New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/26-5/31)
By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 8:32 PM
“I have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps. The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin. Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it.”—Steve F.
“I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based of the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.
Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Register here for the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/24)
See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/25-5/31)
“New Acoustic” music has come a long way since it first started up some 50 years ago. What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber music and more. We’ll explore this modern frontier of music and give students many of the tools they’ll need to play the tunes as well as improvise and play backup in new ways with new rhythms. Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).
This course runs from April 5 to June 11. Classes take place on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to), and follow-up practice sessions take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. While it is recommended, students do not need to be present for the live sessions, as all sessions are recorded and available to view by the following day. Students may also download all class sessions and watch them offline at their convenience.
This course is recommended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.
The course fee is $225. Register by February 23rd for just $175! Register here.
WEEK 1 (3/26)
New Acoustic Fiddle Tunes
Slightly more complex chord progressions
Variations using octaves and chord tones
Major scale exercises
Picking Exercise I
Through the Gates
Eye of the Hurricane
WEEK 2 (4/9)
Basic 4-note Major 7, Dominant 7 and Minor 7 chord forms
Some David Grisman rhythms and licks
A few blues ideas
Sea of Cortez
Dysentery Stomp
WEEK 3 (4/23)
Some jazz waltzes
Rhythmic patterns in the jazz waltz
Using chord tones
Some positions up the neck
Old Gray Coat
Moses Sole
WEEK 4 (4/30)
Tunes in minor keys
Mixolydian and Dorian modes
Melodic patterns
A few minor licks
Picking Exercise II
The Hymn of Ordinary Motion
Backwaters
WEEK 5 (5/7)
Some Latin rhythms
Diatonic 4-note chord exercise
More with chord tones
Redhill
Dawgmatism
WEEK 6 (5/14)
A couple of slow ones
Using chord tones and double stops
The Years Between
John’s Waltz to the Miller (Trischka)
WEEK 7 (5/21)
Some rock and funk rhythms
Some Sam Bush grooves and licks
Picking Exercise III
Dawg Funk
Funk 55
WEEK 8 (5/28)
Tying it all together
Advanced chord progressions
More with chord tones
More melodic patterns
Using various grooves in a tune
Big Monk
Fish Scale
Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum, 3/25-5/31
By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 7:25 PM
“I’m loving the instruction and all the materials, it’s got me playing my mandolin constantly!”—James M.
“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.
Sale extended! Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/24)
See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)
This course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe! Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes. Each week, students will be given two tunes relating to various aspects of technique, along with several exercises and suggestions for playing backup and creating variations on the tunes.
Students also have access to short (1-3 minute) practice videos each week, along with mp3s to practice with at various tempos and PDFs of all of the written exercises and tunes. Students are invited to download all materials (including short practice videos and recorded videos of all class sessions) so that they can view and/or listen to them at any point in the future after the course has concluded.
Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to). Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time
The course is intended for players at an intemediate level, though advanced players as well as advanced beginners can benefit from the exploration of fundamentals to strengthen technique (plus learn some tunes they didn’t know before!).
The course fee is $225. Register by February 3rd for just $175!
Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
WEEK 1 (3/25)
Getting open strings in the mix
Picking Exercise I
Picking Exercise II
Two ways of playing backup
The Dead March
Louisville Breakdown
WEEK 2 (4/8)
Double stops
G Double stop exercise I
G Double stop exercise II
Moving double stops to create variations
Bill’s Dream
Lee Wedding Tune
WEEK 3 (4/22)
Some classic Monroe licks
Chop chord position playing
Double stops in chop chord position
Virginia Darlin’
Honky Tonk Swing
WEEK 4 (4/29)
A couple of waltzes
Tremolo exercise
Tremolo with double stops
Kiss Me Waltz
Lonesome Moonlight Waltz
WEEK 5 (5/6)
Some minor key tunes
A couple of ways of playing minor chords in backup
Minor double stop exercise
Cheyenne
Jekyll Island
WEEK 6 (5/13)
Bluesy Tunes
A couple of advanced Monroe licks
Bluesy licks
Picking Exercise IV
Bluegrass Twist
Watson’s Blues
WEEK 7 (5/20)
A couple of fast ones
Picking Exercise for Speed
Playing double stops at fast tempos
Come Hither to Go Yonder
Tall Timber
WEEK 8 (5/27)
Some more advanced tunes
Picking Exercise V
Roanoke
Tanyards
Bonus Material: a few classics to know (these will be given at the begining of the course, and played occasionally during practice sessions).
