Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: What's the best mandolin chord book?

  1. #1

    Question What's the best mandolin chord book?

    I have the Hal Leonard "Mandolin Chord Finder." I have to modify most of the chords in it, to make them easier to play. Another drawback of that book is that it only has 3 chord examples for each type of chord. I've looked at reviews of the Mel Bay "Deluxe Encyclopedia of Mandolin Chords" and it doesn't sound like what I need, either. I'm a pretty good mandolin player, have a band and host an Old Time Jam. I just bought an octave mandolin, and am learning my way around that fun, fun, fun instrument! On my small mandolin I play mostly fiddle tunes, and know lots of them but on the octave mandolin, I treat it like a guitar. My hands are small, so I need easy chords -- 1, 2, and 3 finger chords. I take a lessons sometimes with a world-class mandolin player, who is also a very good teacher for me. In the lessons, I show him what I need and want, and he answers my questions, making suggestions and giving me new chords, runs, and arrangements to songs I already like. When I want an arrangement, he says, "Do you want easy or hard?" (So far, I say "Easy!") He's splendid! He shows me some amazing, easy chords. Does anybody know of a really good source of chords -- either in a book or online -- that would have a whole lot of easy chords? And by the way, as an experienced music teacher myself, I highly recommend this approach to lessons. That way, you get exactly what you want, if a teacher is willing to work with you as a "partner." In Education lingo, this is called "student-centered lessons."
    Last edited by stringalong; Feb-14-2015 at 10:28pm. Reason: adding stuff; typo correction

  2. #2

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    I don't have a chord book recommendation for you. But I like the approach described by Zak Borden in his "Build Your Own Chords" series. This is the approach that's worked best for me, and Zak's explaination is good.

  3. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Marty Jacobson For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    Registered User zedmando's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    At home
    Posts
    816

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    This is kind of what I've been trying to do--so why I want to learn where the notes are--I already know how to construct chords from years of playing--plus lessons and theory lessons.
    And I'm starting to see some progress.
    Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?

  5. The following members say thank you to zedmando for this post:


  6. #4
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    I have ''The Gig Bag Book of Mandolin Chords'' - every chord you'll ever need if you lived for a 100 lifetimes Ivan
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mandolin chord book.jpg 
Views:	448 
Size:	20.1 KB 
ID:	130664
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  7. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Ivan Kelsall For This Useful Post:


  8. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    12,258

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    As stated and since you

    - are a pretty good mandolin player, have a band and host an Old Time Jam
    - take lessons from a world-class mandolin player
    - are an experienced music teacher

    I would think building your own chords would come rather easily.

  9. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to AlanN For This Useful Post:


  10. #6
    Spencer Sorenson Spencer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Lyngby, Denmark
    Posts
    545

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    I have a version of this, and have found it quite useful. Eldery has it.

    NILES HOKKANEN'S GUIDE TO MANDOLIN CHORDS (AND HOW TO USE THEM) by Niles Hokkanen

    Spencer

  11. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Spencer For This Useful Post:


  12. #7
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,096

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Music theory for modern mandolin has Chord construction Too

    http://elderly.com/books/items/172-1.htm
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  13. The following members say thank you to mandroid for this post:


  14. #8

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanN View Post
    As stated and since you

    - are a pretty good mandolin player, have a band and host an Old Time Jam
    - take lessons from a world-class mandolin player
    - are an experienced music teacher

    I would think building your own chords would come rather easily.
    Hi Alan,

    Thanks for this compliment/encouragement. Yes, I can build my own chords. So far, though, my mandolin teacher has been coming up with some easier chords to fit with certain components of my songs and tunes. I am guessing that as I learn my way around the octave mandolin, I'll use these as examples for other chords. I also found Zak Borden's video, posted here by Marty Jacobsen, interesting and will give a go to Zak's chord shape.

  15. #9

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    I have ''The Gig Bag Book of Mandolin Chords'' - every chord you'll ever need if you lived for a 100 lifetimes Ivan
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mandolin chord book.jpg 
Views:	448 
Size:	20.1 KB 
ID:	130664
    Hi Ivan, Thanks for this reference. Would you say this book has a lot of easy chords? I hope they're not all 4-note complex chords? As I wrote in my first post, the Hal Leonard chord book is way too complex for my use. I have to alter just about every chord this book shows, to make it easy to play.

