2 Finger Mandolin Chord Poster and Chart, Includes Fret Board

We are busy pulling together a collection of Two Finger Mandolin Chord videos to add to AcousticMusicTV.com You can see one in a previous post, more coming. Would love any comments you might have. We also are releasing a new 2 Finger Mandolin chord chart to go along with it. The chart includes the Major, Minor and 7th Mandolin Chords for chords A-G also includes a Mandolin Fret Board. This chart is also available at Zazzle.com as a poster. Please feel free to download this graphic for your personal use. You can check out the new videos over on AcousticMusicTV.com

Two Finger Mandolin Chords Chart, Includes Mandolin Fret Board

To see or buy this Mandolin chord chart at Zazzle.com, click here.

To see the How to play the Two Finger "A" Chord Mandolin Video, click here

Mandolin Major Chords and 2 Finger Mandolin Chords

Full and 2 Finger Mandolin Chords from our Chord Sample Pages

Continuing with pages from our sample pdfs this page which comes from the first in the series includes our 2 Finger Mandolin Chords chart and the full Major Chord chart. This page just has the major chords but is a great quick reference to get you started. To get the full series of sample pages from our music book sign-up over on the right

Major Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele & Banjo, Sign Up for Series

It has been a busy winter at Acoustic Music TV, we have released several new books from our new Left Hand Chords, two new sheet music books, the update to Essential Chords and 3 new posters with Guitar, Mandolin and Ukulele chords. We also have a nice new series of free chord and music pages that you can sign up for and receive. Today we begin with releasing some these charts so you can see what is in the series and sign up if you like.

If you want to receive the series sign up over on the right in the sign up box. In the future we have a new songwriting workbook coming and blank sheet music journal.

Amazon Affiliate Link

Left Hand Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo Now Shipping at Amazon

Left Hand Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo

We are pleased to announce the release of our newest music chord book Left Hand Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo.

Left Hand Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo is a left hand version of our popular chord chart book for the beginning music player, Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo. Left Hand Chords contains fingering charts for guitar, mandolin, ukulele and banjo chords and a variety of other music charts for playing rock, folk, country and blues music.

Simple, clean, easy to read fingering charts for all players showing the 7 basic Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo chords, A-G for Major, Minor and 7th chords. Includes the I, IV, V chord progressions for each key. Plus movable Guitar fingerings for barre chords, arpeggio scales, and soloing scales for folk, country, rock and blues, and movable Mandolin arpeggio scales. Includes a variety of 4 and 5 string banjo tunings. The charts are designed to be easy to read and follow.

Left Hand Chords also includes blank sheet music and chord box pages for each instrument that you can photocopy. Each sheet music page has the lines spread apart for ease in writing down your music.
Left Hand Chords are based on instruments that have been restrung for left hand players.



Available at Amazon.com (affiliate link)

Key Left Hand Charts from Left Hand Chords

Below are several key pages for guitar, mandolin and ukulele from our new book Left Hand Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo

Seven Basic Left Hand Guitar Chords, Major, Minor, and Seventh Chords, A, B, C, D, E, F and G

Seven Basic Left Hand 2 Finger Mandolin Chords, Major, Minor, and Seventh Chords, A, B, C, D, E, F and G

Seven Basic Left Hand Ukulele Chords, Major, Minor, and Seventh Chords, A, B, C, D, E, F and G

NEW! Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo, 2nd Edition

We are pleased to announce the release of our new 2nd edition of Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo. Lots of changes and updates, new size, 4 and 5 string banjo chords, and we also have an iPad version.

Book Description
Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo, Second Edition is an updated version of the original popular chord chart book for the beginning music player. Essential Chords contains fingering charts for guitar, mandolin, ukulele and banjo chords and a variety of other music charts for playing rock, folk, country and blues music. Now in a new, larger size, updated and with new 4 and 5 string banjo tunings, this is the perfect resource for every player.

Simple, clean, easy to read fingering charts for all players showing the 7 basic Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo chords, A-G for Major, Minor and 7th chords. Includes the I, IV, V chord progressions for each key. Plus movable Guitar fingerings for barre chords, arpeggio scales, and soloing scales for folk, country, rock and blues, and movable Mandolin arpeggio scales. The charts are designed to be easy to read and follow.

Essential Chords includes blank sheet music and chord box pages for each instrument that you can photocopy. Each sheet music page has the lines spread apart for ease in writing down your music.

