Playing Mandolin in India

Subject: Mandol-India?

Hi Mickey,
Your site is fantastic. I've been here for basically a week straight...your FAQ section is of a standard I have seen very rarely.

Thanks so much for tuning in...sorry I haven't been able to get back to you sooner...

I'm writing with an odd question or two about mandolin. A little history:

I'm a professional percussionist, specializing in Indian classical music (I play tabla), and I have wanted to join the melodic side of the world for awhile. I'm not interested in taking on a totally new instrument like sitar or sarod, and I've played guitar privately for years.

I love the tabla...I was just listening to a great album by Robbie Basho where he performed a 12-string piece in open-tuning with a tabla player...sounded very similar to Ravi Shankar.

One of my favourite musicians is a south Indian mandolinist, U. Srinivas. He plays a 5 string electric, and does some pretty unbelievable things on the mandolin.

So, I decided that mandolin was close enough in technique to guitar that it would be a suitable instrument to pursue my melodic longings on...except that Indian classical music makes some unique demands on instrumentalists, namely what are known as gamakas. Ornaments on notes akin to tiny, accurate, glissandos or bends or slides.

Yes, you're definitely on track if you're looking for a melodic instrument...additionally, it can be effectively played as a percussion instrument...listen to the bluegrass chording on mandolin...it serves as the drummer.

I bought a very entry level mandolin, an Epiphone MM-20. One reason I bought such a lowly instrument is because I wanted to make it a 4-string, but stripping 1/2 the stings off a more expensive instrument seemed somehow wrong... Obviously, later on down the line, and electric 4 or 5 string is in order.

Finally, to my point;
I'd like to make the current instrument as finger 'slide-friendly' as possible, and am wondering if you can give me some advice on string choice and setup.

Are there such things as flatwound mandolin strings?

Yes...Dominant makes a flatwound mandolin string...only, they're quite expensive.

Will electric mandolin strings be a little more finger friendly? (sound quality isn't a huge concern at this point...)

Yes...if you purchase a light gauge string...however, you can also find an extra-light gauge string in bronze wound acoustics.

Silk strings?

I'm sure there are some...I just haven't seen any myself.

Will any of these things make a noticeable difference?

Yes, strings will make a world of difference. However, in order for the light gauge stirngs to be comfortable, you'll want to make sure that your mandolin is set up at its apex for ease of playability.

I've seen/held some vintage mandolins, and the old Gibsons in particular seem to have very very low profile frets...like 1/2 the profile of the frets I see on current instruments. Why did these go out of fashion? Would it be advisable to try to get this instrument fitted with such frets?

I don't believe it's necessary to go with a low profile fret. One of the things that helps my playing, for slides, would be jumbo frets. Jumbo frets are lower than the standard frets on a mandolin....and they seem to offer a smoother feel.

And finally, what if I wanted to make this into a 5 string mandolin...
Could I get a new (5-string) nut made, and make a former 8-string into a 5 string?

I don't see why not...other than the neck may be too narrow...I've never tried this myself...

Would there be enough room on the neck between strings? Has anyone tried this before?

Thanks, and in case you're not familiar with U Srinivas, here's a link with a bunch on his albums online:
http://www.KannadaAudio.com/Songs/Instrumental/home/MandolinSrinivas/index.php

It appears to me that he's holding a 6-string mandolin on his homepage...Gold Tone makes something similar to this...

Hope something here helps...Mickey

Enjoy,
Ed Hanley