Gold Rush
Wheel Hoss
Big Mon
The Road to Columbus
Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum, 3/24-5/24
By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 6:54 PM
All your courses are really good, very well designed, and you have a great teaching style and a relaxed, open, while also serious, approach – which really comes across with the live lessons – thank you for being so encouraging always!”—Penny J.
“I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based on the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.
Sale extended! Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/25-5/31)
See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)
Welcome to Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101! This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way. Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions. Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.
The course runs from March 24 to May 24, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the week of April 14, which will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule), and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time. Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks. Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions will be recorded and available to view afterward (generally by the next day) anytime at the students’ convenience.
Register by 2/23 and save $50!
Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101
Here is the curriculum for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 online course:
WEEK 1 (3/24)
Picking and rhythm
Picking Exercise I
Fingering Exercise I
Scales: D Major and G Major
Open style backup in D
Arkansas Traveler
Bonus material: Eighth of January
WEEK 2 (3/31)
Getting a fuller sound using open strings
Picking Exercise II
Fingering Exercise II
Open style backup in G
Leather Britches
Bonus material: Temperance Reel
WEEK 3 (4/7)
Octave variations
Picking Exercise III (three and four string exercises)
Fingering Exercise III
Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G
Open style backup in A
June Apple
Bonus material: Tater Patch
WEEK 4 (4/21)
Transitions between octaves
Learning Chord Tones
Major Arpeggios
3 Chord Inversions
Playing backup using basslines and moving chords
St. Anne’s Reel
Bonus material: Squirrel Hunters
WEEK 6 (4/28)
Throwing in some licks
Scales: A Major and A Mixolydian; D Major and D Mixolydian
Open style chords in C
Dominant Arpeggios
Billy in the Lowground
Bonus Material: Farewell to Trion
WEEK 6 (5/5)
Minor tunes
Creating variations using target notes
Minor Arpeggios
Minor Scales
Cattle in the Cane
Bonus Material: The Kitchen Girl
WEEK 7 (5/12)
Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos
Double Stop Exercise in D
Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian
Soldier’s Joy
Bonus material: Old Spinning Wheel
WEEK 8 (5/19)
Various approaches to improvising
Pulling it all together: octave changes, chord tones, licks and double stops as part of your solos
Forked Deer
Bonus material: Liza Jane
The course fee is $225. Register by February 23rd for just $175!
By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 6:00 AM
“This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had. And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.
“After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date. Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.
I’ve taken the Rhythm Mandolin and Monroe Tunes courses, and both are excellent. Matt provides meticulously thorough instruction to help you learn the material, while relating tunes and techniques to broader concepts, so you can apply the ideas elsewhere in your playing. He’s not only a worldclass musician, but an equally great instructor. – Andy S.
Register by 2/23 and save $50!
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with courses intended to help students improve their mandolin skills at various levels of playing and perhaps branch out into some other related styles. Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin and New Acoustic Mandolin courses will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard and improve their soloing skills—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week. And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!
Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (3/24-5/24) Curriculum Registration
Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner (3/25-5/31) Curriculum Registration
New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner (3/26-5/31) Curriculum Registration
The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24): this course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way. Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions. Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.
Register by 2/23 and save $50! Register here.
