Some mandolins have a lot of “punch” — too much perhaps. While this is fine if you’re playing rhythm in a loud bluegrass band, it’s not particularly enjoyable for solo playing or during practice sessions.

For some mandolins — especially bright, jangly F-style mandolins — it makes sense to damp down the sound just a bit.

And that’s where silk and steel mandolin strings really pay off.

Strings with silk wrapped over the steel

The (bronze) wrapped strings are covered with silk, rather than full-thickness bronze. This reduces the harsh sound that often accompanies an F-style mando played at full volume. Most players describe silk and steel strings as having a warmer, softer, more ‘woody’ tone.

So if your mandolin is just too loud for however you use it, you can soften the sound with silk and steel strings without altering its playability or set-up.

They change the tone, not the volume

If you want to reduce the noise level of your mandolin (the volume), silk and steel strings alone won’t do that for you. They alter the tonal characteristics, not the overall volume. To reduce the volume, you’re better off using lighter gauge strings.

Longer life? Silk and steel strings may sound good longer than normal strings

You know how good a new set of strings sounds, right? There’s nothing like it. Musicians wish their instruments could sound that good all the time, instead of just after a string change.

Some folks claim that silk and steel mandolin strings sound good for much longer than normal strings. Because the silk keeps the string windings clean, the strings supposedly sound good for a longer period of time after restringing the mandolin.

Check out some silk and steel mandolin strings at ]]> http://fstylemandolin.info/silk-and-steel-mandolin-strings/feed/ 0 http://fstylemandolin.info/play-mandolin-guitar-pick/ http://fstylemandolin.info/play-mandolin-guitar-pick/#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:24:42 +0000 admin http://fstylemandolin.info/?p=143

This is a common question.

Most people have a few guitar picks laying around the house, unless they’re totally new to music or string instruments in general. But when it comes time to play the mandolin, the question arises: Can I play mandolin with a guitar pick?

Two schools of thought regarding mandolin picks

Some people (who are in the minority) believe you should play the mandolin with a thin, flexible pick. They find an ultra-flexible pick helps them when they’re doing fast tremolo picking. Anything below 0.8 millimeters falls into this category of pick.

But lots of folks like to use a heavy pick because of the relatively high tension of the mandolin’s strings. Picks with a 2 millimeter thickness (and above) fit into this category.

Rounded or pointed?

Guys who play a lot of older-style music use tremolo picking as their primary right hand technique. These players like picks with rounded corners. Some prefer a teardrop shape which, while somewhat pointed, still isn’t as pointy as a guitar pick.

But for playing fast melody runs, a pick with more of a point is generally favored.

Bottom line: guitar picks versus mandolin picks

The bottom line is, you’ll get used to whichever type of pick you use. No matter what style of pick you use, if you play with it long enough and it’ll become your favorite.

But most experienced mandolin players will advise you to use a stiffer pick than that favored by most guitarists.

It’s not hard to play the mandolin fast if you learn the fundamental techniques. Just remember not to sell yourself short: the ultra-fast bluegrass guys who play at superhuman speeds have been doing this their entire lives. So don’t get discouraged if you can’t play fast after only a relatively short period of time.

Mandolins are built for speed

The mandolin fretboard is small compared to a guitar (or banjo). This means the fingers of your left hand don’t move very far when fretting different notes. And the less movement involved, the more speed you get out of an instrument.

Picking fast – tremolo picking

You don’t get very much sustain from a mandolin. Certainly not like a violin (which the mandolin was derived from). Therefore, if you want to hold a note, you need to pick it repeatedly.

This sort of picking — tremolo picking — is the traditional way to play and hold a note on a mandolin. It’s not difficult, you just have to relax and let it go. Too much tension in your right hand or wrist will kill the sound. But when you get it, it’s effortless and beautiful.

Tremolo picking a string while changing notes gives you maximum speed. Just practice coordination between the hands. There is no secret to this technique, it just takes practice. If you have fun while you’re practicing, you’ll learn in no time at all.

Other picking styles

Mandolin players are not as focused on chords as guitarists. But in recent times, there has been more of a focus on mandolin chord and rhythm techinques than on treating the mandolin as a melody instrument.

And when you have chords, you have picking patterns designed to arppegiate the chords. Some people call this ‘playing a broken chord’. These picking patterns take time to learn, but as with all good things, they come to those who wait (or to those who wait while practicing). Learn some simple rolls or crosspicking patterns and you’ll increase your abilities and your fun level exponentially.

Put it all together to speed up your mandolin

So, to play the mandolin with speed, make sure your left hand is up to the task. There should be no hesitation or uncertainty when you move between chord shapes or play fast, melodic runs up or down the fretboard.

And get your right hand in shape too, because you have to be able to play the common picking patterns without thinking about your hands. Your right hand should be able to keep picking as you talk normally — there should be no though involved, just a well-trained muscle memory.

Playing the mandolin fast takes time and effort, but it doesn’t require talent or some other mystical quality. All you need to do is want it bad enough to put in the hours. Learn to make practice fun and it’ll come of its own accord.

One of the main differences between experienced instrumentalists and aspiring beginners is their respective attitudes towards learning how to play a new instrument.

The experienced musician only wants to know how to get started — how to tune it up, how to make chords, etc. He has a sense of adventure as he picks up a new musical instrument for the first time.

But the inexperienced novice often has a bit of fear at the beginning of the process. Since it seems like there is such a large gulf between his current level of ability and the skill level needed to make beautiful music, the beginner can’t really imagine how he’s going to make progress.

Often, beginners want to start out with an “easy” instrument, to reduce their fear of the unknown.

Is playing the mandolin hard?

The mandolin isn’t a difficult instrument. But it’s a real musical instrument that takes some practice to get good at.

Here are some things that beginners to the mandolin should know.

The right hand (the picking hand)

For most stringed instruments — the mandolin included — the right hand is the hand that picks, plucks, or strums the strings. It’s the rhythm hand.

Learning the right hand skills on a mandolin is easier than learning to use the right hand on other stringed instruments.

Compared to the guitar or the banjo (for example), the mandolin is pretty easy. You play with a flat pick (sometimes called a plectrum) and there is very little skill needed. Basically, if you can pick the proper string, you’re half-way there. After that, all you need to learn is how to pick in a rapid, tremolo pattern. This tremolo picking is how mandolin players make up for the lack of sustain.

Later, if you want to get into complicated bluegrass picking rolls, or complex crosspicking patterns, you certainly can. But there’s no need to learn these advanced techniques to play most of the popular songs and styles of music. In fact, if you only learn the chop, you can hold your own in a jam session (at least as part of the rhythm section).

The left hand (the fretting hand)

The mandolin player’s left hand is the one that frets the notes.

Compared to the guitar, the mandolin isn’t quite as difficult simply because the fingerboard (or fretboard, whichever term you prefer) is smaller. Therefore, there is no need to stretch to reach the notes you’re trying to play. This makes it faster and easier to learn and get good at playing the simple chords which make up much of today’s modern mandolin music. In the time it takes a guitar student to master the infamously difficult F chord, a mandolin student can learn many chords.

New musicians often complain about pain in the fingertips from fretting the notes or chords. While the mandolin is perhaps a bit more difficult to fret than a small, nylon-stringed guitar or a low-action banjo, it’s really not that bad. Compared to a full-sized acoustic guitar with typical acoustic strings, the mandolin is easy to fret. Your hand won’t cramp up anywhere near as badly when you are learning mandolin chords, and your fingertips will be much less tender.

To solo and play melody lines, the mandolin is pretty easy too. It was not built as a harmony instrument originally; instead it was just a picked version of the violin (a lead/melody insrument). It is stringed and tuned just like a violin. And since the violin is an instrument built for speed and ease of fingering, mandolin players benefit from this logical and easy to learn configuration of the fretboard.

The small size means your fingers are close together as you play, but I’ve never heard of someone with large hands and fingers complaining that they feel cramped. Maybe a guitar player will have this complaint, but I don’t think it would prevent anyone from learning to play fast and furious melody lines on the mandolin.

Don’t fear the mandolin – it is easy to learn at your own pace

So don’t be afraid to pick up a mandolin and learn how to play. You will be able to make simple music very quickly with a mandolin, and it’s a lot of fun to learn. Give it a try!