Chord and Music Charts in the Book
• The Seven Basic Guitar Chords, Major, Minor and 7th

• The Seven Guitar Keys with I, IV, V and V7 Chords

• Guitar Barre Chords
• Major Movable Soloing Scale for Folk or Country Music for Any Key

• Minor Pentatonic Movable Soloing Scale for Blues, Rock or Latin Music

• Movable Arpeggio Scale for Any Guitar Key

• Guitar Power Chords

• Diminished Guitar Chords

• Augmented Guitar Chords

• Sus2 and Sus4 Guitar Chords

• Mandolin Chords, Major, Minor and 7th
• Mandolin Two Finger Chords

• The Seven Mandolin Keys with the I, IV, V and V7 Chords

• 2 Finger Mandolin Chords for a I, IV, V Progression

• Movable Arpeggio Scale for Any Mandolin Key

• Ukulele Chords, Major, Minor and 7th

• The Seven Ukulele Keys with the I, IV, V and V7 Chords in First Position

• Banjo Chords, 5 String, A, C, Double C, D and G Tunings Major, Minor and 7th

• Banjo Chords, 4 String, Standard, Celtic/Irish and Chicago Tunings, Major, Minor and 7th

• Blank Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo Sheet Music and Chord Boxes





Available at Amazon.com

Winner for Setting Up Chord Fingering Boxes

Thank you everyone who voted or sent comments on the design for our chord fingering charts for a new book we are working on. It looks like Style A with the root chords is the winner, A total of 42 people voted with 35 going for A. We had a great idea sent in on adding in root and note numbers instead of chord names, so we will be doing that. We love comments, they really help

thank you all

Question on Chord Fingering Boxes, A or B?

Hi all, ok we are working on the layout of the chord pages and a question came up on the design of the Chord Fingering Boxes. I originally thought that I would highlight the root notes of a chord in red. The root note of the A chord is A, the other notes are C# and E. The illustration above shows the chord fingering box for the Mandolin A chord. Some like the root notes highlighted in red and others didn't. I would love you to select your favorite, A or B. The numbers indicate which finger.

Please select your choice in the poll over on the top right corner, A or B, thank you

Which Photo Works Better for Showing a Chord A or B? Click on the Poll at Right

I have started working on a new expanded chord book which will include new photos of all the essential chords along with fingering charts, TAB and notes on a staff. It is a big project and will take a while to pull together but I have started.
Because there are so many photos I want to get them right so we are asking for your help before I start shooting them. We are starting with the mandolin and the above photos are of the A chord.

Which type of picture do you think works best, from the top (Photo A) or from the front (Photo B), you can click in the poll to the right?

Mandolin Moveable Arpeggio Scale for Any Key

Page from our Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo book of our moveable arpeggio scale for any Mandolin Key. This chart allows you to use arpeggios for doing solos. This movable chart will work for any key as it can be moved up and down the fret board.

Songs for mandolin, (amazon affiliate link)

Essential Chords, Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele & Banjo Video

We have been working on videos for our books for YouTube, Facebook and the blog, here is our latest for our Essential Chords for Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele & Banjo book.

Acoustic Music TV Gift Products Video

Video for our Acoustic Music TV Gift and Products Store. We have all kinds of cool items for the holidays using the designs and artwork from our Notebook Music Chords and Charts book.

Design include: Acoustic Music TV Designs, 3 Guitars, Mandolin Banjo violin, 3 Electric Guitars, Guitar 7 Major Chords, Mandolin 7 Major Chords, Ukulele 7 Major Chords, String Instruments-Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle/Violin, Ukulele, Retro Microphones, Singing with Microphones

Products include: t-shirts, v-neck t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirts, men and women, fitted t-shirts, toddler t-shirt, sweatshirt, boxes shorts, thong underwear, mouse pad, electric wall clock, journal, throw pillows, keepsake box, framed tile, mug, large mug, apron, Sigg water bottle, dog t-shirt, pet bowl, magnets, calendar, tote bag, messenger bag, gym bag, beach bag



You can see all the products at http://www.acousticmusictv.com/html/Clothing%20&%20Products.html

Acoustic Music TV Notebook Chord and Music Chart, Second Edition

News Release

Today we are please to announce the release of the second edition of our Notebook Chord and Music Chart book. Updated for 2010 and doubled in size this is the essential Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele and Banjo chord and music charts book.  Simple, clean fingering charts for all players showing the 7 basic guitar chords, A-G for major, minor and seventh chords.

Also includes the I, IV, V chord progression for each key.  Plus movable guitar fingerings for Barre Chords, Arpeggio scales, and soloing scales for folk, country, rock and blues.  Basic Mandolin full and 2 finger chords and the I, IV, V progression for each key and movable arpeggio scales.

The charts are designed for taking with you when you go jamming with your friends.  We have also added in Ukulele chord charts, and Banjo chord charts for G and D tuning. Along with blank sheet music pages with chord boxes for guitar, mandolin, ukulele and banjo. Bound with coil binding so the book can open and lie flat, easy to read, or in pdf format that you can print out for your jam or practice book.  A great reference guide for every beginning player.

Book is available at Lulu.com

and Amazon.com

Why is the Mandolin Such a Hard Instrument to Play?