  16. #10

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this discussion! I don't know how to write Thank You's to each person who wrote -- there must be a way to do this as some have already done, but I don't know how. Went to Zak Borden's Lesson 1 video -- really like it. Trying to find his followup video lessons, but only found Lesson 4. Also interested in both books people recommended.

  17. #11
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    stringalong - That book has ALL the chords in it,easy to finger & not so easy. Just pick the right ones for you. One thing i don't really care for are 2 or 3 finger chords on a 4 stringed (4 pairs) instrument,where a pair of strings is left out of the chord,the sound always seems incomplete to me,so i use all 4 finger chords & pick the chord shapes that 'sound right' to me. It's another case of personal choice. As long as i'm playing the right chord at the right time in the right way,who's going to say i'm wrong ?,
    Ivan

    How to do it if you can get away with it !!
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  18. #12
    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Roseville, California, United States
    Posts
    815

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    I have ''The Gig Bag Book of Mandolin Chords'' - every chord you'll ever need if you lived for a 100 lifetimes Ivan
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mandolin chord book.jpg 
Views:	448 
Size:	20.1 KB 
ID:	130664
    Hey Ivan! My son bought me this book a few years ago and it is great... It is also small and easily stowed away for quick reference.
    ===================================
    ... I'm a California Man!

  19. #13
    ♪☮♫ Roll away the dew ♪☮♫ Dan Krhla's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Torrington, CT
    Posts
    561

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    I have this too:

    NILES HOKKANEN'S GUIDE TO MANDOLIN CHORDS (AND HOW TO USE THEM)

    Got mine from elderly. Still refer to it.
    do good things

  20. #14
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Hi Perry - That book has so many chords in it,i've wondered if anybody ever uses some of them. I suppose that the Jazz mando.guys might be the only ones to explore the 'further reaches' of mando.chords,but for Bluegrass,maybe a chord book for Bluegrass chords only would be nice to have. - but would a book containing 5 chords sell ?. (i'm being facetious there !!),
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  21. The following members say thank you to Ivan Kelsall for this post:


  22. #15

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Perry Babasin View Post
    Hey Ivan! My son bought me this book a few years ago and it is great... It is also small and easily stowed away for quick reference.
    Does this book have tab?

  23. #16
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    South of Cleburne, North of Hillsboro, Texas
    Posts
    5,083

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Hello Ntone,

    Chord books all typically have charts rather than tablature or standard notation. They are reference books, not lesson books or tune books.

    You are responding to an older thread and many of the persons in the discussion above are no longer active here, but the books mentioned should still be available. My personal favorite chord reference book is The mandolin Chord Bible by Tobe A. Richards.

    I have been working on a project to develop a “chord bible” with a little more flare and reference info myself. My work is far from the publishing phase at present, but you may see some of it here: https://theamateurmandolinist.com/se...n-chord-bible/

    As others have said in this thread, your goal will be to learn how to find chords and construct chords on your own, without having to look up every chord in a reference book. That is not too difficult to learn and do on mandolin. However, this does not make a good chord reference book obsolete, any more than learning to read and write on your own makes dictionary and grammar books obsolete.
    WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
    ----------------------------------
    "Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN

    ----------------------------------
    HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
    Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
    The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
    - Advice For Mandolin Beginners
    - YouTube Stuff

  24. #17

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    Some good apps out there too. I've tried a few, but I find Tekachords the best for my needs. Not for theory, but great for discovering alternate chord shapes and exploring different voicings, etc. Well thought out and easy to use app.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_DCAE631D9F24-1.jpeg 
Views:	54 
Size:	412.3 KB 
ID:	204592

  25. #18
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    3,826
    Blog Entries
    14

    Default Re: What's the best mandolin chord book?

    One person's opinion: although my name is listed on a best selling chord encyclopedia at Mel Bay as a contributor, the best chord book for my money has always been Niles Hokkanen's Pocket Guide To Mandolin Chords published long ago. It appears it's still available here. It has everything that's important minus way too much information most will never use and just adds to confusion.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •