Learning mandolin chord shapes can seem tricky but an easy start is to focus on some of the basic chord shapes. In this series, I’m going to cover various chord shapes of a particular type.
In today’s review, we’ll look at the basic Minor triads. I mostly grouped these by which string the Root is on however, since minor chords have 3 notes (see below), in many shapes, the Root could be on 2 different strings. So, the grouping is a little loose.
What is a Minor Triad?
A triad is any three notes played together. A minor Triad is simply playing the 1 b3 and 5 of any key. So for a C Minor chord, that’d be C Eb and G. This is the basic building block of most minor chord variations including 7ths, 9ths, and more.
3 note vs 4 note Mandolin chord Shapes
In my diagrams I’ll mostly display 4 note chords, though I will chose the 3 note option in some cases. There are those that argue you only need to learn the 3 note chords. While you can certainly play just 3 note chords and be great, learning the 4 note variations gives you more bang for your buck. Understanding and knowing the 4 note variation allows you the flexibility to drop one note to get a 3 note variation – giving you a lot more options with less to memorize.
What’s the “starting fret”?
The shapes here are general moveable patterns – meaning there’s no specific starting fret. Simply find the root note on the fretboard and that will tell you what fret you should start on etc. Using a fretboard roadmap like this can help.
Shape names
I don’t know of any official naming of these shapes (aside from maybe “the Big Chop”). I do however enjoy making up my own names. Since I write the posts, you’ll have to deal with my silly names. On a side note, I think making up silly names for things can be a great way to remember them – and laugh about it. If you rename these, tell me what names you use! Enjoy.
Root on the G (and E) – Shape 1 – The Basic Minor
This is a pretty standard shape and certainly one I use very frequently as a full 4 note chord. However, there are times where playing the 3 note variation with the G D and A strings can be a good thing.
Generally fingers are:
G String – First
D String – First
A String – Middle
E String – Pinky
Root on the G (and A) – Shape 2 – The C Shape
While it’s possible to get the full 4 note chord here, I play this chord most often as a 3 note chord. Playing the variations with G D and A leaves out the 5th, so not as full of a sound, but can be great for descending bass lines in songs like Eleanor Rigby. The variation with D A and E strings is really useful as well.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Ring
D String – First
A String – Middle
E String – Middle
Root on the D (and E) – Shape 1 – The Big Minor Chop
I don’t often use this chord voicing honestly. It’s a bit of a stretch which can be difficult to hit accurately – especially at higher speeds. However, it can be a nice fit in certain progressions, so worth trying out.
The 3 note variation with the D A and E is basically the same Shape 2 Root on the G just moved up to the D or E as the root. There are times that I’ve used the 3 note variation with the G D and A strings – though it’s pretty infrequent. Generally, I’d only use that variation if the progression demanded it (like the next chord was easier to hit playing the G D and A strings for this or something).
Generally fingers are:
G String – Pinky
D String – Ring
A String – First
E String – Middle
Root on the D – Shape 2 – The Minor Bridge
I like this as a 4 note chord and use it a lot, but it’s great as a 3 note from the D A and E strings too. If you played the 3 note G D and A string, you’d technically only have a 5th chord, which isn’t technically a major or a minor chord – though it sounds a lot more major.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Right
D String – First
A String – First
E String – Middle
Root on the A- Shape 1 – The Inside Minor Chop
The full 4 note chord here can be useful, but typically I just play the three note variation using the G D and A strings. Playing the D A and E strings can be great too – especially for slower songs in my opinion.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Ring
D String – First
A String – Middle
E String – Middle
Root on the A – Shape 2 – The Long Outside Minor
While I don’t play this shape too often, it does come in handy from time to time. When I do play this shape, I usually play the full 4 note chord since it’s easy enough to bar the A and E strings – however playing the 3 note variation with G D and A strings is just fine too.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Pinky
D String – Ring
A String – First
E String – First
Root on the E- Shape 1 – The Long Inside Minor
This is basically the same chord as the Root on D Shape 2 above. While I also don’t play this shape too often, it also does come in handy from time to time. When I play this chord, I generally play the 3 note variation on the D A and E but I still get the full 4 note chord from time to time. Just depends on the song.
If you grew up with Dr. Dre in your life, you’ll also know this chord as the “Still Dre” chord (basically play this shape with the root on the 5th, then lower the b3rd 1 fret for the EmSus4)
Generally fingers are:
G String – Pinky
D String – Ring
A String – First
E String – First
Wrap Up
These mandolin chord shapes are a great easy way to start getting comfortable with mandolin chords. Aside from just memorizing the shapes, I strongly recommend you memorize the note function of each chord (i.e. where is the b3rd in the chord etc), the name of the note on each string, and how to spell chords. Longer term, this will pay off significantly.
A good way to learn these chords is through playing tunes. Just pick any song you like and try using these chords when appropriate. Use the chord diagrams above to create at least 2 variations of the progression – meaning you’ll use different voicings of each chord for each variation. Start with something simple like a I IV V song before moving to more complex tunes.
I hope this review helps! And remember – this is just the beginning, there’s so many other variations out there! Next we’ll be diving in to Dominant 7th (or just “7th”) chords.
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