The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31): this course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe! Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes. Each week, students will be given two tunes relating to various aspects of technique, along with several exercises and suggestions for playing backup and creating variations on the tunes. Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to). Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time
The course is intended for players at an intermediate level, though advanced players as well as advanced beginners can benefit from the exploration of fundamentals to strengthen technique (plus learn some tunes they didn’t know before!).
Register by 2/23 and save $50! Register here.
The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31): this course will introduce students to tunes in the “new acoustic” genre. What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber music and more. We’ll explore this modern frontier of music and give students many of the tools they’ll need to play the tunes as well as improvise and play backup in new ways with new rhythms. Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).
The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!), or for players at any level who are looking to improve their chord vocabulary and rhythm playing.
Register by 2/23 and save $50! Register here.
The course fee for any winter course is $225. Register by February 23rd for just $175!
Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner
The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time. We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time. Monday class sessions will take place from March 24-May 19, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from March 29-May 24. The week of April 14 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review! All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.
The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31) meets on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time. Students will have eight (or 16 if you count both class times) Tuesday class sessions (March 25-May 27) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31). The weeks of April 1 and 15 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule, so students will have a little extra time to review! All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.
The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31) meets on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (again, both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (March 26-May 28) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31). The weeks of April 2 and 16 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule, so students can catch up on those tunes or exercises they didn’t get to yet! All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.
ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.
All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.
Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.
BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101
Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013. Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles. The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials. The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.
A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course. The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses. Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material. Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone. Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it). And students do not need a webcam.
All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to. Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos. Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future. In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.
One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule. Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor. Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!
HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES?
All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach). The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class. Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student. Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?
That is completely up to the student. While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations. Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives! This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes. However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material.
Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week. Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels. The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have. Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs. The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.
THE CLASS WEBPAGE
This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions. It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.
REGISTRATION FEE
The course fee for any spring course is $225. Register by February 23rd for just $175! Just register at the registration link(s) and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal for the discounted course fee(s) ($175 per course).
Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program:
“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’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months! Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.
“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.
“I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.
To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:
Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
Bluegrass Mandolin 101 Curriculum (1/6-3/15)
By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:54 PM
“This is the best learning format ever and I like your approach very much.”—Marty C.
“I’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J.
“Your method, approach, pace and materials are the best I’ve seen in my years of perpetual learning.”—Jim H.
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15)
See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)
Bluegrass Mandolin 101 returns! This course will start at a beginning/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level. This course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique and knowledge of the fretboard. Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing.
Classes take place Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and review sessions take place on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (note: the week of February 24th is off, as is Saturday, March 8. There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time).
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum:
Week 1 (1/6)
Three warmup exercises
Intro to position playing
Intro to double stops
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Bonus Material: Keep on the Sunny Side of Life
WEEK 2 (1/13)
Moving to the key of A
Some tag licks to add to your solos
Backup playing and fills
My Long Journey Home
Bonus Material: Little Cabin Home on the Hill
WEEK 3 (1/20)
Small position shifts
Adding some more licks to your solos
Double stop exercise in D
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Bonus material: I Am a Pilgrim
WEEK 4 (1/27)
Position playing II
Three different kickoffs
Chord tones in position playing
Man of Constant Sorrow
Bonus Material: Great High Mountain
WEEK 5 (2/3)
Shifting from Position I to Position II
Transposing to other keys
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Bonus Material: I’ll Stay Around
WEEK 6 (2/10)
More position shifts
Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions
Double stop exercise in C
Things in Life
Bonus material: I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow
WEEK 7 (2/17)
Moving double stops around to create melody
An approach to improvising
Pike County Breakdown
Bonus material: Arkansas Traveler
Week 8 (3/3)
Tying it all together
Adding some licks and improvising
Combining double stops and licks
Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
Bonus tune: Little Maggie
The course fee is $225.
Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing Curriculum (1/7-3/15)
By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:53 PM
“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.
“Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.
“It was nice there were various assignments which pushed my ability. Never felt I had “mastered” ALL the homework so never got bored. Always something to work on or do next.”—Joe S.
