Introduction 1
Part I: Being Bitten By the Mandolin Bug 7
Chapter 1: Becoming Acquainted with Your Mandolin 9
Chapter 2: Getting to Grips with Tuning and Terminology 21
Chapter 3: Getting a Handle on Your Mandolin 29
Part II: Starting to Play the Mandolin 37
Chapter 4: Making Music on the Mandolin 39
Chapter 5: Picking with the Right Hand 65
Chapter 6: Fretting Notes and Chords with the Left Hand 93
Chapter 7: Playing 'Jethro'-Style Three-String Chords 115
Chapter 8: Playing Mandolin Music: Scales and Melody 129
Part III: Putting Playing Styles into Practice 153
Chapter 9: Playing Music from Yesteryear: Old Time, Rags and Blues 155
Chapter 10: Giving your Mandolin a Speedy Workout: Bluegrass 187
Chapter 11: Travelling to the Emerald Isle: Irish Mandolin 209
Chapter 12: Taking a Quick World Tour 225
Chapter 13: Swinging to Those Jazzy Rhythms 241
Chapter 14: Blending Styles: Dawg Music 265
Part IV: Purchasing and Caring For Your Mandolin 275
Chapter 15: Selecting and Buying a Mandolin 277
Chapter 16: Building Your Accessories Kit 291
Chapter 17: All Change: Replacing Your Mandolin's Strings 301
Chapter 18: Caring For and Repairing Your Mandolin 311
Part V: The Part of Tens 321
Chapter 19: Ten (or so) Tips on Becoming a Good Mandolin Player 323
Chapter 20: Ten Mandolin Players You Need To Know 329
Chapter 21: Ten Ways of Tapping Into the Mandolin Subculture 335
Part VI: Appendixes 341
Appendix A: Chord Charts 343
Appendix B: Reading Standard Musical Notation 347
Appendix C: Audio Tracks 359
Index 365
