I have taken guitar tabs, converted the tab notes to standard notation and worked out the notes to be in tab form for mandolin. This also works if all one has for music. Make a scale "map" for the key signature with the string notes on the mandolin. For example, the note in the center of the standard staff would be a B note, A string, second fret. The note resting at the top line of the staff would be a G note on the 3rd fret of the E string. The note hanging on the very bottom of the staff line would be an open D string note. The rest is not that hard to figure out. Remember, the key of C major has no sharps or flats. G major has one sharp, which appears as an F (sharp), etc, for other keys. D major has 2 sharps, A major has 3 sharps.
Exactly!!! Love it. This is actually how I do most of my music. My video for Carol of the Bells was done this way from a violin score, and I have several Beatles tunes that I tabbed out this way as well. Given the plethora of guitar tabs available online, I just wanted to present a way to take advantage of that resource.
In the "2-5-7 Method" you said to ignore the A & lower E strings on the guitar tab. What would I do though if the guitar tab has notes on the A string? Would it be similar to the High E you mentioned [just add (+0)]? For example, my friend wants to learn to play a Celtic version of "Because He Lives" and wants me to play with him. I have looked for banjo tabs in the past (because they help me get to the Mandolin tabs easier), but I haven't had any luck finding tabs for either Mandolin or Banjo. ________ I am still very new to learning Mandolin (and I have no previous music/instrument experience or skill to work off of). The Mandolin tab is so easy for me to figure out because I am still learning music. This video is going to be helpful so that I can still learn or play songs I like when I can't find Mandolin tabs for them.
This was a great question. Made me think. If you have a line on the guitar A string you have a choice to make. If you just want the riff, convert using the 4th to 5ths method. If you are trying to maintain the key, you could capo your mandolin up and play the line on the mandolin G string, like for "Crazy Train". You could play counter-point and instead of playing the A string riff on the bass end you could play an octave higher on the A string of the mandolin. Just depends what you want to do. :-) I hope that helps. If you have more questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to get you some answers.
Thanks for posting this. For what it's worth, Guitar Pro (at least with version 7 and 8 which I have used) works beautifully for making mandolin tabs. It has samples for play back for many stringed instruments from ukulele to string bass. You can even make up an instrument by telling it the number of strings and the how they are tuned. And, not that doing it by hand is not instructive, it can translate an existing tab line from one instrument to another. Sometimes it makes some wacky choices when going from guitar to mando like placing a note on the 17 fret instead on the higher string, but those are easy to spot and fix.
This made me think. :-) You are doing it correctly. The "97xx" is actually an inverted A5 diad, and the "xx30" are the minor-3rd and the 5th. So, you have all the notes that make an Am chord, but as you pointed out, it's pretty unplayable. The 2-5-7 method as I detailed it, really isn't for translating chords. Meaning you can't use these methods to go from an Am on guitar (x02210) to an "easy to play" Am pattern on mandolin (2235). I would strongly recommend just looking up chord diagrams for that. The two methods I have presented are really for translating melody lines. Hope that helps!!!
@@KKIcons Just saw this. These methods really don't work for chord structures. It's best to hunt down a chord library online and just find patterns directly. So if a song calls for a G chord on guitar, just match it up with a G chord on mando and off you go. Hope that helps.
a bit a math block here but hopefully I will figure it out🔣🧱🧱 probably because I know how to read the chord tabs mostly? not super great on guitar tabs lol
God, what a complicated bunch of non-sense. Just figure out the guitar notes. Then figure out what the same notes are on mandolin. They are not going to be the same pitch, but they are the same note names.
I'm sorry you don't like it. I was just trying to present an easy way to take advantage pre-existing tablature. You have my sincerest apology for wasting everyone's time.
Thank you Philip. I was wanting to convert some wolf alice and courntey Barnet
You're welcome. Glad you found it useful.
I have taken guitar tabs, converted the tab notes to standard notation and worked out the notes to be in tab form for mandolin. This also works if all one has for music. Make a scale "map" for the key signature with the string notes on the mandolin. For example, the note in the center of the standard staff would be a B note, A string, second fret. The note resting at the top line of the staff would be a G note on the 3rd fret of the E string. The note hanging on the very bottom of the staff line would be an open D string note. The rest is not that hard to figure out. Remember, the key of C major has no sharps or flats. G major has one sharp, which appears as an F (sharp), etc, for other keys. D major has 2 sharps, A major has 3 sharps.