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15)
See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)
Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others. Each week, students will look at two transcribed solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos.
Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join! And students can attend both sessions if they want to). Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. The weeks of February 25 and March 4 will be off. There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks’ time.
The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.
Week 1 (1/7)
Bill Monroe
Melodic Exercise I
Chord Tone Exercise in a Few Keys
Rhythms using down-strokes
Playing melody in chop chord position
Picking Exercise I
Brand New Shoes
Sittin’ on Top of the World
Week 2 (1/14)
David McLaughlin
Picking Exercise II
Expanding on Monroe Style
Some syncopated licks
Say You’ll Take Me Back
My Long Journey Home
Week 3 (1/21)
Dempsey Young
Triplet Patterns
Open style double stop licks
Some chromatic patterns
Sun’s Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday
Southbound
Week 4 (1/28)
John Duffey
Playing rock and roll licks on the mandolin
Various positions on the neck
Moving between positions
Structuring solos using double stops and licks
Sunrise
Girl from the North Country
Week 5 (2/4)
Tim O’Brien
Picking Exercise IV
A few jazz-influenced licks
Some more position shifts
Open strings in B
If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Blue Night
Week 6 (2/11)
Jesse McReynolds
Crosspicking Exercises I and II
Double stops up the neck in various keys
How to create crosspicking solos
Are You Missing Me
She Left Me Standing on the Mountain
Week 7 (2/18)
Adam Steffey
Picking Exercise V
A few bluesy chromatic runs
More position shifts
Raleigh and Spencer
It Won’t Work this Time
Week 8 (3/11)
Sam Bush
Picking Exercise III
Melodic Exercise II
A few up the neck licks
Doin’ My Time
Stream Powered Aeroplane
The course fee is $225.
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills Curriculum (1/8-3/15)
By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:29 PM
“Your courses have opened my musical mind, focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”-Steve F.
“This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had. And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner
See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15)
See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15)
This course will focus solely on playing backup mandolin on bluegrass songs—something we do probably 90% of the time when we’re playing with other people in a jam session or other group settings! So why not take some time to get better at it and learn some of what the pros do? Basic chord forms, rhythm styles and double stops will be given, along with at least two melodic “fills” each week. Songs (two per week) will be taught in several keys to help students get more comfortable with moving chords, double stops and licks around the fretboard. The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing backup in various keys, develop a more solid sense of timing and in general have more fun playing with other people!
The course is intended for beginning to intermediate-level students (though absolute beginners may find it too advanced as we’ll be moving through chord styles fairly quickly in the first few weeks), or to students at any level wanting to improve their backup playing.
Classes meet every Wednesday at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. The week of February 26 is off, as is Saturday, March 8, so there will be eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time.
Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (1/8)
The bluegrass “chop” chord
Playing in the basic keys: G, A, D and C
Playing fills behind a singer
Some chop chord-based fills
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Banks of the Ohio
WEEK 2 (1/15)
Backup in the key of A
Using double stops in backup
Double Stop Exercise I
Mixing double stops and fills together
Two more melodic fills
Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
Nine Pound Hammer
WEEK 3 (1/22)
Backup in the key of D
Some more single note fills
More double stops
More dynamics in rhythm playing
New River Train
Gotta Travel On
WEEK 4 (1/29)
Waltzes
Using chop chords in waltz time
Two waltz time fills
Getting into more keys: E and B
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Kentucky Waltz
WEEK 5 (2/5)
Minor keys
Minor chord forms
Minor double stops
Two minor fills
Wayfaring Stranger
The Whole World Round
WEEK 6 (2/12)
Newgrass songs
Some newgrass rhythms
Barre chords
Open position licks
Two Sam Bush licks
White Freightliner Blues
Steam Powered Aeroplane
WEEK 7 (2/19)
More advanced chord progressions
Getting smooth transitions between chords
Working with moving double stops
More single-note fills
Salty Dog Blues
Old Home Place
WEEK 8 (3/5)
Putting it all together
Trying various rhythm styles: folk, bluegrass, blues and rock
Adding fills and double stops in various styles
Transposing to other keys: Bb and F
Sittin’ on Top of the World
Won’t You Come and Sing for Me
The course fee is $225.
