Mandolin Music Theory & Chord Inversion : Mandolin Triads

[SouthpawdShredder]

i wanted to learn a medieval instrument and i was wondering is the mandolin easy to learn? lets say... compaired to learning to play guitar? i play guitar but im more in to medieval style music. i was thinking the mandolin or lute but its hard to find left handed instruments. any sugestions?

[ThePariah13]

i started out playing guitar but i didn't feel the transition to mandolin that hard. im in a band and we play like irish punk to melodic metal and the mandolin does great with it. and the mandolin is essentially a lute, thats where mandolin derived from anyway. but i cant help with the left handed thing, ima righty

[Zefunker]

Excuse me, if im on G triad, what do I change to make it diminished and augmented? I know major and minor but not those two. Please help

[luuwe]

Minor and major have to do with the third of a chord. Diminished and augmented have to do with the fifth of a chord: If the fifth is sharp, its augmentend, and if the fifth is flat, its diminished. Augmented chords usually have a major third, and diminished chords usually have a minor third.

[Zefunker]

Thank you! Haha i get that part now. But please if you were to be so kind and explain cadences. I have to write 12 measures using 4 part writing. And Im so lost with authentic, plegal, and amen cadences. Please help. Thank you!

[luuwe]

You can always look this kind of thing up on wikipedia. But in short: Authentic is V (dominant) to I (tonic), plagal (also known as amen) is IV (subdominant) to I (tonic). I take it you do know what chord functions are?

[Zefunker]

@luuwe I understand that a V chord to a I chord is an authentic cadence and that a plagal is a IV to I. If by chord functions you mean how to write them on the Grand staff, then I don't. Also the inversions. Like a V 6 4 chord. You know? Second inversion. I understand that you take the third and the fifth and move them to the beginning of the chord. (plus you double the root) Thank you so much again. Haha

[meaganq]

i am doing a project on the mandolin and i was wondering if this is good song to use for a class to listen to??

[StringBender420]

you should show them 'going to california'

[bottomlesspit1995]

mandolins are awesome instuments

[llamadan40]

what's the best quality mandolin you can get for 4-5 hundred dollars?..brand and model..

[ugamayne73]

I have been playing guitar for years and recently decided to get a mandolin. I order a Washburn M3SWK F Style, from American Musical Supply. ($539). I just checked the tracking number and it should arrive tomorrow - I can't wait. There are a lot of great videos on YouTube about mandolins. Thanks!