--For dummies

Includes index

Becoming acquainted with your mandolin -- Getting to grips with tuning and terminology -- Getting a handle on your mandolin -- Making music on the mandolin -- Picking with the right hand -- Fretting notes and chords with the left hand -- Playing "Jethro"-style three-string chords -- Playing mandolin music -- Playing music from yesteryear -- Giving your mandolin a speedy workout -- Travelling to the Emerald Isle -- Taking a quick world tour -- Swinging to those jazzy rhythms -- Blending styles -- Selecting and buying a mandolin -- Building your accessories kit -- All change -- Caring for and repairing your mandolin -- Ten (or so) tips on becoming a good mandolin player -- Ten mandolin players you need to know -- Ten ways of tapping into the mandolin subculture

The mandolin has been enriching western music with its distinctive voice for nearly three centuries. Master the basics in no time and learn to play everything from blues and bluegrass to jazz and classical