# Mandolin tuning **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 10, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990 "2022-10-10T00:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/1 "2022-10-10T00:33:42Z")
I play (to a sort of limited extent) guitar and bass and my sister tried to learn mandolin. Out of curiousity I am thinking of seeing if I could buy one of her mandolins. Looking at fretboards online. ITSM that the notes of the four strings are the reverse of those on a bass, or the first four strings of a guitar. So rather than EADG, a mandolin has GDAE. Am I correct or am I misunderstanding something? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/2 "2022-10-10T01:00:18Z")
You are correct. GDAE from lowest to highest. A mando is tuned in fifths, rather than fourths like a guitar or bass. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/3 "2022-10-10T01:03:55Z")
And, also, the exact same tuning as a violin: GDAE. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/4 "2022-10-10T01:04:17Z")
Well that’s bloody interesting, and I am becoming addicted to stringed instruments (and this will probably piss off my wife, who is not yet aware of my interest in a mandolin). ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/5 "2022-10-10T01:05:42Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > ITSM that the notes of the four strings Oh by the way, that’s eight strings. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/6 "2022-10-10T01:08:27Z")
I’ve seen both but, in the eight string version, there are two strings of each of GDAE, correct? Or am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/7 "2022-10-10T01:09:52Z")
Right, four courses of two strings each, tuned in unison. Some electric mandolins have only single courses but I don’t think I’ve seen an acoustic one like that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/8 "2022-10-10T01:10:20Z")
Yes, each of the strings is doubled, like a 12-string guitar, but all the pairs are in unison. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/9 "2022-10-10T01:12:02Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > and this will probably piss off my wife, who is not yet aware of my interest in a mandolin) And so it begins. 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/10 "2022-10-10T01:12:51Z")
There is just something so magical about them. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/11 "2022-10-10T01:23:32Z")
Not the way I play it 🤣 🤣 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/12 "2022-10-10T01:29:21Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > There is just something so magical about them. Mrs P came into the relationship knowing about my attraction to bagpipes. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/13 "2022-10-10T01:29:45Z")
Just warn your wife that if not the mandolin, then it could be another magical instrument: the 26-string baroque lute! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZLjprbeWMxQ/maxresdefault.jpg "J. S. Bach - Lute Suite in E Major BWV 1006a - Evangelina Mascardi, Baroque Lute") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLjprbeWMxQ) ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/14 "2022-10-10T01:34:31Z")
But don’t forget this, Steve Vai’s “Hydra”: [https://www.google.com/search?q=steve+vai+hydra+ibanez&client=ms-android-telus-ca-revc&prmd=isvn&sxsrf=ALiCzsaU\_ZTmnpygqmZl1eFfMNP\_e3AHLA:1665365507183&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx5ef7wdT6AhVik4kEHe2GDqkQ\_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=412&bih=767&dpr=1.75#imgrc=uILdSh\_oPfVG1M&imgdii=Fnf348PEdyNUcM](https://www.google.com/search?q=steve+vai+hydra+ibanez&client=ms-android-telus-ca-revc&prmd=isvn&sxsrf=ALiCzsaU_ZTmnpygqmZl1eFfMNP_e3AHLA:1665365507183&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx5ef7wdT6AhVik4kEHe2GDqkQ_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=412&bih=767&dpr=1.75#imgrc=uILdSh_oPfVG1M&imgdii=Fnf348PEdyNUcM) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/15 "2022-10-10T02:31:18Z")
That … does not look magical nor tempting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/16 "2022-10-10T04:36:12Z")
I saw someone play a theorbo once. > **[Theorbo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theorbo)** > > The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck and a second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box (a hollow box) with a wooden top, typically with a sound hole, and a neck extending out from the soundbox. As with the lute, the player plucks or strums the strings with one hand while "fretting" (pressing down) the strings with the other hand; pressing the strings in different places on the neck produces different pitches (notes), thus enabl... ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/17 "2022-10-10T04:39:29Z")
Nice! Was it good? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/18 "2022-10-10T12:01:22Z")
He was part of a quartet; can’t remember if he had any lead or solo moments to stand out. His playing was great, although their song choices were a little sedate, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Yosh99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ccd318/32.png) [@Yosh99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yosh99)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandolin-tuning/972990/19 "2022-10-10T19:21:59Z")
The master in my mind of the mandolin was Peter Ostroushko who was able to play all genres, from classical to Irish to his own compositions. Listening to him will give you all kinds of inspiration. [https://www.peterostroushko.com](https://www.peterostroushko.com)