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Thread: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

  1. #26
    Bark first, Bite later Steve Zawacki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Easy answer - Do both!

    There is no "cast in concrete" requirement that ukes be tuned GCEA (the "uke standard") I have several ukes of various size/styles and have tuned them all CGDA to match my tenor guitar and tenor banjo. The mandolin will be tuned GDAE. As GDAE and CGDA use the same chord fingering patterns (albeit a different key), the same muscle memory (albeit a different key) applies and reinforces the learning/playing. As ukes can be played "quieter" than mandolins, the dual-learning situation gives you the ability to quietly practice without disturbing others.

    You can get many decent ukes (new and used) for $75-150. The Ukulele Underground site has all the uke info one can handle. While Rogues and Rovers don't get a lot of review-love, they are okay mandolins to learn on, especially if you get Rob Meldrum's fabulous (and free) e-book on mandolin set-up. Much of what's in Rob's book also applies for setting up ukes as well.

    So, your budget gives to the versatility to "do it all" .
    ...Steve

    Current Stable: Two Tenor Guitars (Martin 515, Blueridge BR-40T), a Tenor Banjo (Deering GoodTime 17-Fret), a Mandolin (Burgess #7). two Banjo-Ukes and five Ukuleles..

    The inventory is always in some flux, but that's part of the fun.

  2. #27
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I encountered a Rogue at a party once, and I was surprised that it didn't sound or play anywhere nearly as bad as I had expected a $50 mandolin would. The owner had the bridge a bit out of place - easy enough to correct - and once I did, I got it to sound OK. It seemed like a great way to get started in the mandolin world. I would hesitate to suggest New get one, as I have doubts how well it would hold up in the heat and humidity of his environment. But at its low buy-in, it might be worth a shot.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  3. #28
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    The uke is a hoot! It is nearly intuitive to play
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  4. #29
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Most of us, am guessing, did not come at it like this. We fell in love with the mandolin, or mandolin music, or were enthralled by a great player like Dave Grisman or Chris Thile, and then went and pursued our hearts desire.

    The ukulele players I know similarly fell in love with the instrument or a great player like Jake Shimabokuro and similarly followed their heart.

    I applaud your intellectual approach, seeking advice, considering the options, weighing the parameters. In the end it might just boil down to what you can most easily get your hands on.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  5. #30

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Sure, and I just wanted to share my experience, observations, and ruminations concerning guitars, ukuleles, and mandolins (a little bass thrown in as well, along with a bit of soapbox speaking). These differ from others', as expected. I found mandolin much, much easier to learn that guitar, and I've been baffled by ukulele as well. The high G string on the bottom really throws me, as well as the irregular intervals. I get lots of questions about playing mandolin, such as, "Isn't it harder to play than a guitar?" My stock answer is "No, not for me. I can't play guitar - it has six strings, I have four fingers. I can't do the math." It's a joke, but it's true. And I really think it's easy to play, even though I've grown so accustomed to it my sensibilities have become skewed. Those regular intervals just make so much sense.

    But from a practical standpoint, ukulele may make more sense to play in Nairobi. It is more common worldwide, and strings should be more readily accessible. If I understand correctly, there are just two string gauges used, so I expect one may be able to substitute fishing line or something similar in a pinch.

    BTW, it's "who are able" - indicative case.
    Another day on the Mandarin Café -

    (but thanks for the correction, in any case - I'm no grammarian)
    Last edited by catmandu2; May-21-2015 at 10:34am.

  6. #31
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Nor am I. But as a reformed former editor (albeit self-trained) some errors, even minor ones, just jump off the page or screen. No worries!
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  7. #32
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Tenor Uke player here and they rock. You can set the G string as High G or Low G, awesome fingerstyle machines. Much easier to set up, and as someone mentioned, strings last a long time(Daniel Ho offers a great set of Uke strings-especially for Low G setup).
    Check the boyz at HawaiiMusicalSupply, they will guide you straight and send you a nice setup instrument no matter what price range you buy.
    http://www.hawaiimusicsupply.com/about.php

    Low G:
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    High G:
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    an amazing 42 minutes of Kalei: if you watch just one song-check around 5 minutes for "aint no sunshine"

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  9. #33
    Registered User johnbaxter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    If you decide to go with a uke, check out Ukefarm. I have lots of downloadable content such as movable chords, fretboard, scales,etc. I also have songs in TablEdit and PDF format. If you go with mandolin, there are a lot of tunes in TablEdit format on my Mandozine site.

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  10. #34

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I personally do not consider the uke related to the mandolin at all, other than that they are both smaller stringed instruments. Furthermore, I would compare a uke to a mandolin in the same way I would compare a harmonica to a saxophone. With that being said, the harmonica is a great instrument!

  11. #35
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    what sort of feedback did you get from the ukulele forum?

    No joke, get a mandolin. Those ukes are just a fad, but the mandolin is classic!

    f-d
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  12. #36
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    What about a "timple" from the Canary Islands.

