Learn the Fretboard

The mandolin fretboard doesn’t have to be mysterious! Here are some resources for helpful shapes and concepts that will automatically unlock new possibilities for you, up and down the neck.

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Illustration of a white and orange mandolin with a black background.
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Videos
How I Wish I Learned to Solo on the Mandolin
How I Wish I Learned to Solo on the Mandolin

Once you see how this simple fretboard shape works, it makes improvising an interesting mandolin solo fun and easy--even if you're a beginner!

Once you see how this simple fretboard shape works, it makes improvising an interesting mandolin solo fun and easy--even if you're a beginner!

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/how-i-wish-i-to-172849081

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Master the Mandolin Fretboard in 7 Steps
Master the Mandolin Fretboard in 7 Steps

Here are 7 steps to learning every note on the fretboard and to get you playing up as far as the 20th fret.

Here are 7 steps to learning every note on the fretboard and to get you playing up as far as the 20th fret.

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/master-fretboard-39341195

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3 Mandolin Chord Shapes You NEED to Know - (the jethro shapes)
3 Mandolin Chord Shapes You NEED to Know - (the jethro shapes)

Learn to play ever major and minor chord up and down the neck using these three chord shapes pioneered by the great Jethro Burns

If you're looking for that next step beyond Open and Chop Chords on the mandolin, this video is for you. Learn to play ever major and minor chord up and down the neck using these three chord shapes pioneered by the great Jethro Burns.

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/3-mandolin-chord-60079944

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This Mandolin Scale Exercise Will Change EVERYTHING!
This Mandolin Scale Exercise Will Change EVERYTHING!

Alright it's time to master all 12 Major Scales in the 1st position here on the mandolin! Let's slog through some music theory together and get these notes under our fingers.

Alright it's time to master all 12 Major Scales in the 1st position here on the mandolin! Let's slog through some music theory together and get these notes under our fingers.

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/this-mandolin-67858345

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Make Your Mandolin Arpeggios BEAUTIFUL!
Make Your Mandolin Arpeggios BEAUTIFUL!

Arpeggios should be beautiful! Here’s a mandolin arpeggio exercise that will test your finger strength and fretboard knowledge, and it sounds amazing at the same time!

Arpeggios should be beautiful! Here’s a mandolin arpeggio exercise that will test your finger strength and fretboard knowledge, and it sounds amazing at the same time!

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/make-your-106022707

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Use This Shape to Level Up Your Bluegrass Mandolin Solos
Use This Shape to Level Up Your Bluegrass Mandolin Solos

The Bluegrass Box is a shape that can really take your bluegrass mandolin solos to the next level.

The Bluegrass Box is a shape that can really take your bluegrass mandolin solos to the next level.

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/use-this-shape-107422525

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20 Mandolin Licks the PROS Use
20 Mandolin Licks the PROS Use

So happy to share these incredible licks from these incredible mandolin players as a gift to all of you free and paid members of the Patreon page here.

But as a way of saying thanks to all these mandolin experts for sharing their knowledge here, definitely support them by checking out their amazing music and teaching resources down below:

Casey Campbell

Emory Lester 

Alan Bibey

Caterina Lichtenberg

Mike Marshall 

John Reischman

Matt Flinner

Joe K Walsh

And be sure to check out this amazing camp The Swannanoa Gathering here

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/20-mandolin-pros-108895569

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Level Up Your PENTATONIC SCALE on the Mandolin!
Level Up Your PENTATONIC SCALE on the Mandolin!

Use these 7 levels of The Pentatonic Scale to unlock the mandolin fretboard and be able to improvise over any chord progression in any key!

Use these 7 levels of The Pentatonic Scale to unlock the mandolin fretboard and be able to improvise over any chord progression in any key!

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/level-up-your-on-127922872

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This Fretboard Concept Changed EVERYTHING for Me (The FFcP)
This Fretboard Concept Changed EVERYTHING for Me (The FFcP)

Once you understand the FFcP concept (Four Finger Closed Position) the whole mandolin fretboard starts to light up in a totally different way.

Once you understand the FFcP concept (Four Finger Closed Position) the whole mandolin fretboard starts to light up in a totally different way.

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/this-fretboard-128955160

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7 Hacks for Getting Up the Mandolin Neck
7 Hacks for Getting Up the Mandolin Neck

Here are 7 tricks anyone can use to get up and down the mandolin fretboard with ease!

Here are 7 tricks anyone can use to get up and down the mandolin fretboard with ease!

🎶 Grab the PDF transcriptions and MP3 play alongs for this lesson over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidbenedictmandolin/posts/7-hacks-for-up-131169739

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Fretboard Vids

MORE VIDEOS
Transcriptions
Blackberry Blossom
Blackberry Blossom
$0.00

This bluegrass tune is a bit of a pinkie workout—both on the A and B sections! Taking some cues from the incredible version of this tune on the seminal Tony Rice album Manzanita. Enjoy the FREE PDF at the link down below!

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The Irish Washer Woman
The Irish Washer Woman
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“The Irish Washerwoman” just might be the “Wagon Wheel” of Irish session tunes, but it’s still a really fun tune to play! Don’t forget to use that down, up, down, down, up, down jig picking on this one. FREE PDF at the link below:

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Billy in the Lowground
Billy in the Lowground
$0.00

Bluegrass tunes in the key C major are a little less common, but super fun! This “Billy in the Lowground” tune is no exception. We even get to go up the neck a little bit on the B section for that high C note on the 8th fret of the E string. Watch the fingering numbers on the standard notation for this— FREE PDF download at the link below.

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Harvest Home
Harvest Home
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This bouncy Irish hornpipe becomes quite the fun frenzy with all of those triplets! Grab the FREE PDF for “Harvest Home” at the link below:

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Maid Behind the Bar
Maid Behind the Bar
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It’s hard to imagine a more classic D major Irish tune than this “Maid Behind the Bar.” Such a fun melody to play—especially when you add in those quick grace note pull offs (“cuts”) to make this sound even more authentically Irish. FREE PDF at the link below:

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St. Anne's Reel
St. Anne's Reel
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This was one of the first bluegrass tunes I remember learning online in the early days of the internet, and it’s only fitting to feature it here. “St Anne’s Reel” is a beautiful tune with a great chord progression—enjoy the PDF chart at the link below:

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The Swallowtail Jig
The Swallowtail Jig
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I remember Chris Thile teaching this Irish tune in his teenage years on an old school HomeSpun instructional tape. Here’s my take on the classic session tune. Don’t forget to use that down, up, down, down, up, down jig picking here in 6/8 time. FREE PDF at the link below:

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Red Haired Boy
Red Haired Boy
$0.00

This one has some Irish roots. Anyone know this by the alternate title "The Little Beggarman"? But these days it’s a classic number at any bluegrass jam. Check out the Mandolin Transcription FREE PDF at the link below.

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Tabs

MORE TRANSCRIPTIONS
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