Is there any necessity to have it tuned this way? It might be possible to have it tuned GDAE, providing you use the correct guage of strings and there are other possibilities. Also,you could capo the second fret to make it DAEB, this will enable you to easily play the bulk of things which you *may*(I don't know) have played on a mandolin tuned GDAE but one string along.
Anyway, here's a useful site for generating chords in various tunings.
Also, as Michael says, you can just transpose the mandolin chords if you know them. For instance, if you wished to play a C chord on your mandola, you would have to use the same fingering as you would for the G chord on the mandolin and so on.
You either have an alto mandola, which is tuned CGDA and is the mandolin family equivilent of the viola, or a tenor mandola, which is tuned GDAE an octave below the violin/mandolin (assuming you don't have a mandocello).
Whatever the case you may do as either Michael or John suggest.
Where did you get your terminology from, KFG? Never heard of an alto mandola. Could be wrong but I always thought tenor mandola was the term used in Europe for mandolas like the Gibson CGDAs and orchestral mandolas to distinguish them from the octave mandola, which was called the octave mandolin in the US...
It all depends on the scale length.........
If its about 41 cm its a mandola ( no alto, just a mandola ), tuned as you said, CGda. You can get some nice old german ones on ebay. If you put heavier strings on it you can tune it an octave down from mandolin, but I think on such a short scale you loose a lot of treble tone because of the heavier strings.
If its about 50 -60 cm its a tenor/octave mandola, ( the terminology is a bit loose because of historical stuff like the tenor banjo, the tenor guitar, etc.,) which would normally be tuned an octave below mandolin, usually with all pairs of strings in unison, but there are a number of alternative tunings as well.
Then you have the "irish bouzouki" scale about 66cm, often with bottom two pairs in octaves, and only maniacs like me try to play tunes on then as well as chords. I blame Donal Lunny for this.
I did ask for any more/favourite chords for the bouzouki a little while back - you just have to remember to transpose, so a G chord on the mandolin or bouzouki is a C chord on the mandola, also remembering that it all depends on how far you can stretch your fingers.
From listening to the bloody things. Think about it.
Ok, long answer:
The inventors of the viola/mandola family of instruments (the actual correct names, violin means little viola and mandolin means little mandola) operated under the idea that insturments should match the classical vocal ranges.
Violin is a diminutive "pet" name for the soprano viola. It is called that because it is the viola whose pitch matches the soprano vocal range. What we now call the viola was orginally called the alto viola and we just call it viola for short, but the French went the other way (don't they always?) and still call it the alto for short. It is tuned CGDA.
Because it is pitched to the alto vocal range.
Viola means an "ola" played with a bow. Mandola means an "ola" played with the hand, as in manually. They are matched pairs of instruments. The mandola pitched just below the mandolin and tuned CGDA is the alto mandola, although, like the viola it may be shortened to a simple alto or mandola.
Calling it a tenor mandola is a common *error*; and one that is technically obvious if you know what alto and tenor mean.
The tenor range is an octave below the soprano range. The mandola so pitched is the tenor mandola and tuned GDAE, an octave below the soprano and commonly called an octave mandolin/mandola, but this is as common "folk" name. Interestingly calling it an octave mandolin *is* techncially correct in the sense that tenor means an octave below soprano, but octave mandola is not because the "octave" part is stripped of any relative reference, rendering the term meaningless.
The tenor viola enjoyed a very brief spark of life and then died. Now it is back as the "octave violin," but is properly the tenor viola.
By the way, the bass viola is a perfectly valid traditional Irish instrument, although it never gained popularity and its use eventually died out. Frankie Gavin and company were perspecacious in its use. It was always a mainstay of Scottish music and frequently used in Irish/ Scottish/"Oldtimey" music in America, until the piano displaced it as the prefered backing instrument with a bass range and then the double bass.
The derision which it is frequently accorded in modern "traditional" Irish settings is based on missunderstanding and, I think, a great tragedy. Cello is wonderful.
It's wonderful for airs and accompanying vocals and won't overpower a guitar. I've just spent a good part of the morning playing Moscow Nights and Tumbailalika on a violin tuned tenor and held gamba style, ( an octave viola would make a "lap cello"). Not exactly Irish Trad, but lovely nonetheless.
just something i would like to add about finding chords for 3-7 string(or course) instruments. Because i play electric guitar as well as irish music i had used a guitar program called 'powertab'
The other day i found out that powertab can mathematically work out any chord fingering for any tuning of 3-7 strings. it also has built in tunings including mandolin, alto mandola (according to KFG's terms) bouzouki and a host of 5, 6, 7 and 3 string instuments. i only use it occasionally, but if you want to use a non-standard tuning, this could help you out.
Tenor Mandola chords
Tenor Mandola chords
Jusk picked up a Tenor Mandole ( tuned CGDA )
Any chance someone could mail me some chord charts ??
martyn41@hotmail.com
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Mart
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Just look at mandolin stuff and transpose it down a fifth
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by ...
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Is there any necessity to have it tuned this way? It might be possible to have it tuned GDAE, providing you use the correct guage of strings and there are other possibilities. Also,you could capo the second fret to make it DAEB, this will enable you to easily play the bulk of things which you *may*(I don't know) have played on a mandolin tuned GDAE but one string along.
Anyway, here's a useful site for generating chords in various tunings.
http://www.geocities.com/xulfrepus/folder/ukulele.html
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Johnny Jay
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Also, as Michael says, you can just transpose the mandolin chords if you know them. For instance, if you wished to play a C chord on your mandola, you would have to use the same fingering as you would for the G chord on the mandolin and so on.
