Transposing/transcription

**Steve Cat** · Mar-25-2008, 9:52am

A recent post here mad me think. Why not ask a mando player?

This is a copy of what I posted on the Sibelius site/

"I bought G7 so I could transcribe standard notation for classical mandolin. Any tips on how to get piano music onto the mandolin. The low note on a mando is open G so I have been trying to use that as the base, not bass, but then sometimes the notes on the highest e string get over the 12th fret. I can play the 14th but only for a short passage because the short scale length of the mandolin makes it sound tinny. I could drop that an octave, but are there some other ways, i.e. use 3rds or a fifth on harmony notes, that are above G if you know what I mean.

I have been working on the Aria from the Goldberg variations and would like to figure out a way to play the bass notes that would occur on the on the G sting somewhere else so I can strum it with the E string, again play a third or fifth instead of octave or is that cheesy?

The mandolin is tuned G D A E like a violin"

**ApK** · Mar-25-2008, 10:12am

I think there's some basic tenant of information theory that says you're not going to be able to directly map all 11 octaves of a piano onto the 3+ of a mando, so don't try. You're not really asking a matter of transposition or transcription, your asking about creating a different arraignment. I know there are a bunch of talented arrangers here who have offered good rules of thumb for choices on a mando, but I think this is truly more art than science.

**Steve Cat** · Mar-25-2008, 4:31pm

Well see, there you go, I'm so dumb I don't know the difference between transcribe, transpose, and arrange......that's why I need some big time help

**Rick Lindstrom** · Mar-26-2008, 2:40pm

I don't know about dumb- you're clearly ahead of most of us if you are reading and playing above the 12th fret.

I've always had this intuitive idea that when someone writes for a certain instrument, they are thinking in terms of exploiting the characteristics of the instrument. When I started getting serious about mandolin, I began reworking fingerstyle blues pieces to play on the mando. Some work, some don't, but even the ones that work don't work as well as they do on the guitar- they are still fun to play, but there are compromises.

Same thing, I'm sure, pertains to a piano to mandolin transfer, and it's probably far more challenging. But no doubt fun if you are inclined to try it.

Rick

**ffpizza5** · Mar-28-2008, 9:16am

maybe this is what you're looking for...

