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Solo Mandolin: Chord-Melody Playing Made Easy
Rating: 4.1 out of 5(3 ratings)
33 students

Solo Mandolin: Chord-Melody Playing Made Easy

Learn to Play Chords and Melodies Together on Mandolin
Created byRoseanna Ball
Last updated 6/2025
English

What you'll learn

  • You will begin to learn notes on the Mandolin fretboard
  • You will learn how to work out the notes of a chord using a scale
  • You will learn how to apply fretboard and chord knowledge to a melody
  • Ultimately you will learn how to play chords and melody at the same time

Course content

2 sections6 lectures39m total length
  • Introduction0:55
  • Chord Construction9:17
  • Song 1: Boys Of Blue Hill10:42

    We will go through the song together, adding in accompaniment/chord notes as we go. Write in the notes you like the sound of on your 'blank' Boys of Blue Hill Tab or use my Tab with the accompaniment notes included.

  • Song 2: The Meeting of the Waters8:28

    We will go through the song together, adding in accompaniment/chord notes as we go. Write in the notes you like the sound of on your 'blank' Meeting Of The Waters Tab or use my Tab with the accompaniment notes included.

  • Song 3: Minuet8:39

    We will go through the song together, adding in accompaniment/chord notes as we go. Write in the notes you like the sound of on your 'blank' Minuet Tab or use my Tab with the accompaniment notes included. I've included two versions of  'tab with accompaniment' for this song.

Requirements

  • Able to read basic tab - if you've taken my previous mandolin courses you definitely know enough for this course
  • Knowledge of a few chord shapes such as G, D and C will help

Description

In this course, you’ll learn how to play melodies and chords simultaneously—bringing a fuller, richer sound to your solo mandolin playing, similar to classical guitar techniques.

We’ll cover:

Creating chords using scales: Don’t worry if you haven’t memorised all the scales yet! The relevant scales will be introduced clearly in the videos, and you’ll also receive guidance on how to look up scales as needed, so you can deepen your understanding at your own pace.

Notes on the fretboard: You don’t need to memorise all the notes right away. We’ll use helpful diagrams during lessons, and a handy ‘Notes on the Fretboard’ chart plus a detailed PDF explaining the theory of adding chord notes to melodies are included in the course resources for easy reference.

Adding chord notes to melodies: Learn how to combine chords and melodies effectively so your playing sounds full and rich, especially when playing solo. This technique will give your mandolin performances more depth and musicality.

A basic understanding of some common chord shapes—G Major, D Major, and C Major—will be helpful to get the most out of this course.

We’ll work through three songs together, focusing on integrating chordal accompaniment rather than reading complex rhythms.

If you’re new to mandolin, I recommend checking out my Beginner’s Mandolin Course first to build a solid foundation in reading TAB and essential techniques.

Who this course is for:

  • Mandolin players