Solo Mandolin: Chord-Melody Playing Made Easy
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
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
Instructor
I'm a professional singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music tutor. I've been tutoring for 18 years and have taught students of all ages and abilities.
I am a trained Music Teacher, holding a PGCE in Music Secondary as well as a BA (Hons), Silver Arts Award, Grade 5 Classical Singing and Grade 7 Music Theory.
I also have a tutorial channel on youtube, Rhythm Ro Music Tutor, and have released seven albums independently (of original music) which you can listen to and purchase online via Spotify, Googleplay, Itunes and Amazon Music.