"I just ordered my first mandolin. Usually, courses of 2 adjacent strings are doubled (tuned to the same pitch). The pear-shaped body is deeply vaulted; the fingerboard, with 17 frets, is slightly raised. "Was just enhancing my knowledge and this article does precisely that with its sound advice (no pun intended). Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. But sometimes no tuner is available, so how can you still make sure your mandolin sounds great? Double check your tuning after you’ve tuned the E strings. In other words, the instrument is tuned G-G-D-D-A-A-E-E, taking into consideration each individual string. I was told there. The mandolin-banjo is a hybrid instrument, combining a banjo body with the neck and tuning of a mandolin or violin (depending on whether fretted or not and how many strings it has). If one sounds higher or lower, adjust it accordingly until both strings sound together. Go back through and do another pass, fine-tuning each string as closely as possible. If you play guitar, it can also be helpful to think of it as the lowest four guitar strings (E-A-D-G), but in reverse. Tune in pairs. ", https://www.themandolintuner.com/tuningsixsteps/, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Even if there are different types in the mandolin family, it is most common with four courses. The majority of mandolin players choose to use a clip-on tuner. And that is where I will begin. If there is no sound or the tuner above does not work, try updating your web browser to the latest version. This makes tuning discrete and straightforward, and it’s hard to beat its reliability for the price. Use an electronic tuner to tune each string individually, then play the strings together to make sure they sound the same. Just as you did with the piano, adjust the tuning of each D string until it matches the pitch of your G strings at the seventh fret. The only difference is that the mandolin has eight strings, but the violin has only four. Look up mandolin tabs online for your favorite songs. "Just got a gift of a mandolin, and I want to learn everything, beginning with tuning. This article received 18 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Learn more... An old joke: If you've been playing mandolin for 30 years, you've spent 15 years tuning and another 15 years playing out of tune. The mandolin is tuned to a system quite different to a standard electric guitar. They are all tuned the same. They can range anywhere from $10 to upward of $30. The TM50BK offers the added bonus of providing metronome capabilities, making it one of the best mandolin tuners you can’t clip on. The instruction was detailed, specific and well organized. Any normal mandolin will be tuned to this regardless of style. If you're on a budget, consider downloading a free smartphone tuning app, which tend to be of fairly high quality and are either cheap or free. Loosen the strings and turn the bridge forward, or remove the strings (if it's a new mandolin, you should replace the strings anyway as the original strings are usually low quality and/or corroded). Keep your face turned from the bridge in case the string breaks and snaps free. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. If you’re still having trouble getting a clear sound from the mandolin, here are some resources that might help: How to Hold the Mandolin; How to Tune Mandolin Strings; How to Read Mandolin Chords; It’s also important you understand what "enharmonics" are. Both the lute and mandolin are fretted and have strings set in courses called pairs, but the number of pairs is different between the two. Play a G on the piano, then play the string on your mandolin. Buy a tuner that clips onto your mandolin. Fender’s tuner is just as reliable as most of their other products – and just as affordable. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Thank, "It was very interesting to find out that it can be tuned on an electronic tuner using the violin setting, very. Most mandolinists will be turned away by the price tag of over $80, but electric mandolinists may profit by investing in this classic tuner. Read this and found no such problems; it took, "I am experienced with guitar, new to mandolin. Double check your tuning when you’re finished by repeating the same process, and you’re good to go! Each pair is tuned to the same note. ", "Loved it. Fixed tuners are generally intended for guitars only, and they can only register certain pitches. The courses are usually tuned in perfect fifths. Build and customize your own Mandolin with one of our DIY Mandolin kits. Find the tuners that correspond to each string. This means it’s simple to switch between tuning and playing in a concert environment with the stomp of a pedal. ", are songs that require "2 strings songs".