Time and tide

The 'Highly Strung' scratch band at Sore Fingers
(I'm second from right).

A lot has happened since my last post: my first Sore Fingers School, enrolment in a Peghead Nation online course, a succession  of plectrum changes, and, above all, a rewarding collaboration with other musicians.

There are basically three elements to playing Bluegrass-style with a mandolin: vocals, chopping and picking. While maintaining the first two, I'm now focusing on developing the third.

I've learnt a few fiddle tunes and the melodies to some of my songs. I need to learn more, to improve my accuracy and consistency and to embellish the melodies with articulations. The good thing about the mandolin is that there is no shortage of instructional material. I know exactly what I need to do. It just takes time and effort.