Matt Flinner

“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.

Register for Swing Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

See the Mandolin Chord Melody curriculum

See the Western Swing Mandolin curriculum

Explore the wonderful world of swing mandolin with Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner.  Learn a new swing tune (or two) each week and get pointers on how to play chords and backup as well as approaches to improvising.  This course will be very much into chord voicings, scales, arpeggios and how they all relate to one another.  It’s a great way to expand your playing and musicianship (and learn some great tunes)! 

The course takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  The course is recommended for advanced beginner to intermediate students, and assumes some knowledge of chords and the ability to play some melodies.  Rudimentary knowledge of scales and arpeggios is also helpful. 

SWING AND JAZZ MANDOLIN 101 CURRICULUM:

Week 1 (April 1): The Blues

Dominant 7 Chords

Blues Scales

C Jam Blues

Bonus Tune: Route 66

Week 2 (April 15): The ii-V-I progression

Major Scales and patterns in a few keys

Two ways of playing ii-V-Is

Major 7 Arpeggios in all keys

Sweet Sue

Bonus tune: How High the Moon

Week 3 (April 22): The Blues II (adding the ii-V-I)

Dominant 7 chord inversions

Dominant 7 arpeggios

Mixolydian Scales and patterns

Blues Walk

Bonus tune: Cool Blues

Week 4 (April 29): Some more ii-V-Is

A couple of ii-V-I licks

Two more ii-V-I inversions

Minor 7 arpeggios

Dorian scales and patterns

Honeysuckle Rose

Bonus tune: Ain’t Misbehavin’

Week 5 (May 6): Going Around the Circle of 5ths

Patterns around the circle

Arpeggiating through chord progressions

Seven Come Eleven

Bonus tune: Sweet Georgia Brown

Week 6 (May 20): Target notes

Some more ii-V-I licks and patterns

Using target notes over chord changes

Scale exercises and ii-V-Is

All of Me

Bonus tune: Back Home Again in Indiana

Week 7 (May 27): The I-VI-ii-V-I progression

Two ways of playing the I-VI-ii-V-I progression

Finding smooth chord tones from chord to chord

Blue Moon

Bonus tune: Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

Week 8 (June 3): Rhythm changes

Tying it all together: inversions, chord tones, arpeggios and scales

I Got Rhythm

Bonus tune: Oleo

The course fee is $225.  

Register here for Swing Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

We ring in the New Year with music to help bring us together, not just as Americans but as citizens of the world.  I’m always amazed at how bluegrass music crosses so many boundaries—economic, religious, racial and international—and how people from these disparate corners can find common ground in something they love and can all relate to.  So I’m hoping the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program can perhaps help bring us together next year, at least in some small way!  

Many folks in the UK and various parts of Europe have taken part in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program, but often the class times are inconvenient for them, to say the least.  Two courses coming this winter will be offered at more Euro-convenient times—the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course and the American Roots Mandolin course.  Class sessions for the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 will take place live online on Mondays at 2 pm eastern time in the U.S., which is 7 pm in the U.K. and 8 pm in most of Europe, and sessions for the American Roots Mandolin course will take place on Wednesdays at the same time (and we’re not forgetting about you Aussies—it’s 6 am there, but we know you’re hardy folks who’ve probably already accomplished more than the rest of us will all day!).  Students in any time zone are welcome to join these sessions as well as the 9 pm eastern time sessions on Mondays (for the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course) or Wednesdays (for the American Roots Mandolin course).  Both class sessions will essentially be the same, but some students enjoy attending both in order to get a couple of run-throughs for that week’s material.  One of the sessions will be posted to the class website by the following day, so if you can’t make either one, not to worry: you can view it any time at your convenience (and even download it).   

We will also have practice/review sessions for each course on Saturdays.  For the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course, this will take place Saturdays at 10 am eastern time (3 or 4 pm in the U.K. and Europe) and for the American Roots Mandolin course, this will take place at 12:15 pm eastern time (5:15 or 6:15 pm in the U.K. and Europe).  

