Designated Tone Master David Grisman weighs in with thoughts on tone in this Rochester Democrat and Chronicle interview:

"Real musicians must 'squeeze some golf balls,' develop enough hand strength to make those strings fill the room. Electric instruments were developed out of the need for volume. I don't think it's a big-enough excuse. That's not the purpose of music, to bludgeon someone over the head. The quieter you play, the more the listener has to listen.

"A large part of music is tone production and creating a sound. That's a real art, how a violin player, a guy like Stephane Grappelli, can play a few notes and you can tell who it is. That was as good as it gets in terms of a master and a unique artist. Expression. Tone. What he crafted with his violin was ... it took my breath away."

We couldn't agree more. Hand strength, a major factor in control, in addition to impeccable timing of Right Hand/Left Hand coordination, and (much) later speed, is what good tone production is all about, not just the instrument.

Don Stiernberg, himself one of our revered mandolin tone demigods, tells us of a time when he had considered trading one of his instruments. He was sensing a lack of tone potential in it, until handing it over to his friend, David Grisman. The Dawg picked it up and started playing some of the most beautiful music ever heard out of this instrument. "It was a lesson to me," quips Don; rich, undeniably huge tone.

"Guess it is the fingers," Don confesses.

We've got to stop blaming our instruments and start concentrating on our technique!

Read the article: After Dark

Posted by Ted at November 9, 2006 9:31 AM