Mandolin Feels Intuitive
I have been playing mandolin for maybe 12-18 months after many years of playing guitar (poorly). I had the observation that playing the mandolin feels very intuitive compared to guitar. As a guitarist, I was a chord chart and tab-aholic that would accidentally learn some music theory on occasion. While playing the mandolin, I find myself starting with a tab and quickly finishing the melody using my ears and muscle memory.
I am sure it is a combination of factors. First, the perfect fifths tuning is a breath of fresh air coming from standard guitar tuning and the cursed "B-string Bump". Next, the four courses and small scale size. Sure it does restrict the range of the instrument, but it also feels more opinionated. Like there are less notes to hunt and peck while learning a melody, so it is easier for me to make the right choice? The type of music traditionally played on mandolin also helps. Fiddle tunes are often simple and repetitive. They are situated around the major scale. They are often in a handful of keys, so you pick up similarities. Fiddle tunes feel like the "eating your veggies" of music. They are good for your ears and your fingers.
I spent a very long time stuck at a beginner to intermediate level on guitar. I knew many songs, chords, and scales. I even managed a gig or two. However, the last year with my Eastman 315 has been the first time I have felt like a musician. It just clicks and I find myself playing with my ears instead of my eyes. Like I am finally getting past fighting with the instrument and closer to naturally expressing musical ideas like I would by humming or singing.
Does anyone else feel this way? Did you make the jump to primarily playing mandolin or use it to revisit the guitar? What have been your pros and cons approaching the mandolin after other instruments?