mandolin chords versus guitar chords
jbr...@gmail.com
I am new to playing the mandolin. Ive always wanted to learn, but was
afraid to pay $200+ for something then end up hating it or not wanting
to play anymore. Thankfully, one of my best friends in TN is letting me
barrow his for about a year, 3 weeks since he let me barrow it I am
loving it, teaching myself, seem to be picking it up quickly, and know
most of the major chords for picking up in a bluegrass group (I meet
every thursday with some older gentlemen to pick and sing)
my question is this:
Ill browse the net for a song to find the chords and all i find are
guitar chords. These sound fine when I play them, but is there some
sort of mathmatical equation for transfering guitar chords to mandolin
chords? I dont want to learn a song then get to play it with some folks
and it sound all wrong...
im a newbie so be gentle. If im reading a song and the guitar chord is
"C", would myt mandolin chord be C as well?
Is there some site dedicated to songs with mandolin chords?
thanks in advance!
Jazz Mann
Pat Patterson
A "c" cord or any other cord will be the same on any instrument. The
fingering of course is different!
Pat
larry
you are using standard tuning (for the guitar). I know (very little) that a
guitar has different tunings available. I think if you try it you will find
both cords are the same.
<jbr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109641285....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
bman
wrote:
>I would assume a C guitar cord is the same as a C mandolin cord. That is if
>you are using standard tuning (for the guitar). I know (very little) that a
>guitar has different tunings available. I think if you try it you will find
>both cords are the same.
>
Doesn't even matter if the tuning isn't standard. A C chord is going
to have the same notes on any instrument. The mandolin will generally
have those notes in a higher octave but they will be the same named
notes.
john crews
You need to bruch up on a bit of music theory. A scale is built the
following way (half-step is one fret, whole step is two frets): Root, step,
step, halfstep, step, step, step, halfstep(will take you to the root an
octave higher). Using this formula, and knowing that there is only half
step between B and C, as well as E and F (everythign else is a whole step),
You can see that a C major scale is:
C D E F G A B C
Root S S 1/2 S S S 1/2
Why is this important? because to build a chord, you take what is called
a triad and play those notes all at once. What is a triad? Good Question,
glad you asked! A triad is the first, third, and 5th notes of a scale! So,
looking at the scale, the first is C, the third is E, and the 5th is G. So
to play a C maj chord, you would, among other optional fingering, play open
G string, 2nd fret on the D string (E), 3rd fret on the A string (C), and
open E string (E). (A nice variation if this is fretting the third fret of
teh E string, giving you a second G note.)
C Major
G 0 5 x
D 2 2 10
A 3 3 7
E 0 0 8
All of these are arrangements of that C maj triad.
Minor triads (for chords) are ery similiar. Take the major triad and flaten
the third. So:
C Maj C E G
C min C Eb G
Now here's a tricky one. 7th chords. A Seventh chord is a MAJOR triad with
a MINOR 7TH INTERVAL added to it. So, a C major triad is C, E, and G. The
7th note of the scale is a B. To make it a minor interval, flatten it by
1/2 step, making it a Bb. So: C, E, G, Bb makes you C 7th triad. Which you
can play like this:
G 3
D 2
A 3
E 0 (optional)
I recomend getting a music thoery book. Once you understand music, you can
figure out ANY instrument...just a matter of understanding differences in
technique, rather than memorizing a lot of finger positions.
Oh, and a simpler way to take guitar chords and make them mandolin chords?
Invert them. A guitar tuning is mostly 4ths. E's 4th is A, A's 4th is D,
D's 4th is G. A 4th interval inverted becomes a 5th...so G's 5th is D, D's
5th is A, A's fifith is E. Therefore, if you take any open guitar chord,
flip the lower (tonically, not physically lower, that is) 4 strings upside
down, place them on the mandolin, you willhave the same chord.
www.folkofthewood.comhas some good lessons. Try
http://chordfind.com/4-string/ for your chrds. But buy a music theory book.
<jbr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109641285....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Misifus
> im a newbie so be gentle. If im reading a song and the guitar chord is
> "C", would myt mandolin chord be C as well?
Yes, C is C no matter the instrument (well, except for some wind
instruments, but we won't worry about them here).
If you're asking about fingering, think of the lowest four
strings on a guitar. They are (from low to high) E A D G. The
strings on a mandolin are G D E A, just the reverse. Thus,
mandolin chord can be worked out by a guitar player quite easily
by just reversing the lower four string fingerings.
Now, among mandolin players, there are other fingerings they
sometimes use, but you can learn those at your leisure. So far
as which chord to play, you can play exactly the same chords you
would play on a guitar.
-Rafd
--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert
mailto:raf_s...@cox.net
http://www.ralphandsue.com
Rob Duncan
but Ive been playing for 20 years or so. Taken plenty of theory, and I have
to say, the initial introduction given below is wonderful. Thank you for
the time in posting it. Now Im no longer afraid to buy my first mandolin;
which Ive been fretting over (get it?) for months.
Thank you.
Rob
(any recomendations for a good book of songs for a beginner?) Im a hard
rocker, but grew up in Weiser. You all know where that is right?)
"john crews" <jcr...@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:Z0nVd.16715$3V3....@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...