Mandoline
Tuning
Tuning is the same as for the violin, with perfect fifths (reine kwint) between strings.
* G3: 195,9977Hz * D4: 293,6648Hz * A4: 440Hz * E5: 659,2551Hz
Mnemonics to remember these:
- Good Dogs Always Eat
- G'dae
- Goede Dagen Achter Elkaar
Distance between strings
The distance between two strings is always 7 semi tones - perfect fifth - reine kwint:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 G G# A A# B C C# D D D# E F F# G G# A A A# B C C# D D# E E F F# G G# A A# B
I am curious where this figure of 7 comes from (I'm sure there is a terribly obvious reason for).
On the guitar, the interval length is 5-5-5-4-5, so you have a whole number of octaves and/or the lowest and highest string have the same tuning, as otherwise stuff like chords could become much harder. Along the way, the most important intervals, namely major third and perfect fifth, are easy to play. Let's see how that goes here.
Notes on the neck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E5 |-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--|-A#-|-B--|-C--|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |-A#-|-B--|-C5-|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--|-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |-D#-|-E--|-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--|-A#-|-B--|-C--|-C#-|-D--|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |-G#-|-A--|-A#-|-B--|-C4-|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--|-F--|-F#-|-G--|----|----|----|----|----| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Intervals
The distance between strings on the mandoline, is 7 semitones. On the guitar this is 5(4) semitones. Therefore, playing intervals using multiple strings, is also different from the guitar.
Major third (grote terts)
- A major third is 4 semitones.
- As an example: A major third from D: D → F#
- With the D on the lowest string: D4 → F#4
From this, you can easily see the general pattorn for major thirds:
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |----|----|----|F#4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-D4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
The lowest major third starting on the lowest string, is A#3 → D4:
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 O|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|A#3-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Major third + octave (example: D4 → F#5):
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|F#5-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-D4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Minor thirds
Example: D4 → F4
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |----|----|-F4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-D4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Minor third + octave. Example: D4 → F5:
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-F4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-D4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Fifth (kwint)
- A perfect fifth (reine kwint) is 7 semi-notes
- E.g., from D4 → A4
E5 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| A4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| D4 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-A4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| G3 |----|----|----|----|----|----|-D4-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | *5 | 6 | *7 | 8 | 9 | *10| 11 | *12| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Pentatonic scales
Some common chords
A & Am
C & Cm
D & Dm
Chord shapes
Just as on the guitar, there are several chord chapes: Chords that are relatively easy to play with barré, so you can shift them up and down the neck to play different chords
G-shape
[1]: G major chord: G, B, D
---------------- E |-F--|-F#-|-G--| A |-A#-|-B--| D O| G O| ---------------- | 1 | 2 | 3 |
See also
Sources
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUSVLMT_f0 - Chord shapes!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KLuf5EqAt0 - MandoLessions - Beginner Mandolin Lessons Series (Part One): Technique