I've recently been experimenting with mandolin, and I've become confused as to the correct picking technique for jigs.
Is it dud udu or dud dud. I had been doing the former but according to the previous discussion links this is wrong. Is this totally wrong or partly personal preference?
Also, in reels, should I be aiming to place the down stroke on the quarter beat all of the time?
Here's hoping I improve,
Kenn
dud dud should you a stronger start to your second triplet, but what the heck, do it any way that sounds right.
Reels are even looser. The phrase "all of the time" is not one you'll hear in diddly music
Hi Ken
This is a massive subject looking at the sites I gave in the prevous discussion and http://www.celticmusic.com/dan/news.html
You are not wrong using dud udu it just depends on what kind of feel you are looking for.Some people (above site) use ddu ddu (better for adding triplets in,apparently) and more commonly dud dud.This give a more grounded feel as the each triplet begins on the d stroke which is stronger.The dud udu gives a more flowing sound.However, you need to have a strong u sroke on the second group of triplets.I will often use this pattern if playing fast or trying for a more flowing style.With this style the important thing is that the beginnig of each bar begins
with a d stoke.If you just follow dudud continuously the pattern will go out of sync if a crotchet turns up.To get round this if there is crotchet in the first half of the bar I will do two repeated d strokes if in the second half of the bar two u stroke.It may seem a bit odd but it gives a consistant pattern that can be unversily applied.
If I were you ( and I started only using dud udu) learn the dud dud pattern (or ddu ddu) and try and make it your basis for gigs.Reserve the dud udu for later use - its more important to get the other one good first.The problem I found with the dud udu is that it can,t be used for slip jigs or slides ( the pattern goes out of syn and you get a u stroke at the beging of the bar).If you learn the dud dud pattern ( it takes a little time to get the speed though) you have got something that works for jigs slip jig and slides.With reels I generally use dudud unless there is a crotchet in which case I use two d (to keep it in sync).As a rule stong beats need to be played with a d stroke.
As with all rules they can be broken.By breaking some of these patterns the rhythm can be loosened up to go effect.
By the way I was worried when I saw the title "Dud Mandolin
Info." clever eh!
Interesting advice, I guess with my right hand being used to the fiddle, dud udu seams to come easiest to hand, and being familiar with jig rythm, hasn't presented a problem....yet...
I think I might try out dud dud for a while and see what happens.
I have always relied on my natural inclinations rather than following a prescribed pattern. Instinct has drawn me towards the DUD UDU school. However, for some reason, when I move from a higher (pitched) to a lower string I invariably play the lower string with a downstroke. For example, for the passage faf ge^c | ed^c d I would play DUD UDU | DDU D
I usually do the same in reels. I don't know if this is due to some peculiarity of my nervous system, or if other people also play like this. Its only disadvantage is that it can make reels difficult to play at speed, so I am trying to be a little more disciplined in my picking and learn to use a more consistent DUDU DUDU pattern, just to keep my options open.
Dud Mandolin Info.
Dud Mandolin Info.
I've recently been experimenting with mandolin, and I've become confused as to the correct picking technique for jigs.
Is it dud udu or dud dud. I had been doing the former but according to the previous discussion links this is wrong. Is this totally wrong or partly personal preference?
Also, in reels, should I be aiming to place the down stroke on the quarter beat all of the time?
Here's hoping I improve,
Kenn
# Posted on November 17th 2002 by Kenn
Re: Dud Mandolin Info.
dud dud should you a stronger start to your second triplet, but what the heck, do it any way that sounds right.
Reels are even looser. The phrase "all of the time" is not one you'll hear in diddly music
# Posted on November 17th 2002 by llig leahcim
Re: Dud Mandolin Info.
Hi Ken
This is a massive subject looking at the sites I gave in the prevous discussion and http://www.celticmusic.com/dan/news.html
You are not wrong using dud udu it just depends on what kind of feel you are looking for.Some people (above site) use ddu ddu (better for adding triplets in,apparently) and more commonly dud dud.This give a more grounded feel as the each triplet begins on the d stroke which is stronger.The dud udu gives a more flowing sound.However, you need to have a strong u sroke on the second group of triplets.I will often use this pattern if playing fast or trying for a more flowing style.With this style the important thing is that the beginnig of each bar begins
with a d stoke.If you just follow dudud continuously the pattern will go out of sync if a crotchet turns up.To get round this if there is crotchet in the first half of the bar I will do two repeated d strokes if in the second half of the bar two u stroke.It may seem a bit odd but it gives a consistant pattern that can be unversily applied.
If I were you ( and I started only using dud udu) learn the dud dud pattern (or ddu ddu) and try and make it your basis for gigs.Reserve the dud udu for later use - its more important to get the other one good first.The problem I found with the dud udu is that it can,t be used for slip jigs or slides ( the pattern goes out of syn and you get a u stroke at the beging of the bar).If you learn the dud dud pattern ( it takes a little time to get the speed though) you have got something that works for jigs slip jig and slides.With reels I generally use dudud unless there is a crotchet in which case I use two d (to keep it in sync).As a rule stong beats need to be played with a d stroke.
As with all rules they can be broken.By breaking some of these patterns the rhythm can be loosened up to go effect.
By the way I was worried when I saw the title "Dud Mandolin
Info." clever eh!
# Posted on November 17th 2002 by Christopher Reynolds
Re: Dud Mandolin Info.
Interesting advice, I guess with my right hand being used to the fiddle, dud udu seams to come easiest to hand, and being familiar with jig rythm, hasn't presented a problem....yet...
I think I might try out dud dud for a while and see what happens.
# Posted on November 17th 2002 by Kenn
Re: Dud Mandolin Info.
I have always relied on my natural inclinations rather than following a prescribed pattern. Instinct has drawn me towards the DUD UDU school. However, for some reason, when I move from a higher (pitched) to a lower string I invariably play the lower string with a downstroke. For example, for the passage faf ge^c | ed^c d I would play DUD UDU | DDU D
I usually do the same in reels. I don't know if this is due to some peculiarity of my nervous system, or if other people also play like this. Its only disadvantage is that it can make reels difficult to play at speed, so I am trying to be a little more disciplined in my picking and learn to use a more consistent DUDU DUDU pattern, just to keep my options open.
# Posted on November 18th 2002 by granama