Subject: Mandolin Tuning
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 20:54:00 -0500

Mickey,

I've heard 2 or 3 people say that a lot of studio rock musicians tune mandolins like a guitar so they can do lead work without relearning the scales. I've recently acquired an old mandolin and would like to try this, but I'm not having much luck. Do I tune EADG or DGBE. Help, please.

Thanks,
Mickey Adams

Greetings Mickey...

Nice name!

If you were to tune your mandolin like a guitar, you'll find that with the short scale neck, there would be too much stress...of course, the logical intervals would be from low to high: D G B E...which 4-String Banjo players have used to good effect...unfortunately, due to the G strings and D strings having to be brought up to the pitches required, you'll either bust the strings (unless you start out with a much lighter gauge), or you'll affect the neck integrity of your mandolin...there is a mando-guitar that Gibson sells (and Gold Tone has recently introduced) which has the right construction and neck scale to accommodate this tuning...be sure to research this instrument...it would have all 6 strings like a guitar...and still have the tonality, for the most part, of a mandolin.

Wishing you the best in your research efforts...Mickey

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Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 15:32:20 -0700
Subject: Re: Mandolin tuned to gcea

I know there used to be mandoleles. Can a mandolin be tuned to gcea a la
uke, or will there be stress problems with different diameter strings? Anyone still make'em?

Phil
Florida

Greetings Phil,

I've never heard of a mandolele...sounds cool...

I believe you should have no problem tuning the mandolin to gcea as long as this is tuning it down not up...otherwise you may put too much stress on the neck which may cause bending of the neck...

I'm not sure if anyone makes the strings for the mandolele...you might check with ghs.com

Hope this helps...Mickey

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Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 02:50:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: D, G, C, E, open String tunings!!....for Mandolin 8 String

Hello Mickey, can you please tell me alternate tunnings for the 8 string mandolin??? Like open string 'D', 'G', Etc, thanks for your great site!!!!....Vern

Greetings Vern,

I'm not too sure about alternate tunings for mandolin...I know on fiddle there are cross tunings: A E A E....however, on a mandolin, with double the strings, this would add too much tension. I would suggest experimenting with alternate tunings on your mando...to see what you discover...only, make sure you're going down to the note from concert pitch instead of going up. You wouldn't want to add any unnecessary strain on your mando...it could have damaging effects. I know that Bill Monroe did some beautiful solo work in a cross tuning...

Additionally, Irish Octave and Tenor banjos are commonly tuned as: G D A D...I bet this would also work well on mandolin.

Mickey

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