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Introduction: Learn the intervals on a

How to learn intervals for Mandolin?

Intervals are the building blocks when playing a mandolin. Scales, chords and arpeggios are all assembled with intervals.

This is for any guitarist who wants to learn basics of music theory. Scales, chords and arpeggios are all intervals. By learning how intervals work, you can easily construct mandolin scales, create complex mandolin chords and play nicely sounding arpeggios. Continue reading and make it "click"!
Explore the different mandolin modes and tunings to see how intervals shape the sound and feel of your music. By focusing on intervals, you can improve your mandolin lessons and practice sessions. Make your journey as a guitarist rewarding.

The basics: all notes in music

In music we know these 12 notes:

CC♯DD♯EFF♯GG♯AA♯B
If we would number them, it looks like this:
123456789101112
We will use intervals to understand more about music theory on the mandolin

Let's look at a string on the mandolin, for example the first string. Notice that the note on 12th fret is same note as the open string (G). The difference is what we call an octave.

Congratulations, you have learned about the chromatic scale! The chromatic scale contains all 12 notes and is essential for understanding guitar scales and chords. It starts with a root note (which can be any starting note) and then uses all the other ascending notes in sequence. This scale is the basis for many other scales and modes you will see on the interactive fretboard website and in your guitar practice.

From notes to scales and chords

Scales are like note recipes for making music. From a starting note, scales follow a patterns to choose which notes sound good together. On Interactive Fretboard, you will discover that scales and chords are all patterns. We show it on the fretboard to help you understand music theory better. You'll recognize shapes and sequences.

Scales  Modes  Scale chords  Chord notes

What is the tuning per string on your mandolin?

The 4 strings on the mandolin are:

  • The 1st string is (closest to face)
  • The 2nd string is
  • The 3rd string is
  • The 4th string is (closest to ground)

How to tune your mandolin by ear?

Tuning your mandolin by ear is an essential skill for every guitarist. It helps you develop a better sense of pitch and improves your overall musical abilities. To get started, press the red buttons to hear the reference notes for each string. Listen carefully to the sound and adjust your mandolin strings until they match the pitch of the reference notes.

By tuning your mandolin by ear, you will become more familiar with the sound of each note and how they relate to each other on the fretboard. This practice will also help you understand mandolin intervals and improve your ability to play guitar scales and chords accurately.

Tune your mandolin, ensure that your instrument sounds its best. This makes your practice sessions more effective and makes it sound nicer :) Take your time, press the red buttons above, and tune your mandolin by ear. Can you achieve perfect pitch?

What are the notes on the

On the illustration below, you see the mandolin fretboard with only the "C" highlighted, assuming you're mandolin is tuned G-D-A-E.

012345678910111213

Select a note, to see the positions on the fretboard above. Notice what changes when you change the note a step up or down.

If you own a mandolin, try playing all the C-notes! Notice how the all sound similar even though some are in higher octaves. What is the highest sounding C-note you can find on the instrument?

Now let's talk about those intervals again. Pretend that "C" is the first number in the sequence of 1 to 12. We call this the key. In the following illustration you'll see this key-note highlighted.

You have learned where the notes on the fretboard are and how they relate to the chromatic scale in this tuning.
Next: Note overview