Mandolin Music Theory Standard Notation and Notes for Mandolin

Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 22:45:33 -0500
Subject: notes for a mandolin

Greetings Kim,

Thanks for your interest...and expressing to us what's missing on the web. We'll put this on our agenda and hopefully, find the time to update our mando lessons section with corelating notes for standard notation.

Wishing you the best in your research efforts, FOTW

In answer to your questions:
The mandolin is tuned in fifths as you are aware: G D A E
If you count the notes up from each string, fret by fret, you'll have:
G String from the first fret to the 9th: Ab A Bb B C Db D Eb E
D String from the first fret to the 9th: Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B
A String from the first fret to the 9th: Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb
E String from the first fret to the 9th: F Gb G Ab A Bb B C Db

The mandolin is completely different than the guitar on the fretboard layout. However, music fundamentals are consistent for both guitar and mandolin.

Hope this helps...and please stay in touch and let us know how it goes for you...Mickey

I guess I'm from the old school but I haven't been able to find what note goes to what fret on mandolins anywhere. I have found tabs but nothing to tell me where a 'd' note might be, for instance; on the fret board of the mandolin.
I have found out that the open strings are gdae< but where does it go after that? Is it like a guitar? E skip a fret, F, G, skip a fret,A. You know what I mean?
Could you help, I'm tired of surfing?
Thanks
Kim Ed