Click on these links to get some more information:

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 curriculum

The American Roots Mandolin curriculum

The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin curriculum (sadly, this only takes place at 9 pm eastern time on Tuesdays, but the practice review sessions are at 11 am eastern time on Saturdays—which is 4-5 pm in the U.K. and Europe)

You can register for the courses here:

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 registration

American Roots Mandolin registration

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin registration

Course fees are US $225.  

Email [email protected] with any questions.  And Happy New Year!

“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.

“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.

Note: due to unexpected travel, Weeks 3 and 4 are taking place a week later than originally planned.  You can still get two weeks of classes in!

Register here for Week 3 (January 28-February 1)

Register here for Week 4 (February 4-February 8)

Join Matt Flinner for a series of 5-day courses this winter which are geared toward helping the aspiring mandolin student practice more efficiently and improve their playing skills more quickly.  Every day for five days, students will run through a series of exercises and one tune, with Matt guiding them in a live 30-minute online practice session.  Students who are unable to make the live sessions can view them later that day or evening on the class website, as all sessions will be recorded.  

NOTE: It is not necessary to have taken the Week 1 course to register for Week 2 and subsequent weeks.  All material from week to week will be unique and will challenge students in different ways!

Students will be given exercises in the following areas: picking exercises, arpeggios, scales, fingering exercises, double stops, and a tune for the week.  Students will receive the materials in PDF form four weeks ahead of time (or whenever they sign up) so that they have a chance to learn them before the course begins.  Matt will then guide them through daily practice sessions for five straight days, giving them tips on how to improve and how to practice more effectively.  

All class sessions take place from 10-10:30 am eastern time.

The four weeks’ courses are different from one another, with different materials and a different tune being given for each week.  Students can take any single course on its own or take any combination of courses to establish a routine and build on knowledge from one course to the next.  

The registration fee for each course is $40.  

Students can view all materials (videos and PDFs) on a class website any time, and they can also download and keep all PDFs and videos (including recordings of the class sessions) to practice with on their own time if they wish to.  

Register here for Week 3 (January 28-February 1)

Register here for Week 4 (February 4-February 8)

WEEK 3 Curriculum (1/28-2-1)

Picking Exercise III

Fingering Exercise III

Double Stop Exercise III in A

Scales and Patterns in A

Minor 7 Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #3 in All Keys 

Tune: Ida Red

Register here for Week 3

WEEK 4 Curriculum (2/4-2/8)

Picking Exercise IV

Fingering Exercise IV

Double Stop Exercise IV in C

Scales and Patterns in C

I-IV-V Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #4 in All Keys 

Tune: Fun’s All Over

Register here for Week 4

“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.

“Your course was exactly what I have been looking for.  It was well structured with a ton of good material.  I like that fact that we were given tunes to learn but also tools that allows me expand the lessons beyond the course tunes to others that I already know.”—Todd M.

FALL COURSES

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner:                            Curriculum             Registration

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner:                Curriculum             Registration

American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner:                        Curriculum             Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer two new courses and an oldie for a variety of ability levels and interests this fall!  Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin and American Roots Mandolin will start up January 7, 8 and 9.

Each course lasts eight weeks, with class sessions on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings (depending on which course it is) and follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings or afternoons to help you solidify the material while learning practice techniques and getting tips on practice routines.  

Students DO NOT need to tune in to the live online sessions, as all class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted to the class website by the next day for viewing at the students’ convenience.  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions whenever possible, as they can ask questions during the session—plus we’ve found that many students are more likely to practice when they show up for the live sessions!  

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (January 7-March 16) will explore several bluegrass standard songs and approach them using position playing and double stops as we get to know the fretboard better and improve our picking technique along the way. By the end of the course, students will have tools for creating their own solos on commonly-played songs in various keys, and hopefully will feel more comfortable in jam sessions. This course will take place on Monday evenings as well as afternoons (for those of you around the globe!) and Saturday mornings..  Register here.

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner (January 8-March 16) dives into advanced concepts for mandolin from the playing of innovators such as Doyle Lawson, Ricky Skaggs, Adam Steffey, Tim O’Brien, Dempsey Young and many others.  This course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players, and will take place on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  Register here.

American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner (January 9-March 16).  This course will explore many of the myriad styles of American roots musics around the country, from Appalachia to New Orleans to New England to the desert southwest.  And all on the mandolin!  Along the way, we’ll explore various aspects of technique and learn more of the fretboard—and likely find many common threads that unite these musics within the great American cultural tapestry.  

