I dont know what to call this for mandolin

[lone-woodwose]

Not sure if i can make this post make sense.

I dont know what to call it on mandolin (if it is not the same thing) but I am having trouble figuring the approach to G. it sounds funny if I play the 6th (thats E) and 7th (F#) on the D string but then going a up one sting to play the root.

I can do it for C and D I think but G is giving me a hard time. This is with open chords by the way...in case it matters.

If this made any sense to you can you give some tips?

thanks
-A-

[John Flynn]

I'm not sure I have understood your issue, but it seems to me that if you are playing a G major scale in the first (open) position, you would play G, A, B and C on the G string(frets 0-2-4-5), then D, E, F# and G on the D string(again, frets 0-2-4-5). The next octave would then start with that same G on the 5th fret of the D string and continue with A, B, C and D on the A string (frets 0-2-3-5) and finally E, F# and G on the E string(frets 0-2-3-5). I don't know why you would go, as you say, "up one string (from the D string) to play the root. Did I get your question right? Did I answer it? I may have misunderstood.

[lone-woodwose]

I am sure you folks know what I am talking about but Im calling it the wrong name.

I looked up on google what I have heard called "6th approaches" for guitar and I found nothing...so here it goes explaining it:

On your guitar or mandolin play a chord progression C-G-C-G in open chords, but on the last two 8th notes you pick the 6th and 7th of the next chord...
so you play 3 beats of C then play the 6th and 7th of G to prepare for the chord.

did that make more sense? i still dont know how to play the 6th and 7th of G with making it sound funny.

[Jim Broyles]

It sounds like you want to "walk up" to the next chord. The notes you play depend on what key your song is in. For example, if you play C to G in the key of C, you would not play E F# G, but rather E F G, because F# is not in the C major scale. If you want to play E F# G, you will have to fret the D string at the 5th fret - it's the easiest way to get the notes you are looking for. It is only because of the notes used in standard mandolin tuning. There isn't an open G note which makes the walk up work.

[lone-woodwose]

thanks, that is what I wanted to know. I was just trying to make G the lowest chord, that doesn't work with this instrument.