Can you Capo a mandolin?

Mandolins do use capos. They are used for the same reason as you would use them on a guitar; to raise the pitch. A capo on a mandolin will allow you to play in different keys while maintaining the same chord positioning.

What notes are mandolin strings?

The tuning of the mandolin, low to high, is: G, D, A, E. See the graphic below. As a reference, on the piano, the low G is tuned to the G just below Middle C (C4), or G3.

Is there an online tuner for my mandolin?

If it still does not work, please try our older Online Mandolin Tuner that runs on Adobe Flash. How to use this tuner: Click on the note for the string you want to tune and then turn the tuning pegs on your mandolin to match it up with the note that is being played.

Why does my mandolin go out of tune?

Mandolins can go out of tune even in the course of tuning because the tension of each string affects the tuning of all of the other strings. Once you have your tuning relatively set, you can go back and make fine adjustments to make sure each pair of strings sounds great.

Can a mandolin be tuned in an octave?

You just get a large mandolin with a stiffer top that’s playing in a register for which it wasn’t designed. It probably won’t sound all that much different from your mandolin. If you put heavier strings on it, and tune it an octave below your mandolin (GDAE), you’ll get a small-bodied octave mandolin that probably won’t sound so special, either.

How can I change the strings on my mandolin?

Make sure you have your annotations turned on and then simple click the note you want to play. Change from “String” to “Sine” to change the note type. If you are on a mobile device you wont be able to use the annotations to change strings. I’d recommend instead downloading our free tuner app on iPhone, iPad, or Android (Google Play).