Chord fingering question

[Trebor Renkluaf]

I'm a guitarist who is starting to dabble more and more on the mandolin. Often times when I'm fingering chords I find my fingers getting all mashed together and it's difficult to get them all in there and to get the notes to ring clear. I'm curious how often do you all use one finger to fret two strings? For instance, how would you finger an open position a minor (a, e, c, e) or an minor7 (a, e, c, g)?
Thanks
Bob
PS I know music theory so I'm teaching myself the chords.

[Mandoplumb]

Unlike guitar most of the time I don't try to get all notes in 4 note chords, certain notes seem to be needed, note them and let the rhythm pick up the rest ( guitar or bass) IMHO YMMV

[MikeEdgerton]

On the guitar you generally fret with the ends of your finger flat on the fretboard. Angle your hand so that you're using the "corner" of your finger to fret. My mandolin callouses are on the right side of the end of my finger. My guitar callouses are on the ends of my fingers. It's a different way of holding your hand.

[JeffD]

Yes, what Mike says. How are you holding your hand? How are your fingers coming into the frets? Where is your thumb? There is a difference between the left hand of a mandolinner and that of a guitarista.

Might not be the problem, of course, but it is something to check.

[bigskygirl]

I'm a guitarist who is starting to dabble more and more on the mandolin. Often times when I'm fingering chords I find my fingers getting all mashed together and it's difficult to get them all in there and to get the notes to ring clear. I'm curious how often do you all use one finger to fret two strings? For instance, how would you finger an open position a minor (a, e, c, e) or an minor7 (a, e, c, g)?
Thanks
Bob

PS I know music theory so I'm teaching myself the chords.

Am... 223x, barre the second fret with your index finger...I have a nifty callous on the right side of the top joint on my left index finger from these type of chords

Am7... 253x, note that the e is absent, not really necessary on the mandolin...in fact many chords are played rootless on the mandolin

You could let the e string ring on either of these, it depends on the sound you are going for.

Even though you know theory I would find yourself someone who plays mando and can teach you mandolin chords, it's different than the guitar as you have already discovered.

[JeffD]

I'm curious how often do you all use one finger to fret two strings? .

I hardly ever do it for a chord. I do it for a melody that goes back and forth on two strings. Like the fiddle tune Julia Delaney, or Gravel Walk or some others. And its hard yea.

[Don Stiernberg]

I'll use one finger to cover two strings regularly. With the two Am chords you asked about, you could..

Grab the A and E on the second fret of the bottom two strings with your first finger. Then your second finger plays the 3rd fret C on the A string.
The Am7 you asked about would be the same but just roll the second finger across the 3rd fret G on the E string as well.