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Determining your approach to fingerpicking your mandolin is critical to all of your future efforts within the process. It will also be the biggest influence on the tonal range you'll be achieving with your fingerpicking. As is true with fingerpicking guitar, the choice of medium is subject to the artist's taste and naturalness in approach. Most fingerstyle guitarists use the medium that is most comfortable to them, which in turn, establishes their tonal range and signature. Additionally, once a choice of medium is chosen by a guitarist, it's very rare that he/she will veer from this initially chosen approach nor will he/she likely alternate between different mediums.

How does this apply to fingerpicking mandolin? Well, it is relative in many ways...for, again, as is true on guitar, you'll want to first establish which medium is comfortable for you to utilize on mandolin and in this consideration, you'll realize that this may be the one and only medium you'll be using for years to come (as applies to guitarists too)...as an added benefit, with the awareness of fingerpicking guitar stylists, you'll have a better window on your own future playing efforts with fingerpicking mandolin. Mechanically, fingerstyle guitar is relative to fingerstyle mandolin. If you already fingerpick guitar you are ahead of the game; if you already have been playing mandolin, and have a background in fingerstyle guitar, you're light years ahead...and should take this opportunity to further advance your multi-medium efforts on your mandolin.

I play banjo, guitar and dobro with a fingerstyle approach...and have studied ragtime guitar back in high school. Playing mandolin as a fingerstylist just comes natural....although I also play mandolin with a flatpick, I've found the fingerstyle approach to be more intuitive than wielding a flatpick. You may find the opposite to be true...even so, you would still have a lot to gain by pursuing all possible approaches to your mandolin...many more colors to choose from if you will increasing your versatility to contribute to other settings.

There are basically three mediums available in approaching fingerstyle mandolin...along with many variations on how you hold your instrument and picking hand that evolve around your choice of medium.

1. Using the Flesh of Your Fingers
2. Using Your Fingernails and Thumbnail
3. Using Metal Fingerpicks and a Plastic Thumbpick.

Using the Flesh of Your Fingers

This approach was commonly used amongst traditional blues guitarists. I've also heard many contemporary fingerstyle guitarists whom have used this medium to good effect. Remember, that the average bass player uses the flesh of the fingers for that thumpier bass tone...that cannot be achieved with fingernails or a flatpick.

Using the flesh of your fingers will give you a softer effect...less definition in the notes yet a rounder tone can be achieved. When playing in a low noise level, with one other instrument, this approach to fingerpicking your mandolin may serve you well. Only, it is limited in dynamics since you really cannot achieve the volume that's possible with fingernails or fingerpicks. Therefore, keep in mind, using the flesh of your fingers and thumb may limit what you can do with your mandolin in larger acoustic settings. You will not be able to achieve the volume necessary to compete with an entire acoustic band; yet, at the very least, you will be able to play in smaller ensembles, or play effectively with a pick-up system.

Using your Fingernails and Thumbnail

You'll find that this approach offers far more definition and clarity in the notes being played as compared to using the flesh of your fingers. The fingernail medium is well-accepted as the norm when playing classical guitar. It also works well on mandolin. For instance, I believe it's the ideal medium if you have intentions of playing classical music on the mandolin. It's not as soft sounding as the flesh of the fingers, and it wouldn't be as loud as using fingerpicks, nevertheless, it serves well by offering clarity and definition to the notes being played.

Using Metal Fingerpicks and a Plastic Thumbpick

This is the accepted medium to playing bluegrass banjo. Using two metal fingerpicks and one plastic thumbpick offers the best volume you'll find without sacrifice to clarity and definition in tonal range. If you want presence and volume, this is the medium of choice in playing fingerstyle mandolin. Now, you don't have to limit yourself to two fingerpicks, you may also opt to use three fingers and the thumb...I personally have found this to be my medium of choice on fingerstyle mandolin. I use three metal fingerpicks and one plastic thumbpick. I can play the mandolin with fingernails too...as I also do on guitar. However, if given one choice of one medium, I would choose the fingerpicks and thumbpick...no sacrifice in volume and no sacrifice in clarity of tonal range. I have vied this medium against other flatpicking mandolinists, and even against an entire acoustic band, and without compromise, I was easily heard above them all. Hence, if you're looking for the best dynamics possible, within fingerpicking mandolin mediums, my suggestion would be to consider using fingerpicks, above all others, for fingerpicking your mandolin.

Another Consideration

Your medium of choice can be further assessed as we start to delve into some exercises and studies. Therefore, before finalizing your decision on which medium you want to pursue, my suggestion would be to experiment with the studies and songs ahead...eventually, you'll fall into what's comfortable for you...and, upon finalizing your medium of choice, you will not need to change your approach for the rest of your fingerpicking mando days.

Notes: How to choose the right fingerpicks and thumbpick...

Try different brands...two of the most common fingerpicks available are the National and Dunlop. I've found that the Dunlop metal fingerpicks are very comfortable. They have larger collars that wrap around the tip of the fingers. Even so, you might find the Nationals more to your liking. Most traditional bluegrass banjoists use the Nationals, and they do have a longer tradition.

For plastic thumbpicks, I use the "small" Dunlop. I've found these to be the least intrusive with a smaller tongue than most thumbpicks. The thicker plastic thumbpicks give too much of a thumpier tone...not as much clarity or brightness is emitted after striking the strings. There's a vast selection of plastic thumbpicks available; I highly recommend that you experiment and find one that appears comfortable to you from the start (you may not know until you've been playing for awhile exactly what comfortable means). Remember, you want to consider buying a smaller size to ensure that the thumbpick stays put when adding emphasis in your playing. That's why my thumbpick of choice is in a "small" size.

Fitting metal fingerpicks, both the National and Dunlop, is relatively easy. You'll first want to determine if you want to bend the tongue back over the tip of the finger. Most fingerstylists do this to ensure speed when playing...this is exactly the way the traditional bluegrass banjoist adjusts his/her fingerpick. The entire top portion of the fingerpick curls over the tip of the finger. Now, there are many other variations for adjusting your metal fingerpick...another one to consider would be to keep the tip of the fingerpick fairly straight...which gives you more picking area to fall back on. I like keeping the tip of my fingerpicks fairly straight...not completely straight...but almost. Other things to consider when adjusting your fingerpicks are the position of your hand and the angle that the fingers strike the strings. For instance, if you find your picking hand picks at an angle non-perpendicular the strings, you might try adjusting the fingerpicks so that they strike face on.

Note: Dunlop fingerpicks come in a variety of gauges. Stay away from the heavier gauges for they are quite difficult to adjust...try the .020 gauges and less. I use the .018 gauges on banjo, mandolin, dobro and guitar. Dunlops also come in two different metals: Brass and Nickel. I personally prefer the brass ones...however, they do leave some discoloration on the fingers. The nickel doesn't. Nickel has been the standard for most all fingerstylists.

Mickey

Watch for the upcoming video on learning to fingerpick the mandolin soon to be released by Wisdom of the Wood Publishing...

If interested in further techniques for new mandolin voicings, don't forget to check out the Mel Bay title: "Mandolin Crosspicking Technique"...click on image below.

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Copyright ©2004 Mickey Cochran

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Please send any comments, questions or requests to Mickey Cochran at info@folkofthewood.com 

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