Why is the Mandolin Such a Hard Instrument to Play? 
I saw this headline fly by today on a blog about playing the mandolin. I never thought of it that way, in fact I think it is one of the easier string instrument to play. Especially if you just use the two finger chords. You only have to know three basic finger positions and you can play any song by just moving your hand up or down the fret board.


The mandolin doesn't have a 5th string tuned lower that caused all of the different fingerings. The strings are all tuned the same so the fingerings work anywhere on the fret board. You can use one of the three finger positions illustrated below to play a major, minor or 7th chord. Then just sliding up or down the fret board you can play different chords. Each fret is 1/2 step, so depending on the key you are in you only have to move up or down 1 or 2 frets to the next chord.

If you are on the bottom two strings you get low sounding chords, excellent for verses. If you are on the upper two strings you get higher sounding chords, excellent for the chorus. Playing this way gives you some nice dynamics without having to know a lot.

Mandolin Gig Chord Book

We have been pulling together our Back to School List and this book pops as a favorite, The Gig Bag Book of Mandolin Chords. This book has over a 1,100 chords presented in standard notation and diagrams illustrating fingering, inversion and scale degrees. For the common chords several different positions are given. This book pops up all the time when I am at gigs. Also fits great in your case with its tall skinny size, about 11.5" x 5".

To learn more click on the Amazon link below.
The Gig Bag Book of Mandolin Chords

Chord Chart for Mandolin Two Finger G Chords

We received a great email the other day from one of our readers. It had to do with a different 2 finger chord for the (1) One chord for the key of G on the mandolin, the G Chord. This one using the middle two strings, the D and the A strings. I haven’t used this position before but found that it gives a nice bright sound. I often use the lower position for the verses and the higher position for the chorus. This position like the others is movable up and down the fretboard. I think it is brighter sounding because the notes are reversed with the B on the higher string. This fingering can be moved all over the place so try experimenting. Very cool.

Make sure to check out all of our chord and music charts by just signing up over on the right. We love comments so thank you a lot and keep them coming.

Two Finger G Chords for the Mandolin

Here is the full email, thank you Bob for the post.

"I appreciate your website with all those great guitar and mandolin chords. I have been playing fiddle for a few years and within the last year have taken up the mandolin. An old fiddler taught me the major two finger chords for the keys of G (on the two middle strings), D (on the E and A strings) and C (on the D and G strings) and I found that they transferred well to the mandolin. I will see if I can explain them to you.

The two finger G chords are found on the two middle strings; the D and A strings. To find the I (one) chord you fret the B on the A string and the G on the D string. The IV chord (or C Chord) is found by fretting the E on the D string and the C on the A string. The V (or D ) chord is found by fretting the F# on the D string and the D on the A string. If you draw this on the diagram of your mandolin fretboard you will see the pattern (the old fiddler used patterns a lot). Now, you can move that same pattern over to the A and E strings (directly across) and you have the three major chords for the D scale. Move it over to the G and D strings and you have the major C chords.

And, if you move the G chord patterns a couple of frets toward the bridge on the same strings you have the A major chords, etc., etc. You may already be familiar with these patterns, but if you are not I want to tell you that using them is an excellent way to teach mandolin two finger chords. Once a person gets that pattern in his/her mind you can get the chords to any key.

If this is about as "clear as mud" let me know and I will try to clarify it. The old fiddler just told us and as he did I would try to draw it out roughly on a fiddle diagram. Then, I would come home and make a nice copy of it. I have given a number of people copies of my diagrams; both fiddle and mandolin players."

Bob

2 Finger Mandolin Chord Chart

Above is the second of our two new Mandolin Chord Charts. This is the 2 finger version, also set up in a horizontal format for easy viewing. Contains the Mandolin illustration and color bars to make it easier to read. All seven basic chords are here with fingering for Major, Minor and Sevenths. Easy to download, three hole punch and it is ready to go. Also check out our latest version of the full book which you can purchase on Lulu.com.

New PDF Mandolin Chord Chart

We have updated and released a couple new Mandolin Chord Charts. One of our readers from Germany ask if we could turn the charts to a horizontal orientation making it easier for his student. Yes we can. The free chart still fits nicely into your 3 ring jam book for easy viewing. This chart contains the basic fingerings for all seven basic chords, the major, minor and the 7th. Plus a cool little mandolin drawing. To download sign in over on the right.

Blank Mandolin and Violin Sheet Music

Have you ever tried to write down your Mandolin or Violin music and discovered that the blank sheet music you could find had six lines for the TAB notations instead of the four for mandolin. Well that is what we found along with the lines just to close together. So we remade this one also. Blank sheet music for mandolin and violin, nice and clear with lines well apart for lots of scribbling. Sign up over on the right and download our free mandolin and violin blank sheet music.