I just got a Mayflower mandolin (don’t know when it’s from but it looks old).
It’s tuned to GDAE.
What I want to know, is if one can use other tuning without having to replace the bridge or change strings, or if GDAE is a default tuning for this mandolin?
Also, in irish traditional, is GDAE standard or are there other common tunings?
And finally, is it a precious rarity that I have in my possession? The person who gave it to me says that it may well be 100 years old, and that he had gotten it from another person in the 70’s.
Yes, GDAE is standard and most common for Irish or any music, just like fiddle. GDAD can be nice for accompaniment; just tune down the top course. If it’s too buzzy, just raise the treble side of the bridge slightly, and/or substitute a slightly heavier pair of strings.
I see, thanks for the reply.
I can’t adjust the bridge though since it’s stationary.
I was thinking about different tuning for one pair of strings too.
For example, changing one of the G-strings to some other tuning, which then would give a more diverse sound. I don’t know if people do that?
Is it a bowlback? If it is 100 years old, i’d be careful about what kind of strings to put on it. It may not be able to handle much more than extra-light strings.
The .010 is about as heavy as i’d go for the E (thinnest/highest) and the .19 would work okay for the D (second thickest). I wouldn’t try the .19 on anything higher than that.
I have flattop mandolins but never owned bowlbacks, so i’m not the best one to ask. If you want good in-depth advice on bowlback care, i highly recommend the folks over at Mandolin Cafe: http://mandolincafe.com/forum/
Something slightly related to this topic:
While I like the mandolin, I would like a longer neck. Like a bouzouki or octave mandolin.
Now, will a greek bouzouki fit in with ITM, or do I have to get an irish one?
From what I understand, the tuning is a bit different with the irish one…
Another option is that I get an octave mandolin, those are quite versatile and can be used in ITM right?
Hi, and congrats on the mandolin. Sounds like a nice 19th century bowlback to me, but the folks at mandolincafe are a fantastic resource. They’re like the Chiff and Fipple of mandolins.
Personally, I would not go heavier than 0.008" (ultra-light) until you find out more about the instrument. Old bowlbacks can be very delicate.
There are a number of non-standard tunings used with mandolin, but they can place a lot more stress on the neck than the standard GDAE tuning. Modern instrument designs are better suited for that. The fragile nature of the bowlback might cause you a problem.
A Greek bouzouki can play all the ITM tunes any other baz can play, but their softer voice doesn’t usually lend itself to sessions where there is a lot of competition for volume. They often just get lost in the mix.
The tuning of the various mandolin family instruments is generally not a big issue. They are normally tuned in fifths, although the starting note might be diferent; GDAE versus CGDA for instance. Mandolins are a big family with some members using unison tuning (both strings of a pair tuned together) or octave tuning (one heavy string and one light string making a pair tuned an octave apart like a twelve string guitar). They are just different instruments with different sounds, but both are found in ITM. The octave mandolin generally uses unison tuning while the bouzouki uses octave tuning. But since there is no ancient tradition for mandolins in ITM, there are a lot of ideas evolving.
Thanks first for a nice informative message.
As low as 0.08… check. I guess I’ll buy some new strings then.
For the time being, I’ve tuned it down two steps to be on the safe side.
I don’t play in larger sessions. At the moment I only jam with myself through Cubase, but I am looking for other players (and trying to get a friend to start playing), but only for smaller down-scaled sessions. So a greek bouzouki is not a problem then, if I decide to get one.
One would think that octave mandolins use octave tuning.
But anyway, can you use octave tuning on a regular mandolin? Might be fun to try.
Octave tuning on a mandolin? Yes, it can be done. But like the bouzouki the octaves only work on the two lowest courses (G and D). You do it with two sets of strings, as you need one G string, one D string, three A strings, and three E strings. You string the G course with a G and A string, then tune them to Gg, then string the D course with a D and E string tuned Dd, and then the normal unison pairs for the A and E courses. You can, of course, buy single strings that are exactly the right gauges as well so that the octave ‘g’ and ‘d’ strings are not actually being de-tuned a whole step. You might also need a replacement nut and saddle, as the octave pairs could buzz in the slots made for the larger gauge strings. You need a nut and saddle slotted like a bouzouki.
Frankly, I wouldn’t go experimenting too much with a 100 year old bowlback, as you might end up with kindling. Besides, the octave tuning is more of a gimmick with a mandolin. Quite a few guys have tinkered with it for fun, but it doesn’t have much serious application. Too high and twinkly sounding for most kinds of music.
Oh yeah, octave mandolins are called that because they play an octave lower, not because of octave tuning (they’re unison tuned).
Anyway, I hope you have lots of fun with your mandolin! It’s a real fun instrument.
Okay. Maybe I will try it sometime, but I was mostly curious. GDAE is nice, having played mostly EADGBE on guitar the last ten years I like the new possibilities.
Actually, I have recently ordered a fiddle. So my headstart just lasted a couple of days…
Gonna keep playing mandolin and tin whistle of course, one does not exclude the other.
Just remember that mando GDAE is the bottom 4 guitar strings of EADGBE, but backwards and octave-folded. Thinking about that should set your mandolin playing back a few years.