Old-time, blues, Cajun music, contra dance, ragtime, early jazz, cowboy traditions and bluegrass music will all be touched on in this 8-week long course.  

The course is intended for students at an advanced beginner to intermediate level, or to students at any level who want to try out some new styles of playing.  The course will take place on Wednesday evenings and afternoons (also for those of you across the various ponds!) and Saturday mornings/afternoons (depending on your time zone).  Register here.

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Bluegrass Mandolin 101), Tuesday (Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin) or Wednesday (American Roots Mandolin) evening from January 7, 8 or 9 to March 11, 12 or 13 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning/afternoon from January 12 to March 16.  The weeks of February 4 and March 4 are off due to Matt’s touring schedule.

ALSO: we’ve added Europe-friendly times on the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 and American Roots Mandolin courses!  Bluegrass Mandolin 101 will also take place on Mondays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe), and American Roots Mandolin will also take place on Wednesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe).  Students are invited to attend either or both of the sessions on those days.  

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.

WHAT STUDENTS GET FROM THE COURSE

All students will also have unlimited access to short recorded videos of all of the material played at a slow tempo, PDFs of all material in both standard notation and mandolin tablature, and mp3s of all of the tunes at slow and medium speeds that they can practice along with.  Students can access all of this material at any time through the class website, and can also download all materials (videos and class session videos included) to keep them permanently.  All class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted on the class website (usually by the following day) so that students who were unable to attend the live sessions may view them at their own convenience, and all students may review the class videos as often as they wish.

Students will also be given a “Recommended Listening” list each week for the material covered.  A variety of versions of each tune will be provided in the hopes that students will listen to recordings and further explore the wide world of recorded old-time and bluegrass music.

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

During the live sessions, students can ask questions and/or play examples via their microphone (built-in or external plug-in), or they can ask questions via a built-in chat window.  The instructor responds to all questions immediately (or between teaching exercises, etc.) on the spot.

Students are also encouraged to submit mp3 recordings at any time during the course if they would like to, and the instructor will respond in an mp3 recording with constructive criticism.  Students can submit these mp3s either privately via email or publicly via the class website, where all students can listen and respond if they choose to.  Mp3 submissions are encouraged but not required, and there is no limit on how many mp3 submissions a student can send in.

There is also a class website where registered students can find all class materials (videos, PDFs, mp3s) anytime.  The site also has a Forum section, where students can ask questions, bring up topics for discussion, etc., in an open forum where the instructor and other students can respond.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE:

1. A desktop or laptop Mac or PC computer, iPad or Internet-connected mobile device (such as iPhone) in order to view the sessions, plus a good internet connection.

2. An internal microphone and speakers on your laptop or desktop computer, or a phone to listen and speak (if desired) during the sessions.  Instructions for participating by phone are included when you register for the course (long distance charges may apply).

3. During the course, you have the option of submitting recorded examples of your playing to the instructor (and to the group, if desired). In order to do this, you will need your computer’s built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity or Garage Band, that will allow you to record yourself playing and save the recording in MP3 format.

4. A mandolin (actually maybe that should have been #1).

The course fee is $225 for each course. 

If you have questions about any of the courses, email Matt at [email protected].

Register here:

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner

View curricula for each course here: 

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

“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.

“Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.

Register for the American Roots Mandolin course here.

Brand new this winter is a course that will take us on a journey through traditional roots musics across America.  The American Roots Mandolin course will explore many of the myriad styles of roots musics around the country, from Appalachia to New Orleans to New England to the desert southwest.  And all on the mandolin!  Along the way, we’ll explore various aspects of technique and learn more of the fretboard—and likely find many common threads that unite these musics within the great American cultural tapestry.  

Old-time, blues, Cajun music, contra dance, ragtime, early jazz, cowboy traditions and bluegrass music will all be touched on in this 8-week long course.  Two to three tunes will be given each week, with the lesson focusing on one of them in particular, along with several exercises to help with related technique.  Students are encouraged to learn whichever tune(s) suit(s) their ability level and/or interest.  

