Interactive Series
20 Bluegrass Tunes for Mandolin
Learn bluegrass mandolin the way it has always been learned: one tune at a time.
Twenty tunes, graded and in the order you can learn them, from your first easy melody to tunes that show what the mandolin can do, plus two bonus tunes. Every tune has its own two-page spread: the story of the tune, its chords and tips for playing it, and the music in tablature and standard notation, with the chords marked above.
-
Colour paperback
$24.99 on Amazon
Full colour, 64 pages, 8.5 x 11 in. Includes the interactive edition.
Coming soon -
PDF + interactive edition
$14.99
Instant download: the full colour PDF, and the interactive edition opens straight after you pay.
Buy the PDF
Prefer black and white? The black and white paperback, $19.99 on Amazon, is coming soon.
Prices are in US dollars. The PDF is sold through Stripe, which handles payment and sales tax. Questions about an order: support@howtoplaymandolin.com.
Every edition includes the interactive edition
Scan the code on any tune (or tap it in the PDF) and the tab moves with the play-along audio, note by note. Then:
- Slow any tune down or speed it up, from 50% to 150%, without changing its pitch
- Loop the bars you are working on until they sit under your fingers
- Play along with bass, guitar and mandolin backing tracks, or switch the melody off and play the tune yourself
- Transpose any tune into another key
- Tap a chord diagram to hear it
- Download a PDF of the sheet music and a bar-by-bar chord cheat sheet for every tune
It works in the web browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Inside the book
- 20 tunes, graded and in the order you can learn them, plus two bonus tunes: the old-time favourite June Apple and the showpiece Home Sweet Home
- Tablature and standard notation for every tune, with the chords above
- A chord diagram for every chord you need, plus pages of two-finger chords and the chords of each key
- Tips for the tricky spots in every tune
- A practice log to keep track of your progress
The tunes
- Banks of the Ohio
- Old Joe Clark
- Buffalo Gals
- Cripple Creek
- Soldier's Joy
- Fire on the Mountain
- Cattle in the Cane
- Cold Frosty Morning
- Big Sciota
- Red Haired Boy
- Flop Eared Mule
- Forked Deer
- Beaumont Rag
- Arkansas Traveller
- Bill Cheatham
- Devil's Dream
- Fisher's Hornpipe
- Billy in the Lowground
- Kitchen Girl
- Ragtime Annie
Bonus tunes: June Apple and Home Sweet Home.
Try the first tune free
Banks of the Ohio, the book's first tune, both as PDFs:
Already have the book?
Open the interactive edition → with your email address and a word from a page of your book.
Questions
How do I open the interactive edition?
With the PDF, you're signed in straight after paying, on the page with your download. With a paperback, scan the code on any tune, enter your email address and the word the page asks for from the book. Your device remembers you after that.
How many devices can I use?
Up to five at a time with the same email address. On a new one, answer a question from the book again.
Do I need the internet?
For the interactive edition, yes: it plays in your web browser. The PDF and the paperback work anywhere.
Can I print the PDF?
Yes, for your own use. Each tune's sheet music and cheat sheet are separate PDFs in the interactive edition too.
Is it for beginners?
Yes. The first tunes need only a few notes and two or three chords, and the book builds from there. If you can tune your mandolin and hold a pick, you're ready.
Are the tunes free to play?
Yes. They are traditional or in the public domain. The mandolin versions, the tab, the text and the interactive edition are the author's.
What if it doesn't work for me?
If the PDF or the interactive edition doesn't work for you, write to us within 30 days of buying and we'll refund you in full. Paperbacks follow Amazon's returns.
How do I get in touch?
Write to support@howtoplaymandolin.com with any question about the book or your order.