I must confess that I am intrigued with the recent postings about Peter Rowan's Cold Rain and Snow. He is playing a mandola with some of the strings tuned in a non standard tuning. I'd love to know more about possible odd tunings for a a mandola.

I am one of your standard bluegrass guys that plays one when our group has another mandolin player but would like to branch out a little. I am a play by ear guy with no formal music training so I need some help in this area.

I must say that video is quite compelling. That is a real sense of the tune to me and his mandola playing is spot on.

ps as a side note I have an old recording of Peter playing his first time at Bean Blossom. This specific tape has him playing with a pickup band as a warm up act (some of the bluegrass boys and Roger Smith a former bluegrass boy that was the MC.....he asks Peter his name when he is introducing the group and this high scared voice says "Peter Rowan from Mass"
This was at a time when Peter was a Yankee interloper into the world of bluegrass and Roger is sometimes a gruff North Carolinian....so I know why his voice was high.....

The talent shown through even then with him. He had a certains something that caught my 15 year old eye....he could sing and put life into a song.