I recently started playing the mandolin and i want to play it along with a guitar. Do I have to tune the mandolin to be in tune with a guitar in standard tuning? If so, how do I have to tune it?
Well, you have to tune your mandolin to be in tune with a guitar tuned as you like. If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar.
I'll asume it isnt a spoof. No matter how the guitar is tuned, your mandolin will be tuned GDAE, like this.................................. http://www.get-tuned.com/mandolin_tuner.php.
There are some alternative tunings, but youre a beginner, so it's GDAE (starting with the thickest pair of strings), for you.
When one plays with other instruments, they should be tuned to a fixed pitch, doesn't matter what notes you tune your strings to. A440 is A440 is A440. That's what we tune to, as I use a standard tuning fork. if one is using a fixed pitch instrument, then tune to that, it may not be A440. It may be a little higher or lower.
that's really funny that you thought this was a joke. the name has a long story behind it and its just the name i use for everything...but anyways
the reason i ask is that i had a standard guitar (EADGBE) and a mandolin (GDAE) and i recorded a song using a chord progression that was am to b on the guitar while picking notes in the 3rd 4th and 5th frets.
i thought it sounded fine, but my audio professor said it sounded out of tune. so i just assumed that i was partially tone deaf and decided to find out if in fact the mandolin wasn't supposed to be tuned like this.
Am I correct in this assumption?
i'm a little confused with your terminology. like i said, i'm a beginner.
"If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar."
by 'course' do you mean fret?
I'm sorry theres an error above:
"and i recorded a song using a chord progression that was am to b on the guitar while picking notes in the 3rd 4th and 5th frets."
i meant 3rd 5th and 7th frets.
i was also playing a chord progression of F G C Am at the end of the song on both the mandolin and the guitar
Are you sure about that session? I was under the impression that a pianos A was not 440, while the fiddle and strings was.The Piano is a tempered instrument meaning that the notes are adjusted to enable modulation in any key. The Piano A is slightly flat.
Greg, this is perhaps one for you?
"If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar."
by 'course' do you mean fret?
No, I mean the 4th pair of strings. Isn't "course" the word?
OK got it. ON the piano ;
E;659.25 Hz
A 440
D 293.66
G; 195.99
And true fiddle;
E 660
A 440
D 293.33
G 195.55
My confusion becomes apparant, For playing the fiddle with the piano some compromise is needed. The fiddle has to tune sharp so the D G an E can be in tune.....
Concert pitch A nowadays is often 442Hz, not 440Hz, stretching to 444Hz, which might answer the original query... tuners are often set to 442 not 440
Interesting, In just intonation in the key of C [261. 63 hz], the note A is 436.04Hz, and D is 294.33Hz.
So the pitch of the true notes in a scale refer to the original starting note.
So in the Key of D 294.33Hz, A would be 441.495Hz.
in D 293.66 A is 440.5
so you see, if we play in D 293.66, concert pitch, the A has to be tuned sharp to 440..50
AS we mostly play around D and G in trad [not including modern A stuff] ,The A442 standard is possibly more suitable, giving us D 294.6667[.Using concert pitch C261.33Hz as the starting point rather than A]
The moral of this is; that as trad musicians perhaps we should tune to D, not the classical A.
It all depends on the starting note we define D as.
tuning a mandolin to a guitar
tuning a mandolin to a guitar
I recently started playing the mandolin and i want to play it along with a guitar. Do I have to tune the mandolin to be in tune with a guitar in standard tuning? If so, how do I have to tune it?
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by princeofilliterature
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Well, you have to tune your mandolin to be in tune with a guitar tuned as you like. If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar.
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by Ramiro
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
this is a spoof
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by millionyears_bc
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
I'll asume it isnt a spoof. No matter how the guitar is tuned, your mandolin will be tuned GDAE, like this..................................
http://www.get-tuned.com/mandolin_tuner.php.
There are some alternative tunings, but youre a beginner, so it's GDAE (starting with the thickest pair of strings), for you.
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by Backer
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Okay "prince of illiterature", I'll bite... both of you should tune to a fixed-pitch instrument. And, as Backer said...
