Playing the mandolin

[Kinoko]

Sory, I couldn't resist copying the style of subject.

Yesterday, I went out and bought a second hand mandolin. I don't play any instrument, and I got up that morning thinking I would go out and get a ukulele. When I got to the place, they didn't have any ukuleles, only 2 mandolins. Oh dear, such a pity (insane sarcasm there!).

So I got one and played with it a bit and tried for hours to tune it (there are great videos on youtube) and took the strings off and cleaned it and restrung it (expertly done, I might add) and tuned it again. Then I learned a couple of chords which I will practise until I can do them in my sleep.

One problem - I'm left handed. It didn't occur to me until I was about to restring the first E-string that I couldn't restring the mandolin to be left handed thanks to the extra frets. I did a little reading about it, some people say it makes almost no difference to the sound so you might as well do it anyway but I chose to restring it right-handed again and thought I would try and learn it that way.

It's a round backed mandolin, btw ^_^ Cheap but pretty.

But, I don't know. Any mandolin players out there? Any LEFT handed mandolin players with any further advice or suggestion?

[Gregjazz]

I don't specifically play mandolin, but with fretted instruments, even being left-handed I prefer to play righty. I like to do the fretwork with my left hand; it feels more natural to me.

Just remember when you restring it with the same strings, they'll be weaker and more likely to break.

[Evil]

When flipping any instrument, it's best to flip the nut and bridge too. Flipping a bridge might be hard depending on the style, but you can have a new nut put on and set for like $30. It'll make the strings fit better, and sound better too.

[Kinoko]

Flipping the bridge (sounds like something dirty) is easy peasy on a mandolin, at least the style of mine. The bridge isn't attached to the body and is only held in place with the strings themselves.

I'm thinking I will just learn it right handed because it seems to me that handling the frets will take more dexterity than just strumming. I'll give it a go... if I really don't think I can do it, I'll look at ... I don't know, some other option.

Yeah, I realise that the strings have probably been made a little more likely to break. I was gonna go buy some new strings sometime this week anyway, just to start from scratch with the thing. I have no idea how old the current strings on it are. I bet it'll sound better with some new ones.

The other problem is that I'm in Japan and so having to figure out how to do all this in my non-native language makes getting anything done for me at a music shop a bit more daunting.

Anyway, thanks! I appreciate all the advice! I want to develop good habits now before I learn bad ones.

[Vince Twelve]

Count me in on the list of lefties!  But count me out of the list of people with anything resembling musical talent.

The other problem is that I'm in Japan and so having to figure out how to do all this in my non-native language makes getting anything done for me at a music shop a bit more daunting.

What?  You don't know how to say "I need some new mandolin strings so I can flip my nut and bridge and let my left hand handle the frets."?

Pff... Chapter one in my book.  (Says the guy who spent ten minutes trying to figure out what the nurse telling him he needed an x-ray was saying.)

[lo_res_man]

I find mandolins quite relaxing, the sound reminds me of that last cup of tea in the pot, warm and a bit cold on the lips but warms you up, with that hint of tannon to make your mouth feel all furry.

[Inkoddi]

Be careful with the placement of the bridge! The 12th fret should be exactly inbetween the saddle and the bridge (check by doing a harmonic there and then pressing down the string to the fretboard, if done correctly, there should be no difference in pitch. I strongly reccomend getting a chromatic tuner thing), otherwise it will sound slightly out of tune when higher notes are played.
Also, prepare for getting blisters on your fingers. Those thin tight strings can be quite rough on unhardened skin.

[Nikolas]

Pff... Chapter one in my book.  (Says the guy who spent ten minutes trying to figure out what the nurse telling him he needed an x-ray was saying.)

So...

X-RAYS is NOT X-RAYS in japanesse?

[Vince Twelve]

No!

Completely unrelated full story

[Andail]

Just wanna insert a little advice here to always learn playing instruments as if you were a rightie, even though it feels weird in the beginning.
Learning to play left-handedly will prevent you from ever performing on 99% of all other instruments. I know lots of lefthanded guitarists who all chose to go with the "normal" string order, just to be able to pick up a guitar anywhere. Of course, you're not gonna come across loads of mandolins during your career, but still....

[Evil]

Actually Andail, most left handed players I know (and I know quite a few) play mainly left handed, but can play just as well right. It's weird. They aren't thrown by the flipped strings by playing a right handed guitar left handed.

Kinoko, a floating bridge is pretty common, and like Inkoddi said, placement is key. Easiest way to start (if you have no idea) is to get a ruler. Measure from the nut to the 12th fret, but not the first fret bar, the second, between your finger and your bridge when playing 12th. Then, from that fret, measure the same distance back, and that's about where the bridge should go. After stringing it all up, pluck a string, then tune it to the perfect tone, then play the 12th fret, and pluck it again. The note should be dead cent on, but an octave higher, of course.

Flipping the bridge will work fine, but the nut will still have to be flipped, I believe. Mind posting pictures of this cool little instrument?

[Kinoko]

I appreciate the advice but my mandolin has markings for where the bridge goes ^_^ Still, it's useful information to know!

[Gregjazz]

If this is your first stringed/fretted instrument, as a left hander, I'd say just learn it righty. It'll make instructional videos/books or lessons in the future much easier. (as I mentioned I'm left handed, but I went righty and it actually felt more natural, but then again that could be conditioning)

Andail has a good point, too.

[Kinoko]

Took me a week or so to do it but I finally took some photos of my little baby.

[Stupot]

I bought a guitar from Ochanomizu for 3000 yen, brand new.  That's like 12 quid, or 25usd. (ish)  It's a small one and the wood is cheap but it does the job.

I'm not much of a player, but I was really missing my guitar back home and just fancied something to strum on when I got bored.

Where in Japan are you?  I'm living in Tokyo at the moment on a kind of extended holiday.

[Kinoko]

I live in Shizuoka. I'm headed to Tokyo on the weekend but I'll be going to gay pride shit and lesbian parties ^_^

[Stupot]

I'll be going to ... lesbian parties

Woah! 

[Kinoko]

Yep. Yyyyyyyyyeeeppppp. Lesbian parties. That's a thing I get to do.

Still, we'll see. Might be boring as bat shit.