This course is recommended for advanced beginner through intermediate players, but players of any ability level who want to get a taste of various musical styles are encouraged to join as well!  

The course will take place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time (note: the weeks of February 4th and March 4th are off due to Matt’s tour schedule).  

All live sessions are recorded and available to view on the class website, as well as to download for off-line viewing in the future—so being there for the live sessions is not essential.  

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (1/9)

Southern Old-time Fiddle Tunes

Picking Exercise I

Using open strings as drone strings

Flop-Eared Mule

Cotton Eyed Joe

Devil in the Woodpile

WEEK 2 (1/16)

The Blues

7th chords

Blues licks

A couple of blues grooves

Whiskey Head Blues

Tappin’ That Thing

Nobody’s Fault But Mine

WEEK 3 (1/23)

Ragtime

Picking Exercise II

Ways of playing I-VI-II-V chord progressions

Using chord tones

State Street Rag

Hawkins Rag

WEEK 4 (1/30)

Cajun Tunes

Using open strings

Picking Exercise III

Double stops in A and D

Playing backup double stop parts

Jolie Blonde

Lacassin Special

WEEK 5 (2/13)

The Cowboy Tradition

More double stops

Playing in positions

Tremolo

When the Work’s All Done Next Fall

Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

WEEK 6 (2/20)

New England Contradance Tunes

Picking Exercise IV

Adding ornaments

Old French 

Valse Mon Pére

WEEK 7 (2/27)

Early Jazz

Swing rhythm playing

More use of chord tones 

Adding the blues

St. Louis Blues

Milenburg Joys

Creole Love Call

WEEK 8 (3/13)

Bluegrass

Picking Exercise V

G-F Double Stop Exercise

E Double Stop Exercise

Bluegrass Breakdown

Watson’s Blues

The course fee is $225.

Register here.

Register for American Roots Mandolin with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 curriculum

See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin curriculum

Questions?  Email [email protected].

“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 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.

Register for Advanced Mandolin with Matt Flinner

View the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 curriculum

View the American Roots Mandolin curriculum

Explore the wide and wonderful world of modern bluegrass mandolin with Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner.  This course picks up where Bluegrass Mandolin 102 leaves off, and will lead students through advanced subjects including more difficult keys, using double stops and positions as well as melodic patterns, and getting a more thorough knowledge of the fretboard.  The styles of such players as Doyle Lawson, Larry Rice, Adam Steffey, Dempsey Young, Sam Bush, David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs will be discussed, giving students more options in their approaches to soloing and playing backup.  Modern and older standards by the likes of J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Seldom Scene, Alison Krauss, New Grass Revival and Tony Rice will be explored.  It’s a fun way to expand your chops and learn some new tunes!

Classes take place on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice/review sessions taking place on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time.  Students do not need to be present for the live sessions, as all sessions are recorded and posted to the class website by the following day.  But the live sessions give students an opportunity for more interaction with the instructor, either via a chat window or via audio if they so choose.  

All students will have 24/7 access to the class website, where they’ll find all written materials, all short practice videos, several practice mp3s (at various tempos) as well as video recordings of all class sessions and practice sessions.  And students are invited and encouraged to download any and all materials from the course, including all PDFs, mp3s and videos so that they can review them in the future at their convenience. 

Note: the weeks of February 5th and March 5th are off due to Matt’s tour schedule.  Eight class sessions plus eight practice sessions will take place over the course of 10 weeks.  

The course fee is $225.  Register here.

Here is the curriculum for the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin course, which runs from January 8th to March 16th:

WEEK 1 (1/8)

70s Mandolin: Doyle Lawson, Ricky Skaggs and Larry Rice

Position Licks

Playing backup fills

The Old Home Place

Mis’ry River

WEEK 2 (1/15)

Complex Chord Progressions I

Using chord tones in solos

Two different chord forms

Steel Rails

What Am I Doing Hanging ‘Round?

