Turkey in the Straw - Up the Neck

Turkey in the Straw - up the neck! If you are ready for a challenge this one will do it. It's a great workout for your pinky. Make sure to practice your G scales as well whenever you start to spend some time practicing this tune. Scale work really pays off and helps you when playing tunes.

Most of the "A" section is in 5th position. That means your first finger hangs out at the 5th fret. Pay attention to the fret hand finger markings above the tab. A position shift is required going into, and out of, measure 5. Keep an eye out for necessary shifts in the B section as well. Utilize slides to get into, and out of, different positions/

If you see a small dot above a note in the tablature, that is an indicator to play that note staccato. Staccato means to play the note short. Right after you pick the fretted note, slightly release your finger pressure on that string, just enough to stop the note from ringing, but not enough to lose contact with the string. This motion is like the one required to play the bluegrass chop.

Some licks show you how to play with an alternate fingering/position. Knowing how to play the same licks in different ways is great for your understanding of the mandolin fretboard.