Tab/on-line resources for mandocello

[craigmurray]

I've recently aquired a mandocello, and was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of tab, or other on-line resources.
Thanks
Craig

[jasona]

Ooo, what kind Craig?

[Greg Stec]

Taking the risk at sounding like a 'smart mouth,' find some mandolin tab. Four-string tab for a 4-string instrument tuned in fifths is all the same, 'cept the tune will sound lower and in another key. The stretches and 'takes' between notes and phrases will be hellacious at times because one instrument is guitar-sized and the other in comparison is almost tiny.

I'm ready. My flak vest is on.

[Jim Garber]

craigmurray:

What kind of music are you looking for? If classical you can play cello music and there is lots around. Bach Cello Suites would be a challenge. You may have to read notation for that tho.

I don't know many sources for tab for a m'cello.

Jim

[a12]

Join a Mandolin Orchestra. Some put music in tab form.

[Walter Newton]

In case you haven't seen it already, check out the video of Mike Marshall on mandocello on the D'Addario website.

[Kirk]

Welcome to the wide world of mandocello players !

As I'm sure you are finding, there aren't alot of options out there for mandocello tab format music. As previously suggested, I've had the best luck when perusing the cello music sections of my local music stores. Of course this requires the ability to read music in the bass clef which takes some getting used to.

The suggestion to join a mandolin orchestra is also a great one. I've been playing mandocello with the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra for about a year & have found it to be tremendous fun. I played in the Mando 1 section for several years before this and have found the Mandocello to be much more enjoyable since we get to play a mix of bass lines, counterpoint, harmony and even the melody at times.

I read music from the bass clef while the other 'cello player in our orchestra reads music that has been 'transposed' into standard mandolin fingerings. This method is probably the quickest way to get started with mandocello (assuming that you can read standard notation for the mandolin ....).

[groveland]

Craigmurray! Love to hear about what you've got.

[AxelWessel]

Hi Folks,
bought an MCello too. Anybody found some good books with Tabs or have other useful tips for the small community of MCellists?
Greetings from Hamburg,
Axel

[wildpikr]

I've recently aquired a mandocello, and was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of tab, or other on-line resources.
Thanks
Craig

I've been using the O'Connor Method for cello. Not finding much/any tab for mandocello, I decided to learn to read bass clef and settled on this method. Obviously we don't need the bowing tips but the tunes are fun to play and include chords above the music notation which encourages learning chords along with melody lines.

Here's a link to the book/cd on the Shar website:

https://www.sharmusic.com/Sheet-Musi...Connor\+Method

Good luck, hope this helps...

[Jim Imhoff]

This thread highlights the problem I am trying to address in CMSA: there ain't much out there for the great mandocello. I am gathering old method books (only 2!) and a very few actual compositions ( maybe 3, 4) for the MC. I hope some of you might join us at CMSA Santa Rosa and talk about this dearth of music. But for now, play cello music (CMSA objections aside), play in orchestras or quartets--that's where I have the most fun.
Jim

[AxelWessel]

okay, it seems to be the best to learn to read the classical notation and arrange the stuff by yourself. the 2 old method books: what is their name?

[Bernie Daniel]

I suggest that probably the best all around option for creating tab for the mandocello (and mandola) is to purchase TablEdit software.

With the full up program you only need to find a .tef file for mandolin (there are many hundreds of them - and thousands really because many people do not publish the files they create for personal use I imagine. I know I don't.

Once you have the mandolin .tef file you can transpose it easily in TablEdit so that you have mandola/mandocello tab in the same key. And you can change the key of the tune as well in TablEdit.

Of course once you have mandolin tab you can just play tab but the tune but it will be a 5th lower - -play mandolin key of A tab on mandocello and you are in D. But the TablEdit allows you to play in the same key.

What is more -- if you can find a midi file (.mid) or and an ABC file (.abc) you can import them into TablEdit and create the tab.

[Beanzy]

Does Tabletit convert the fingering? If not then you’d have pretty useless tab fingerings for the mandoloncello.
I’d agree that working from standard notation is the most straight forward I’ve found yet.

As for repertoire I’ve found that the ‘cello parts from Haydn & Vivaldi pieces can be great for skills building, lots of proper ‘cellistic’ shifting and extension decisions to make. I’ve also found that loads of those pieces where the staccato or pizzicato ‘cello lines were always a bit sketchy and unconvincing, due to not getting the resonance of the instrument going or enough weight in the bow, can come up really well on the mandoloncello.
When I listen to orchestral pizzicato or staccato bowing now it seems to fall short of what is possible; all because the straight-jacketing of sections by having to conform to the stereotypical orchestra format. Imagine the musical satisfaction if you had dual instrument players in the strings, with 1/2 of each section swapping to plucked strings to keep the clarity and resonance in those sections.

[Jim Imhoff]

The 2 old method books are by Sol Goichberg and Zahr Myron Bickford. They are out of print but a few copies are around. I am working with someone to get them copied and might be able to post some samples soon. I am also working with a few composers who might contribute a piece or two, also "soon."

[OneChordTrick]

Does Tabletit convert the fingering? If not then you’d have pretty useless tab fingerings for the mandoloncello.
I’d agree that working from standard notation is the most straight forward I’ve found yet.

Yes, but I may have missed a subtle aspect of your question. I have only really started using it a couple of days ago but it does an OK job for the mandolin with an occasional quirk such as suggesting playing the 7th fret rather than the open string below.

But that’s for mandolin and OM, I don’t know how it would work on a mandoloncello. And I may have missed the point of your question entirely

[Beanzy]

Yep I was wondering how it would work with the different fingering for the long scale instruments. It’s been ages since I used TablEdit so I can’t remember if it copes with the diatonic to ‘cello fingering changes: for example ‘cello tends to do finger 1 fret 2 xtend back to fret 1, then one finger each for 34&5 with an extension to 6. In Dmajor it can be something like x,1,x23x4x to keep the fluidity, where x is an extension. I can’t rememember if TablEdit had an option for that kind of thing in terms of programming the fingering.
Ta

[OneChordTrick]

Haven’t worked out fingering specifically in Tabledit yet I’m afraid. Just where the strings should be fretted. Very much a new toy for me at the moment.

[FranticTones]

I come from playing bass guitar and a little trick in that world is to play off trombone music. I picked up "Selected Studies for Trombone" by H. Voxman and all the studies are very playable, if challenging, for the mandocello. As the pieces therein have no relation to the instrument, you are really made aware of the need for adaptive fingering techniques.

[FranticTones]

*That being said the Petrucci Music Library has a few pieces featuring mandocello and a wealth of "normal cello."