<span style='font-family:Courier'>Tuning : G D A E Time Signature: 3/4

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|3-------3-------5-5---7-|5---3-2-0---------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|------------5-----------|--------0---0-0-0-------|
|----------------0-------|4---------------0-------|5-5-------4-------5-4-5-|
|0-------4---------------|--------2---------------|9-------0-------6-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|----------------0-0---1-|0-------------------3-0-|
|0-----------------------|5-------5---------------|----5-3-2---0-----------|
|--4-5-2-2---0-----------|------------------------|--------2---------------|
|--------11------2-------|----------------0-------|----------------2-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|3---5---2---------5-----|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------5---3-----3-|2-----------------------|2-------2-------4-4---5-|
|2-----------------4-2-4-|------4-4---5-5-------4-|----------------2-------|
|----5-------4-2-0-------|0---2---4---------------|0-------4---------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|3-------5-2-5-5-5-3-2-3-|3---2-0-------------0---|
|5-4-2-0-5---------------|------------------------|--------5-2-5-5-4-------|
|----------4-2---4-------|2-------2---2---4---0---|----0---2---------------|
|2-------0-----------4---|----4---------------0---|6-----------4---2---0---|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|5-3-2-0-----------------|----------------------0-|--------3---------------|
|--------5---0---------3-|2-0---------5-4---------|5-4-2-0-----2-------4---|
|4---------------0-------|----5-4-2-------2-------|4-------2-----4-5-------|
|--------2---------------|0-------4---------------|2-----------------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|3-------3-------5-5---7-|5---3-2-0---------------|
|4-5---5-4---5-----------|------------------------|------------5-----------|
|--------4-------0-------|----------------0-------|4---------------0-------|
|------------2-----------|0-------4---------------|--------2---------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|------------------------|----------------0-0---1-|
|--------0---0-0-0-------|0-----------------------|5-------5---------------|
|5-5-------4-------5-4-5-|--4-5-2-2---0-----------|------------------------|
|9-------0-------6-------|--------11------2-------|----------------0-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|0-------------------3-0-|3---5---2---------5-----|------------------------|
|----5-3-2---0-----------|------------5---3-----3-|2-----------------------|
|--------2---------------|2-----------------4-2-4-|------4-4---5-5-------4-|
|----------------2-------|----5-------4-2-0-------|0---2---4---------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|------------------------|3-------5-2-5-5-5-3-2-3-|
|2-------2-------4-4---5-|5-4-2-0-5---------------|------------------------|
|----------------2-------|----------4-2---4-------|2-------2---2---4---0---|
|0-------4---------------|2-------0-----------4---|----4---------------0---|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|3---2-0-------------0---|5-3-2-0-----------------|----------------------0-|
|--------5-2-5-5-4-------|--------5---0---------3-|2-0---------5-4---------|
|----0---2---------------|4---------------0-------|----5-4-2-------2-------|
|6-----------4---2---0---|--------2---------------|0-------4---------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|--------3---------------|------------------------|----------------------0-|
|5-4-2-0-----2-------4---|4-5---5-4---5-----------|0-0-----2---2-0-2-0-3---|
|4-------2-----4-5-------|--------4-------0-------|0---2---4-5-------------|
|2-----------------------|------------2-----------|----------------5-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|0-------------------3---|2-0---2-----0-------5-5-|5-----2-0---------------|
|--5-3-2-0---------------|--------6---------------|------------6-------2---|
|--------0---5-----------|----2---5-------5-4-2---|1---2---4---------------|
|4---5-------2---4-------|5-----------4---2-------|4-----------2---0-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|0-3---2-2---0-----------|3---2-----0-------------|------0-0---2-5-3---2---|
|------------------2-3-0-|--------6---------------|----------6-3---2---0---|
|2-----------4-----------|------------4-----5-4-2-|4-----------------------|
|----2---2-0-----0-------|----2---2-0-----0---4---|------------------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|2-0---2-----0-----------|0-----------------------|------------------------|
|--------6---------------|----5-3-2---0-------2-3-|5-2-3-0-0-----------0-2-|
|--------5-------2-------|--------2---------------|----4---2---5-4---4-----|
|------------------------|----------------2-------|------------9---0---0---|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|------------------0-----|------------------------|
|3-5-3-2-3-0---0-3-2-0---|--5-3-2-3-0---0-3---5-3-|2-3-2-0-2-------2---3-5-|
|----2-------2---------5-|4-----------4-----------|5---------5-0-5-2-5-----|
|--------2---------------|------------------------|--------0---10----------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|0-1-0---0-------0---2-3-|5-----------------------|------------------------|
|------5---3---3---3-----|--3-2-0-2-3-5---2-0-----|------------------------|
|------------5-----------|4-------------5-0---5-4-|5---------0-5-4-4-5-----|
|----0---5---4---2---0---|--------0---4-----------|--5-4-2-4---------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|----------------------0-|0-------------------3---|2-0---2-----0-------5-5-|
|0-0-----2---2-0-2-0-3---|--5-3-2-0---------------|--------6---------------|
|0---2---4-5-------------|--------0---5-----------|----2---5-------5-4-2---|
|----------------5-------|4---5-------2---4-------|5-----------4---2-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|5-----2-0---------------|0-3---2-2---0-----------|3---2-----0-------------|
|------------6-------2---|------------------2-3-0-|--------6---------------|
|1---2---4---------------|2-----------4-----------|------------4-----5-4-2-|
|4-----------2---0-------|----2---2-0-----0-------|----2---2-0-----0---4---|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------0-0---2-5-3---2---|2-0---2-----0-----------|0-----------------------|
|----------6-3---2---0---|--------6---------------|----5-3-2---0-------2-3-|
|4-----------------------|--------5-------2-------|--------2---------------|
|------------------------|------------------------|----------------2-------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|------------------------|------------------0-----|
|5-2-3-0-0-----------0-2-|3-5-3-2-3-0---0-3-2-0---|--5-3-2-3-0---0-3---5-3-|
|----4---2---5-4---4-----|----2-------2---------5-|4-----------4-----------|
|------------9---0---0---|--------2---------------|------------------------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|0-1-0---0-------0---2-3-|5-----------------------|
|2-3-2-0-2-------2---3-5-|------5---3---3---3-----|--3-2-0-2-3-5---2-0-----|
|5---------5-0-5-2-5-----|------------5-----------|4-------------5-0---5-4-|
|--------0---10----------|----0---5---4---2---0---|--------0---4-----------|

| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #| # # # | # # # | # # # #
|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|5---------0-5-4-4-5-----|------------------------|------------------------|
|--5-4-2-4---------------|------------------------|------------------------|</span>

we're all in this together