.Tablature

[Markelberry]

Im not very accomplished on the mandolin and need alot of work up and around the neck. It seems like most tabs I see are first position with lots of open strings. Is this because this is where most people play these tunes? Im guessing this is the best place to start and the rest is up to me.

[Martin Jonas]

At least in folk genres, most tunes can be played entirely in first position and in these genres, use of open strings is usually preferred over closed position playing (in classical playing, the reverse usually applies, although not exclusively). Most beginners start with first postion only and only much later move up into higher positions. Your post implies that you find shifting up the neck easier than staying in first position. If so, you're fairly unusual.

In addition to these musical reasons for the fact that much tablature is in first postion, there is a technical reason as well: some tablature files are computer-generated transcriptions from standard notation, abc, or MIDI. As long as you stay in first position, that's easy and unambiguous: there is a straight one-to-one relationship between fingering and musical note. As soon as you allow higher positions, there are several alternative fingerings for every note. This needs human input to make playable tab files, so you can't have computer-generated tab files in higher position (at least not without judicious editing afterwards).

Martin

[Markelberry]

Thanks that answeres my question on tab,and although Im unusual I have a tough time with most music out of first position,practice,practice,practice I must.

[Dan Cole]

I think if you'll take some time and play all the open stings at the 7th fret and kind of move into a second position alot of songs are actually easier to play. Playing in the first position sometimes gets your fingers all crossed up. Just my 2 cents.