GDGD tuning

[Claj123]

Has anyone tried GDGD tuning? Is there an advantage to it?

[rcc56]

A common tuning among some old-time fiddlers.
It creates a series of drones that many people find attractive.

Look up "old-time fiddle tunings" and "sawmill tuning," and you can find many tunes that exploit the possibilities of alternate tunings.

[Charles E.]

Thread I started a while ago....

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...of-GDGD-tuning

[Ranald]

Some Cape Breton fiddlers use "high bass" tuning, AEAE. Many Scottish tunes can be played on the A and E strings. The purpose of high bass tuning is that two fiddlers can play together, one an octave below the other, for more volume at pre-amplification dances. I've tried high bass tuning by myself, and found it difficult, less intuitive than I would have expected, though I suspect it comes easily to some others. I play some fiddle tunes in standard tuning, repeating the same pattern an octave apart. With a little practice, that's not hard to do if your ear playing is developed. I haven't tried it with mandolin.

[JeffD]

GDGD is sometimes called sawmill tuning. Or Cross G.

I have tried it, and for some tunes it is great.

I have a mandolin I keep in what ever cross tuning I am working with. Right now it is in Dead Mans tuning or DDAD.

[Simon DS]

I’ve tried GDGD a few times, and the droning effect is quite impressive for awhile, and good for accompanying singing, but I found that I would begin to treat the mandolin like a guitar and not work on the instrument’s strengths, melody etc.

[mandroid]

Bottle neck style likes open chord tuning that's 1V1V , no 3rd .

[Ky Slim]

I think this is AEAE. I'd say the big advantage is droning

[Claj123]

Thanks everyone for the input, will I have to change out my upper strings, or can I just use the ones already there( A and E)

[Ranald]

Thanks everyone for the input, will I have to change out my upper strings, or can I just use the ones already there( A and E)

Tune down the A and E strings.

[LRDave]

GDGD is sometimes called sawmill tuning. Or Cross G.

I have tried it, and for some tunes it is great.

I have a mandolin I keep in what ever cross tuning I am working with. Right now it is in Dead Mans tuning or DDAD.

Another reason for another mandolin!

[JeffD]

Another reason for another mandolin!

You got that right.

[Don Grieser]

Thread I started a while ago....

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...of-GDGD-tuning

I posted some videos of tunes in crosstuning in that thread.

[pops1]

Tuning down is easier on your instrument, but if you are going to play with a fiddle player you might want to change the strings to lighter strings if you go to AEAE.

[Ranald]

Tuning down is easier on your instrument, but if you are going to play with a fiddle player you might want to change the strings to lighter strings if you go to AEAE.

Why?

[pops1]

Why?

Tuning both G's up a full step, and both D's up a full step would add a lot more tension to the mandolin that already has a lot of tension, especially if you are using 11-40 strings. I wouldn't do it to mine.

[LRDave]

Tuning both G's up a full step, and both D's up a full step would add a lot more tension to the mandolin that already has a lot of tension, especially if you are using 11-40 strings. I wouldn't do it to mine.

pops1 (or anyone else following this thread): Did Mike Compton on the video posted above (courtesy of Ky Slim)actually tune up G & D to A & E (pretty sure no capo)? Can you tell by your very educated ears? So perhaps lighter strings or just cranked it anyway?

(As a total newb, I really like this song. Something to aspire toward in the future.)

[Charles E.]

Its Mike Compton, not "Cowen".

[LRDave]

Its Mike Compton, not "Cowen".

Auto-correct (scapegoat) or fat-fingered (most likely suspect) -noted and edited in the original post. Thanks for pointing out....