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Thread: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

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    Default Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    I'm an intermediate guitar player with a reasonably solid foundation in theory. I just purchased a BR 40-T and the strings to tune GDAE. I've seen a few courses in GDAD on Youtube, but I'm wondering where the forum recommends learning OM or GDAE Tenor Guitar? I don't mind some beginner/foundational refresher content on the front end, but I'd like the course/instructor to guide to the advanced level as things move along.

    Thanks!

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    Registered User Mandolin Deep Cuts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    Great question. I recently snagged an Octave mandolin and I feel like we are both kinda in the same boat. There’s not a lot of resources available for these instruments. I’ve learned a lot by taking normal mandolin songs and just playing them on my octave. Your pinky will HATE you tho. Sliding to that 7th fret / B note and getting back to first position is tricky for me. I started arranging a lot of Bach Minuets for octave and I feel they are good intermediate exercises. I’ll pass one along. Good luck!

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    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    It's alot tougher when you're a newbie! I recently got an Octophone tuned GDAE with octave tuning on the G and D. I love the sound of it, but it's surely a lot more different from my mandolin than I thought it would be!

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    Irish Sessions often have a Tenor banjo in GDAE ITB.. in it CGDA Trad Jazz licks same fingering .. Banjo Hangout?

    Tenor banjo Gathering used to be visiting here early June but its founder & organizer passed away & then ... Covid ..
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    Every day is a gift. Sheila Lagrand's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    Don Julin has octave mandolin lessons on his Mandolins Heal The World site. He's a phenomenal teacher--highly recommended. He offers monthly or annual memberships and it's worth every penny.

    You could also scout around on YouTube for lessons. I think you will find some there.

    Also, you might post your question in the section of this forum dedicated to Octaves and other instruments of the type: You can post in CBOM and see what suggestions arise. Best of luck! https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/f...nd%20Electrics
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    Registered User Ben Vierra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    The Online Academy of Irish Music (https://www.oaim.ie/) has GDAE tenor banjo and GDAD Irish bouzouki courses. I've been working through them and have found them applicable to my tenor guitar playing.

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    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    Peghead Nation has an octave mandolin course taught by Joe K Walsh.

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    Registered User EvanElk's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    You should talk to Baron Collins-Hill https://www.mandobaron.com/ great teacher with a great grasp of tenor guitar arrangements
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    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    As you're discovering there isn't a lot of content out there, from a learning perspective for GDAE tenor guitar, but you will likely find GDAE tenor banjo content or octave mandolin content helpful. Have you played any other GDAE tuned instruments before? If so then probably the best advice I was ever given was to approach the various GDAE tuned instruments I play (mandolin, tenor banjo, tenor guitar) individually as regards techniques used on them - if you're fluent in one GDAE tuned instrument it can be tempting to pick up one of the others and just plow ahead attempting to play the same way, but the differences in string tension, string spacing, scale length, and for some of us different gauge of picks used for each instrument (I use a Blue Chip KS35 on mandolin, a Charmed Life .70mm vespel pick on the tenor guitar, and a .65mm Janicek pick on the tenor banjo) impact how you'll approach your playing. I might play a tune incorporating chords, hammer ons or slides on one instrument, but then pick up one of the others and play the exact same tune but taking a different approach that plays to the strengths of that particular instrument.

    Regarding the string spacing - there's more real estate between each string on the tenor guitar vs. the mandolin, and if we try to apply those very fine discrete muscle movements we've honed playing mandolin onto the tenor guitar it may lead to under picking and missing notes as we move from string to string - being aware of it from the get go means you can methodically work on the different muscle movements needed to cleanly hit the notes on the tenor guitar. Of course, as a pre-existing six string guitar player this might not be an issue for you, especially if your 6 string playing involved any flat picking.

    You don't mention what genre/genres of music you're interested in playing on your tenor guitar. For non-Irish stuff the recommendations of Don Julin, Baron Collins-Hill and Joe Walsh's course would be good starting points. If on the other hand it's Irish trad music you're interested in playing, then in addition to the recommendation above of OAIM's online courses you could also check out Enda Scahill's Soundslice course, which is great value for money with loads of content covering both technique and learning tunes. It's a GDAE tenor banjo course but a lot of the things Enda focuses on (the importance of relaxation, ergonomics and good right and left hand technique) are universal and would definitely benefit tenor guitar playing.
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    plectrist Ryk Loske's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    Plus one on Jill's suggestion about Enda Scahill's course. This part of her post is where the rubber hits the road: "It's a GDAE tenor banjo course but a lot of the things Enda focuses on (the importance of relaxation, ergonomics and good right and left hand technique) are universal and would definitely benefit tenor guitar playing."
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    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?


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    Default Re: Tenor Guitar GDAE - Best place to learn/find lessons?

    I appreciate everyone's inputs and recommendations. I'm currently working directly with an instructor and that's going well. I'm finding more free time as summer comes to an end and will work through the resources posted here. Thanks!

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