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John Bertotti
Dec-02-2004, 1:45pm
Just finishing up my mandola project but am wondering if I am really limiting myself by choosing to go with gdaea tuning. It seem all the music I've seen needs the lower string to be a c. So what is better? cgdae? I know this is somewhat subjective but your thoughts are appreciated. john

Pete Martin
Dec-02-2004, 2:35pm
Gee, my mandola has only 4 pair of strings. #I must have missed something when I bought it... # #By the way I tune it CGDA. #

Five string fiddles (combination violin, viola) are tuned CGDAE. #If you have five sets of strings, I would probably try this tuning.

halfdeadhippie
Dec-02-2004, 3:14pm
most 5 course instruments are standard tuned

CGDAE

the chord shapes can be tricky ( I find myself trying get that bass note - not always so clean)

the scales are pretty much just extensions, and not too much trouble.

no reason you have to use that tunning, but if you ever go "classical" might be nice to train your fingers to that.

I rarely use anything other than standard tuning on any stringed instrument.

John Bertotti
Dec-02-2004, 3:46pm
Sorry Pete, I'm finishing a five course mandola now modified off of one of luthiers OM kits. Shortened to just about a 20.379 scale length.

To tune everything lower I suppose I could just tune down the existing strings and give it a try. Then I could switch between the two whenever I wanted. Thanks Pete and halfdeadhippie. John

Martin Jonas
Dec-03-2004, 10:32am
Really depends on whether you want you instrument to be effectively a tenor mandola (CGDA) with an additional high e-course. If so, you should tune UP a fourth from the low G you have now. However, for that tuning, a scale length of over 20 inches is rather long, and I think you'd need to go to thinner gauges. In fact, even with the thinnest gauge, the high e-string is going to be very tight, and you may well not be able to tune it up to pitch. Going the other direction, down a fifth to the low mandocello C, is likely to bring the opposite problem: the scale length is too short. Your exisiting strings will be too loose to give you good tone, and the thicker gauge strings that would give you the right tension may well overstress your instrument. Thus, I think you're best off sticking to GDAEA (or GDAEB, if you want to tune in fifths), as suggested by Jacob, and use a capo if you want to play mandola music with an open C-string. I use a capo a lot on my bouzouki, either on the fifth (for CGDA) or seventh (for DAEB). Another option would be to detune one full step to FCGDA (you may be able to use your current string gauge, or use slightly thicker gauges to compensate for the decrease in tension), which gives you a normal mandola on the top four strings, with an additional bass string. However, you'll still have a much larger scale than most mandolas, and may find it difficult to play mandola music as written because of the greater reaches.

In the end, I don't think there's an alternative to lots of experimenting. A non-standard instrument, such as yours, gives you lots of exciting options, but also forces you to consider non-standard difficulties.

Martin

John Bertotti
Dec-03-2004, 2:08pm
Here let me show my supreme lack of knowledge. I thought that everything was moved up and down by fifths. I didn't realize the c of the mandola wasn't a whole fifth down. I am actually happy to leave it the way it is. With the tuning now I'll actually be able to go a bit lower then a mandola c and that is, to me, very exciting. Thanks all Merry Christmas, or holiday of your choice,! John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Pete Martin
Dec-03-2004, 6:19pm
Let us know how it turns out, maybe post a pic of your "mandola". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

John Bertotti
Dec-03-2004, 7:20pm
Will do I have a thread going in the builders section for advice and progress. if your interested it is here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=20199)
I am not quite sure what it is called mandola, short scale cittern? I have played with the fret board and I'll be lucky to clear four frets with my small hands in the first position. The box is together and just tapping on it gives a real nice resonant tone. I hope that is some indication of the completed instrument. Thanks John