Is the mandolin easier to play?

[catmandu2]

If apples are compared to apples, I would think comparable levels of good are probably equally hard to achieve on most instruments.

Well that’s one way of looking; and may be adequate for the OPs purposes. However, there are differences between instruments (and everything concerning their implementation—which is why general comparisons of this sort have limited utility, I think)

For example: Piano is generally considered a difficult instrument. Why?—because of its tremendous polyphony

Erhu (and violin) is also considered quite difficult—but for completely different reasons than piano

A wind instrument is also difficult. Why?—there are many variables at play, and fundamental sound production is profoundly more complex and nuanced than it is for, say, mandolin or guitar or piano

Sometimes I wonder what the OP derives from these threads—when opinions offered range from loyalty and devotion to clinical observation. In this case, I hope it’s at least discovered that—we’re talking about two different instruments—with many similarities (if you care) and vast differences. If we had more information, we might better advise. Does the OP want to play tunes and melodies? Does the OP want to study polyphony? Does the OP have a particular style of music in mind? Does the OP wish to play solo, or with others? Perhaps the OP had a theoretical discussion in mind…?

As has been pointed out—high artistic achievement with any instrument is a lifelong, challenging pursuit. Other ways to make things “difficult”—try to make the piano* sound lyrical, with glissandi and portamento effect, like a violin; or attempt polyphony on a saxophone; push at the boundaries of convention; ad infinitum. Or take up the erhu

*not accounting here for the “fluid piano” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Cq3pbcMkI

[Mark Wilson]

Does the OP want to study polyphony? Does the OP have a particular style of music in mind? Does the OP wish to play solo, or with others? Perhaps the OP had a theoretical discussion in mind…?

Ok. Now the mandolin seems way the heck harder than guitar.

Is the mandolin easier to learn to play than the guitar? It seems easier to me to learn to play than the guitar.

[catmandu2]

Ok. Now the mandolin seems way the heck harder than guitar.

It could be. But of course everything is relative here

[Bertram Henze]

For example: Piano is generally considered a difficult instrument. Why?—because of its tremendous polyphony

Erhu (and violin) is also considered quite difficult—but for completely different reasons than piano

These represent two types of difficulty for me (since I tried both piano and violin as a kid):
- coordination my brain is simply not good at; I could never get my head around doing two independent things at the same time with both hands, or any two or more body parts, for that matter. A drumkit would fall in the same category, I guess, and so would most Asian martial arts.
- a long phase of terror and pain for both me, family and neighbors until what I did began to sound like music rather than fingernails on chalkboard. Other instruments for this category would be uilleann pipes and in fact most brass and woodwind.

I would call an instrument easy to learn if mastership is an optional add-on after the fun, not the other way round.

[Susan H.]

I have tried guitar and banjo, and I try sometimes my hand at the fiddle. I have played many different kinds of music on my mandolin and enjoyed them all. The comment that Bertrand made about the instrument choosing you I think has some truth in it. While I have tried other instruments, I keep coming back to my mandolin. I'm learning many, many new things from my teacher now and it's exciting the things I can do! I can't do them on a guitar, my hands just can't seem to work there, on the mandolin, while a four finger chord is hard for me, I will eventually get it. I don't play mandolin because it's easier, I play mandolin because I love it. And it seems to me when you really like something it does become a little easier. Just my two cents...play on.

[catmandu2]

Yeah Bertram. For me--being so tactile--one of the things that's so fun is all the different varieties. Since the age of about 8--I don't think I've ever seen an instrument that didn't intrigue me and compel me to learn about it. Not only do I like sound, but I love sculpture, and twiddling things with my fingers

I would call an instrument easy to learn if mastership is an optional add-on after the fun, not the other way round.

Yes, this is a significant issue with kids (particularly) as they're typically more interested in instant gratification. I've yet to start my own kids (age 8) off on formal instruction--even though they're generally immersed in music. They interact with me when I play--singing, dancing, playing rhythmic instruments...and they play with their ukes and concertinas...not only are they learning rhythm and melody, but they're probably acquiring other skills as well. Fun must be integrated into didacticism for best results--especially with something so rigorous as piano and violin

Interesting--I have begun to teach my daughter keyboard. She's very intuitive musically--easily recalls melodies and sings on pitch--yet, she is only slowly putting together the sequencing on the keyboard

[Mark Wilson]

It could be. But of course everything is relative here

Valid point. Everything is relative

More likely the mandolin 'seemed' easier to play than guitar because I didn't have to relearn everything I had already gained studying guitar.

[bmac]

I think this is a very odd thread.... Any instrument is easy and any instrument is difficult. Chris Theil(sp?) didn't get where he is by worrying about whether the mandolin is difficult or easy.