WEEK 3 (1/22)

80s Mandolin: Tim O’Brien and David McLaughlin

Using open strings

Key of E

Key of C

Nellie Kane

Duncan and Brady

WEEK 4 (1/29)

Bluesy approaches

Bluesy licks in various keys

Some Dempsey Young & John Duffy

Love of the Mountains

I Know You, Rider

WEEK 5 (2/12)

Some Newgrass

Sam Bush licks

Mixolydian patterns

Steam Powered Aeroplane

White Freight Liner Blues

WEEK 6 (2/19)

Ideas in B

Moving positions in B

A bit of chromaticism

A few Adam Steffey licks

Rebecca

Born to Be With You

WEEK 7 (2/26)

Adding a bit of jazz to the mix

A few David Grisman & Vassar Clements licks

Other chord forms

Kissimmee Kid

Midnight Moonlight

WEEK 8 (3/12)

Tying it all together

Complex chord progressions II

Applying various styles to the same song

Ginseng Sullivan

Carry Me Across the Mountain

Register here

View the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 Curriculum

View the American Roots Mandolin Curriculum

“I was amazed at the time, feedback, and focus you gave us on chat questions, emails, and mp3s. I was very impressed and feel better about my confidence level, how I play and focus now. The course just worked for me and got me over a hump in terms of my motivation and focus.”—Donna O.

“I really enjoy your courses and your teaching style. It works for me nicely.  You obviously put a great deal of effort and thought in to the classes.”—Mike B.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

View the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin curriculum

View the American Roots Mandolin curriculum

Here is the curriculum for the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online course, which runs from January 7 to March 16.

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 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 weeks 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 weeks of February 4th and March 4th are off due to Matt’s tour schedule).  

BACK AGAIN THIS WINTER: Mando Europe!  Class sessions are also taught at Europe-friendly times for the 101 course, so you don’t have to stay up until 3 am!  All Monday class sessions are offered at 7 pm in the UK and Ireland, or 8 pm for most of Europe (2 pm U.S. East Coast time).  Students are welcome to join either of the Monday sessions—the U.S./Canada or European class times (or both!).  Saturday practice sessions take place with the entire group of students at 3 pm (UK and Ireland) and 4 pm (Europe).  

The course fee is $225.  Register by December 23rd for just $200—$25 off the normal course fee! 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 WITH MATT FLINNER CURRICULUM: 

Week 1 (1/7)
Three warmup exercises
Intro to position playing
Intro to double stops
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Bonus Material: Down to the Valley to Pray

WEEK 2 (1/14)
Moving to the key of A
Some tag licks to add to your solos
Backup playing and fills
I’ll Fly Away
Bonus Material: Long Black Veil

WEEK 3 (1/21)
Small position shifts
Adding some more licks to your solos
Double stop exercises in D
Banks of the Ohio
Bonus material: Keep on the Sunny Side of Life

WEEK 4 (1/28)
Position playing II
Three different kickoffs
Chord tones in position playing
Man of Constant Sorrow
Bonus Material: Evening Prayer Blues

WEEK 5 (2/11)
Shifting from Position I to Position II
Transposing to other keys
Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Bonus Material: You Are My Sunshine

WEEK 6 (2/18)
More position shifts
Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions
Double stop exercises in C
Sittin’ On Top of the World
Bonus material: Gold Watch and Chain

WEEK 7 (2/25)
Moving double stops around to create melody
An approach to improvising
Soldier’s Joy
Bonus material: Panhandle Country

Week 8 (3/11)
Tying it all together
Adding some licks and improvising
Combining double stops and licks
My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
Bonus tune: Foggy Mountain Top

The registration fee is $225.  Register here

View the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin curriculum

View the American Roots Mandolin curriculum

“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.

“Your course was exactly what I have been looking for.  It was well structured with a ton of good material.  I like that fact that we were given tunes to learn but also tools that allows me expand the lessons beyond the course tunes to others that I already know.”—Todd M.

FALL COURSES

Blues Mandolin with Matt Flinner:                            Curriculum             Registration

Bach for Mandolin with Matt Flinner:                       Curriculum             Registration

Bill Monroe Style Mandolin with Matt Flinner:           Curriculum             Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer three new courses for a variety of ability levels and interests this fall!  Blues Mandolin, Bach for Mandolin and Bill Monroe Style Mandolin will start up October 1, 2 and 3.

Each course lasts eight weeks, with class sessions on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings (depending on which course it is) and follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings or afternoons to help you solidify the material while learning practice techniques and getting tips on practice routines.  

