Best Mandolins Books of 2025

Wilson Cook Avatar
Wilson Cook
Last Updated: Apr 24, 2023

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Mandolins Books is a reputable online store that offers a wide range of mandolin-related literature. From beginner's guides to advanced technique manuals, their selection of books is perfect for anyone looking to improve their mandolin skills. They also offer sheet music and songbooks, featuring a variety of genres and styles. Whether you're a classical music enthusiast or a bluegrass fan, Mandolins Books has something for everyone. With their user-friendly website and excellent customer service, shopping for mandolin books has never been easier.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

Campfire Songs - Strum Together Cover #TOP 1
Campfire Songs - Strum Together
ftb score rating icon 9.9
Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access) Cover #TOP 2
Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access)
ftb score rating icon 9.8
How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days: Daily Lessons for Absolute Beginners (Play Music in 14 Days) Cover #TOP 3
How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days: Daily Lessons for Absolute Beginners (Play Music in 14 Days)
ftb score rating icon 9.6

Top 10 Mandolins Books

Campfire Songs - Strum Together

Phillips, Mark
Hal Leonard
Jun 1, 2019
Campfire Songs - Strum Together Cover
Campfire Songs - Strum Together

Campfire Songs - Strum Together is a fantastic book for anyone who loves music and wants to enjoy it with friends. The Strum Together series is designed to enable players of five different instruments to "strum together" on 70 great songs. The book includes melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams for standard ukulele, baritone ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. It's a perfect collection for campfire fun and includes popular tunes such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "Hey Jude," and "Sweet Caroline." The book is published by Hal Leonard LLC, which has become the world's largest source of music performance and instructional materials. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for musicians of all levels and a must-have for anyone who loves playing music with friends.

Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access)

Casey, Bert
Jan 5, 2018
Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access) Cover
Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access)

The Mandolin Primer Book for Beginners (Video & Audio Access) by Bert Casey is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn bluegrass mandolin. With over 90 minutes of HD video instruction, the course covers everything from scales to playing rhythm with the mandolin "chop". The large on-screen tablature with a moving pointer makes it easy to follow along. The unique practice tool that plays full-length versions of all the songs at different speeds is a great way to transition from playing alone to jamming with others. Overall, this book is a must-have for anyone looking to become a proficient mandolinist.

How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days: Daily Lessons for Absolute Beginners (Play Music in 14 Days)

Scroggins, Tristan
Nelson, Troy
Jul 28, 2021
How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days: Daily Lessons for Absolute Beginners (Play Music in 14 Days) Cover
How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days: Daily Lessons for Absolute Beginners (Play Music in 14 Days)

If you're an absolute beginner looking to learn how to play the mandolin, then How to Play Mandolin in 14 Days is the perfect book for you. Tristan Scroggins, a GRAMMY-nominated mandolin player, has created a practical, step-by-step guide that teaches essential elements needed to get started as a mandolin player in just two weeks. The book includes chord diagrams and easy-to-use mandolin tab, making it easy for anyone to learn without any prior music reading experience. It covers everything from right-hand and left-hand techniques to essential strum patterns and major and minor chords. The book also includes rhythm tabs and chord frames for all songs, melodies, and music exercises to speed up the learning process. Overall, this beginner mandolin book is innovative, easy to follow, and an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn how to play the mandolin.

First 50 Songs You Should Play on Mandolin

Sokolow, Fred
Hal Leonard
Jun 1, 2016
First 50 Songs You Should Play on Mandolin Cover
First 50 Songs You Should Play on Mandolin

This book is a must-have for mandolin beginners who want to play popular songs. The book contains 50 accessible favorites with a combination of tab, chords, and lyrics. The songs include classics such as "Amazing Grace," "I Walk the Line," "Yesterday," and "Your Cheatin' Heart." The book also features songs from different genres, including country, folk, and rock. The Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation did an excellent job in compiling this collection, making it a valuable resource for any mandolin player looking to expand their repertoire.

#TOP 5

Mandolin Chord Finder: Easy-to-Use Guide to Over 1,000 Mandolin Chords

Johnson, Chad
Hal Leonard
Jan 1, 2003
Mandolin Chord Finder: Easy-to-Use Guide to Over 1,000 Mandolin Chords Cover
Mandolin Chord Finder: Easy-to-Use Guide to Over 1,000 Mandolin Chords

The Hal Leonard Mandolin Chord Finder is an excellent resource for any mandolin player looking to expand their knowledge of chords. With over 1,000 chord diagrams for 28 chord types, this book provides a comprehensive guide to chord construction. Additionally, it includes a fingerboard chart of the mandolin neck, making it easy for players to visualize and apply the chords they learn. What sets this book apart is its user-friendly layout and organization, making it easy for players of all levels to navigate and understand. Overall, the Hal Leonard Mandolin Chord Finder is a valuable tool for any mandolin player looking to improve their skills and expand their repertoire.

