smokeynichol - Posted - 05/17/2010:  20:10:44

i know the major chords on a mandolin-is the fingering very similar on the fiddle??

nico - Posted - 05/18/2010:  00:46:28

Hi smokeynichol,

I'm a mandolin player too. Knowing mandolin fingering will help you if you are starting on the fiddle.

You never play full chords on the fiddle, instead you would play mostly double stops (two notes chords). Anyway knowing your thirds and fifths intervals fingering on the mandolin won't hurt.


Truely yours,

hardykefes - Posted - 05/18/2010:  08:04:21

never say never... I sometimes play triple or quadruple stops, meaning I am fingering the whole chord which gets me into some really nice double stop combinations.
I think it really helps for improvising knowing the chords.

bj - Posted - 05/18/2010:  13:56:15

Yes. And no. It does depend a bit on what genre.

Bluegrass is a lot of doublestops and improvisation, where it helps to have that background. It might help in Irish trad a bit too, except for the IT regions where they crosstune, which are less than OT but they do exist.

Oldtime, not so much. Yeah, it helps, but since OT is more melody-based and often crosstuned, then it's not as big a deal to know the mando stuff.

abinigia - Posted - 05/18/2010:  17:05:49

It absolutely helps to know the relationships between the strings, which is what chords are. I started on mandolin, which is still my main instrument, and it really gave me a head start on fiddle.

coelhoe - Posted - 05/18/2010:  18:07:14

While the tuning and scales are the same, as is the finger posture / scale length (in most cases), you need to remember that the pick is not the bow, and the bow is not a pick. In the early 70's when I practically lived out at the old barn at Beanblossum, I had several professionals tell me that emphasis on one would damage skill on the other. I can't really tell. I played mandolin in BG groups for fifteen years, and played fiddle at home to amuse myself. But the last two decades this has reversed and I can really tell the difference now when I now pick up a mandolin. They really do different things, and you can play more notes, more quickly, on the fiddle. However, if I am going to be a vocalist, I prefer the mandolin.

fiddlerdi - Posted - 05/18/2010:  19:55:26

I love playing the mando and it has really helped me with chord and melody ideas. Much more visual than the fiddle.

stringfever - Posted - 05/19/2010:  03:54:55

It sure helps me. I know where to find the double stops thereby freeing my feeble mind to concentrated on bowing.

Have fun.

Dave

stringfever - Posted - 05/19/2010:  03:55:07

It sure helps me. I know where to find the double stops thereby freeing my feeble mind to concentrated on bowing.

Have fun.

Dave

fiddlenbanjo - Posted - 05/25/2010:  05:07:54

For beginners to intermediates this answer has to be a big YES, but I could see how they could be detrimental to each other for very advanced players. They really have very different voices and different ways of speaking, even though they are strung the same.

The mandolin has helped my fiddle playing much more than the fiddle has helped my mandolin playing. But the fiddle has helped my singing, a lot. Unfortunately it's still not very good.

bluemandolinman - Posted - 05/28/2010:  07:45:19

As a beginner, I think mandolin has helped with learning the fiddle. It gives you a general idea of where the notes fall on the fiddle and if you stay in the same genre you already know some tunes. As far as crosstuning goes, I crosstune my mandolin quite frequently. On the negative side, you'll have to be careful about pressing too hard on the fiddle strings and be much more precise without the availability of frets. I think they compliment each other nicely.

Eric

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/30/2010:  05:22:28

Have no idea... now I'm wanting to buy a mando to try and see how much it's similar, and just because I have an addiction to wanting to buy instruments (lol, without the money to match)... will have to wait for hubby to get into a really good mood and then just casually mention how nice it would be to own a mando!!!!

Mandogryl - Posted - 05/31/2010:  05:05:53

Having mandolin knowledge and experience is a big help on fiddle, and I can use the chords, as well. Though mostly I play two finger chords, unless at the end of a tune, where I will insert a triple or quadruple stop.