Hi- I'm primarily an octave mandolin player, but a while back I picked up a mid-missouri mandola that I love to noodle on when I don't want to carry the big bazouki around, like camping or plane trips. Sometimes I do run into someone who wants to play tunes, but my brain doesn't transpose mandolin into mandola easily in the throes of a fast reel. David Kilpatrick mentioned an intriguing solution, which is to put standard mandolin FCGC on the mandola, and capo up two frets. My question to all who may have tried this is: How does it sound? Any problems? What are the gauges of the FCGC strings? Do you recommend doing this?
Thanks!
if you use standard mandola tuning CDGA and capo two frets it puts you in D where G is on the mandolin. this might help but you still have to transpose.
Sorry tusong-that sentence should have read standard mandolin strings. Mind you, I'm not touting this approach, just asking if anyone ever heard of it and how it worked.
"Since when is FCGC standard mandolin tuning??" Of course it's not standard for the mandolin and standard tuning for the mandola is CGDA ( I believe, not CDGA as Dont says). And when you Capo it at second fret, you'll be able to use the three lower courses as the three upper courses on the octave mandolin (DAE).
BUT, I think that FCGC is the tuning that Andy Irvine uses for his (alto) mandolas. He claims that the tuning a whole fifth below the mandolin is far to much as the neck is proximately two frets longer on the mandola. So he simply tunes it a whole tone lower than his mandolin and as he uses GDAD for his mandolins as well as for his zouks, it ought to be FCGC for the mandola.
And if you're used to GDAE on your mandolins, you could tune the mandola FCGD instead.
It work well, but you lost the high notes on the neck near the box
I try this tuning, to play easier melodies, and come back to GDAE, now, just for chords . In fact, when you use capo, you loose a few sound, because the neck is made by the instrument maker for this sound GDAE. (in my hear)
Thanks to all for the tips! I have found the FCGD tuning for the Short/Neck Mandola (41 cm.) very useful. Call it as you want, Tenor or Alto Mandola, but with a Capo on the second fret and with Mandolin Strings is very good, especially for me, coming from Bouzouki. More room to your fingers! Gaet.
While we're talking the octave mandoliin tunings, anyone ever try GDGC? That makes it like the bottom 4 courses of a DADGAD guitar. I"ve found it very accessible to a lot of tunes.
FCGC mandola tuning
FCGC mandola tuning
Hi- I'm primarily an octave mandolin player, but a while back I picked up a mid-missouri mandola that I love to noodle on when I don't want to carry the big bazouki around, like camping or plane trips. Sometimes I do run into someone who wants to play tunes, but my brain doesn't transpose mandolin into mandola easily in the throes of a fast reel. David Kilpatrick mentioned an intriguing solution, which is to put standard mandolin FCGC on the mandola, and capo up two frets. My question to all who may have tried this is: How does it sound? Any problems? What are the gauges of the FCGC strings? Do you recommend doing this?
Thanks!
# Posted on March 6th 2004 by rainog
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
Since when is FCGC standard mandolin tuning??
# Posted on March 7th 2004 by Tusong200
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
if you use standard mandola tuning CDGA and capo two frets it puts you in D where G is on the mandolin. this might help but you still have to transpose.
# Posted on March 7th 2004 by Dont
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
Sorry tusong-that sentence should have read standard mandolin strings. Mind you, I'm not touting this approach, just asking if anyone ever heard of it and how it worked.
# Posted on March 7th 2004 by rainog
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
"Since when is FCGC standard mandolin tuning??" Of course it's not standard for the mandolin and standard tuning for the mandola is CGDA ( I believe, not CDGA as Dont says). And when you Capo it at second fret, you'll be able to use the three lower courses as the three upper courses on the octave mandolin (DAE).
BUT, I think that FCGC is the tuning that Andy Irvine uses for his (alto) mandolas. He claims that the tuning a whole fifth below the mandolin is far to much as the neck is proximately two frets longer on the mandola. So he simply tunes it a whole tone lower than his mandolin and as he uses GDAD for his mandolins as well as for his zouks, it ought to be FCGC for the mandola.
And if you're used to GDAE on your mandolins, you could tune the mandola FCGD instead.
# Posted on March 8th 2004 by lars
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
It work well, but you lost the high notes on the neck near the box
I try this tuning, to play easier melodies, and come back to GDAE, now, just for chords . In fact, when you use capo, you loose a few sound, because the neck is made by the instrument maker for this sound GDAE. (in my hear)
Try it, it's not dangerous
# Posted on March 9th 2004 by Mandolman
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
For string gauges
http://www.greenmanhumming.com/html/StringCalc/Multistringcalc.html
Lower is never dangerous, but higher always...
# Posted on March 9th 2004 by Mandolman
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
Thanks to all for the tips! I have found the FCGD tuning for the Short/Neck Mandola (41 cm.) very useful. Call it as you want, Tenor or Alto Mandola, but with a Capo on the second fret and with Mandolin Strings is very good, especially for me, coming from Bouzouki. More room to your fingers! Gaet.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Thanis
Re: FCGC mandola tuning
While we're talking the octave mandoliin tunings, anyone ever try GDGC? That makes it like the bottom 4 courses of a DADGAD guitar. I"ve found it very accessible to a lot of tunes.
# Posted on October 24th 2004 by bknjholl