On Mandolins, Its Playing Style, Mandolin Picks, Rhythm, and Practice

Schedule One's Practice

Playing a mandolin involves playing with multiple distinct styles, from tremolo to cross-picking. Players usually schedule the practice sessions and improve certain aspects of the playing style, from their grip of the mandolin picks to the way players practice their rhythm. One should keep track of their progress. Make time for the skills that are still confusing and improve on those the player have already practiced on. One could also challenge himself and learn other picking skills that can aid in the learning process.

Training Should Be Continuous

As with learning any other instrument, a player must practice constantly to improve on the skills. The concept of "binge practicing" is quite frowned upon, which essentially means practicing for hours in one day and not picking up on it for the rest of the week. Mastering an instrument takes time and effort. If one could at least make time, picking and scaling a mandolin, while developing a sense of rhythm, one could improve very quickly.

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How Guitar Picks Affect Picking Speed and Overall Skill of the Player

An article published in Ultimate-Guitar.com elaborated on picking speed. For most guitarists, the speed of picking a guitar is a good measure on how well one can play the instrument. In the article, the writer notes three issues with regard to picking speeds and how this really affects the level of one learning how to play a guitar.

Definition of Picking Speed

The article first defines that the picking speed is not just one technique that needs to be learned. Learning how to play fast and properly holding guitar picks come naturally as one progresses in his understanding of other playing styles. Perfecting every lesson will eventually help the person attain that desired picking skill. Speaking of desired speeds, the article also mentions how the speed of picking varies from one player to another. There is no standard when it comes to picking speed as each style can produce quality music as the player see themselves fit.

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What to Look for in Guitar Picks

Many people think little of their guitar picks, so much so that they don’t consider much more than the design when buying one. What these people don’t know however, is that your choice of pick has a significant bearing on how well you play and sound. Hence, what you might think is already your best might still be improved if you take these factors into consideration:

Size

Picks typically come in the standard 1.5 square inch size, but did you know that others can be as small as your fingertips while still others, as big as two inches? Since everyone has different sizes of hands and fingers, grip isn’t exactly the same from one person to another. Thus, you should try out various sizes of picks until you determine which one is the easiest for you to properly grip while playing.

Durability

If you’re playing often, make sure that your picks of choice are sturdy enough not to break in the middle of a performance and hardy enough not to force you to buy a replacement too often. Typically, the thinner the pick, the more prone it is to wear and tear.

Music and Style

Your choice should also depend on the genre of music that you’re often playing. Heavy rock guitarists often have the thickest picks, sometimes even 1.5 millimeters or greater. Moreover, if you’re using heavy gauge strings, you’d also probably want to invest in thick picks.

Function of Picks for Guitar Players

To most people, a guitar pick is simply a flat object that guitar players use to play their instrument. To professional players, however, this simple accessory can determine the type of sound their guitar can produce. The thickness of the pick, its material, the way it is gripped, and many other factors involving this small accessory can either produce the best music or break the performance altogether.