Hi All, Need a bit of help.

[Sir_Gen]

Hi Guys, I'm new to the site and to the bouzouki. My lovely instrument is GDAD tuned and is my first instrument ever (bit of a crazy thing to do seeing as there is so little help from what i can see). Just looking for some advise.
How did you guys learn to play?
I have gone through all the most rated books and finally settled on an app called Purely Bouzouki which is a star (for some reason i just cant get on with the books very well).
And the main reason im here, How on Earth do you translate tabs from other instruments? I really wana learn the tune for Hurt, Hanging tree, This was a triumph and the lav-a song. But I can't seem to find anything to help.

Anything you guys have in the way of advise is much appreciated and i hope i can eventually help out beginners in the future.

Many Thanks,
Sir_Gen

[fox]

Certainly not the easiest instrument to start out with!
What is the scale length? Are you wanting to strum chords or play single note melody?
Are you planning to use it to back up your singing or play solo pieces?
My first thoughts are to change the tuning to GDAE as there will be far more info relating to chord shapes and tabs.
I did notice recently that there is a chap on YouTube who is teaching GDAD on a tenor guitar.

[s1m0n]

And the main reason im here, How on Earth do you translate tabs from other instruments? I really wana learn the tune for Hurt, Hanging tree, This was a triumph and the lav-a song. But I can't seem to find anything to help.

To do that, you need a GDAD fretboard map as well as a map for the instrument the source tab is written for. These tell you the name of the note you get at each fret on each string. Since tab only tells you what string and fret to play, you can use a map to look up what note the source tab refers to. Once you know that, you can translate that into mandolin tab, if that's the notation you understand best.

Do that for every note on your source tab, and you'll have a literal mandolin translation that might well not be playable on mandolin, given that it's a different instrument. At this point, you'll have use your own judgement to decide what's an important melody note and what's not and can be left out, and what your fingers can accomplish.

[Sir_Gen]

Certainly not the easiest instrument to start out with!
What is the scale length? Are you wanting to strum chords or play single note melody?
Are you planning to use it to back up your singing or play solo pieces?
My first thoughts are to change the tuning to GDAE as there will be far more info relating to chord shapes and tabs.
I did notice recently that there is a chap on YouTube who is teaching GDAD on a tenor guitar.

The scale lenth is 660mm, and im pretty much starting with single note melodies but i want to get to the point where I can play a song and me lovely wife can sing for me.
Yeah i've heard that alot with GDAE, but im at the point where i've started learning GDAD and am to scared to change her tuning already.
And thanks for the recomendation ill have a look.

[Sir_Gen]

To do that, you need a GDAD fretboard map as well as a map for the instrument the source tab is written for. These tell you the name of the note you get at each fret on each string. Since tab only tells you what string and fret to play, you can use a map to look up what note the source tab refers to. Once you know that, you can translate that into mandolin tab, if that's the notation you understand best.

Do that for every note on your source tab, and you'll have a literal mandolin translation that might well not be playable on mandolin, given that it's a different instrument. At this point, you'll have use your own judgement to decide what's an important melody note and what's not and can be left out, and what your fingers can accomplish.

Thanks for the reply,
Sorry if i get this wrong, so you find the note played on the original music and make the new note on the bouzouki? If the E is played on guitar then you just gotta play the right string/cord on bouzouki?
If you could send a example that would be super appreciated, i seem to work better with pictures sorry haha.

[Baron Collins-Hill]

Welcome! I've got a few introductory lessons to playing in GDAD at www.tenorguitarlessons.com.

Thanks,
Baron

[Sir_Gen]

Looks like i'm exactly a month late with a reply, sorry. And i've had a look at your site looks very help ful so far, though how come your instrument is a 4 string?
I'm very new to this and understand very little, i've taught my self twinkle twinkle and bridal corus thanks to a Mr Ondrej Sarek and people at purely bouzouki. But for the love of me i can't do much else.