Lesson
How to play mandolin: a beginner's roadmap
New to the mandolin? Here’s the whole journey in one page, so you always know what to work on next. Everything below gets its own detailed lesson.
Week 1 — get comfortable
- Tune up. The strings are G–D–A–E, low to high, in doubled pairs (“courses”). Use a clip-on tuner and tune every time you play.
- Hold the pick between the pad of your thumb and the side of your index finger. Relaxed grip — the pick should almost be able to slip.
- Play open strings with down-strokes until the motion feels small and even.
Weeks 2–3 — first chords
Start with the two-finger versions of G, C, and D — with those three you can play hundreds of songs. Our chord chart shows every shape by key.
- Practice switching G → C → D slowly. Smooth beats fast.
- Strum a simple down-down-up pattern while switching.
Weeks 4–6 — first melody
Fiddle tunes are the mandolin’s home turf, and they’re built from scales. Learn the G major scale across two strings, then pick an easy tune and learn it slowly.
The fastest way to learn melodies is following tab that moves with the music, so you can hear and see each note as it happens — that’s exactly what Play Like a Natural was built for. Pick a Beginner-level tune and play along at 70% speed.
The habit that makes it all work
Ten minutes a day, every day. A kitchen-timer practice session beats a marathon weekend one, every single week.