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Old 08-31-2015, 11:48 PM
Ladyehawk Ladyehawk is offline
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Default How difficult is it to learn other stringed instruments

I'm learning the Acoustic Guitar. It's coming along nicely. My question is how difficult is it to learn how to play other stringed instruments like the dulcimer or mandolin once the guitar is mastered?
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Old 09-01-2015, 03:48 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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It can be somewhat easier as much of the knowledge you pick up learning guitar can transfer to other instruments. The difficulty is that each instrument has its own unique demands and you also have to forget some guitar stuff to play them well. Mandolins, for example, are far more demanding of right hand technique. Try playing one with your right as you do a guitar and it won't sound much like a mandolin.
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Old 09-01-2015, 09:13 AM
JCook1 JCook1 is offline
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Learning another stringed instrument once you know the guitar will be easier than learning the guitar was in the beginning, because you are already familiar with strings, frets, picking (flat or finger), etc.

The mandolin for example - although it's smaller than a guitar you already understand how to press your fingers down behind the frets and pick the strings. It's smaller, so takes a bit of adjustment size-wise, but should be easy to pick up. The main new thing to learn is where the notes are because of the tuning. Mandolins are generally tuned GDAE, in fifths (there are other tunings, like with guitars, but this is the mandolin's "standard" tuning). But the frets are still half a tone each, just like the guitar, so you can find the notes, and figure out chords. Mandolin is a good one to learn if you already play guitar because there are quite a few similarities. But, you would play it differently than a guitar. The mandolin is mainly a melodic instrument, where I think the guitar is mainly a chordal instrument - even when fingerpicking it, a lot of the playing is based on chords or chord shapes. The mandolin is more like a violin - meant mainly for melody playing. You can play chords on it, but that's not the main thing.

Appalachian dulcimer is also a fun and wonderful fretted instrument, but is quite different from guitar. First of all you generally play it horizontally on your lap. But also, usually they are diatonic - that means that you don't have frets every half step like a guitar, but they are spaced out like the steps in a scale - whole step, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half, etc. Takes a different kind of thinking to play it. You can play melodies, usually with drones, and also chords, but the fingering is trickier because it's horizontal. LOTS of fun to play, and if you get into it you can do a lot besides just strumming melodies with drones. For dulcimer music listen to Lorraine Hammond, Stephen Siefert, Mark Gilman, and Roger Nicholson and Jake Walton (Roger passed away some years ago, so may be hard to find) and others. I believe Wade Hampton here on this forum is a good dulcimer player also, and is knowledgeable about them. I play, but not all that well.

Have fun with either of them, or whatever other you find. It won't be that hard to learn!

Jack
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Old 09-01-2015, 01:00 PM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Don't wait until you "master" the guitar. As most people here will tell you, even after decades, you'll never master it!
But I would caution on jumping to a new instrument too soon - learn the guitar to the point where playing is almost second nature. When you can do your left hand fingerings without looking at your hand (with the exception of when you are moving a long way up or down the neck), when you can play along with songs you hear without much effort, then you're truly ready to start with another instrument because you are at the point when you don't need regular everyday guitar practice any longer.
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Old 09-01-2015, 01:44 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Played banjo (and piano) prior to playing the guitar. Those helped with learning to play the guitar. That way, vice versa, any which way helps.
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Old 09-01-2015, 01:55 PM
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I play mountain dulcimer. It's actually easy to learn, is fun to play, and is a beautiful sounding instrument. Plus, there are many festivals across the country and dulcimer folks are really friendly people.
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Old 09-01-2015, 09:20 PM
KarGuitar KarGuitar is offline
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I play mandolin also. Some stuff transitions over well and some not so well. Played octave mandolin as well for a little while, but the guitar ended up replacing it. The best part about guitar is the versatility of the instrument and it's superiority for solo vocal accompaniment, and material and learning are easy to get your hands on.

Overall whatever floats your boat is best though!!! My parents had be on the trumpet as a kid. Figured I'd be in a polka band like my grandfather someday..... Not cool Mom and Dad.... not cool...
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:00 PM
Warren01 Warren01 is offline
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I started learning guitar about 3 years ago, spending 1/2 hour a day, sometimes more. Really enjoyed it, especially when stuff started to sound recognizable. Picked up banjo a year ago, making time for it as best as I could. Got okay playing rolls, albeit slower than need be and fingering was decent. Came to the conclusion that everything sounded the same to me and playing got mundane. Really missed the guitar. Finally decided banjo wasn't for me and put it up for sale. Point is, if you really want to learn and have fun with, go for it.
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Old 09-02-2015, 07:28 PM
H165 H165 is offline
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If the playing has some similarities, it's not too bad.

Fiddle, cello, bass, viola, mandola, bouzouki, octave mandolin, and mandolin sometimes use the same chord positions.

Bluegrass banjo and (most of the time) resophonic lap guitars are both tuned in open G and can have related picking rolls.
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Old 09-02-2015, 08:12 PM
cattzap cattzap is offline
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Just saw a GC commercial on TV for a sale this weekend. They advertised a Uke for 29.99 It may be crappy but I've been curious and have a $40 gift card to burn. I'm thinking I'm gonna go for it. The card was a gift so why not. Maybe they have a Uke for dummies with no time and it might be a wall hanger for awhile book to go with it.
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Old 09-03-2015, 07:24 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cattzap View Post
Just saw a GC commercial on TV for a sale this weekend. They advertised a Uke for 29.99 It may be crappy but I've been curious and have a $40 gift card to burn. I'm thinking I'm gonna go for it. The card was a gift so why not. Maybe they have a Uke for dummies with no time and it might be a wall hanger for awhile book to go with it.
I think you'll be disappointed in that $30 uke. For that kind of money, it's all laminated wood, the tuners will be crap and intonation will suck too. But if you just want to see if playing a little uke (with tiny fret spacing!) is for you, you'd do better to get something in the $100 range - which you can always return to GC for your money back per the 30 day 'try out' guarantee.
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2020 Taylor 324ceBE
2017 Taylor 114ce-N
2012 Taylor 310ce
2011 Fender CD140SCE
Ibanez 12 string a/e
73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string

72 Fender Telecaster
Epiphone Dot Studio
Epiphone LP Jr
Chinese Strat clone

Kala baritone ukulele
Seagull 'Merlin'
Washburn Mandolin
Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele
antique banjolin
Squire J bass

Last edited by MikeBmusic; 09-03-2015 at 12:48 PM.
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Old 09-03-2015, 07:31 AM
Bingoccc Bingoccc is offline
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When I took up mandolin I found that already playing guitar made it much, much easier. It is not the same but the similarities outweigh the differences. Having said that, playing the mandolin has improved my guitar playing. I've learned new things and trying to get 4-finger chop chords down has helped my fret stretch.
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Old 09-07-2015, 09:18 AM
zombywoof zombywoof is offline
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I tend to putz with other stringed instruments. Only instrument other than the guitar I was ever good enough at to gig with though was the fiddle. I play mostly blues with it but can play traditional stuff. Hard not to love a tune like "Midnight on the Water" which Jay Ungar originally showed me.

Anyway, the fiddle led me to the mandolin as I already knew a bunch of tunes. And believe it or not Chuck Berry can work really well with a mandolin.

I also took up the lap steel guitar because as I played a lot of bottleneck guitar and it only seemed natural.
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Old 09-14-2015, 06:25 AM
Twilo123 Twilo123 is offline
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Default How difficult is it to learn other stringed instruments

I went through the same thing. Played guitar many years and decided to branch out. Got a 12 string guitar and used DADGAD tuning. Wanted to try nylon string but didn't like the wide neck so I got a Hybrid (guitar neck spacing on nylon guitar). Got a Mando, then I tried every typical size Uke (4) and found the sound I liked, then I went back to an oldie I had the Puerto Rican Cuatro. Next I was looking at Irish bouzouki and mountain dulcimer. I wound up buying kits for those and am putting them together. I really like the sound of Irish bouzouki. I bought an actual lap guitar with the super high frets but found it wasn't for me. Rather just play slide on regular guitar. I got a bass to try that side also. So far I have been able to take my guitar skills and transfer them pretty easily to the other instruments. Tuning may be the hardest part in some cases. For instance Cuatro is a pain to tune. I say go for it. In fact once I tried Uke I realized I should have probably started on that way back when.
The only string instrument I have had trouble adapting to is violin/fiddle. Very difficult instrument IMO and not like the others I mentioned. Different animal to me.

Guitar Player

Last edited by Twilo123; 09-14-2015 at 04:10 PM.
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Old 09-14-2015, 07:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladyehawk View Post
I'm learning the Acoustic Guitar. It's coming along nicely. My question is how difficult is it to learn how to play other stringed instruments like the dulcimer or mandolin once the guitar is mastered?
For me, the 5-string banjo was rather easy since it's just like guitar tuning with a dropped first and I already could fingerpick. I cannot wrap my head around anything tuned in fifths like a mandolin. Oh, I can learn chords just fine, but playing a line extemporaneously? Unless I play the whole thing on one string I'm sure to play something other than intended.
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