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner
Winter Courses Start 1/6-8! Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing & Bluegrass Backup
By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 6:59 AM
“This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had. And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.
“After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date. Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.
I’ve taken the Rhythm Mandolin and Monroe Tunes courses, and both are excellent. Matt provides meticulously thorough instruction to help you learn the material, while relating tunes and techniques to broader concepts, so you can apply the ideas elsewhere in your playing. He’s not only a worldclass musician, but an equally great instructor. – Andy S.
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this winter with courses intended to help students improve their skills in bluegrass mandolin playing and perhaps branch out into some other related styles. Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing and Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard, improve their rhythm playing as well as soloing—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week. And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!
Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (1/6-3/15) Curriculum Registration
Advanced Bluegrass Soloing with Matt Flinner (1/7-3/15) Curriculum Registration
Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner (1/8-3/15) Curriculum Registration
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 6-March 15): this course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique and knowledge of the fretboard. Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing.
The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!). Register here.
The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (January 7-March 15): in this course, we’ll examine the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others, and we’ll try incorporating and expanding on various aspects of their playing on a couple of bluegrass standard songs (or sometimes not-so-standard, but great tunes!). Each week, students will look at two recorded solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos.
The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players. Register here.
The Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills course (January 8-March 15): this course will help students learn ways of playing backup in bluegrass music, with a bit of “newgrass” mixed in. Basic chord forms and rhythm styles will be given along with double stops and melodic “fills,” with emphasis on accompanying a vocalist. Songs will be taught in several keys to help students get more comfortable with the fretboard and gain more confidence to be able to play more effectively in jam sessions. Each week, students will be given chord and rhythm exercises along with two (or more) melodic fills to try on a couple of bluegrass standard songs. The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing rhythm in various keys, develop a more solid sense of timing and, most of all, to have more fun playing in jam sessions.
The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!), or for players at any level who are looking to improve their chord vocabulary and rhythm playing. Register here.
The course fee for any winter course is $225.
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 6-March 15) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time. We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time. Monday class sessions will take place from January 6-March 3, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from January 11-March 15. The week of February 20 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review! All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.
The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (January 7-March 15) meets on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time. Students will have eight Tuesday class sessions (January 7-March 11) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15). The week of February 21 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review! All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.
The Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills course (January 8-March 15) meets on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (January 8-March 5) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15). All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.
ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.
All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.
Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.
BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101
Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013. Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles. The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials. The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.
A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course. The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses. Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material. Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone. Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it). And students do not need a webcam.
All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to. Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos. Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future. In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.
One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule. Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor. Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!
HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES?
All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach). The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class. Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student. Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?
That is completely up to the student. While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations. Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives! This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes. However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material.
Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week. Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels. The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have. Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs. The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.
THE CLASS WEBPAGE
This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions. It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.
REGISTRATION FEE
The course fee for any winter course is $225. Just register at the registration link(s) and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee.
Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program:
“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’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months! Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.
“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.
“I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.
To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner
Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/7-12/7)
By Theme Admin on September 1st, 2024 at 12:38 AM
“Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.
“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 the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/8-12/7)
See the Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/9-12/7)
The Carter Family Mandolin course will explore the roots of country music from one of the most influential and important groups of the 20th century, the Carter Family. Students will learn melodies and rhythm for many classic songs that form some of the core repertoire of bluegrass, country and American folk music.
The course is recommended for advanced beginner (knowledge of basic chords and at least a few songs and tunes s helpful) to intermediate players.