Mandolins and guitars are both used in old-time string bands and other groups which play traditional folk music. But they’re also integral parts of groups that play newer musical styles like bluegrass and country. And more and more these days, talented musicians and composers are incorporating both these instruments into fusion ensembles which bring together the best of many varied styles of music to create something new and wolderful that, nevertheless, has the sounds we’ve come to associate with fun, people-centered music.

Frankly, it’s a slightly disturbing feeling to write an article which purports to decide for you whether you should settle for a guitar or a mandolin. After all, there’s no real reason why you should limit yourself to only one instrument. Even if you can’t afford both, you never know what the future will bring and one day you might have the resources to get all the instruments you could possibly want.

I think it’s better to take this attitude: that all well-rounded musicians are best off when they familiariaze themselves with all the major instruments used in their favorite style of music.

After all, there are concepts that are universal to all good music that you won’t learn unless you’re familiar with a range of instruments.

Should you play the guitar?

It’s impossible to say that the guitar is best restricted to use as either a rhythm or lead (melody) instrument. In the hands of a skilled player, the guitar truly does it all.

But sometimes, when you plan to play as part of a group, you really don’t need or want to do it all. As a band member, you might not want to spend the years needed to become a master of all aspects of music.

Guitar players are capable of playing fast licks that come close to rivaling the lead capabilities of a violinist, but they’re also able to flesh out a song’s harmonies while laying down the rhythmic framework much like a piano player.

Should you play the mandolin?

The mandolin was traditionally a lead instrument. It has the same tuning as a violin, and it can be used to play the same sorts of melodies.

But lately, mandolin has been used more and more as a rhythm instrument. The famous mandolin chop is a rhythmic device used bluegrass bands (and other ensembles), and when it’s combined with a banjo, the results do away with the need for a drummer.

Since mandolins are smaller than guitars, it’s often easier to fret chords and single notes than with a guitar. If you are afraid that you’ll never manage to become good at effortlessly moving between chords on the guitar, perhaps the mandolin is a better choice for you. Or, maybe you just need more practice or a different guitar with lighter strings.

Comparing the mandolin and the guitar

Number of strings on the guitar and mandolin

Guitars have six strings — three bass strings and three treble strings — while mandolins have two sets of four strings. This makes guitars more versatile, but they lack the rhythmic ‘chop’ of a good f-style mandolin. In modern times, 12-string guitars have become easier to get; they offer a fuller sound than regular 6 string models, but they’re not as versatile.

Sustain

Guitars have more sustain than mandolins. The large soundbox just rings out for much longer than the smaller mandolins.

In fact, mandolin players use a tremolo picking pattern to ‘hold’ a note, while guitar players just pluck the string extra-loud.

Picking styles of the guitar and the mandolin

Mandolin players rely exclusively on flatpicking. With a flatpick (or, in some rare cases, a thumb-pick used as a flatpick), mando players can chop all four strings while fretting a chord. Or they can play individual notes at a fast and furious pace, much like a violinist. To hold a note, they pick the string repeatedly using tremolo picking.

Guitar players have more choices. Old-time players pick with the fingers and thumb. This fingerstyle guitar is beautiful and versatile, but not very loud. Bluegrass guitarists get around this lack of volume by using metal or plastic fingerpicks. Some players use the flatpick, just like mandolin players. But in general, this is a less-versatile style of playing the guitar.

Electric and Acoustic-Electric guitars and mandolins

Both instruments can be electrified, either at the factory or by using aftermarket pickups.

Many electric guitars do away with the soundbox entirely. But there are few electric mandolins that don’t also function as acoustic instruments.

Some guitar players feel that the only way they can compete with a loud banjo player (in terms of volume) is to electrify the instrument and use an amplifier. Rhythm mandolin players usually don’t have this problem, especially with f-style mandolins which are louder than their older counterparts.

If you enjoy learning about mandolins, you’ve probably heard of Lloyd Loar. But if you’re not quite sure who he was, take a moment to read this bio, because he’s arguably the father of the modern mandolin.

Lloyd Loar was an accomplished musician

Lloyd Loar played in bluegrass bands which toured all throughout the USA (and even overseas). Although he was proficient on several instruments, he was really a master of the mandolin.

The Gibson company always tried to promote themselves by forming mutually-beneficial relationships with accomplished musicians. Gibson was one of Mr. Loar’s patrons, and he played their instruments on stage.

