Changing keys and counting up

Subject: RE: CHANGING KEYS AND COUNTING UP
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 04:26 PM

I don't think mandolin players, or fiddle players, generally think in terms of going up the neck, but rather of going across it. From playing in G, with the scale starting on the G string to playing in D, and then to A (or rather the tunes always seem to be A minor) and E (where the same holds true.)

And for Irish music anyway those keys should see you through. Seems to apply to Bluegrass and Old Timey so far as I can see.

Why anybody ever has worries about using a capo defeats me. All right if you're 17 and trying to impress everybody and feeling insecure, it's a sign that you like to take the easy way sometimes, but that's a passing phase on the way to playing for the fun of it, and taking any short cut that makes it more fun.

Subject: RE: CHANGING KEYS AND COUNTING UP
From: M.Ted
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 03:50 PM

Jeff: What does this question mean? Key of G on a mandolin is the same as Key of G on a guitar--Pardon me if I am off-base, as I am only trying to help, but do you have your instrument tuned properly? Remember that the Mandolin is tuned in fifths, with the lowest pair of strings tuned to a G, then A,D,and E--

Subject: RE: CHANGING KEYS AND COUNTING UP
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 12:00 PM

Every full-chord position is movable up or down the neck. If there is an open string in the chord when playing in the first position, then when the chord is moved up the neck (say one fret), that "open" becomes a note at the first fret. An all-notes-fretted C, say, moved up one fret becomes an all-notes-fretted D flat, with no changes in the relative positions of the fingers.

If this conversion of an open note to a fretted note makes the position impossible, you have two choices: Either play so that that string is not sounded, or find another chord pattern up the neck that makes that named chord.

I hope what I've said is intelligible.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: CHANGING KEYS AND COUNTING UP
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 10:17 AM

when changing keys to match mandolin with guitar. i. e going from G to D do you count up 4notes and change every note by 4 or do you change the position on the mandolin all together.

Jeff