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New! Tabs for Popular Fiddle Tunes:

"Blackberry Bossom"
"Living the Good Life"
"Whayasay"

Practice Exercises, Fiddle Tabs

The Bernhart Mandolin Webpages offer basic instruction, explore the history of the mandolin, buying and building mandolins, basic chord structures, the different styles of playing, the various makes and models of mandolins available on the market, and the "best of the web" on topics of interest to mandolinists.

Updated January 4, 2021

In Minnesota, Bruce Bernhart has been a mandolin player/enthusiast since the 1980's

Perpetual Motion Exercises- Courtesy Mandocafe.com

 D7      Ddim      C7      Cdim      Bb7     Bbdim     Ab7     Abdim 



--5-2---------1-4-|-3-0-----------2-|-1-------------0-|-----------------|

------5-3-2-5-----|-----3-1-0-3-6---|---5-1-----1-4---|-6-3---------2-5-|

------------------|-----------------|-------6-5-------|-----6-4-3-6-----|

------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|

                                      



<--the following six measures are the perpetual section-->



  Gb7     Gbdim     E7      Edim      D7        Ddim    C7      Cdim



------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

o-4-1---------0-3-|-2-------------1-|-0---------------|-----------------|

o-----4-2-1-4-----|---6-2-0---2-5---|---4-0-----0-3-6-|-5-2---------1-4-|

------------------|---------6-------|-------5-4-------|-----5-3-2-5-----|

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|

  2 1 3 2 1 3 0 2   1 4 1 0 4 1 3 1   0 2 0 3 2 0 2 4   3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3

                         

  Bb7     Bbdim     Ab7     Abdim



----------------0-|-----------------||

------1*----1-4---|-6-3---------2-5-o|

--3-0---6-5-------|-----6-4-3-6-----o|

------------------|-----------------||

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_| 

  3 0 1 4 3 1 3     4 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 <--recommended fingerings





* on this Bb we transition up an octave to complete the pattern.

  while there are a couple of spots where one could made a

  transition, this note followed an open string which made it a

  smooth change. 







  C#7     C#dim     B7      Bdim      A7      Adim      G7      Gdim 



--4-1---------0-3-|-2-------------1-|-0---------------|-----------------|

------4-2-1-4-----|---6-2-0---2-5---|---4-0-----0-3-6-|-5-2---------1-4-|

------------------|---------6-------|-------5-4-------|-----5-3-2-5-----|

------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|

                                      



<--the following six measures are the perpetual section-->



  F7      Fdim      D#7      D#dim    C#7     C#dim     B7      Bdim



------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

o-3-0-----------2-|-1-------------0-|-----------------|-----------------|

o-----3-1-0-3-6---|---5-1-----1-4---|-6-3---------2-5-|-4-1---------0-3-|

------------------|-------6-5-------|-----6-4-3-6-----|-----4-2-1-4-----|

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_|

  2 0 2 1 0 2 4 2   1 3 1 4 3 1 3 0   4 2 4 3 2 4 1 3   2 1 3 2 1 3 0 2

                         

  A7      Adim      G7      Gdim



------------------|-----------------||

------------0-3-6-|-5-2---------1-4-o|

--2-------4*------|-----5-3-2-5-----o|

----6-2-0---------|-----------------||

  |_|_|_| |_|_|_|   |_|_|_| |_|_|_| 

  1 4 1 4 2 0 2 4   3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 <--recommended fingerings



* on this F# we transition up an octave to complete the pattern.

These exercises are also available in the ABC format. These were prepared by mandolinist Rodney Freeland. Thanks, Rodney, for this excellent series!