Tremolo is one of the defining techniques of the mandolin. That rapid reiteration of a single note with a plectrum is the way mandolinists can emulate the sustained notes that bowed- or wind-instrument players achieve with little effort. The sound is essential to all sorts of mandolin music, from classical compositions to folk waltzes to blazing bluegrass double-stop solos. This month, Ethan takes you on a tour of tremolo technique, and shows you how to apply it to a great Swedish waltz. In this first video, he breaks down the two primary types of tremolo. Free, unmeasured tremolo is not vigorously tied to the rhythm of the piece and floats across whatever pulse is happening in the music. With measured tremolo, the number of pick strokes are even multiples of the beats in each measure. Ethan shows you some metronome exercises to get you going on an evenly measured tremolo, and along the way he talks about pick grip and right-hand angle to make your tremolo more efficient.