Exactly!!! Love it. This is actually how I do most of my music. My video for Carol of the Bells was done this way from a violin score, and I have several Beatles tunes that I tabbed out this way as well. Given the plethora of guitar tabs available online, I just wanted to present a way to take advantage of that resource.
Wow this is very cool. Thanks for sharing !
Thank you! Cheers!
In the "2-5-7 Method" you said to ignore the A & lower E strings on the guitar tab. What would I do though if the guitar tab has notes on the A string? Would it be similar to the High E you mentioned [just add (+0)]? For example, my friend wants to learn to play a Celtic version of "Because He Lives" and wants me to play with him. I have looked for banjo tabs in the past (because they help me get to the Mandolin tabs easier), but I haven't had any luck finding tabs for either Mandolin or Banjo. ________ I am still very new to learning Mandolin (and I have no previous music/instrument experience or skill to work off of). The Mandolin tab is so easy for me to figure out because I am still learning music. This video is going to be helpful so that I can still learn or play songs I like when I can't find Mandolin tabs for them.
This was a great question. Made me think.
If you have a line on the guitar A string you have a choice to make. If you just want the riff, convert using the 4th to 5ths method. If you are trying to maintain the key, you could capo your mandolin up and play the line on the mandolin G string, like for "Crazy Train". You could play counter-point and instead of playing the A string riff on the bass end you could play an octave higher on the A string of the mandolin. Just depends what you want to do. :-)
I hope that helps. If you have more questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to get you some answers.
Very good! Thanks for teaching it.
Do you know if there is something like a Guitar Pro for Mandolin and Mandola?
I'm not aware of anything like that unfortunately.
Thanks for posting this. For what it's worth, Guitar Pro (at least with version 7 and 8 which I have used) works beautifully for making mandolin tabs. It has samples for play back for many stringed instruments from ukulele to string bass. You can even make up an instrument by telling it the number of strings and the how they are tuned. And, not that doing it by hand is not instructive, it can translate an existing tab line from one instrument to another. Sometimes it makes some wacky choices when going from guitar to mando like placing a note on the 17 fret instead on the higher string, but those are easy to spot and fix.
Good to know. I personally don't use Guitar Pro, but the knowledge that the platform can make the translation is certainly useful. Thank you.
MandoPro 🤯😍
So based on this Am would (instead of x02210 on guitar) be 9730? Am I doing something wrong? I cant break my hand like that
This made me think. :-)
You are doing it correctly. The "97xx" is actually an inverted A5 diad, and the "xx30" are the minor-3rd and the 5th. So, you have all the notes that make an Am chord, but as you pointed out, it's pretty unplayable.
The 2-5-7 method as I detailed it, really isn't for translating chords. Meaning you can't use these methods to go from an Am on guitar (x02210) to an "easy to play" Am pattern on mandolin (2235). I would strongly recommend just looking up chord diagrams for that. The two methods I have presented are really for translating melody lines.
Hope that helps!!!
I also was looking for a way to translate guitar chord tabs to mando, if the OP finds an easy way to do it.
@@KKIcons Just saw this. These methods really don't work for chord structures. It's best to hunt down a chord library online and just find patterns directly. So if a song calls for a G chord on guitar, just match it up with a G chord on mando and off you go. Hope that helps.
a bit a math block here but hopefully I will figure it out🔣🧱🧱 probably because I know how to read the chord tabs mostly? not super great on guitar tabs lol
Give it time. Just takes some practice.
God, what a complicated bunch of non-sense. Just figure out the guitar notes. Then figure out what the same notes are on mandolin. They are not going to be the same pitch, but they are the same note names.
I'm sorry you don't like it. I was just trying to present an easy way to take advantage pre-existing tablature. You have my sincerest apology for wasting everyone's time.
@@phllp665 Thank you Phillip for showing us this way. Easier than what he is saying to do!
@@phllp665 This is extremely helpful! Thank you