Chords, completely baffled,

[Lawrence Molloy]

i would love to be able to play some rhythm/backing on the mandolin but just havn't got a clue about playing chords.
have been playing for just over 3 years( no prior experience), i've went to two different teachers in that time, one used tab to teach tunes and the other abc #( irish trad, melody only), playing chords has just never came up, nor has any technique for that matter , your left up to your own devices on that one. any recommendations on the best way to start? i'm happy with my progress playing tunes but have limited music theory. thanks.

[JimD]

Lawrence -- you are in serious need of a better teacher. You should be able to find one in a city like yours.

A good teacher would offer some guidance in terms of technique and would certainly not let you play a mandolin for 3 years without knowing how to play chords.

You should also learn to read music. It really isn't that difficult and it greatly facilitates an understanding of theory and chord construction.

That being said, here are a few easy, open string chords to get you started:

G (major) # 0023
D # # # # # # # 2002
C # # # # # # # 0230 #
Em(inor) # #0220
Am # # # # # #2230

[Walter Newton]

Check out the free video lessons at musicmoose.org (http://www.musicmoose.org/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&Itemid=32&section=12&cat=22&sort=1&limit=10&limitstart=0).

[JimD]

Keep in mind that almost everything about chord playing will vary depending on the stlye(s) that you are playing.

By "everything" I mean chord voicings and positions, whether or not chords can be substituted, the actions of both hands (r.h. muting or not, l.h. strumming techniques and style), various aspects of rhythm etc., etc.

Some of these topics are relatively advanced. The short version is simply this:

Don't expect that the "correct" way to play chords in one style applies to all.

[Bob DeVellis]

If you've been playing Irish traditional, it's less surprising that chords haven't been covered. You might want to start with very simple double-stops, playing two adjacent strings with one playing the melody note and the other playing a harmonizing note. The easiest examples are when the "other," harmonizing, note is on an open string. For example. if you're playing the D on the second string, fifth fret, you can simultaneously play the open D string. For step 2, you can use a harmonizing not other than an octave (as in the last example) or unison. For example, you could harmonize the same D played on the 2nd string, 5th fret, with the F# played on the 1st string, second fret. In Irish music, you may find that these harmonizing pairs work better than full chords. As your ear and courage develop, you can try combinations of more than 2 harmonizing notes. This is pretty basic stuff and may not be what you're asking about but I thought I'd offer it for what it's worth.

[jtauxe]

Check out my mando chord cheat sheet in the link below. That should be of some help, I hope.

[hattio]

Are you looking at sticking in the Irish style, or venturing out into the scary world of bluegrass and old timey?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Regardless, you may find that there are certain Irish tunes that you already know that lend themselves well to either double-stops or chords in certain places. This might be a place to learn from. For Example, a G chord is often used on Scollay's Reel in the B part (and can be used a couple of other times).

[Sarge]

You might want to learn the almighty circle of 5th:)