Transition from.guitar to mandolin

[Matthew Sarad]

Last night was my second time at the monthly bluegrass jam. It's mostly 3 chord gospel tunes guys in there 70s playing Martin Dreads. Nice bunch of friendly and average pickers, all who can sing well.
With three or four guitars going at once, it's better for me to be the only mando player. There is another gal with an old Martin mando, but she just strums with her fingers and never got beyond the basic chords.
I bought my Gibson F9 15 years ago when a shop was going out of business for 40% off. It sat in the case until I took it to Butch Boswell for the proper set up.
He put the bridge in the correct position, finally allowing it to play in tune, dressed the frets, adjusted the truss rod, and I got to work learning the major, minor, and 7th chords.
It was easy to learn fiddle tunes I already knew from guitar.
Last night I was finally comfortable taking solos. I've spent the last month practicing scales in C,D,E,F,G,A,and B, working on pentatonic major mostly and getting the chop just right. It was a challenge and refreshing to not have the same toolbox of predictable
runs, licks, and phrases I rely on with guitar. It took me many new places.
I'm hoping I can get up to the level where I can join the band.

[Nymuso]

Tuned in fifths. I can’t do it, my mind won’t let me adjust. LA studio guitar ace Tommy Tedesco played the mandolin parts in the Godfather films, his mandolin tuned like the first four strings of a guitar. If I’m ever drafted into Bluegrass band to play mandolin, I’ll do that.

[Matthew Sarad]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Tuned in fifths. I can’t do it, my mind won’t let me adjust. LA studio guitar ace Tommy Tedesco played the mandolin parts in the Godfather films, his mandolin tuned like the first four strings of a guitar. If I’m ever drafted into Bluegrass band to play mandolin, I’ll do that.

It only took me 10 years.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

...LA studio guitar ace Tommy Tedesco played the mandolin parts in the Godfather films, his mandolin tuned like the first four strings of a guitar...

What might be more effective would be to set it up in drop-G tenor ukulele tuning, similar to a guitar capoed at the fifth fret: while you'll lose some of the extreme upper range - most of which you can compensate for by playing across the upper fingerboard, as you would with an electric guitar solo - the lower register remains intact, and since you'll be using the same fingering patterns as a guitar there's virtually no learning curve. FWIW I've used a pick to play some ersatz "mandolin" on ukulele and, while I can play just enough legit mandolin to get me thrown out of any self-respecting bluegrass jam (or whacked at a Staten Island "family" wedding ), if I had it to do all over again I'd go with a new nut and the uke tuning...

[leew3]

it's a great instrument and will bring you lots of enjoyment-and bullet proof calluses! Have fun!

[Dave Hicks]

Good for you! Solos in the key of B still give the willies, but they're part of bluegrass.

D.H.

[Mandobart]

Folks, most everyone in the bluegrass world is a multi-instrumentalist. It's not rocket surgery.

There is no reason why anyone who is able to play guitar would not be able to also learn mandolin.

Instead of saying "I can't do it", I offer up "I can't do it - yet." Or "I choose not to do it."

When new musicians lurking/browsing the AGF read the negative defeatist posts here, I want to be sure to include the positive truth as well.

Grade school kids and younger learn musical instruments all the time. There's no reason a competent, mildly motivated older person can't do it too.

[jacot23]

Originally Posted by leew3

and bullet proof calluses! Have fun!

Boy Howdy!

I'm just starting out in my mandolin Journey and after a month, my callouses are already rock solid.

[Matthew Sarad]

Today I worked on Black Mountain Rag, Beaumont Rag, Alabama Jubilee, Nashville Blues. Lonesome Road Blues, Billy in the Lowground, and Midnight On the Water.
I know 4 of these from the guitar.
We are visiting friends for the weekend. She plays claw hammer banjo
I asked her for songs she would want to play.

[Shuksan]

I took up mandolin after playing guitar for about thirty years. I found it pretty easy to adjust to. I also found that the tuning in fifths was a real plus. For some reason, melodies just pop out almost on their own because of the tuning. Easier than on the guitar for me. I've talked to other guitar-to-mandolin players who experienced the same thing. I got into octave mandolin and I've been playing that as my main instrument for last year or so. Still play guitar too though.

[stevo58]

I took up mandolin (and tenor banjo, and Mandola) after playing guitar for forty years. I love fifths tunings. No weird B-string in there to screw things up. Tenor was first, and I had three weeks to learn forty Dixie songs. On a strange instrument. That really focused my mind and disciplined my practice time.

I strongly recommend Ted Eschliman’s “Getting Into Jazz Mandolin.” Even if you’re a bluegrass player.

[M19]

Originally Posted by Shuksan

I took up mandolin after playing guitar for about thirty years. I found it pretty easy to adjust to. I also found that the tuning in fifths was a real plus. For some reason, melodies just pop out almost on their own because of the tuning. Easier than on the guitar for me. I've talked to other guitar-to-mandolin players who experienced the same thing. I got into octave mandolin and I've been playing that as my main instrument for last year or so. Still play guitar too though.

^^^ You stole my musical life here! ^^^

Love the tone of my Octave but the reaches are killer. Joined a local community Mandolin Orchestra too. That'll focus your practice efforts, let me tell you.

[Dave Hicks]

Originally Posted by Shuksan

I took up mandolin after playing guitar for about thirty years. I found it pretty easy to adjust to. I also found that the tuning in fifths was a real plus. For some reason, melodies just pop out almost on their own because of the tuning. Easier than on the guitar for me. I've talked to other guitar-to-mandolin players who experienced the same thing. I got into octave mandolin and I've been playing that as my main instrument for last year or so. Still play guitar too though.

If I pick up a guitar, I at least start by playing chords, but it's melodies with a mando.

D.H.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by jacot23

Boy Howdy!

I'm just starting out in my mandolin Journey and after a month, my callouses are already rock solid.

Related to this, work to avoid the death grip on the neck that most of us coming from the guitar bring to mandolin. This took me a while to get so don't develop this bad habit to have to undo!

[leew3]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Instead of saying "I can't do it", I offer up "I can't do it - yet." Or "I choose not to do it."

I seem to have missed these negative responses to this thread. I see encouragement like you have suggested.