How to Read Mandolin Music

Learning to read mandolin tab can help you communicate with other mandolin players.

While music for the mandolin can be written on a treble clef in standard music notation, it doesn't look any different from standard notation written for any other instrument. Many mandolin players prefer reading and writing mandolin music in a system called tablature (tab), which is a form of notation used primarily by stringed instrument players. Tab for the mandolin consists of a four-line graph that represents the strings of the mandolin, along with numbers representing frets. Learning to read mandolin tab can help you communicate with other mandolin players without knowing standard music notation.

Things You'll Need

• Mandolin tablature

Instructions

1. Select a piece of mandolin music written in tablature. You'll see four lines drawn horizontally. The top line represents the thinnest string (E) on the mandolin. The next line represents the A string, the line after that represents the D string and the final line represents the G string.

2. Look for numbers written consecutively on these lines. The numbers represent frets on your mandolin. Combine the fret number with the line of the tab graph it is written on to see which string the note should be played on. For example, a "3" on the second line from the top of the graph tells you to play the third fret on the second string.

3. Read mandolin chords in one of two ways. If you see numbers stacked on the graph, the notes indicate a chord and should all be played simultaneously, as opposed to numbers written consecutively. You can also look for letters written above the tab graph, representing chord names. The tab notation tells you in exactly what position to play a chord. On the other hand, the chord names simply tell you which chord to play. Where you play it is up to you; however, sometimes the letter is accompanied by a chord diagram that shows where on the mandolin to place your fingers to shape the chord.

4. Read picking and plucking instructions (these are a frequent notation in mandolin tablature because of the technique frequently employed with playing mandolin) by reading the lowercase letters beneath the tab graph. A small "u" means you should pick or pluck upward on the strings, from thinnest to thickest, and a small "d" tells you to pick or pluck in a downward motion.

References

• College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University: How to Read Mandolin Tablature
• Folk of the Wood: How to Read and Understand Tablature for Mandolin