7 Mandolin Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

When Don Julin first embraced the mandolin, he recognized its rich versatility and cultural depth, which he shares extensively in this book. You’ll learn not only the technical skills of fretting, picking, and strumming but also gain insight into the instrument’s role across genres like bluegrass, jazz, and folk. Detailed photos and diagrams guide you through hand positioning and maintenance essentials, while downloadable exercises help bridge theory and practice. This book suits newcomers eager to pick up the mandolin and experienced players expanding their stylistic range, providing a solid foundation alongside creative inspiration.

After analyzing his extensive experience and musical heritage, Tristan Scroggins developed this approachable guide tailored for absolute beginners eager to learn mandolin quickly. The book teaches you fundamental techniques such as double stops, tremolo picking, and essential strum patterns, all without requiring music reading skills. You’ll find songs and exercises presented through chord diagrams and mandolin tablature, making practice accessible and engaging. Whether you’re an adult or a child starting fresh, this book offers a clear path to playing recognizable tunes like "Angeline the Baker" within a focused 14-day timeframe, making it ideal for those wanting a structured yet manageable introduction to the mandolin.

This personalized AI book on mandolin mastery explores a tailored journey through technique development and repertoire expansion that matches your unique background and goals. It examines foundational skills such as picking and fretting, while also diving into diverse musical styles and nuanced playing approaches relevant to your interests. The content reveals ways to build your repertoire methodically, focusing on pieces and exercises that resonate with your personal musical path. By blending expert knowledge with your specific skill level and musical preferences, this book provides a customized learning experience that encourages steady progress and deepens your expressive capability on the mandolin.

Dix Bruce is a well-established music educator whose passion for early string music shines through in this collection of 34 pieces spanning the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. You’ll find carefully arranged mandolin tunes that capture the distinctive character of these periods, supported by standard notation, tablature, and chord accompaniments—making it ideal if you’re looking to deepen your repertoire beyond modern styles. Notably, the inclusion of online audio recordings allows you to hear the pieces performed, which helps bridge the gap between written music and sound. Whether you’re an intermediate or advanced player, this book offers a focused dive into historical mandolin music that can enrich your technique and stylistic understanding.

What started as a deep dive into blues music led Brent C Robitaille, a seasoned musician and composer, to develop this extensive collection tailored for mandolin enthusiasts. You’ll find 101 blues riffs and solos that span multiple keys and styles, from the basic 40 stylistic riffs to intricate 12-bar blues solos, making it a solid resource to sharpen your blues mandolin skills. The book doesn’t just stop at riffs; it also explores scales, arpeggios, chords, and progressions, providing a comprehensive toolkit for jamming confidently across genres like country, rock, and jazz. If you’re aiming to elevate your mandolin playing specifically in blues contexts, this book lays out the building blocks clearly and methodically.

Hal Leonard, a respected publisher with a long history in music education, compiled this collection to support mandolin players seeking a broad repertoire. You gain access to 300 songs spanning various genres, arranged in a way that emphasizes chord charts and melody lines suitable for improvisation and accompaniment. This book equips you with an extensive songbook that is especially helpful for gigging musicians or those wanting to expand their setlists without hunting down individual sheet music. If you're aiming to build versatility and confidence in diverse styles on the mandolin, this collection offers a solid foundation.

This tailored mandolin book offers a vibrant pathway to accelerate your playing through focused daily lessons crafted specifically for your skill level and goals. It explores essential techniques, rhythm patterns, and musical styles that align with your interests, enabling steady progress in just 30 days. By synthesizing expert knowledge with your unique background, it reveals practice sequences and exercises designed to deepen your understanding and improve dexterity. This personalized approach ensures you engage with material that matches your pace and musical preferences, making your mandolin journey both efficient and inspiring.

Rich DelGrosso brings a wealth of experience as a mandolin instructor to this second volume, crafted for those advancing beyond the basics. You’ll explore a variety of musical styles, from blues to Celtic, through engaging exercises that cover modes, scales, and time signatures. The book also dives into transposing and fretboard positions, helping you understand the instrument more deeply. If you’re ready to develop your solo and duet skills while expanding your stylistic range, this method offers a clear path forward without overwhelming you.

Harvey Reid's decades of experience as a seasoned musician and author specializing in string instruments culminate in this detailed exploration of octave mandolin chords. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the G-D-A-E tuning system, with the entire fingerboard mapped out for every chord, including note names and scale degrees. The book covers open and closed-position chords, playable voicings, and even partial capo configurations, offering fresh ideas for your playing. If you're looking to deepen your mastery of octave mandolin or Irish bouzouki, this book serves as a precise guide to the instrument’s harmonic possibilities, though beginners might find the depth more suited to intermediate or advanced players.