Easy ITM Mandolin Tune Suggestions?

[Loren]

P.S. I never went to check out that old Gibby Lorenzo, it might have been too tempting, and it's time for me to focus on tooling up for flute/whistle making, so I'm more likely to be selling instruments I own, rather than buying new ones now.

Loren

[Lorenzo]

Lorenzo, check out the date when this thread was started, back when I first got my mando about 6 weeks ago. I'm a MASTER of the instrument now,

Actually, I'm surprised no one gave the obvious answer "Start with the tunes you already know on another instrument"

Aha! I never thought to look at the post date! Hey, I thought maybe you knew them all! Still, you're doing amazingly well in just a few short weeks.

There are some tunes that just seem made for mando...and that makes them a lot of fun. Most of the fiddle tunes work great. It's surprising how many tunes seem to be built around fiddle/mando fingering. The Silver Spear (the first half), I think the middle finger can stay down throughout...except the last little lick. The Mason Apron seems built around the first two fingers (mostly) which makes it a easy natural feeling mando tune.

[Lorenzo]

Another cool mando trick, for droney type pipe tunes, is to tune the high E string down to D and the low G string up to A for an ADAD tuning. For tunes like The Old Bush or the Bucks of Oranmore...it takes all the work out of it, plus you can hit all the open strings (cross-picking) for your own droney accompaniment while playing the melody.

(tuning G up to A not recommended if your instrument has heavy guage strings)

[rh]

cross tunings are also a good excuse for MAS... i need another mandolin to keep in ADAD tuning... and then another for the "Get Up John" tuning... one for Black Mtn tuning... and then...

[Lorenzo]

Yes! Gotta have two or three around all the time.

[Loren]

C'mon you guys, knock it off! I'm trying hold my collection of mandolins to the single one I currently own. I do NOT need more reasons to be tempted.......



Loren