Bluegrass is all about being a team player, and no instrument makes that more apparent than the mandolin. As a mandolin player, you’ll act as the rhythmic glue holding the rest of your band together with your tactful and precise strumming. Whether you’re playing some easy mandolin songs or something a little more complex, you’re going to have to familiarize yourself with chop chords to really excel in your playing. 

ArtistWorks mandolin master Mike Marshall breaks down this all-important technique in the video below. 

Mike explains that these mandolin chords are a driving force in bluegrass music. “The mandolin in a bluegrass band functions like a snare drum in a rock n’ roll or a country band,” he states. “It’s often playing rhythm, you spend most of your time playing rhythm in fact, and you have a break maybe once in each song.” Check out Mike’s full lesson in the video below.

Want to join in on all the mandolin action? Sign up for online music lessons right here at ArtistWorks and get picking right alongside Mike Marshall. He covers everything from the basics like mandolin tuning and mandolin scales to masterful soloing, at your own pace. You can even sign up for free mandolin lessons and see what the hype is all about!