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Thread: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

  1. #1
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    Hi guys, I’ve had this mandolin for a while now. It’s tuned in fifths of course, but I need your help!

    I have six days until there’s the next ukulele session at this village in England and I’m meant to be playing as their bassist! They have a huge repertoire of the usual popular songs that ukulele players play, and a lot of the songs have been transposed into the key of C, G or sometimes D.

    So I’m basically looking for fifths bass line tab for any popular songs.
    -and anything would be helpful, even just the tab for one song.

    Another question is, do people write out tabs in .abc format or something else?

    And the instrument itself, have any of you ever wrestled with one of these musical beasts? Was it a a good experience?

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  2. #2
    Registered User Gunnar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    A U-bass? I've played one tuned in fourths, interesting as a bassist, but like I said, fourths. It's easier to play than a full size bass, (definitely on your shoulder) even though it was fretless. I would guess probably a chord chart would be more useful than a tab if you're playing bass for a ukelele gathering.
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    I actually have a U-bass and it's fun but they and the MandoBass are not tuned in fifths. They are tuned like a normal bass. You'd have a reach much better than mine to play a full sized bass tuned in fifths.

    Figure out the key and wing it.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  6. #4
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    Thanks Gunnar and Mike,
    I think you’re right, I’ve learned about 12 bass lines so far using YouTube vids. I converted the EADG tab to GDAE, and start to see some of the patterns.

    So now I'm working on chord progressions (because they’re relatively easy to remember), arpeggios of the chords and then the alternating notes of double stops in a set scale with connecting runs. And finally just playing by ear.

    The bass ukulele I have has a shorter scale length than my octave mandolin so playing in fifths is quite comfortable.
    A big double bass could be fun though...

  7. #5
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    ... You'd have a reach much better than mine to play a full sized bass tuned in fifths. ...
    Yes, uBass is typically tuned in 4ths, like a standard bass. I've also got one, for use as a backup for when I just cannot use my 3/4 double bass.

    And believe it or not, some double bassists do tune in 5ths; I've talked with a couple on a prominent double bass forum. At least one of them tunes his double bass in 5ths because he plays mandolin. Another is a classical player and just likes the tuning.

    Not me, I have challenges enough with standard 4ths tuning on a double bass. I can see good reasons for 4th tuning with that large of a scale length.
    -- Don

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    [About how I tune my mandolins]
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  9. #6
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bass Mandolin or fifths ukulele tab

    Similar theme, I’ve just found out that Aquila are selling GDAe strings for ukulele -something I’m going to be playing this summer.
    I really don’t want to travel with the octave, and a mask, and vaccine docs and quarantine and all the rest of it...
    so I’ll just borrow a little ukulele at my destination and restring it in fifths.
    How cool, and fun is that!

    The strings are named Aquila 30U and are on sale at Amazon in Europe, not sure what they’re called in the US.
    Might try some sort of amplification, will post a vid later.

    Good luck in trying to find these rare string sets!

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