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Johnny Jay
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
http://chordfind.com/4-string/
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Cuso
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
I would try finding your own chords by experimention. It's much more rewarding and it'll make them easier to remember.
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
On my Website you find a Software Fret.exe which help you
http://cbom.free.fr/ie
# Posted on May 27th 2005 by Mandolman
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
You either have an alto mandola, which is tuned CGDA and is the mandolin family equivilent of the viola, or a tenor mandola, which is tuned GDAE an octave below the violin/mandolin (assuming you don't have a mandocello).
Whatever the case you may do as either Michael or John suggest.
KFG
# Posted on May 28th 2005 by KFG
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Where did you get your terminology from, KFG? Never heard of an alto mandola. Could be wrong but I always thought tenor mandola was the term used in Europe for mandolas like the Gibson CGDAs and orchestral mandolas to distinguish them from the octave mandola, which was called the octave mandolin in the US...
# Posted on May 28th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Not that it matters, I'm just interested in a sort of harmless, geeky way.
# Posted on May 28th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
It all depends on the scale length.........
If its about 41 cm its a mandola ( no alto, just a mandola ), tuned as you said, CGda. You can get some nice old german ones on ebay. If you put heavier strings on it you can tune it an octave down from mandolin, but I think on such a short scale you loose a lot of treble tone because of the heavier strings.
If its about 50 -60 cm its a tenor/octave mandola, ( the terminology is a bit loose because of historical stuff like the tenor banjo, the tenor guitar, etc.,) which would normally be tuned an octave below mandolin, usually with all pairs of strings in unison, but there are a number of alternative tunings as well.
Then you have the "irish bouzouki" scale about 66cm, often with bottom two pairs in octaves, and only maniacs like me try to play tunes on then as well as chords. I blame Donal Lunny for this.
I did ask for any more/favourite chords for the bouzouki a little while back - you just have to remember to transpose, so a G chord on the mandolin or bouzouki is a C chord on the mandola, also remembering that it all depends on how far you can stretch your fingers.
# Posted on May 28th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
"Where did you get your terminology from, KFG?"
From listening to the bloody things. Think about it.
Ok, long answer:
The inventors of the viola/mandola family of instruments (the actual correct names, violin means little viola and mandolin means little mandola) operated under the idea that insturments should match the classical vocal ranges.
Violin is a diminutive "pet" name for the soprano viola. It is called that because it is the viola whose pitch matches the soprano vocal range. What we now call the viola was orginally called the alto viola and we just call it viola for short, but the French went the other way (don't they always?) and still call it the alto for short. It is tuned CGDA.
Because it is pitched to the alto vocal range.
Viola means an "ola" played with a bow. Mandola means an "ola" played with the hand, as in manually. They are matched pairs of instruments. The mandola pitched just below the mandolin and tuned CGDA is the alto mandola, although, like the viola it may be shortened to a simple alto or mandola.
Calling it a tenor mandola is a common *error*; and one that is technically obvious if you know what alto and tenor mean.
The tenor range is an octave below the soprano range. The mandola so pitched is the tenor mandola and tuned GDAE, an octave below the soprano and commonly called an octave mandolin/mandola, but this is as common "folk" name. Interestingly calling it an octave mandolin *is* techncially correct in the sense that tenor means an octave below soprano, but octave mandola is not because the "octave" part is stripped of any relative reference, rendering the term meaningless.
The tenor viola enjoyed a very brief spark of life and then died. Now it is back as the "octave violin," but is properly the tenor viola.
By the way, the bass viola is a perfectly valid traditional Irish instrument, although it never gained popularity and its use eventually died out. Frankie Gavin and company were perspecacious in its use. It was always a mainstay of Scottish music and frequently used in Irish/ Scottish/"Oldtimey" music in America, until the piano displaced it as the prefered backing instrument with a bass range and then the double bass.
The derision which it is frequently accorded in modern "traditional" Irish settings is based on missunderstanding and, I think, a great tragedy. Cello is wonderful.
KFG
# Posted on May 28th 2005 by KFG
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
Interesting KFG, thanks. I'd never heard of a tenor viola before. I bet it sounds lovely.
# Posted on May 29th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
It's wonderful for airs and accompanying vocals and won't overpower a guitar. I've just spent a good part of the morning playing Moscow Nights and Tumbailalika on a violin tuned tenor and held gamba style, ( an octave viola would make a "lap cello"). Not exactly Irish Trad, but lovely nonetheless.
KFG
# Posted on May 29th 2005 by KFG
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
just something i would like to add about finding chords for 3-7 string(or course) instruments. Because i play electric guitar as well as irish music i had used a guitar program called 'powertab'
The other day i found out that powertab can mathematically work out any chord fingering for any tuning of 3-7 strings. it also has built in tunings including mandolin, alto mandola (according to KFG's terms) bouzouki and a host of 5, 6, 7 and 3 string instuments. i only use it occasionally, but if you want to use a non-standard tuning, this could help you out.
Kjay
# Posted on May 31st 2005 by kjay_bc_box
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
where can I find mandola chords tuned to cgdafree on internet
ednbon777@yahoo.com
# Posted on June 23rd 2007 by edgone
Re: Tenor Mandola chords
hi does anyone know where I can get free tenor mandola chords cgda on the internet !!!
# Posted on February 25th 2011 by tjarvis770000