See you learn stuff on Chordie Too !!  If I'd known there were only Three Chords to have to learn, I might have made a different choice of instrument all those years ago!

Only three chords for guitar, too.  The I, the IV, and the V!

I hear that "big hands" thing a lot when it comes to mando.  Every time I do, I point the person to Mike Marshall.  Dude has hams with sausages hanging off them for hands.  He absolutely swallows the neck.

Here's Chris Thiele and Mike ripping it up a couple of years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ypsqqKU2a8

Check out them meathooks!

So, just finished up with another Wintergrass.  My oldest child showed up to help tending bar in the green rooms, and otherwise helping out with the liquor distribution.   She also decided she wanted to play mandolin, so she went and bought a student model.  Nice little mando.  She showed up in my office with it, very proud.   She had nothing else, though, and no idea she even needed it. 

Off we go shopping.  Case, strings, picks, tuner...  I'm $100 into the thing and I don't even play it! 

Anyway, she now knows all three chords.   It's pretty amazing all the lessons a pretty girl can get just walking the halls.

See you learn stuff on Chordie Too !!  If I'd known there were only Three Chords to have to learn, I might have made a different choice of instrument all those years ago!
I did fool around with a friend's old "F" Mando way back in High School, but was intimidated by the petite thing and trying to get my big 'ol fingers down between those narrow frets.  Haven't looked back..... yet.

Off we go shopping.  Case, strings, picks, tuner...  I'm $100 into the thing and I don't even play it! 

Anyway, she now knows all three chords.   It's pretty amazing all the lessons a pretty girl can get just walking the halls.

unclejoesband wrote:

OK. Laugh all you want but when I bought a mandolin I came up with a phrase that helped me remember the strings.

G- Good
D- Dogs
A- Are
E-Everywhere

With 7 of them in the house, that made it easy to make the association.

when I first started playin the mando, I remembered the tunning from my fiddle playin days,The guy that taught me how to play fiddle said just think of an aussie that don`t no how to spell so good...aussies are always sayin g-dae mate! obiously both my instructor and I are both hillbilly as can be but I never forgot it!

the world is but a stage and we mere actors upon it~billy shakesphere

OK. Laugh all you want but when I bought a mandolin I came up with a phrase that helped me remember the strings.

G- Good
D- Dogs
A- Are
E-Everywhere

With 7 of them in the house, that made it easy to make the association.

when I first started playin the mando, I remembered the tunning from my fiddle playin days,The guy that taught me how to play fiddle said just think of an aussie that don`t no how to spell so good...aussies are always sayin g-dae mate! obiously both my instructor and I are both hillbilly as can be but I never forgot it!

G- Good
D- Dogs
A- Are
E-Everywhere

With 7 of them in the house, that made it easy to make the association.

unclejoesband wrote:

davidhopkins1 wrote:

Actually, a mandolin is tuned GDAE, the same as a fiddle.

I can't believe I didn't not notice that.

Thanks David

You know, folks with "B chord amnesty" get to tune their fiddle anyway they like.......
 

I always remember it as being tuned like a guitar, only upside down.

E A D G...

G D A E..

Not that it helps any. 

davidhopkins1 wrote:

Zurf wrote:

It's tuned the same as fiddle DGAE. You could probably learn. If it interests you and you can afford it, buy one.

Actually, a mandolin is tuned GDAE, the same as a fiddle.

I can't believe I didn't not notice that.

Thanks David

You know, folks with "B chord amnesty" get to tune their fiddle anyway they like.......
 

Zurf wrote:

It's tuned the same as fiddle DGAE. You could probably learn. If it interests you and you can afford it, buy one.

Actually, a mandolin is tuned GDAE, the same as a fiddle.

I can't believe I didn't not notice that.

Thanks David

It's tuned the same as fiddle DGAE. You could probably learn. If it interests you and you can afford it, buy one.

Actually, a mandolin is tuned GDAE, the same as a fiddle.