Students DO NOT need to tune in to the live online sessions, as all class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted to the class website by the next day for viewing at the students’ convenience.  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions whenever possible, as they can ask questions during the session—plus we’ve found that many students are more likely to practice when they show up for the live sessions!  

Blues Mandolin with Matt Flinner (October 1-December 8) will delve into the wonderful world of the blues.  Students will get tips on playing rhythm and lead on a variety of blues grooves in various keys, with lots of great soloing ideas given each week based on the playing of many of the great blues mandolin players including Yank Rachell, Johnny Young and Howard Armstrong, among others.  The course is intended for players at an advanced beginner to intemediate level, though players at any level who are interested in the blues can find plenty to learn in the course.  Register here.

Bach for Mandolin with Matt Flinner (October 2-December 8) dives into the wide world of J.S. Bach.  Each week, students are given exercises in various aspects of technique (picking, scales and arpeggios, chord forms, etc.) along with two Bach pieces arranged for mandolin.  Pieces will include several two-part inventions, selections from the notebook of Mary Magdalena Bach, the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, and several others.  Students will get tips on performance of Baroque music as well as a bit of music theory as they learn some great pieces!  This course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.  Register here.

Bill Monroe Style Mandolin with Matt Flinner (October 3-December 8) explores the music and mandolin style of Bill Monroe over his long and influential career from the late 1930s to the early 1990s.  Various approaches to soloing, including double stops, blues elements, positions on the neck and many unique “Monroe-isms” will be covered.  Fundamentals will be included as well, as students will get tips and exercises to help them improve their rhythm, picking and tone.  The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  Register here.

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Blues Mandolin), Tuesday (Bach for Mandolin) or Wednesday (Bill Monroe Style Mandolin) evening from October 1, 2 or 3 to December 3, 4 or 5 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning/afternoon from October 6 to December 8.  The weeks of October 22 and November 19 are off due to Matt’s touring schedule and 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.

WHAT STUDENTS GET FROM THE COURSE

All students will also have unlimited access to short recorded videos of all of the material played at a slow tempo, PDFs of all material in both standard notation and mandolin tablature, and mp3s of all of the tunes at slow and medium speeds that they can practice along with.  Students can access all of this material at any time through the class website, and can also download all materials (videos and class session videos included) to keep them permanently.  All class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted on the class website (usually by the following day) so that students who were unable to attend the live sessions may view them at their own convenience, and all students may review the class videos as often as they wish.

Students will also be given a “Recommended Listening” list each week for the material covered.  A variety of versions of each tune will be provided in the hopes that students will listen to recordings and further explore the wide world of recorded old-time and bluegrass music.

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

During the live sessions, students can ask questions and/or play examples via their microphone (built-in or external plug-in), or they can ask questions via a built-in chat window.  The instructor responds to all questions immediately (or between teaching exercises, etc.) on the spot.

Students are also encouraged to submit mp3 recordings at any time during the course if they would like to, and the instructor will respond in an mp3 recording with constructive criticism.  Students can submit these mp3s either privately via email or publicly via the class website, where all students can listen and respond if they choose to.  Mp3 submissions are encouraged but not required, and there is no limit on how many mp3 submissions a student can send in.

There is also a class website where registered students can find all class materials (videos, PDFs, mp3s) anytime.  The site also has a Forum section, where students can ask questions, bring up topics for discussion, etc., in an open forum where the instructor and other students can respond.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE:

1. A desktop or laptop Mac or PC computer, iPad or Internet-connected mobile device (such as iPhone) in order to view the sessions, plus a good internet connection.

2. An internal microphone and speakers on your laptop or desktop computer, or a phone to listen and speak (if desired) during the sessions.  Instructions for participating by phone are included when you register for the course (long distance charges may apply).

3. During the course, you have the option of submitting recorded examples of your playing to the instructor (and to the group, if desired). In order to do this, you will need your computer’s built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity or Garage Band, that will allow you to record yourself playing and save the recording in MP3 format.

4. A mandolin (actually maybe that should have been #1).

The course fee is $225 for each course.  

If you have questions about any of the courses, email Matt at [email protected].

