I haven't seen your mandolinist in action; I would suspect instrument size, weight, and way of holding the instrument may be in play here. My own instruments do not move; I have never owned an instrument (lutes, guitars, viols) less than 62 cm. SL. (Small instruments in general give me the heebie-jeebies, can't seem to find them or hold on to them. Don't know how those virtuosi manage them) Also, I play sitting down, the lute anchored firmly between right thigh and right forearm. Don't use the right pinky for anything but secondary stability point- it's out, touches down when necessary, but very minimal contact, even for thumb-under. Somewhat more little finger contact during very fast passagi. No straps except for the archlute.
Dan >In watching him play, I immediately noticed the large >degree to which his mandolin "jerks around" (for lack >of a better phrase) while he's playing, with no tendency >to jerk less during the fastest and most intricate >passages, or indeed even during the quieter passages. > >This contrasts starkly with my modus operandi, which >is to stabilize the lute as much as possible, in order >to give myself a stationary target, especially for >my right hand. > >The obvious explanation for this is to suppose that >the mandolin player's hands, and in particular his >right hand, move with the mandolin while he's playing, >and thus negate the effect of the "jerking". But, in >playing the lute, my right hand is, more or less, >glued to the lute in that my little finger rests >on the soundboard and my forearm rests on the lute's >edge close to the strap button. > >All this leaves me fairly confused. Do all elite >lute players keep their little fingers and forearms >solidly on the lute? Do they stress this in >their teaching? Do they present this as part >of the technique needed to play fast? Do any of >them play with "jerking" lutes? Have any of this >list's readers worked through this issue personally? -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
