“I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.
“I started playing the mandolin a little over two years ago. I played the piano as a child, but having never played a stringed instrument before, my intention was to study as much as I could about technique, theory, improvisation and the various genres of music for the mandolin.
To that end, I have taken nearly every course Matt has offered, even three at a time! Matt is a brilliant teacher. Every course is deep and rich with information. The material is thoughtfully explained, allowing a student to slowly transform the class material into music. I can’t imagine this journey without Matt Flinner. His courses are a true life changing musical experience!”—Lisa S.
Register for American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See the Swing Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/3-12/3)
See the Bebop Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/4-12/3)
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is excited to offer a new course exploring the many sounds of early 20th Century mandolin styles from (mostly) rural America. Blues, ragtime, Dixieland, old-time and early swing will be explored in this course, and we’ll look at the common threads between these styles as well as the differences. Two tunes will be given each week for students to choose from, along with exercises to help students improve their technique, learn the fretboard and gain tools for playing lead and rhythm in the various styles.
The course is intended for intermediate students, or for students simply interested in expanding their musical horizons!
Classes meet online on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. The week of November 23 will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Eight class sessions and eight practice sessions will be held over the course of nine weeks.
Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (10/5)
Blues
Picking exercise I
Blues rhythm patterns
Seventh chords
Blue notes and licks
Stack-o-Lee
Cypress Grove Blues
WEEK 2 (10/12)
Blues and the Carter Family
Picking Exercise II
Double stops I
Mixing lead and rhythm
Coal Miner’s Blues
It’s a Long Road to Travel Alone
WEEK 3 (10/19)
Jimmie Rodgers
Some more complex chord progressions
Chord inversions
Hitting important notes in solos
Miss the Mississippi and You
Train Whistle Blues
WEEK 4 (10/26)
Blues with a bit more
Double stops II
Some more blues licks
Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues
Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad
WEEK 5 (11/2)
Some rag progressions
Picking exercise III
Rhythm exercise I
More melodic lines
Skeedie Lou Doo Blues
Travelin’ Man
WEEK 6 (11/9)
String band blues
Double stops in rhythm playing
Mixing lead and rhythm II
Sittin’ on Top of the World
Blues in a Bottle
WEEK 7 (11/16)
Dixieland & early swing
Picking Exercise IV
A few melodic runs
Chromatic melody exercise
West End Blues
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
WEEK 8 (11/30)
Bringing various styles together
Soloing in blues, swing and Appalachian styles
Comparing rhythm in blues, swing and Appalachian styles
My Creole Belle
Some of These Days
The course fee is $225.
Register for American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner