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Mandolin-Mandola-Octave Mandolin tunings
I'm waiting on the arrival of a luthier built mandola to give the acoustic duo i perform in some different sounds for songs that it will sound good in. I am a guitar player, and have not owned a mandolin (or other variants mentioned in the thread subject).
I know mandolins are tuned G-D-A-E. The mandola I have coming is tuned C-G-D-A. Obviously I will have some learning curve for chords on this mandola vs. guitar chords. Neither of these tunings mimic guitar tuning. Any advice on getting acclimated to this new instrument? I'm sure I can find some chord charts online. Here's a pic of the new inbound arrival. It was built in 1999 by luthier J. Higgins in the United Kingdom. It has a Fishman pickup installed in it. Thanks in advance for any advice you might share.
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Last edited by jwhelan56; 12-30-2020 at 06:19 AM. |
#2
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Tenor guitar tuning
That’s tenor guitar tuning. Before you change any tuning make sure you have the right strings, don’t just tune or they’ll snap. That’s a nice instrument, I thought a lot about getting it, glad it’s found a good home. I find both tenor guitar and mandolin easier to learn and play than guitar. Make sure that tuning is right, ask the owner to make sure that is the tuning. If you want to move to the mandolin octave tuning you can order strings for that.
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#3
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Other instruments
Tenor banjo is also tuned that way for Irish music, also the mandola. So if you want to play Irish music, the tuning that the mandola is coming in is the best. Otherwise, investigate octave mandolin strings.
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#4
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Mandolin-Mandola-Octave Mandolin tunings
It seemed like your question was also about wrapping your head around mandolin-style chords. For something bigger like Mandola, etc., open chords will sound good. Think of the instrument like a mentally flipped guitar (just the low 4 strings of the guitar). Play all your guitar chords upside down and you’re in business.
Edited to add: that’s just the shapes. That upside down G chord will sound as a C chord on your C-G-D-A Mandola.
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Lowden G-23 Pono DS-20 Martin D-18 Standard Recording King RD-328 Epiphone 1934 Olympic Composite Acoustics Cargo Recording King ROS-11-FE3-TBR Alvarez AJ-417/12 Silvertone 1958/9 620 Jumbo Supertone 1941 3/4 Scale (Terz?) Oscar Schmidt 3/4 Scale Kepler Biscuit Reso Last edited by bkepler; 12-30-2020 at 07:25 AM. |
#5
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I play mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin and mandocello. When going from G-D-A-E mandolin to C-G-D-A mandola, there are a few ways to look at it.
One is mechanical transposition, like a capo. A G shape on mandolin becomes a C chord on a mandola. A D shape on the mandolin is a G on a mandola. And so on. Simply count up 4 intervals. So put your fingers in position on your mandola for what would be an A on your mandolin - its actually a D now. Another way is to understand that the G, D and A strings on your mandola are tuned exactly the same as the G, D and A strings on your mandolin. So an F chord using those strings on your mandolin is exactly the same on the mandola, just shifted over one string. If you read music its a little work to adjust from treble to alto clef. If you use tabs (I dont) you may have difficulty finding any mandola tabs. There are people who only play alone and do their mandolin tunes on the mandola using exactly the same fingering they use on mandolin and thus just change the key for every song. I can't do that because most of my life I've played music in a group setting. |
#6
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Quote:
Here's some tunings I've heard of and/or use myself (Note: since there's no formal lexicon most names are my own):
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#7
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My first suggestion is to get a decent chord book. I started with Mel Bay's Deluxe Tenor Banjo Chord Encyclopedia. I eventually got the big tenor mandola chord book published by Fretted Friends. With book in hand, learn barre forms for the various major and minor chords, then adding the seventh variants and diminished and augmented chords. Practice the forms by playing rhythm guitar on hit songs from across the decades. I started with classic Doobie Brothers, adding guitaristic suspensions and hammer-ons when working songs like Listen to the Music. Start learning scales using FFCP (Four Finger Closed Position), using materials you can find online for mandolin. I gradually stretched my fretting hand working these to where I can easily play them all over the neck. Start working your ear. Mandola is an oddball, so resources like slowing down free YouTube videos is a huge tool. ---- Just to note, Barney McKenna really established EADG tuning as the standard for traditional Irish banjo. Your instrument's scale length isn't really suited to octave mandolin EADG or mandolin EADG an octave higher. I recommend you learn the heck out of CGDA mandola tuning, for which your instrument was designed. Good luck! |
#8
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Second - your 'dola tailpiece probably takes loop end strings. If you're not going to use standard tuning you can't use pre-packaged sets - you'll need to put together your own custom 8 string loop end sets to have the proper tension. Third - once you get used to the simplicity and symmetry of 5th's tuning you'll love it. You'll wonder why more guitarists haven't adopted it. |
#9
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#10
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Thanks to all for the comments and advice. Very helpful...!!
The mandola has yet to arrive. The seller shipped it on Christmas Eve, and it is still in transit. Tracking is showing it being delivered on Monday. Looking forward to learning and making some joyful noise with it. Happy New Year!!
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#11
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I just realized that I didn't share a tidbit which simplified my life a long time ago.
For some reason, loop-end strings are sometimes more expensive, and occasionally completely unavailable when you really need them. Once when I was in that matter situation, someone showed me how to crush the balls out of ball-end strings. Here's an example of doing so. (Yes, the video has no sound. It's not mine.) I now have six-inch offset pliers from Kobalt in my kit, to more easily break out the ball. I take care that the actual string isn't in the path of the jaws, lightly crush one side of the ball, and then rotate the ball one quarter turn and light crush again. This keeps the string from getting deform through enthusiasm. Ball-end strings are cheaper in bulk than loop ends from places like JustStrings.com, and have more available gauges as well. I can usually make six sets for the cost of four deeply discounted prepackaged sets. Good luck! |
#12
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Quote:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#13
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I keep my mandola in CGCF which is great for hammer/pull arpeggios, drone-y chords and walking bass lines (or harmonies thereof). Works great with capo for easy access to almost any key.
The keenly observant will notice it has the same intervals as the 4 bass strings of DADGAD which has similar properties and if you've ever explored that it'll be a doddle.
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo. |
#14
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0h, yeah, just remembered - it also kept the grubby paws of one grumpy fiddle player I used to play with off my mandola - he just didn't want to fool with alternate tunings... |
#15
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Some folks just can't take a hint, or sometimes an expletive laden rant.
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Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo. |