Music Theory for Mandolin

The Absolute Basics

If you’re new to music theory, you should start with the basics. That’s exactly where this article begins – with the absolute basics of music theory.

The Major Scale

Essentially, the Major Scale is the most important scale in western music. Learn how to easily construct the major scale in every key.

The Minor Scale

The minor scale is said to have a sad, melancholy, or haunting sound. I’ll show you a few different ways to explore this scale, and take a look at some of the terminology.

Chord Theory for Mandolin

Chord Theory – the Triad

In music theory, 3 notes played at the same time (in chorus) is a basic chord. This group of 3 notes is called a triad. The smallest possible “true” chord is the triad.

The Major Chord (1-3-5)

The numbers you see in parentheses after the title above (1 – 3 – 5), indicate the spelling, or formula used to build a major triad. The formula is based on the Major Scale.

The Minor Chord (1-b3-5)

Minor chords can be built from the Major Scale using the 1st (root), the flatted 3rd (b3) and the 5th. That’s our formula for a minor triad: 1 – b3 – 5.

The Augmented Chord (1-3-#5)

The numbers you see in parentheses after the title above (1–3–#5), indicate the spelling, or formula used to build an augmented triad. The formula is based on the Major Scale.