These files will guide you when practicing the chord changes for the Key of D. At a bluegrass or old-time jam, the jam leader will (or should) announce what key the song is to be played in. So how do you know what chords you should be playing? Here is a rule of thumb that will work about 95% of the time, when you are playing at that type of jam. Remembering your Mandolin Math:
1. You can always expect to play chords of the key that you're playing in. So if they tell you that it's in the Key of D, you will be playing some D chords.
2. Whatever key that you're playing in, count that letter as "1". If you're playing in the Key of D, that would make your "D" chord, #1.
3. From D, count to four. That means that "G" is your second chord.
4. From D, count to five. Since the scale ends at "G", that means that "A" will be your third chord.
To summarize, the majority of the chords that you will need to play, will be on the first, fourth and fifth note of the key (or scale) that you're playing in.
So: get familiar with changing chords, by using these exercises:
Note: there are at least three, and sometimes four, different ways to make a chord on a mandolin. That means that the "D" chord that is shown on your handout, is only one of several combinations you can use to make a "D" chord.