Does anyone know why...

[Tone2TheBone]

...Violins and mandolins are tuned G D A E bottom to top? That's backwards from a guitar's E A D G (B E) bottom to top tuning.

[Tim]

Tone - I have been meaning to ask you this personal question. Where do all your questions come from? Do you stay up all night or do they come to you in a dream after eating weird foods? Could it be the work load at the office has you ... well a little of balance?

But I must say you do come up with some of the strangest questions. And they are very good ones at that.

[Tim]

...Violins and mandolins are tuned G D A E bottom to top? That's backwards from a guitar's E A D G (B E) bottom to top tuning.

I always wanted to learn how to play a mandolin. They look hard since cording is different than a guitar and I don't think my fingers would fit on the strings of the skinny fretboard.

[Tone2TheBone]

Tone - I have been meaning to ask you this personal question. Where do all your questions come from? Do you stay up all night or do they come to you in a dream after eating weird foods? Could it be the work load at the office has you ... well a little of balance?

But I must say you do come up with some of the strangest questions. And they are very good ones at that.

Tim - they randomly pop into my head on a daily basis yes.

Actually my youngest daughter is taking violin lessons and I had to tune it for her yesterday. I just wondered why the violins were tuned that way. Someone here, perhaps even "Cliff" can tell me. heh

[Ro3b]

It's just an awesome tuning, that's all. Remember we're talking about a much shorter scale length than guitar. In first position on a mandolin, the first finger covers the first two frets, the second finger handles frets two and three, the third finger takes frets five and six, and the fourth finger takes the seventh fret. So your three strongest fingers do most of the work. You can play an entire octave on two strings without shifting position. Plus, since all the strings are the same interval apart, it's pretty simple to move a lick to a different key, switch octaves, etc.

I played guitar for years before I started playing mandolin, but I find it a lot easier to figure things out on the mandolin, and I can improvise with a lot more facility on it. It's just more transparent. The difficult part for me is just the sheer physicality of the thing -- having to move twice as much metal around for each note. It'll shred your hands if you're not careful.

[marnold]

I'm tired of all this violins on the television.

[Tone2TheBone]

Also violins are are tuned in 4ths whereas guitars are tuned in 5ths. Or something to that effect. Mandolins are seriously cool. I've been able to learn bits and pieces of "Battle of Evermore" by goofing around with them at Music Go Round.

Marnold - I think Emily Litella would have to agree with you about the violins on tv. :)

[SuperSwede]

Tone - I have been meaning to ask you this personal question. Where do all your questions come from? Do you stay up all night or do they come to you in a dream after eating weird foods?


He has been drinking snake oil again.

[Bloozcat]

Tone - I have been meaning to ask you this personal question. Where do all your questions come from? Do you stay up all night or do they come to you in a dream after eating weird foods? Could it be the work load at the office has you ... well a little of balance?

You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you Tim.....;)

[Tone2TheBone]

You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you Tim.....;)

Speaking of which guys...the voices in my head aren't bothering any of you are they? They can get pretty loud sometimes. LMAO

[duhvoodooman]

Tone, just remember--it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you!

[Tim]

You got me thinking Tone. I have heard voices in the past, but only from a distance.

[Tone2TheBone]

Voo - I've known that for years already!

Tim - were they my voices or yours? :)

[guitartist]

...Violins and mandolins are tuned G D A E bottom to top? That's backwards from a guitar's E A D G (B E) bottom to top tuning.


The few times I've picked up a mandolin or a fiddle I've always been frustrated by that darn upside down tuning....wasn't sure if they were really tuned upside down from a guitar or tuned to something different altogether...so the next time I pick up a mandolin or violin I'll at least have a better strategy of how to approach the darn thing! Thanks Tone for confirming that they're indeed tuned upside down, I've wondered about that for many years.

[Tone2TheBone]

The few times I've picked up a mandolin or a fiddle I've always been frustrated by that darn upside down tuning....wasn't sure if they were really tuned upside down from a guitar or tuned to something different altogether...so the next time I pick up a mandolin or violin I'll at least have a better strategy of how to approach the darn thing! Thanks Tone for confirming that they're indeed tuned upside down, I've wondered about that for many years.

You betcha. Just remember that the E is higher in pitch than the A but I think you already knew that. :)

[pie_man_25]

Speaking of which guys...the voices in my head aren't bothering any of you are they? They can get pretty loud sometimes. LMAO

the voices talk to you too?

[Justaguyin_nc]

Look, the voices...I can deal with that..and have good conversations with them.. My fear, I caught my gurlfriend talking to the smoke detector..and I swear she was waiting for an answer...

[Tim]

Look, the voices...I can deal with that..and have good conversations with them.. My fear, I caught my gurlfriend talking to the smoke detector..and I swear she was waiting for an answer...

Hmmm! Maybe she has a thing about detectives and how they detect. You know they are looking into things and take pictures when you lest expect it. Have you been doing anything not contrary? They are sneaky little critters, especially when they smoke!

Edit: Sorry .. of topic.