60-minute class sessions take place online every Monday evening from October 2nd to December 4th at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning from October 7th through December 9th at 10 am eastern time. The week November 25th is off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
NOTE: It is helpful, but not essential, to be present for the live sessions. All class sessions are recorded and available to view on the class website by the following day. Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (10/7)
Playing lead and rhythm in the key of G
Picking Exercise I
Rhythm Exercise I
Going back and forth between lead and rhythm
Getting better tone and volume
Keep on the Sunny Side
My Clinch Mountain Home
WEEK 2 (10/14)
The key of C
Using double stops in soloing
Double Stop Exercise #1
Wildwood Flower
Meet Me Out in the Moonlight Alone
WEEK 3 (10/21)
The key of A
Picking Exercise #2
Double Stop Exercise #2
Hello Stranger
I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes
WEEK 4 (10/28)
Waltzes
Tremolo Exercise #1
Double stop exercise #3
Moving smoothly between double stops
The Storms Are on the Ocean
Cowboy Jack
WEEK 5 (11/4)
A bit of blues
A few blues licks
Rhythm Exercise #2
Cannonball Blues
It’s a Long, Long Road to Travel Alone
WEEK 6 (11/11)
The key of E
Picking Exercise #3
More chord forms for backup
Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone
My Native Home
WEEK 7 (11/18)
The Key of F
Some more bluesy licks
Melodic Pattern I
Double Stop Exercise #4
I Never Will Marry
Girl on the Grenebriar Shore
WEEK 8 (12/2)
Tying it all together: double stops, licks and positions on the neck
Single Girl, Married Girl
Little Darling Pal of Mine
The course fee is $225.
Register for the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/8-12/7)
By Theme Admin on September 1st, 2024 at 12:28 AM
“This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had. And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.
“I have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps. The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin. Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it.”—Steve F.
Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
See the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/7-12/7)
See the Mandolin Fundamentals & Technique curriculum (10/9-12/7)
Welcome to the Grateful Dead Mandolin course! As you might expect, this course will explore the wide and wonderful world of the Grateful Dead, enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way. The course will especially focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms, getting tips on soloing, and especially learning how to navigate tricky and unusual chord progressions! We’ll also focus on having a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes.
Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of Grateful Dead songs. The goal is to get students to strengthen their fundamental technique, learn more about the fretboard, get better at playing by ear—and do all of the above in a fun way.
This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in most of Europe) and 9 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day. Tuesday class sessions will run from October 8 to December 3 (with the week of November 26 off due to the Thanksgiving holiday), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time from October 12 to December 7 (with November 30 off).
Here is the schedule:
Week 1 (10/8):
Some bluegrassy tunes
Picking Exercise I
Melodic Pattern I for Soloing
Rhythm Exercise I
Friend of the Devil
Dire Wolf
Week 2 (10/15)
Basic rock rhythms
Rhythm exercise II
Picking Exercise II
Black Muddy River
Fire on the Mountain
Week 3 (10/22):
Some Minor and Blues Ideas
Melodic Pattern II
Using Picking Patterns Over Various Rhythms
Althea
Mountains of the Moon
Week 4 (10/29):
Some complex chord progressions
Finding roots
Using melodic patterns over a variety of chords
More Chord Forms
Black Peter
Candyman
Week 5 (11/5):
Using Some Double Stops
Typical Double Stop Forms
Tremolo exercises
Ripple
Broke Down Palace
Week 6 (11/12):
More rock grooves
Bo Diddley Rhythm
Picking Exercise III
Aiko Aiko
Scarlet Begonias
Week 7 (11/19):
Getting up and down the neck
Complex chord progressions II
Arpeggios in soloing
Lazy River Road
Cumberland Blues
Week 8 (12/3):
Complex Chord Progressions III
Bringing Blues Licks, Double Stops and Various Rhythms into Your Playing
So Many Roads
If I Had the World to Give
The course fee is $225.
Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin course with Matt Flinner
The View From Here
Walking on the Moon
Latitude
Music du jour
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