Mandola Classical Arrangements

[belbein]

So … does anyone know where I can find arrangements in standard notation for classical music? Tab in addition would be fine, but Tab alone won't help me.

[HonketyHank]

Have you explored IMSLP? https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page

A large music store with plenty of sheet music and books (like our Portland Music Co) would probably have plenty of ideas plus maybe a few "fakebooks" of classical themes.

[belbein]

IMSLP? https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page.

I can't thank you enough. Until this moment, I'd never heard of it.

[Jim Garber]

By standard notation do you mean alto clef? Actually are you talking about American mandola tuned CGDA or European mandola tuned GDAE one octave lower than mandolin. If the former then look for viola music. If the latter then violin.

I know IMSLP Has transcriptions of Bach cello suites for both viola and violin.

[Jean-Pierre WOOS]

By standard notation do you mean alto clef? Actually are you talking about American mandola tuned CGDA or European mandola tuned GDAE one octave lower than mandolin..

Right !

[belbein]

Isn't a "European Mandola" what's known in the civilized world as an "Octave Mandolin"? :-)

My problem is strictly trying to figure out where to play pieces on the Mandola (Am.) that range from the G-below-middle-C to the G above the treble cleff and above. I've taken a stab at transposing on the fly from GDAE to CGDA, but my fingers and brain get hopelessly tangled.

[Jim Garber]

In one of the Carlo Aonzo workshops we did one of the Bach Brandenburgs which has three different parts for violins, violas and cellos. I was asked to play mandola but hadn't read C-clef in quite a few years. They gave me a transposed part notared in treble clef as if the mandola was GDAE but sounded correctly for the piece. Loads of fun. I have a Calace mandola which BTW has a 17" scale but could be strung for viola tuning or for octave mandolin. I have it in the CGDA right now but have some Dogal strings for octave tuning which I think I prefer as a mandolin player.