going from mandolin to mandola

[J.C. Bryant]

I'm new to mandola having just bought a Collings MT. Forgive me if this is stupid but how would you begin in arranging a mandolin piece for mandola without playing it like a mandolin. Another way to ask: how would you go about for instance, taking a mandolin tablature and turning it into a mandola piece without playing the same notes and having to make that trip way up the A string? thanks

[JeffD]

Well you have choices. One thing you can do, and which I really enjoyed, is to capo two and drop down a string, and play like normal. That makes you come in an octave below the mandolins.

Another thing one can do is to figure out cool backup and counter melodies that fit what is going on with the melody line.

If I am playing alone, I just pretend it is a mandolin and play it that way, so it sounds a fifth low. I'm alone, who cares. I have heard it said that this is better for those who sing, because it gets the range below the voice, not competing with it.

In classical ensembles one can learn to read alto clef, and play the viola parts. I worked at this for a while and it is also great fun.

Of course there is taking advantage of the opportunity of being forced to play up the neck.

[Pittsburgh Bill]

1.Drop down a string
Or
2.Learn to read C cleft
Or
3. Play it as you do your Mandolin and keep a copy of "Circle of Fifths" nearby as a handy reference for either knowing what key you are playing in or for changing keys to follow other players.

I can't speak for tab as it doesn't work for me. (Though I wish at times that it did)

[Jim Bevan]

Depends on what kind of music you're going to be playing.

My experience with Irish Trad is that the A-parts often fit in first position on the available strings, while the B-parts need to be dropped down an octave. Tunes in A major are often kind of awkward, but tunes in other keys work well, and some of 'em are even easier this way.

[Bob Visentin]

Got my Collings Dola in March. First I took it to jams and learned to transpose and improvise. That did not take to long although I still get brain freeze some times when someone calls for a Bb instead of say a six minor. It has been a challenge to learn to read treble cleff but I am just now getting it down. I don't worry about octaves. I play a song so it fits in first position or a closed postilion. I'm now relearning fiddle tunes in the same keys everyone else plays them in, no capo. Mandola has really helped stretch my playing and thinking.

[Lord of the Badgers]

I'd love to get a collings mandola but I've yet to see one in the uk...

[Ray(T)]

Trevor had one in yesterday but it's gone already (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!)

[Werner Jaekel]

With tabledit you choose "tenor banjo" for CGDA or you change from G3 D4 A4 E5 to C3 G3 D4 A4 or you simply realise that your GDA strings remain and only C is new

[ukrobbiej]

Trevor had one in yesterday but it's gone already (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!)

Ah it was you! That went extremely quickly. Would love to hear it sometime- any chance of a video when you get it?

[Ray(T)]

Can't manage a video but I'll see what I can do with an audio file - might be a while I've a lot coming up.

I've fancied a Collings mandolin for some time but I couldn't justify adding one to 2 Kimbles, 2 vintage Gibsons a Holoubek and a National RM-1, but a mandola .......... Trevor posted he was expecting one some months back and I thought I'd jump on it before someone else did.

[ukrobbiej]

It's funny, that's three of us, Werner, Ray and myself who have bought Mandolas from Trevor at Tamco in the last two weeks . Really enjoying mine. Translating all the tunes I've been playing onto Mandola is a challenge but a very satisfying one.

Robbie

[Ray(T)]

Which one did you by Robbie?

I've been contemplating one for some years and eventually decided that the only way I could try one out was to buy one. I bought a GBOM several years ago but it gets drowned out in sessions. I'm hoping that a mandola will cut through a little better.

[DougC]

[ukrobbiej]

Which one did you by Robbie?

I've been contemplating one for some years and eventually decided that the only way I could try one out was to buy one. I bought a GBOM several years ago but it gets drowned out in sessions. I'm hoping that a mandola will cut through a little better.

I bought the lovely Weber Bitterroot A5 Mandola. It certainly has a growl to it! Getting Newtone to send me a custom string set- 13, 22,32,50. I'll let you know how I get on!

Robbie

[Ray(T)]

Good old Peak District strings! Just been talking about Newtone on another thread - I use them on my OM which needs non-standard ball ends. Fortunately the Collings takes a standard D'Addario set.

Newtone haven't always been the quickest supplier (although rumour has it that they've speeded up since the new management took over) and you have to order at least six sets. If you want a single set of custom Newtones quickly, Eagle Music will do them if you ask nicely.

[ukrobbiej]

Good old Peak District strings! Just been talking about Newtone on another thread - I use them on my OM which needs non-standard ball ends. Fortunately the Collings takes a standard D'Addario set.

Newtone haven't always been the quickest supplier (although rumour has it that they've speeded up since the new management took over) and you have to order at least six sets. If you want a single set of custom Newtones quickly, Eagle Music will do them if you ask nicely.

Yes the service is much quicker now, and you can buy as many sets as you like. Well worth trying again

Robbie

[john e]

Being lightly talented myself, and also attempting the transition to mandola, I am stretching my musical outlook, playing up the neck, knowing when to drop an octave. I occasionally just play "as if" and it's a fifth lower. But mostly I treat my Mando and my Dola as completely different instruments. They certainly seem that way to me.