120 Mandolin Chords for Every Song: Major, Minor & MoreLearning a broad palette of chords on the mandolin opens the door to playing nearly any song, arranging parts, and adding color to your rhythm and lead work. This article gives a clear, practical guide to 120 mandolin chords — how they’re organized, how to read chord diagrams, useful voicings for different musical contexts, and practice strategies to internalize them. Along the way you’ll find chord charts, progressions, and tips for transposing and creating smooth chord changes.
Why 120 chords?
120 chords isn’t just a round number — it’s a useful, comprehensive set that covers:
- major, minor, and dominant seventh shapes in all keys;
- extended and altered chords (6, maj7, m7, 9, sus2/sus4);
- common variations and inversions suited to mandolin tuning (G-D-A-E);
- movable shapes that let you play the same chord quality up and down the neck.
With this collection you’ll be able to play:
- standard folk, bluegrass, and classical accompaniments;
- jazz and pop voicings for fuller harmony;
- compact, playable grips that fit the mandolin’s small fretboard.
Mandolin tuning and chord basics
Mandolins are typically tuned G3–D4–A4–E5 (same intervals as a violin). This tuning makes many chord shapes movable — once you learn a fingering, you can shift it up or down to change the root. Because the instrument has eight strings in four pairs (courses) and a short scale length, voicings are often compact and bright.
Key points:
- Use 1-index, 2-middle, 3-ring, 4-pinky finger numbering.
- A barre across paired strings counts for both strings in a course.
- Common chord families: major, minor, dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th, sixth, ninth, suspended, diminished, augmented, and various inversions.
How to read the chord charts used here
Each chord diagram shows four vertical lines (strings: G-D-A-E left-to-right) and horizontal frets. X means muted; 0 is open string. Fingering numbers are placed on the dots. If a shape is movable, its root and recommended finger to shift from are noted.
Core set: Major and minor triads (24 shapes)
These are the backbone — 12 major and 12 minor chords across keys. For each key you’ll find:
- open-friendly voicing (when possible);
- a movable closed shape for use higher on the neck.
Examples (showing root position plus common movable shape):
- C major: X-3-0-1 (alternative movable: 5-7-7-5)
- G major: 0-0-2-3 (movable: 2-0-0-0 with root on G)
- A minor: X-0-2-2 (movable: 5-7-7-5 with m quality)
Practice tip: learn one major and its relative minor (e.g., C and A minor) together to hear shared notes.
Dominant and seventh family (24 shapes)
Dominant chords and sevenths add tension and motion — essential for blues, jazz, bluegrass, and many pop songs. For each key include:
- Dominant 7 (7)
- Major 7 (maj7)
- Minor 7 (m7)
- Dominant 9 (9) where practical
Examples:
- D7: 0-0-2-1 or movable 5-4-5-5
- E7: 1-0-2-0 or movable 7-6-7-7
- Gmaj7: 0-0-0-2 (open) or movable 4-4-4-7
Practice tip: work ii–V–I motions in different keys (m7 → 7 → maj7) to internalize voice-leading.
Extended & color chords (24 shapes)
These chords add color: 6, add9, sus2, sus4, and various inversions. They’re handy in arrangements where you want less dominant tension and more open color.
Common examples:
- C6: X-2-2-2
- Am(add9): X-0-2-4
- Dsus2: 0-0-2-0
- Gadd9: 0-2-0-0
Use them to freshen repeated progressions or create a modern sound in folk/pop songs.
Diminished, augmented & altered shapes (12 shapes)
For transitional or chromatic movement, include:
- dim7 (fully diminished seventh)
- half-diminished (m7b5)
- augmented triads
- altered dominant shapes (b9, #9) where playable
Examples:
- Bdim7: X-2-3-2
- Aaug: X-3-3-2
These are used sparingly for punctuation; learn them as shortcuts between diatonic chords.
Inversions & movable voicings (12 shapes)
Inversions keep common tones and produce smooth transitions. On mandolin, many voicings are similar; practice root, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion shapes for major and minor triads across the neck.
