the bridge. ':evil:'

Funny, cause I always rest my pinky on the skin when playing the Tenor Banjo, just for stability.

[alespa]

my fingers are relaxed and somewhat curled so my pinky floats and touches down from time to time, and depending on if I need extra stability, I may plant or more firmly touch my pinky. I don't have a pick guard and don't see a reall need for one since my pick never touches the top, and my pinky can't do too much damage. I make a point of looking at other styles and notice that some people keep the fingers not holding the pick almost straight . . . which I've tried, but feels wierd.

[Paddy Cummins]

I rest my pinky finger on the skin of my banjo and just naturaly I tend to rest it on the pickboard of my mandolin. I've only been playing in general (in other words, on all of the instruments that I play) for 1 year, except on guitar which I've been fiddling around with for 2 years but I don't play it much anymore. I have a bit of rigidness in my playing and I wonder if this habit is restricting a more "flowier" way of playing. I'll have to try out some other methods and see which works best but I'm quite comfortable with my hand as it is despite the staccato style of playing.

[Domhnall]

I go both ways, so to speak, depending on what I am playing. Anything requiring double-stops or chords I often play without the pinky, other than that, I rest my pinky on the pick guard.