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Step 1
Understand the different notes and chords involved with playing the mandolin. This should be done with online assistance (such as Projects and Hobbies, which offers a printable Mandolin neck with notes and chords marked on it), a book about mandolin playing or with a music class. Once you have down the basic notes and chords you are ready to put them together to make music.
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Step 2
Start on the A string. Play the first fret with one pluck and the second fret with three plucks. Next play an open A followed by three plucks on the fifth fret of the D string. Practice this a couple of times through before adding the next part.
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Step 3
Play the first fret of A with one pluck, then the second fret of A with three plucks. Play open D with one pluck and then an open D with two plucks. Now we are going to go the first fret of A and repeat the sequence with a slightly different ending.
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Step 4
Pluck one time the first fret of A followed by three times on the second fret. Then, open A with three plucks on the fifth fret of D and open D once followed by the second fret of D once, the fourth fret of D once and open fret of D once and then the fifth fret of D once. Play the last fifth fret of D twice more. Play the fifth fret of D the last note one time.
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Step 5
Practice to get all the notes under your fingers and to understand the notes. Break it down as small as you need and practice the individual pieces until you are comfortable with them, then move on to the next portion. Do this, putting together the two pieces before moving on to another section.
