What I'm learning in old age after decades of playing

[Silly Moustache]

It was a National Style "O" Deluxe that taught me a similr lesson.

I had the notion that such an instrument should be string with heavy gauge strings in order to produce a clear bottle neck slide sound on the trebles.

I found that when chording these strings - I was working very hard with my left hand.

slowly, I realised that if I used the minimum of pressure on the treble strings with a weighty slide, I didn't need heavy gauge strings ...further, I found that dropping the notion of heavy sliding also applied to fretting, so the "ART" Was about :::::

Stand by from some old man's wisdom :::

To learn to fret as lightly as possible with the fretting hand, but put whatever energy in necessary with the picking hand.

This, I think, is the secret that those hot guitarists and mandolin player have sussed.

A few days before I turn 70, I'm still trying to put this into practice.