Register here:

Register for Blues Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for Bach for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for Monroe Style Mandolin with Matt Flinner

View curricula for each course here: 

Blues Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Bach for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Bill Monroe Style Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

“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.

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program introduces live master classes for students to brush up on their skills and get live feedback from one of today’s premiere mandolinists.  Students will play through some exercises in a specific area of technique (picking, double stops, arpeggios, etc.) as well as a tune utilizing some aspects of those exercises.  Throughout the session, students can ask questions either via audio or via a group chat window, and they can also play through a tune or exercise (or whatever they want to play) via video to get feedback and suggestions from Matt.  Group discussion is encouraged—we can all learn from each other!  The sessions are 90 minutes long, and will take place on August 25th and September 12th.  Class fees are just $35, and space is limited to 15 attendees.  

Students are not required to use a webcam or microphone—both are optional.  If students do want to be seen and heard by Matt and the rest of the group (which is encouraged!), they will need either a built-in webcam or external webcam as well as either an internal microphone or external microphone.  Smart phones (iphones, etc.) and ipads will work with no added hardware, as will any laptop or desktop computer with built-in cameras and microphones.   

The online master classes will be recorded so that students can either stream (via a private link) or download the videos for review.  

Here are the curricula for each master class:

August 25: Picking Exercises

Picking Exercise I
Picking Exercise II
Practicing with a metronome
Tremolo Exercise I
Molly Put the Kettle On

September 12: Double Stops

Double Stop Exercise in G
Double Stop Exercise in C
Getting good tone from double stops
Double Stops Across a Chord Progression
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry 

Register for Picking Exercise Master Class with Matt Flinner (8/25)

Register for Double Stops Master Class with Matt Flinner TBA)

See fall courses offered in Blues, Bach and Monroe-Style Mandolin

“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 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 a 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., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this summer with three more four-week long intensive courses designed to help your overall mandolin playing technique and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!

In the Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II with Matt Flinner course (August 14-September 8), is intended for students at all levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to understand more about music theory and how it relates to the mandolin.  Each week, students will receive various exercises relating to scales, arpeggios, chords, progressions, transpositions and more.  We’ll even analyze a little Bach, Beethoven and the Beatles.  The goal is to help students learn more about the fretboard and be able to learn songs more quickly and improvise more easily.  

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner course (August 15-September 8) is intended to help students play bluegrass music with other people.  Each week, students will receive four new tunes (from beginner to advanced level) along with ways of playing rhythm, approaches to creating variations on the tune, and some exercises to help with fundamental technique.  The goal is to help students learn more tunes, learn practical approaches to playing those tunes, and get out and play with other people!

The Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner course (August 13-September 8) is intended to help students play Gypsy swing tunes (in the style of, and from the repertoire of Django Reinhardt) with other people.  Each week, students will receive four new tunes (at various levels of diffculty), along with ways of playing rhythm, exercises to help with elements of improvisation and learning the fretboard, and suggestions in how to create solos and/or improvise on the tunes for that week.  The goal is to help students learn more tunes, learn practical approaches to improvisation and soloing, and get out and play with other people!

All three courses are continuations of previous courses which will finish up in early August; however, it is not necessary for students to have taken the previous summer courses in order to register for and learn from the current courses.

Register for Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II with Matt Flinner

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

The Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II course, which takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, is intended for intermediate to advanced players.  The course is intended to help students build repertoire and get practical experience in playing tunes from the Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grappelli repertoire and creating and trying out variations and improvising on those tunes.   This course will also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.

The Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II course, which takes place on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, is intended for students at all levels who want to learn some basic music theory as it applies to the mandolin.  This course will help students of all ability levels learn more about the fretboard, be able to find and play melodies more quickly, and use music theory concepts to better their understanding of melodies, chord progressions, and improvisation.  The course will also have practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course, which takes place on Wednesday afternoons and evenings at 2 and 9 pm eastern time, is intended for players of all ability levels, but will lean toward the intermediate level.  The course is intended to help students build repertoire and get practical experience in playing tunes and creating and trying out variations.   This course will also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  NOTE: Wednesday afternoon sessions take place at 2 pm eastern time—a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  2 pm eastern time translates to 7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Wednesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  

Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II Curriculum

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Here’s a description of the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of what this exciting style of mandolin lessons is all about.

