Also, the tension on its strings is higher than the guitar.īut, if you decide to play them together, they will come out just fine. What makes the mandolin sound higher than the guitar is its short string length. If you’re listening to a performance, where the mandolin is part of the set-up, you’re likely to hear it slicing through the band sounds.īecause of its crispy clear, loud sound, the mandolin can easily be used in solo performances. Typically, mandolins produce the loudest sounds than the guitar. Therefore, it’s easy to choose between the two, if both sounds don’t appeal to you the same way. Soundīoth the guitar and the mandolin sound differently. And if you turn the mandolin upside down, you can tune it in fourths like the guitar. Therefore, even if players with a guitar-playing history have it easy learning the mandolin, the chord shapes they had mastered from the guitar won’t help them with the mandolin.įun fact: if you turn your guitar upside down, you can now tune part in fifths, like the mandolin. The notes of the guitar are usually open and tuned into fourths (EADGBE: from the lowest note to the highest note). And each of these strings is tuned to a different note. The guitar, on the other hand, as mentioned earlier, consists of six strings. The paired strings of the mandolin are tuned to the same note.īecause of its tuning, the mandolin is the best suitable country, classical, bluegrass, and folk music genres. But, that isn’t my focus today, so let’s keep moving. The only difference is that the violin has four single strings, while the mandolin has 4 double strings. The mandolin is usually tuned in the perfect fifths (G, D, A, E), similar to the violin tuning. The frets are placed within reach lots of surface area for hand resting and bigger tuning pegs. You won’t deal with any of this when playing guitar. This technique is more effortlessly said than done, but once you master it, playing will be fun. Since the mandolin has a shorter and thinner neck, it’s more vulnerable to breakage than the guitar neck.Īlso, it’s much more challenging to get to some frets on your mandolin, and you will have to resort to playing them using your fingernail. Now, let’s get back to the size differences. Also, you can find some light gauge strings for your guitar. You can find fewer full-size guitars that can be played by both adults and children. Those amazing small features that attract you to the mandolin can also be met by the guitar, only in a different way. But of course, this depends on personal preference.Īlthough mandolins are smaller and comfortable to hold and possess light gauge strings, it doesn’t mean you should automatically choose the mandolin over the guitar. So, absolute string instruments beginners are likely to have ample time trying out the mandolin than the guitar. The mandolin is a small instrument, which attracts players for various reasons.įor example, small-handed individuals and younger kids will find the mandolin comfortable to hold and play thanks to its tiny size.Īlso, according to music experts, the light mandolin strings are easy to press down, then the heavier guitar strings. The full-size guitar is far more extensive than the standard mandolin. SizeĪnother significant difference between mandolin vs guitar is their various sizes. The fear is just in mind.īesides, the Mandolin strings are much thinner than those of the guitar, and even when doubled, they still can’t match the guitar-strings thickness. But, those who have tried both devices will tell that it isn’t even noticeable. Why? Because making chords using only four strings isn’t as easy as doing the same with six strings.Īlso, most players shudder at the thought of comfortably managing double strings. Therefore, players who are used to the guitar might find it difficult to adjust to the mandolin’s 4 strings.

On the other hand, the standard guitar comes with 6 or 12 strings The mandolin has eight strings, which have paired to produce four sets of strings (although recently, some manufacturers have been making five-string mandolins). In this article, we will cover both their physical and technical differences for a better understanding. The guitar and mandolin differ in various ways. The Differences Between Mandolin vs Guitar You can also find small-sized guitars, though they will still be larger than the standard mandolin. Is Mandolin Easier to Learn Than Guitar?īigger.The Differences Between Mandolin vs Guitar.

Single string mandolin