The Hal Leonard Mandolin Method Book: Only for Beginners Music and Tablature

DelGrosso, Rich
Hal Leonard
Feb 1, 1986
The Hal Leonard Mandolin Method Book: Only for Beginners Music and Tablature Cover
The Hal Leonard Mandolin Method Book: Only for Beginners Music and Tablature

The Hal Leonard Mandolin Method Book is an excellent resource for beginners who want to learn how to play the mandolin. It includes step-by-step instructions, tips on buying instruments, mandolin anatomy, tuning instructions, fundamentals of music reading, single-note picking, bluegrass chops, doublestops, tremolo picking, drones, and a variety of songs. The book is easy to use and includes many fun songs of different styles. It is a comprehensive guide that will enable anyone to play the mandolin in no time. Overall, this book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn how to play the mandolin.

#TOP 7

Mandolin For Dummies

Julin, Don
For Dummies
Oct 9, 2020
Mandolin For Dummies Cover
Mandolin For Dummies

Mandolin For Dummies is an excellent guide for anyone interested in learning to play the mandolin or expanding their skills. The book covers the history and fundamentals of the instrument, and includes helpful photos and diagrams to guide readers. Accomplished composer and performer Don Julin breaks down popular musical styles, including bluegrass, blues, jazz, and old-time, and provides downloadable exercises to practice along with. This book is a comprehensive resource for beginners and experienced players alike, and is a must-have for anyone looking to master the mandolin.

Gospel Songs & Hymns - Strum Together: 70 Songs with Lyrics, Melody Lines, and Chord Frames for Standard Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo

Phillips, Mark
Hal Leonard
Jun 1, 2021
Gospel Songs & Hymns - Strum Together: 70 Songs with Lyrics, Melody Lines, and Chord Frames for Standard Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo Cover
Gospel Songs & Hymns - Strum Together: 70 Songs with Lyrics, Melody Lines, and Chord Frames for Standard Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo

The "Gospel Songs & Hymns - Strum Together" book is a fantastic collection of 70 gospel/hymn favorites that enables players of five different instruments to "strum together." The book features melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams for standard ukulele, baritone ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. The author, Hal Leonard LLC, is the world's largest source of music performance and instructional materials. This book is an excellent addition to any Christian hymn lover's collection, and its unique format makes it easy for players of different instruments to play together.

Americana Classics - Strum Together: for Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Banjo & Mandolin

Gross, Marty
Hal Leonard
Aug 1, 2014
Americana Classics - Strum Together: for Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Banjo & Mandolin Cover
Americana Classics - Strum Together: for Ukulele, Baritone Ukulele, Guitar, Banjo & Mandolin

This book, Americana Classics - Strum Together, is a must-have for music enthusiasts who play the ukulele, baritone ukulele, guitar, banjo, or mandolin. It features 68 classic Americana standards and traditional folksongs, including "This Land Is Your Land," "Gentle on My Mind," and "Take Me Home, Country Roads." The Strum Together series is an excellent resource for players of multiple instruments to jam together. The book contains melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams for each instrument, making it easy to follow along. Hal Leonard LLC, the world's largest source of music performance and instructional materials, published the book. It is a great addition to any musician's collection.

#TOP 10

Bluegrass Mandolin for the Complete Ignoramus! (Book & Online Audio)

Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Music
Jun 7, 2008
Bluegrass Mandolin for the Complete Ignoramus! (Book & Online Audio) Cover
Bluegrass Mandolin for the Complete Ignoramus! (Book & Online Audio)

The "Bluegrass Mandolin for the Complete Ignoramus!" book by Wayne Erbsen is a great resource for those who want to learn to play bluegrass music on the mandolin. The book provides a simple approach to playing the melody, and then progresses to improvisation with several rhythms. The online audio that comes with the book provides an additional learning tool. The author also covers topics such as tuning, holding the mandolin, and reading tablature. The book has received high praise from personal testimonies and is highly recommended for beginners. Overall, the book is a fun and effective way to learn bluegrass mandolin.

Buying Guide Image

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the mandolin easy to play?

It is relatively easy The mandolin is an easy instrument to learn. Because it has fewer strings compared to many other stringed instruments such as the guitar and violin, reading tablature is definitely a lot easier.

2. Do mandolins play chords?

The mandolin is the same as all other fretted instruments in that there are certain keys and open chords which lend themselves easier than others, due to the tuning of the instrument. As such, let's choose the key of G Major as our starting point.

Editor's Notes

During our mandolins book research, we found 844 mandolins book products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 6,271 customer reviews through our big data system to write the mandolins books list. We found that most customers choose mandolins books with an average price of $15.14.

Written by
Wilson Cook Avatar

Wilson Cook is a talented writer who has an MFA in creative writing from Williams College and has published more than 50 books acquired by hundreds of thousands of people from various countries by now. He is an inveterate reading lover as he has read a vast amount of books since childhood.