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 (and Scales and Arpeggios, and Jamming!)

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both worlds: access to live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos.  These courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of the bluegrass, old-time and fiddle tune traditions.

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION PLUS 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-week course.  The live lessons get a little more challenging each week, and students are encouraged to practice during the week in order to get comfortable with that week’s concepts in order to be more prepared for the next class session.  Students also have unlimited access to several short instructional videos each week (usually about 8 or 9) but are also following a regular schedule which encourages them to actually practice the material regularly during the eight week period.  The archive of short instructional videos plus the video recordings of each class session and practice session give the student plenty of material to work with during the course and on into their future mandolin endeavors!

THIS QUARTER’S COURSES

For Summer Quarter, there will be THREE 4-week courses offered from August 14-September 9.  The Scale and Arpeggio Intensive course will focus on various aspects of technique.  Each week, students will receive six or seven exercises and a tune to learn.   Scale exercises, scale pattern exercises, arpeggios and double stop exercises will be given each week.  Students will also be given some ideas on how to apply that week’s exercises to that week’s tune in order to create variations.  The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming and Swing Mandolin Jamming courses will focus more on building repertoire, playing lead and rhythm and creating variations in a jam-like setting.  Four tunes will be given each week, along with a few exercises and suggestions for incorporating those exercises into solos and/or improvisation.  

1. Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner which is geared toward upper intermediate to advanced students.  Students will be given four swing tunes per week plus a few exerices and suggestions for ways of playing rhythm, along with suggestions on how to relate the exercises to the tunes in order to create variations and/or improvise.  

2. Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II, which is open to players of all ability levels.  Students will receive music theory exercises in scales, arpeggios, chords and more, along with simple melodies to transpose to various keys. 

3. Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner, which is open to players of all ability levels, but will lean toward the intermediate level.  Students will be given four tunes each week along with a few exercises and suggestions on how to play lead and rhythm as well as create variations for that week’s tunes.

THE SCHEDULE

The Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II course will take place Monday evenings at 9 pm.  There will also be Saturday practice/review sessions from 10-10:45 am eastern time.

The Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II with Matt Flinner course take place every Tuesday night at 9 pm eastern time, with practice review sessions on Saturdays from 11-10:45 am eastern time.  

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course will take place on Wednesday afternoons and evenings at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time.  Afternoon sessions are intended for the convenience of our friends overseas!  7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe is likely more convenient than 2 or 3 am!  There will also be Saturday practice/review sessions from 12:15–1 pm eastern time.

It is NOT imperative that students be able to attend the live mandolin class sessions.  As all sessions will be recorded, students can revisit the recorded sessions during the week to catch up on that week’s material at their own leisure.  Students attending the live lessons will be able to ask questions on the spot (and get immediate answers and interaction), while those watching the recorded sessions will be able to ask questions via email or on the class forum page.

VIDEOS, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Students have access to video recordings of all of the class sessions and practice sessions as well (generally by the following morning, or, in the case of the Saturday practice sessions, later that afternoon).  In addition, shorter practice videos of the material are immediately available for viewing after each class session, along with PDFs of the all of the material in standard notation and tablature.  All of these videos (about eight or so per week) are available to view as many times as the student would like.  Students can also download all materials (including videos and PDFs) to keep as long as they wish.

Students will also be given a list of recommended recordings for each week’s tunes.  A variety of mp3 recordings will be suggested in the hope that students will broaden their musical horizons and get a better idea of how the tunes are played by the masters!

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

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 in the 102 class), 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 Summer Intensive 101 and 201  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

Fees for the 4-week summer courses are $125 each. 

Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program:

“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.

“The level was perfect. Mentally I understand many things that have opened up the fingerboard a lot; now I need some quality time to get it under my hands. I found things challenging without feeling out of reach.”—Stan M.

“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:

Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises II with Matt Flinner Registration

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner Registration

Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner Registration

To view Blues, Bach and Monroe-Style courses offered in the fall, click here.

You can always ask questions about the courses via email ([email protected]), and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.  I hope to see you this summer!

All the best,

Matt