The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #120112   Message #2609686
Posted By: GUEST,iancarterb
12-Apr-09 - 11:31 AM
Thread Name: Mandolin Question.
Subject: RE: Mandolin Question.
Golden Gate, similar to Dawg. Small, VERY stiff, and nearly round. Sparsely finger picked mandolin can sound wonderful for vocal accompaniment, but it is I think more difficult than 1)learning to use the flatpick/plectrum well, 2)finding the right adhesive technique and 3)learning to relax so that the adhesive is less necessary. For adhesive I found resin from the fiddle player good; also using elastoplast medical adhesive tape until JUST before playing in public.:) I even tried contact cement, which is effective but messy. Getting the darn pick to stay in hand is esential for learning to relax the right arm enough to hold the pick just tightly enough to keep from dropping it and then abandoning the adhesive. Took me a decade plus, but I'm a slow learner.