Mandolin Player: The instruments: The mandocello: Mandocello tunings

Mandocello tunings



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This particular page was created 01/03/2004 and last updated 11/10/2005
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Picture from Musician's Friend

You don't have to tune the mandocello like a cello. Here are a few of the many alternatives.
  You might also want to take a look at the table of tenor banjo tunings I have over at Irish Banjo. There may be some tunings listed there that you'd like to try. The same goes for some of the Irish bouzouki/Irish cittern and alto mandola

The list contains 16 alternative tunings. Some of them should work with regular string sets, while others might require special gauges.

It's by no means a complete list of course and I'd love to hear of any other great tunings you've come across. Post a message at The message board and I'll pick it up there.

NamePitchesCommentsString gaugesLinks

Standard tuning(s)

StandardC G d aStandard mandocello tuning.

      Fifths tuning(s)

      DD A e bOne note higher than standard tuning.
          FF c g d'One note below tenor mandola tuning. Put a capo on the second fret and you can play it as a tenor mandola.
          • 012-018-028-036
            Octave mandolinG d a e'Same as the standard tuning for the tenor mandola. Maybe a bit too high for a mandocello, but it works.

              Fifths and fourths tuning(s)

              CGC G c gTune the first two string pairs one note down.
                DAD A d aProbably the most common alternative tuning. Tune the third and fourth string pair one note up.
                  DGD G d gTune the first course one note down and the fourth one note up.

                    Open chords tuning(s)

                    Open DD A d f#The strings are tuned to a D major chord.
                      Open D minorD A d fThe strings are tuned to a D minor chord.

                        Modal tuning(s)

                        Modal GC G d gFirst string pair tuned one note down.

                          Other instruments tuning(s)

                          Guitar bassE A d gLike the four lowest strings of a guitar.
                              Irish bouzoukiG d a d'The bouzouki and the mandocello have aproximately the same scale length, so you can use the same tunings for both. This is the most common Irish bouzouki tuning.
                                  Greek bouzoukic f a d'One note below the highest four strings of a guitar.
                                      Guitard g b e'Like the three highest strings of a guitar. This is the tuning banjo players occasionally call "Chicago tuning."
                                          Eddie Freeman Special (EFS)c g d aLike standard tuning, but with the two "top" strings tuned down an octave! Occasionally used by tenor guitarists and tenor banjoists and there's no reason why it shouldn't work an the mandocello too. It's great for close chords, but not very useful for solo playing.

                                              Special tuning(s)

                                              Half Eddiec g d' aSomewhat like the EFS tuning but with only the first string dropped down an octave.

                                              The name is my own invention - cheesy, but I like it. ;-)

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