Examples:
- Root C: X-3-0-1
- 1st inv (E in bass): X-7-5-5
- 2nd inv (G in bass): X-10-9-10
Practice plan to internalize 120 chords (8-week outline)
Week 1–2: Major/minor triads — 6 keys per week; practice three shapes per chord (open, movable, inversion).
Week 3–4: Sevenths family — learn common 7, maj7, m7 shapes in all keys; practice ii–V–I patterns.
Week 5: Extended colors — add 6, add9, sus chords; swap them into familiar songs.
Week 6: Diminished/augmented/altered — small set focused on transitions and fills.
Week 7: Inversions and voice-leading — practice moving between inversions for smooth changes.
Week 8: Application — learn five songs that use wide chord vocabulary; transpose them to new keys.
Daily routine (20–30 minutes):
- Warm-up: single-note scales (5 min)
- Chord changes: move between two chords for 10 min (use metronome)
- New shapes: study 3–5 new chord shapes (10 min)
- Song/application: play through a song using new shapes (5–10 min)
Common chord progressions and how to use these shapes
- I–IV–V: use full open voicings for bright accompaniment (e.g., G–C–D)
- vi–IV–I–V: pop progression — use add9 or sus variants for color
- ii–V–I: use m7 → 7 → maj7 shapes with voice-leading for jazzier sound
- I–vi–IV–V: classic Americana — swap in inversions for smoother bass movement
Transposition tips
Because mandolin chord shapes are largely movable, to transpose:
- Identify the movable shape and its root note (open shapes anchored to open strings can’t move).
- Slide the shape up/down the neck by the required semitones.
- Check highest string tension and playability; prefer shapes within frets 0–12 for comfort.
Quick trick: use a capo (on mandolin) to keep open voicings while changing key.
Fingerings, muting, and tone control
- Use light barre technique for double-course strings to avoid choking the tone.
- When muting, use thumb or palm near the nut to stop sympathetic ringing.
- Experiment with pick angle and attack for brighter vs. warmer tones.
Example chord chart (selected chords)
C — X-3-0-1
Cm — X-3-3-1
C7 — X-3-2-1
Cmaj7 — X-3-4-5
C6 — X-2-2-2
G — 0-0-2-3
Gm — X-5-5-3 (movable)
G7 — 0-0-2-1
Gmaj7 — 0-0-0-2
D — 0-0-2-2
Dm — 0-0-2-1
D7 — 0-0-2-1
Dadd9 — 0-4-2-0
(For a full printable chart, arrange these shapes visually with fretboard diagrams.)
Applying the 120-chord set to real songs
Pick songs from different genres to force stylistic flexibility:
- Folk: “House of the Rising Sun” — use open triads and sus chords.
- Bluegrass: “Blue Moon of Kentucky” — bright majors and quick dominant turns.
- Pop: “Let It Be” — use add9 and inversion substitutions.
- Jazz standard: practice ii–V–I in all keys using m7/7/maj7 shapes.
When arranging, choose sparser voicings for busy ensembles and fuller chords for solo accompaniment.
Troubleshooting common problems
- Muddy sound: ensure clean contact across each course; retune octave pairs if needed.
- Fingers slipping on paired strings: flatten finger slightly to cover both strings equally or use partial-barre technique.
- Chords hard to reach: find alternative voicings or transpose to friendlier key.
Quick reference: practice exercises
- Cycle all 12 major chords using a single movable shape — play quarter notes around the circle of fifths.
- ii–V–I in every key — slow, then faster with a metronome.
- Play a familiar song and replace each chord with an add9 or sus variant.
- Chromatic passing chords — insert a diminished chord between two diatonic chords.
Final notes
Building fluency with 120 mandolin chords takes structured practice and listening. Focus on a few new shapes each week, always applying them to songs or progressions. Over time those shapes become vocabulary — like words in a language — letting you express more complex and nuanced musical ideas.
If you want, I can generate printable fretboard diagrams for all 120 chords, a downloadable PDF practice chart, or a week-by-week daily lesson plan tailored to your current level.