    Similar to uke.. ( though more interesting) and closer to Nairobi.

    I have been playing uke and mandolin for a few decades.

    Both are fine instruments.

    These days I am more directed to other instruments such as the timple. not the tiple... the timple.

  13. #37
    Registered User Petrus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Maybe a taropatch ... 8-stringed uke in four courses, similar to a mandolin, but in uke tuning.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  14. #38
    Registered User Bigtuna's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Learn the ukulele and the mandolin will follow. I did it the other way around. Guitar first, however. Once you learn one there may be more to follow. Or more than one mandolin.
    "They say the ocean, she is a woman, who waits for her man to come home." M.Houser

  15. #39
    Registered User T.D.Nydn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Get a mandolin..the rest of this should be on ukulele forum,who said the harmonica is a great instrument,? I put it in the same category as banjos.both players just never know when to stop..but that's for harmonica forum,,,

  16. #40
    totally amateur k0k0peli's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    ... the harmonica is a great instrument!
    Oh, you mean a Mississippi saxophone?
    Mandos: Coleman & Soviet ovals; Kay & Rogue A5's; Harmonia F2 & mandola
    Ukuleles: 3 okay tenors; 3 cheap sopranos; Harmonia concert & baritone
    Banjos: Gretsch banjolin; Varsity banjolele; Orlando 5-string; fretless & fretted Cümbüs o'uds
    Acoustic guitars: Martin Backpacker; Ibanez Performance; Art et Lutherie; Academy dobro; Ovation 12-string
    Others: Maffick & First Act dulcimers; Mexican cuatro-menor; Puerto Rican cuatro; Martin tiple; electrics
    Wanted: charango; balalaika; bowlback mando

  17. #41

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Quote Originally Posted by k0k0peli View Post
    Oh, you mean a Mississippi saxophone?
    They call my Peavey amp a Mississippi Marshall!

  18. #42

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    T.D., banjo players know when to stop....when the beer runs out.

  19. #43
    Where's the cream? drjuliushibbert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I own both but the only time I play the uke is during beach week every summer - easy to travel with and I wouldn't be as devastated if I dropped it in the ocean �� - I use a book called "the daily ukulele "
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  20. #44

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Be late to join the party. If I was gonna pick between mandolin or ukulele, then I'd say ukulele. Knowyourinstrument.com has some reviews of online courses for beginners. Worth a look if you're just getting started.

  21. #45
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Exclamation Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Our Local Community College has a Ukulele class
    & and Orchestra performances of Ukes in their various voices.
    Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone.

    Nothing is similarly offered to support mandolin player's education.

    Tenor guitar is another option , there are 5ths tuning people CGDA

    & "Chicago" tuning: GDBE..


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  22. #46
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    If you want easy, uke.

    If you want challenge, mando.

    If you want trendy, uke.

    If you want timeless classic, mando.

    If you want cheap, uke.

    If you want value, mando.

    If you want proficiency, stick with guitar until you really have the hang of it.
    Gibson A-Junior snakehead (Keep on pluckin'!)

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  24. #47
    Registered User Dave Hicks's Avatar
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    There's no stopping once you start - my wife began on uke three years ago and now I can hear her practicing guitar in the other room.

    Six strings better than 4? Maybe 8 strings will be better than 6 some day?

    D.H.

  25. #48

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    Sounds a lot like a Cuatro.

    From Wikipedia:
    "Cuatros can either have single-strings, like a guitar, or double- or triple-coursed strings like a mandolin, and vary in size from a large mandolin or small guitar, to the size of a full-size guitar."

    The ones I've seen are four course with two strings each.

  26. #49
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    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    I hope no one minds my resurrecting a slightly creaky older thread, but I appreciate both the candor and the reverence (for the mando), I've seen so far in it. My experience is near nil. And I'm 63-years-old. I'm healthy and my fingers are in good shape. I've been making a bit of a go on Pegboard Nation for a couple of months on a Recording King mando I picked up. But as distinctive and elegant as these instruments are, I'm wondering if at my age I can afford to work 10 years at an instrument just not to make listeners cringe at backyard parties. Keep in mind--I'm brand spanking new to playing any instrument. But I am earnest and hard working. My principal musical strength is a really decent singing voice. Ought I consider the baritone everyone is discussing here?

  27. #50

    Default Re: Starting out: Mandolin or Ukulele?

    A couple of months is no time to be giving up!
    It doesn’t take ten years to sound un-cringeworthy. It just takes ten years to sound like you’ve been playing a decade.

    Come on over to the newbies social group and you’ll fit right in. If you can sing, follow my lead and don’t worry about all the fancy mandolinny stuff… just learn a few chords and a few strum patterns, sing loud and nobody will notice that you don’t know chop chords or crosspicking

    (For info, I’m 57 and have been playing just over two years as my first stringed instrument… but have played harmonica a while before that, which I think helps with some of the ear training and overall musicality. I think the dogs stopped avoiding me after about a year of playing. My wife stopped complaining a few months after that. Mostly.)

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