But Gibson didn’t stop at giving out a free mandolin or guitar to the musicians they sponsored. They also let their musicians get their hands dirty in the luthier shop. Lloyd Loar didn’t just play around with some pre-existing designs. Rather he actually invented a few successful designs, several of which went on to be the state of the art in terms of modern mandolin design.

Lloyd Loar’s mandolin designs were (and still are) state of the art

Although Loar produced several successful designs, and a slew of experimental designs (many of which were electric), he’s best known as the father of the famous Gibson F5 and A5 mandolins. These mandolins are about as good as it gets in the context of mandolin design.

Original Gibson mandolins made by (and signed by) Lloyd Loar can fetch upwards of a couple hundred thousand dollars today.

So next time you play an F style mandolin, take a moment to thank Lloyd Loar for creating the perfect blend of form and functionality that’s allowed mandolins to survive and thrive up to the modern day.

Maybe you’re not entirely sure if you’re going to keep up with it, so you’re looking for a discount mandolin, right?

After all, who knows if you’ll still be interested in playing the thing a few months for now. There’s no point in spending hundreds of dollars on what’s basically an experiment.

Sorry, but that might be a bit short-sighted.

With a discount mandolin, you get what you pay for

Sure, I fully understand the desire to avoid committment. But remember that a good, mid-range mandolin holds a significant fraction of its purchase price when you’re talking about resale value. A used discount mandolin isn’t going to appeal to anyone.

Cheaply-made discount mandolins come from China

While most of the new sub-$1000 dollar mandolins are made overseas, you can be sure that a cheap mandolin is made in near slave-labor conditions by illiterate peasants somewhere in China.

So what, you might ask?

Well, if you care about mandolins (and string instruments in general), and you want to help advance the state of the art, it’s a good idea to patronize companies and makers that share your concerns and passions.

Chinese mandolin makers don’t learn skills, refine their craft, or innovate. Instead, they just do the same thing over and over, ripping off the folks who actually took the risks necessary to develop new and improved mandolin styles.

In the long run, cheap labor that works at slave-labor prices hurts us all.

Plywood mandolins

Low-cost mandolins fall apart easily

While this doesn’t automatically mean it sounds bad, it’s just not the sort of instrument a serious player wants. Check out What’s the best wood for a mandolin’s top for some more thoughts on the subject.

Are discount mandolins holding back your playing skill?

There’s no doubt about it. A low-quality instrument doesn’t perform as well as a properly-made one.

• It’s harder to tune and keep in tune
• It’s harder to set up when you change string gauge
• The neck isn’t as stable
• Frets are not set as accurately
• Ends of the frets are not dressed as nicely
• Sound quality — you get the picture

In another article — are cheap mandolins worth it — you can find a more in-depth discussion about the worth of a discount mandolin.

So while it seems like a good idea to test the waters without spending too much, if you really want to give your mandolin experiment a chance to succeed, I think you should get an instrument that’s playable. And that means spending over $100 at a minimum.

Lots of folks want to get their hands on a mandolin, cheaply, without paying a premium for an instrument that they’re not sure they’ll use. The idea of owning and playing a mandolin appeals to them, but they don’t want to commit to it fully until they’re sure about it.

So if you want an inexpensive mandolin, you have two choices: get a great deal on a used mandolin, or find and buy a new mandolin cheap!

Find a used mandolin for sale

There are a lot of used mandolins collecting dust in peoples’ closets and attics. You can find them for sale at online classifides listings like CraigsList, or at auction sites like eBay.

Bowl-Back (Neopolitan) Mandolin.

Due to the intricacy of the workmanship and the high-quality materials (like ivory tuning pegs and inlaid top plates), people assume that these instruments are worth quite a bit more than they actually are. In fact, these old mandolins are a glut on the market, and it’s difficult to get rid of them for what seems to be a fair price.

So, you could probably buy one of these old bowl-back mandolins in any highly-populated area quite easily. But I think you’d be disappointed with your purchase. These style mandolins just don’t have the same sort of playability of a modern F-Style mandolin. Furthermore, they’re unsuitable for playing in an ensemble becasue they’re not loud enough.

