Blowing Through the Phrase
Articulations and Phrasing

Having studied the trombone at the graduate level in college, my perception of phrasing, or "blowing" through lines of music might be different than most mandolinists.

I was taught to "connect" notes through to the end of a phrase, sustaining and/or building the level of intensity by keeping the lungs blowing--not relenting, as younger wind players often do between notes.

The same danger applies to plectrum instruments, and perhaps the challenge is even greater. You have the initial "sting" of the pick, or the "articulation" with no option to build the tone (like with a clarinet), only the demand to keep the note from decaying by not relenting with the fingers of the left hand. (The exception of course, tremolo but that's a topic for another discussion...)

In jazz, you are often playing WITH wind instruments who can easily keep the "line" going with the air stream.

The trick for the mandolinist is to imitate a trumpet or sax in this approach. It's possible, but it's more of a challenge.

Especially in ballad or slow passages, great attention needs to be paid with the length of notes. The trick is to release the left finger at the last possible moment, as CLOSE to the attack of the next note. This involves quick movement, and can be practiced along with scales and arpeggios, even when crossing strings.

Visualize the Attack, Sustain, Decay, & Release of each note at slower tempos, known as the ASDR. After the invariable speed of the Attack, you fight the natural decay of the strings tone by keeping the pressure as close to the next Attack as possible. Strike, HOOOLLLLD, (quick shift), Strike next note, HOOOLLLLD, (quick shift), etc. This is easier when the next note is only putting the finger down on a higher fret. The bigger challenge is going lower, when you "lengthen" the string. That momentary release of pressure produces a gap in the tone, descending the fretboard. But still, the key is to make your movements quickly, whether a whole position shift or just the next finger.

The sound is the key. I witnessed Evan Marshall in a clinic demonstrate a Mozart classical passage that came across almost "clarinet-like."

We have a responsibility to blend with the others in the jazz ensemble, and if we pay close attention to the sustain of each note, we rely even less on the tremolo for our legato or "slurred" notes. I hate to see tremolo over-used in jazz.

Rest Strokes

Mandolin articulations can be categorized in three ways. Outside of special effects like pull-offs, hammer-ons, false harmonics, we have:

1) Tremolo (measured or unmeasured)
2) Free Strokes (up or down)
3) Rest Strokes

The first two don't take much explaining, but the Rest Stroke needs special attention...

To get the most sound out of the string without letting the pick travel so far as that it's out of reach of the next note use a "Rest Stroke."

Pluck the string in a Downstroke and allow the pick to "rest" on the next string lower. In this position the pick is ready either for a subsequent upstroke or another Rest Stroke (shown below):

If you practice this at a slow tempo with quarter notes, Down (rest), Up, Down (rest), Up, paying close attention to the sustain of the left hand, you'll notice the rich tone of the downstroke, and how well it connects to the next note. You can even achieve a "slur" or "appogiatura" effect, much like a wind or bowed string instrument.

Remember: downstroke, keep the pick next to the next string and hold the tone, upstroke, repeat.

Try it first with a succession of the same notes, until it starts to feel comfortable, and then start adding the complexity of motion, moving to another (nearby) note, as in a scale.

This must be practiced VERY slowly.

Listen very carefully for clarity of sound and length of tone.