[bruce.b]

I've often thought of getting a guitar to tune in all 4ths. This way you have the logic and uniformity of 5ths tuned instruments and the range and flexibility of guitar. You lose two very important things though. Most important, you can't use all the resources available to standard guitar tuning. If you want to play popular music you're going to have to invent how to do it mostly by yourself. You also lose a lot of the open chords that are so common. You gain so much too. It turns it into an isomorphic instrument, so, exactly like mandolin or fiddle, scales are regular and movable across the strings. You gain a lot with chords too. You have to learn far fewer chord shapes, and like mandolin they are very easy to find for yourself and to move around across the strings. 4ths tuning will also force you to come up with your own sound, IMO a good thing.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/183968224067/

[catmandu2]

Bruce, have you checked out "NST"? http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?groupid=73

[ralph johansson]

They're two different instruments with different roles and possibilities. The least significant part is the asymmetry of the guitar tuning. Guitarists tend to think in terms of chord forms and boxes, even when playing single-string stuff. The guitar is basically tuned to a chord, an em7, and you have exactly two octaves between the 1st and 6th strings.

I think the symmetry of the mandolin is a bit overrated. Some people say, to get from G to D, just move one string up; but that's a different range, too. I don't think like that at all.

Chords: the guitar has six strings, and its practical range covers all of grand staff plus one ledger line above and below, allowing a greater range of voicings (maybe with just 3 or 4 notes). You can't get very close voicings on the mando (except in special forms involving open strings).

It's very convenent to have a seventh between the E and d strings, when playing a full accompaniment. To my ears, chords on the mandolin have a more percussive and dynamic function.

I started playing the mandolin because I wanted to play fiddle tunes, in their proper range. Arpeggios are easier in fifths tuning, because there are fewer string crossings.

On the other hand, long scale motions may be harder on the mandolin, except in open position.
On the guitar you stay on one string for three notes, at most. You may certainly need the pinky, but having to use only three fingers
on each string is much easier than all four, in differing positions from string to string.

Another difference is pulloffs and hammerons. It's harder to do successive hammerons on the mandolin and really make them work; on the other hand pulloffs have more snap on the mandolin. I tend to slide and trill more on the guitar because of its longer sustain.

Double courses allow split string effects. I used to do a lot of split string triplets, dividing one down stroke between the two strings of one course. Nothing like that on the guitar, of course. On the other hand, sweeps over three or four strings don't really work on the mando.

Tremolo can be used to great dramatic, dynamic, and lyric effect on the mandolin. On guitar they sound cheap to my ears.

It's easier to play a straightforward melody on the mandolin. You needn't do much with it. On the guitar I often feel I have to dress it up with chords to make it work.

[Mike Steadfast-Ward]

Wrong I do, what interests me is the qualities in the sound, not what shape the piece of wood is.
I play wood whistles, penny whistles, banjo, guitars both electric and acoustic, and now mandolin.

[ralph johansson]

I've often thought of getting a guitar to tune in all 4ths. This way you have the logic and uniformity of 5ths tuned instruments and the range and flexibility of guitar. You lose two very important things though. Most important, you can't use all the resources available to standard guitar tuning. If you want to play popular music you're going to have to invent how to do it mostly by yourself. You also lose a lot of the open chords that are so common. You gain so much too. It turns it into an isomorphic instrument, so, exactly like mandolin or fiddle, scales are regular and movable across the strings. You gain a lot with chords too. You have to learn far fewer chord shapes, and like mandolin they are very easy to find for yourself and to move around across the strings. 4ths tuning will also force you to come up with your own sound, IMO a good thing.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/183968224067/

Stanley Jordan already does that, on an electric. I understand he uses a lot of stacked fourths in his chords.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Jordan

At the other end of the spectrum there are fingerstyle guitarists who use various open tunings, such as open D, open G,
and DADGAD, that offer some compelling effects, in songs with not too many chords. I've tried some of these and didn't find them particularly difficult. And then the G tuning, for instance, features the intervals of a fourth, a fifth, a minor and a major third.
Again, boxes and chord shapes come to the rescue.

In classical tuning (what I call the em7 tuning) the lack of symmetry sometimes is an advantage. If certain three or four note chord shapes become a bit gymnastic in some context, there may other shapes, with the same voicings, that fit better.

[farmerjones]

Easy? Banjar's easy.

[Steve Ostrander]

I played guitar and bass for many years before taking up the mandolin, so it's hard to be objective. I know I became proficient in a shorter time on mandolin, but that could be because of my experience with guitar. Overall, I would say that mandolin is maybe somewhat easier to learn simple songs and chords than guitar. But it is always difficult to play any instrument well. It still takes practice, dedication, skill, and ability.

[jesserules]

Is the mandolin easier to learn to play than the guitar? It seems easier to me

asked & answered, then.

[stevejay]

I've often thought of getting a guitar to tune in all 4ths. https://www.facebook.com/groups/183968224067/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcHid5cucLo

Jump to the end.

[jaycat]

It's common knowledge that guitar is easier, since I first picked up a guitar at age 17; whereas I didn't approach the mandolin til age 57.