In einer eMail vom 11.12.2006 09:43:53 Westeurop=E4ische Normalzeit schreibt [EMAIL PROTECTED]:
> i appreciate the advice i received about playing > mandolin with a risha but i'm very interested to see > if it can be done - in the sense of crosspicking > quickly and accurately. > Bill, There is a reason why, over the centuries, the small, thin, hard, pointed plectrum has become standard for the mandolin, and somethng else for the oud. It's called optimisation. I have a couple of different mandolins and a banjo-mandolin, and I play them all with small, thin, hard, pointed plectrums. However, I have a preferred plectrum for each instrument, all small, hard and pointed, but to different degrees! When I was learning, or when I haven't been playing a particular mandolin for some time, I use a less pointed plectrum, because it's easier, though the bright, clear mandolin timbre doesn't fully emerge until I change to a sharp one. On the other hand, I would imagine that a lot of the manual dexterity developed in playing a mandolin with a proper mandolin pick would transfer to playing another instrument with its typical plectrum. A lot of it is in the muscles of the hand, and a lot of it is mental. The actual plectrum is only one variable in the equasion. As to the "sound barrier" effect, it's normal to have that "I'll never be able to do it properly" feeling at the start of any non-trivial activity. You're doing your best, but it's just not good enough. Fact is, with practice your best gets better, and with a bit of retrospection you'll realise that you can do things now that you couldn't at the start. This curve will continue, flattening off somewhere - at different levels for different people, because we're just not created identical! A good tip from the mandolin world is to learn to plan the up-down strokes for a particular fast passage in a piece. Often, starting with one pick direction will be difficult, but starting with the other pick direction will be easier. I've occasionally solved picking problems by just picking the open strings at the speed and in the rhythm required, without fingering the strings. Just concentrate on the right hand until it works, then start fretting again, and - voila! Cheers, John -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