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by drone
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
When one plays with other instruments, they should be tuned to a fixed pitch, doesn't matter what notes you tune your strings to. A440 is A440 is A440. That's what we tune to, as I use a standard tuning fork. if one is using a fixed pitch instrument, then tune to that, it may not be A440. It may be a little higher or lower.
# Posted on January 5th 2008 by wyogal
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
And, assuming both the mandolin and guitar are tuned to 440, you both have to play the tune in the same key.
# Posted on January 7th 2008 by tfgreene
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
that's really funny that you thought this was a joke. the name has a long story behind it and its just the name i use for everything...but anyways
the reason i ask is that i had a standard guitar (EADGBE) and a mandolin (GDAE) and i recorded a song using a chord progression that was am to b on the guitar while picking notes in the 3rd 4th and 5th frets.
i thought it sounded fine, but my audio professor said it sounded out of tune. so i just assumed that i was partially tone deaf and decided to find out if in fact the mandolin wasn't supposed to be tuned like this.
Am I correct in this assumption?
i'm a little confused with your terminology. like i said, i'm a beginner.
"If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar."
by 'course' do you mean fret?
"A440 is A440 is A440"
what is A440?
# Posted on January 7th 2008 by princeofilliterature
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
I'm sorry theres an error above:
"and i recorded a song using a chord progression that was am to b on the guitar while picking notes in the 3rd 4th and 5th frets."
i meant 3rd 5th and 7th frets.
i was also playing a chord progression of F G C Am at the end of the song on both the mandolin and the guitar
# Posted on January 7th 2008 by princeofilliterature
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
A440 is the standard frequency for the A above middle C on a piano.
This frequency is measured in Hz.
A = 440 Hz
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by session savage
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Are you sure about that session? I was under the impression that a pianos A was not 440, while the fiddle and strings was.The Piano is a tempered instrument meaning that the notes are adjusted to enable modulation in any key. The Piano A is slightly flat.
Greg, this is perhaps one for you?
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by jig
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
"If you use standard tuning (or DADGAD, for that matter), then the 4th course on the mandolin should sound like the 3th string on the guitar."
by 'course' do you mean fret?
No, I mean the 4th pair of strings. Isn't "course" the word?
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by Ramiro
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
it is.
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by jig
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
As always jig, I stand to be corrected. Let me do a little research (should have done that before I posted eh
)
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by session savage
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Where is greg the piano tuner when you need him. I think I'm right Jig, but now I doubt myself......... thanks
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by session savage
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Well it seems you are right, sorry about that. A is 440 on the piano
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by jig
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
OK got it. ON the piano ;
E;659.25 Hz
A 440
D 293.66
G; 195.99
And true fiddle;
E 660
A 440
D 293.33
G 195.55
My confusion becomes apparant, For playing the fiddle with the piano some compromise is needed. The fiddle has to tune sharp so the D G an E can be in tune.....
# Posted on January 8th 2008 by jig
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Ah! we are both clever so
# Posted on January 9th 2008 by session savage
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
Concert pitch A nowadays is often 442Hz, not 440Hz, stretching to 444Hz, which might answer the original query... tuners are often set to 442 not 440
Interesting, In just intonation in the key of C [261. 63 hz], the note A is 436.04Hz, and D is 294.33Hz.
So the pitch of the true notes in a scale refer to the original starting note.
So in the Key of D 294.33Hz, A would be 441.495Hz.
in D 293.66 A is 440.5
so you see, if we play in D 293.66, concert pitch, the A has to be tuned sharp to 440..50
AS we mostly play around D and G in trad [not including modern A stuff] ,The A442 standard is possibly more suitable, giving us D 294.6667[.Using concert pitch C261.33Hz as the starting point rather than A]
The moral of this is; that as trad musicians perhaps we should tune to D, not the classical A.
It all depends on the starting note we define D as.
# Posted on January 9th 2008 by jig
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
If the two of you use the same tuner to tune up, no problem. And you don't need to know anything about renting cars.
# Posted on January 10th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: tuning a mandolin to a guitar
That could well be your problem, one set at 440, the other 442.
# Posted on January 13th 2008 by jig