So, getting a mandolin cheap is possible if you go the used instrument route, but you’ll probably get one that you’re not really satisfied with. And that brings us to the cheap, new instruments:

Get a new, cheap mandolin

There are brand-new mandolins being sold these days for less than $75 dollars, delivered. These cheap mandolins are lacking in just about every area, but if you just want to dip your toe in and test the waters, they’re definitely the way to go.

If you want a halfway decent instrument that’s still under $200 dollars, check out the Rogue RM100F; it delivers a good blend of performance and economy.

The Rogue RM100F F-Style Mandolin is a popular entry-level instrument for folks who are just starting out learning the mandolin. It’s one of the best-selling low-end mandolins because it offers a good balance between economy and quality.

Construction of the Rogue RM100F

Rogue RM100F Mandolin

The maple back and sides, too, are steam-pressed. They’re not as important as the top from the standpoint of tone and sustain, but it’s nice to know that they’re made of maple, a traditional mandolin wood. You won’t find the highest-quality figured maple here, but this is to be expected in a mandolin that retails for significantly less than $200 dollars. Decorative woods are reserved for mandolins that cost 3 times more than the Rogue RM100F.

Since this is an F-Style mandolin, it is somewhat more complicated to manufacture than a less-ornate A-Style mandolin. But the use of pressed wood and computer-controlled routing machines keeps the cost down. These are not hand-crafted instruments, but they’re good entry-level mandolins that perform very well for the price.

The tuners are nickle, rather than chrome-plated cast metal like you’ll find on cheaper instruments. Nickle tuners don’t rust, and more importantly, they require less lubrication than cheaper styles, and this means less chance of making a mess.

Another nice feature of the RM100F is the ebony fingerboard. Lots of inexpensive mandolins use a maple fingerboard which is dyed black. Real ebony is better because there’s no dye to collect under your fingernails as you play. And, ebony keeps its color as it wears, unlike dyed maple which quickly reveals itself as wear sets in.

Who makes Rogue mandolins?

Rogue RM100F Mandolin

They distribute over 70,000 music-related items, and employ over 1000 people in Oregon and other parts of the US. Through their subsidiary Rogue, they produce and distribute low-cost, entry-level instruments all throughout America and the world.

RM100F — Want One?

Click here to get your hands on the Rogue RM100F F-Style Mandolin, or to see additional pictures, reviews, and specs.

Makers of cheap mandolins do their best to disguise the materials used to construct their mandolins. High-end luthiers, on the other hand, often overwhelm you with a deluge of details about the wood type(s) used in their hand-crafted masterpieces.

But is the type of wood used in a mandolin really important?

Best wood for the mandolin soundboard

I can’t claim to know the best mandolin wood. But general consensus seems to anoint spruce as the wood of choice for the top plate on the world’s best mandolins.

Spruce is both light and strong: the perfect combination when it comes to making a soundboard that’s expected to resonate and vibrate, but also stand up to the strain of 8 steel strings all trying to pull the instrument out of whack. The high strength to weight ratio, coupled with the knot-free grain, is prized by instrument makers everywhere.

Some makers use cedar (which, like spruce, is an even-grained conifer). Good spruce is increasingly difficult to find. In fact, the sitka spruce used by many modern luthiers grows in areas which are gradually becoming overforested.

Laminated mandolin soundboards

Inexpensive mandolins often feature plywood tops.

Although these laminated tops are strong, they may not sound as good as spruce. However, there’s quite a bit less time and expense involved in their manufacture, so it may be the best choice for certain folks.

Pressed or carved mandolin tops?

There are three common ways to make the top of a mandolin:

1. Flat top mandolin — Like a guitar, this type of mandolin has a flat top, usually of quartersawn, bookmatched spruce, but sometimes made of mahogany. It is a fairly inexpensive style of instrument.
2. Carved top mandolin — These mandolins are not mass produced. Or, at least, not until the development and introduction of computer-controlled carving machines. The very best mandolins are hand-carved by luthiers who shape the mandolin top until it’s the perfect blend of strength and tone.
3. Pressed tops — All plywood tops (and some others) are given their arch shape by pressing the wood into shape with steam and pressure. This is a perfectly acceptable way of forming arches and curves in plywood, but it may not result in a mandolin whose tone is as perfect as one carved by a master luthier.

So, let expense be your guide; but don’t forget about tone. As long as you’re ultimately satisfied with your mandolin, the choice of wood used for the soundboard is secondary to your enjoyment.