Mandolin tunings?

Subject: Mandolin tunings?
From: Scorpio
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 10:27 AM

Beginner questions:
1. Bought a mando. Learned two tunes on it in very short time. Thought - this is easy! Then found out how to tune it properly. All of that dead easy fingering didn't work any more. I can't reconstuct the tuning ( except that the E-string was down to D ), but are tunings used in mandoland?

2. After falling in love with the mando, can't play guitar anymore?

I know there are crowds of you F-model wizards laughing your plaid shirts off right now, but it's official - I'm hooked.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Brakn
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 10:36 AM

Isn't it just GDAE?

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 10:42 AM

Perhaps you had it tuned in a common alternate tuning, often used on octave mandolins and Irish bouzoukis. GDAD (bass to treble). This is a very droney tuning and is similar in feel to the DADGAD guitar tuning.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 11:05 AM

Yes - GDAE { low to high } is the standard tuning but there are others. The mandolin is tuned to the pitch as a violin. For all things mandolin I suggest you check out:

The Mandolin Cafe

They have an excellent forum too.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 12:35 PM

you can try a fiddle tuning, gdgd.bass to treble.Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: nickp
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 01:08 PM

or EAEA which is a tone higher - the instrument should be able to take the extra stress.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 01:25 PM

The DGDG tuning Captain Birdseye mentions is an open G tuning. It works well for tunes in the key of G. You can play A tunes by capoing at the 2nd fret. (I'm assuming anyone who's sufficiently nonconformist to use anything other than standard tuning on a mando is probably also not going to sneer at the idea of using a capo.)

For open D, tune ADAD. Again, capo at the 2nd fret to play in E.

Both these tunings are what some folks call "neutered" tunings. They don't have the 3rd note of the scale on an open string so they're neither major nor minor. You can use 'em to play major or minor tunes with equal ease.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 06:55 PM

I have used DGDG tuning for many years, although I do not play mandolin very often these days. I think that on fiddle this is known as Saw Mill tuning.

Great tuning for playing Bagpipe tunes, sort of like what Bill Monroe would sound like if he had been Scottish.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Scorpio
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 07:12 PM

Thanks a lot guys, I'll give it a whirl.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Brother Crow
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 04:20 AM

I'm a regular GDAE player live, though Andy (singer in Brother Crow) uses the DGAD tunings.

I was speaking to Jez Lowe who uses open G (GDGD) and open D (ADAD) tunings...I've been giving open G a whirl on my flat top mando, and it's a lot of fun, though as I said, I'm more comfortable with regular tuning on the carved top.

Try the following website, which I always found useful:

http://www.nigelgatherer.com/

All the best,
Graeme,
Brother Crow.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Brother Crow
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 10:53 AM

...of course, I meant Andy uses GDAD....it's been a long day !!!

Graeme,
Brother Crow.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: GUEST,Mirek Patek
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 09:18 AM

My page http://www.mirekpatek.com is devoted to open tunings DGdg and ADad.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Chris in Portland
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 09:58 AM

Mirek - thanks for the link - looks like lots of fun to try on the bouzouki too.
Chris

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 10:35 AM

Obviously guitar players have least difficulty with a tuning like A-D-F#-B, which is a transposition of the higher guitar strings. Nevertheless it can hardly be recommended to ardent lovers. I guess the OP has become accustomed to the standard tuning during the last 2½ years. I for one have no difficulties switching between guitar and mando in their standard tunings. Yes, I'm a polygamist, but I love 'em all!

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 01:38 PM

CGCGC (five single courses).

That's what U. Srinivas uses.

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 08:24 AM

Yes, GCGC is good for accompanying song, usually puts the male singer's range below the instrument and has pretty easy fingering, frets 02457 on the g strings, 0245 on the C strings... for major or 0235 on Cstring for Cminor- has the advantage that capo 2 also dives you open D tuning... most often break strins tuning down! 2tones down on top string!

Subject: RE: Mandolin tunings?
From: PHJim
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 02:09 AM

A fun tuning if you have a spare mandolin is "High Strung", good for jug band tunes. Replace the lower course of your G and D strings with one an octave higher. I use an A string for the G and an E string for the D.