What is a Mandolin Chord?

A chord is a combination of three (or more) notes.

According to the above definition, the minimum requirement for a sound to be named “chord”, is to include three notes that are played simultaneously. This definition is valid for any instrument, from the mandolin to the violin and the piano.

Focusing on the mandolin, to play a chord you need to use at least three different but adjacent string pairs, as you can not play two notes on the same string (at least the last time I checked, ha).

Now, to play a mandolin chord you may have to use all four fingers of the left hand and this is a 4-finger or “difficult” chord. Here is an example:

You may also get lucky and use less fingers and this becomes an “easy” chord. Here is an example of an easy C major mandolin chord (1st inversion):

But are there any exceptions or variations to this defintion? Of course! Here you are: