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Thread: Drop D Tuning on the Octave Mandolin?

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Apr 2012
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    London, Ontario
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    Default Drop D Tuning on the Octave Mandolin?

    Hello Mandolin Cafe,

    I have come across a couple of popular rock songs that refer to Drop D tuning. For example "Take a Picture" by Filter:

    http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic...?ppn=MN0066492

    Is there a way that this can be accomplished on the OM either by tuning the strings, with a Capo, or transposing the chords?

    Thanks for your help!

  2. #2

    Default Re: Drop D Tuning on the Octave Mandolin?

    Exactly what are you trying to do? If you mean the chords for the song, those are the same for any instrument. Same for the written notes. If you are trying to play the TAB on an OM, you will have some trouble because there are only four strings on an OM. You can tune and capo the 4 OM strings to match any 4 of the guitar, but when the tab goes to 5 or 6 strings (like on the 3rd line), you won't be able to replicate it.

    -If you want to recreate the first two lines, you could tune the OM GDAD (lo to high) and play the written tab on the DAD strings of the OM. It will sound an octave higher than the real thing.

    -Or you can tune the OM down to the tuning: DADG, lo to hi. That's the bottom four strings of the guitar. But you'll probably need thicker strings, because this is way lower than standard OM tuning!

    -Another option is to tune the OM AEAD and then capo on the 5th fret, and you can play any of the TAB that's written on the lower 4 strings of the guitar part. Again, it will be an octave higher. You can also follow the tab in this tuning without a capo, but then you'll be in a different key, which might be OK?

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  3. #3
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Apr 2009
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    Washington State
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    Default Re: Drop D Tuning on the Octave Mandolin?

    To me, drop D simply adds more bass and an open sound to a D chord on a guitar. My OM (tuned standard G-D-A-E) already has that when I play a D 2002. If you transpose the song to G, then you have an OM equivalent to drop D by playing G 0523 or 0023. If you're trying to re-tune an OM to enable playing guitar tabs, I would rethink that. You'll learn a lot more by figuring out what notes the guitar tab is portraying, then transfer to the same notes on your OM.

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