Mandolin picking technique is the down, up, down, up alternate picking, played with a pick, with the wrist moving, not the arm, so the notes are even, and fast, and clear. The down stroke is on the beat, and the up stroke is off the beat, and the pick moves, down and up, across the paired strings, and the mandolin rings, bright and clear.
What is mandolin picking technique?
Mandolin picking technique is the down, up, down, up alternate picking, played with a pick, with the wrist moving, not the arm, so the notes are even, and fast, and clear. The down stroke is on the beat, and the up stroke is off the beat, and the pick moves, down and up, across the paired strings, and the mandolin rings, bright and clear, because the pick hits both strings of the pair, together, and the sound is doubled, and the notes are the melody, and the picking is the rhythm, and the two together make the music. The mandolin is picked, not strummed, for the melody, because the melody is single notes, played one at a time, and the pick plays them, down and up, alternating, so the playing is fast, and even, and the notes are clear, and the mandolin can play fast tunes, because the alternate picking is efficient, and the pick moves, down and up, without stopping, and the notes flow, one after another, and the mandolin sounds like a violin, with a pick, and the picking is the mandolin's voice. The G major mandolin chord and the D major mandolin chord are the chords most players first pick, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How mandolin picking works
Mandolin picking works by moving the pick, down and up, across the paired strings, alternating, so the down stroke is on the beat, and the up stroke is off the beat, and the notes are even, in time, and the playing is fast, and clear. The pick should be held firmly, but not tightly, between the thumb and the index finger, with a small amount of pick showing, so the pick hits the strings, cleanly, and the wrist should be loose, moving from the wrist, not from the arm, because the wrist is the engine, and the arm is the support, and the picking is the wrist, moving, down and up, and the arm stays still, and the picking is fluid, and the rhythm is steady. The pick must hit both strings of the pair, together, because the pair is the course, and the course is two strings, tuned to the same pitch, and the pick must hit both, or the sound will be thin, because only one string rings, and the pair is not together. The down stroke hits the strings from the G course to the E course, and the up stroke hits them from the E course to the G course, and the pick moves, down and up, across the strings, and the notes are the melody, played one at a time, on the course, and the picking is the rhythm, and the melody is the tune. The C major mandolin chord and the A major mandolin chord are the chords the picking is built on.
Worked example — alternate picking on the G major scale. Play the G major scale on the mandolin, with alternate picking: start on the G course, open, G3, 196 Hz, with a down stroke, on the beat, and play A, on the G course, 2nd fret, A3, 220 Hz, with an up stroke, off the beat, and play B, on the G course, 4th fret, B3, 246.94 Hz, with a down stroke, on the beat, and play C, on the D course, open, D4, 293.66 Hz, with an up stroke, off the beat, and the notes are G, A, B, C, played down, up, down, up, and the picking is alternate, and the notes are even, in time, and the scale flows, because the pick moves, down and up, without stopping, and the wrist is loose, and the arm is still. The key of G major lists the chords the picking is built on.
How to practise mandolin picking
Practise picking slowly, with a metronome, playing down and up, alternating, until the notes are even, and the pick hits both strings of the pair, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Play the G major scale on the mandolin, with alternate picking, down on the beat, and up off the beat, and listen for the notes to be even, in time, and the picking to flow.
- Play a single note, on the G course, open, with down and up strokes, alternating, and listen for the pick to hit both strings of the pair, together, and the sound to be full.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major on mandolin, picking the melody, with alternate picking, and listening for the notes to be clear, and the rhythm to be steady.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the picking is clean at the current tempo.
- Practise picking with a relaxed wrist, moving from the wrist, not from the arm, so the picking is fluid, and the rhythm is steady.
Common mistakes
- Picking from the arm, not the wrist — A pick from the arm will be stiff, and the rhythm will be uneven, because the arm is heavy, and the wrist is the engine, and the picking should be from the wrist, moving, down and up, and the arm stays still, and the picking is fluid.
- Hitting only one string of the pair — A pick that hits only one string of the pair will make the sound thin, because only one string rings, and the pair is not together. Pick across the pair, hitting both strings, together, so the sound is full, and the mandolin rings.
- Playing all down strokes — A player who plays all down strokes will be slow, because the pick must return, after each down stroke, and the up stroke is the return, and the alternate picking is faster, because the pick moves, down and up, without stopping, and the notes flow.
Quick reference
This table shows the alternate picking pattern, with the stroke, when it is played, and the direction for each one, so you can see the pattern at a glance and practise it one stroke at a time. The down stroke is on the beat, and the up stroke is off the beat, and the pick moves, down and up, without stopping.
| Stroke | When | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Down stroke | On the beat | Down, across the strings |
| Up stroke | Off the beat | Up, back across the strings |
| Down stroke | On the beat | Down, across the strings |
| Up stroke | Off the beat | Up, back across the strings |
Use the table to practise alternate picking: play down on the beat, and up off the beat, and listen for the notes to be even, in time, and the pick to hit both strings of the pair, together, and the sound to be full. When you can pick, down and up, without thinking, you can play fast tunes, and the mandolin will ring.
Frequently asked questions
What is mandolin picking technique?
Mandolin picking technique is the down, up, down, up alternate picking, played with a pick, with the wrist moving, not the arm, so the notes are even, and fast, and clear. The down stroke is on the beat, and the up stroke is off the beat.
Should I pick from the wrist or the arm?
From the wrist, because the wrist is the engine, and the arm is the support, and the picking is the wrist, moving, down and up, and the arm stays still, and the picking is fluid, and the rhythm is steady.
How do I hold the pick for mandolin?
Firmly, but not tightly, between the thumb and the index finger, with a small amount of pick showing, so the pick hits the strings, cleanly, and the wrist is loose, and the picking is fluid.
Why does my mandolin sound thin when I pick?
Because the pick is hitting only one string of the pair, and not the other, so only one string rings, and the pair is not together. Pick across the pair, hitting both strings, together, so the sound is full, and the mandolin rings.
What is alternate picking?
Alternate picking is down, up, down, up, with the down stroke on the beat, and the up stroke off the beat, so the pick moves, down and up, without stopping, and the playing is fast, and even, and the notes are clear.