Guitar-mandolin tab?

[MJewkes]

Hey Everyone,
Thanks for the help thus far.
Here is a question. I've been floating about trying to learn some simple melodies.

I've found a tab I really like
<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">&#124;-------2-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0-------3-------3-&#124;
&#124;-----0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0-----&#124;
&#124;---2---------2-----2---------2-----0---------0-----0---------0---&#124;
&#124;-0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------------&#124;
&#124;-----------------------------------------------------------------&#124;
&#124;-----------------------------------------------------------------&#124;

&#124;-------2-------2-------2-------2-------0-------0-3-----2-----0---&#124;
&#124;-----0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------3-----3-----&#124;
&#124;---2---------2-----2---------2-----0---------0-----4-----2---0-3-&#124;
&#124;-0---------------0---------------0---------------0-----0---------&#124;
&#124;-----------------------------------------------------------------&#124;
&#124;-----------------------------------------------------------------&#124;
[/QUOTE]

Is such a guitar tab playable on the octave mandolin? I've tried transposing it, #but it results in having to jump my hand up and down the fretboard like crazy.

Specific melody aside - are simple guitar melodies based on 4ths playable on mandolin?
Thanks
Matthew

[EdSherry]

The notes are definitely "playable" on an OM, but pieces that lay well on one instrument (or even in one tuning on an instrument) often lay very poorly on another instrument (or a different tuning on the same instrument). #

This is especially common if the arrangement takes advantage of open strings on one instrument or tuning (as in your example) that don't correspond to open strings on another instrument or tuning.

I'd suggest that you distill the guitar part to the "essence" of the melody that you're attracted to, and then try to find that melody on the OM, and play OM-style lines around it.

To answer your general question: #yes, melodies with 4th intervals are readily playable on a mandolin or OM. #For example, the interval G to C is a fourth, which lays nicely on the mandolin (G at the 5th fret on the D string, C at the 3rd fret on the A string, or x53x). #

They just don't use open adjacent strings (or, more generally, strings fretted at the same fret) like they do on a guitar.