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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.mandohangout.com/archive/37954
SteveZ - Posted - 06/11/2014: 10:31:26
Mandolins are tuned GDAE. We take that for granted, but that convention is really a matter of personal choice and convenience.
Last week I traded a mandolin for a concert ukulele. For the fun of it, tuned the mandolin down to GCEA (low G) prior to shipping it just to hear how it would sound. Granted, the A was a little floppy, but overall the instrument sounded pretty good. With a better matched string for the A, GCEA tuning made for pretty good music.
Conversely, GCEA (high G) tuning is the "standard" tuning for ukuleles. Being notoriously lazy and with uncooperative fingers I tuned the new ukulele to GDAE (which my other ukes currently are). It works for me and the ukuleles (and the tenor guitar and tenor banjo) still sound fine. Apparently the instruments are less bigoted about tuning conventions than many musicians.
Getting strings for almost any tuning algorithm is not hard. Sometimes it takes a little mix-and-match creativity, but the marketplace is flexible when it comes to swapping cash for strings - the customer is still "always right."
The point to all of this silliness is that the instrument is yours, so how you want to tune it to match your style or your convenience is your choice and no one else's. Just because someone else's nose may get out of joint because they can't just pick up your instrument and play it because "you tuned the &$&%#€ thing funny" is their problem, not yours. Enjoy making music your way, even if it "ain't traditional."
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