Matt Flinner

“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’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J.

“Your courses have opened my musical mind, focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”—-Steve F

Register for Building Mandolin Technique with Matt Flinner

See the Fiddle Tunes 101 for Mandolin curriculum (3/27-6/3)

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum (3/28-6/3)

The Building Mandolin Technique course is intended to help students improve their technique in both the right and left hand, and to give students a more solid understanding of the fretboard while getting ideas of the “tools” used in soloing and rhythm playing.  Each week, students will be given a handful of exercises in the areas of picking technique, fingering technique, scales, arpeggios, chords, double stops and tremolo.  We’ll also look at a tune each week—from old-time, bluegrass, swing, classical or the Beatles—and try applying concepts from the exercises to them.  The goal is to help students play with more ease and better tone, and to get ideas to help them advance more quickly and have more fun playing with others.  The course is intended for students at any level who want to improve their skills, though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult.  Knowledge of some fiddle tunes and basic chords and rhythm playing is a must!

Classes meet every Wednesday from March 29th to May 31st at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions every Saturday from April 1st to June 3rd at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions, but will be able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website in the event they cannot attend live. 

Register here.

Here is the curriculum: 

Week 1 (3/29)

Picking exercises

Picking Exercise on One String

Picking Exercise II 

Major Scale Exercise I

Lick #1

Musette (Bach)

Week 2 (4/5)

Fingering exercises

Fingering Exercise I (one string)

Fingering Exercise II (across the strings)

Major Arpeggio Exercise I 

Chord Exercise I

Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller)

Week 3 (4/12)

Double stop exercises

Double Stop Exercise II

Double Stop Exercise III

Major Scale Exercise II

Lick #2

Two of Us (Beatles)

Week 4 (4/19)

Picking exercises—tremolo

Tremolo Picking Exercise I

Tremolo Picking Exercise II

Minor Arpeggio Exercise I

Minor Scale Exercise I

Star of the County Down

Week 5 (5/3)

Chord exercises

Chord Exercise II

Chord Exercise III (diatonic chords)

Diatonic Double Stop Exercise

Lick #3

Blackbird (Beatles)

Week 6 (5/17)

Scale exercises

Major Scale Exercise III (various positions)

Minor Scale Exercise II (low position)

Picking Exercise III

Position shifts

Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)

Week 7 (5/24)

Arpeggio exercises

Major Arpeggio Exercise II

Minor Arpeggio Exercise II

Double Stop Exercise IV

Lick #4

Sonatine in C (Beethoven)

Week 8 (5/31)

Position shifts II

Picking Exercise IV

Fingering Exercise III

Minor Scale Exercise III

Russian Rag

The course fee is $225.  Register here

“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 the Advanced Fiddle Tunes and Improvisation for Mandolin with Matt Flinner course

See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/27-6-3)

See the Building Mandolin Technique with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/29-6/3)

This course is intended to help the intermediate to advanced mandolinist learn some new tunes while exploring various ways of learning the fretboard and improving their improvisational skills.  Fiddle tunes in various keys will be taught each week, and students will be given suggestions on how to improvise and/or create variations on these tunes.  Special attention will be given to lesser-known (but great!) fiddle tunes by the likes of John Hartford, Norman Blake, Kenny Baker, Gary Harrison and others.  Scale and arpeggio exercises, picking exercises and fingering exercises will also be given to help students increase their improvisation skills.

The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.  

Class sessions will take place on Tuesday afternoons at 2 pm (for those in the UK and Europe!) as well as 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time.  The weeks of  April 25th and May 9th will be off due to Matt’s travel schedule.  There will be eight class sessions (or 16, if you count the extra afternoon sessions) and eight practice sessions over the course of 10 weeks.  

Register for Advanced Fiddle Tunes and Improvisation

Here is the curriculum: 

WEEK 1 (3/28)

Picking Exercise I

Octave changes

Moving between octaves

A few positions in common keys

Big Sandy River

Goodbye Girls I’m Going to Boston

WEEK 2 (4/4)

Improv with chord tones

Arpeggio Exercise I

Changing octaves with chord tones

Coming Down from Rising Fawn (Norman Blake)

Rickett’s Hornpipe

WEEK 3 (4/11)

Double stops in improv

A and D double stops

Moving between positions using double stops

Chord tones in improvisation

Long White Road (John Hartford)

Road to Westfield (Gary Harrison)

WEEK 4 (4/18)

Minor keys

Improv lines in minor keys

Adding minor double stops

Some blues ideas

The Old Mountaineer (Bill Monroe)

Peezlewhister (Norman Blake) 

WEEK 5 (5/3)

Some Texas style tunes

A few licks in A

Getting up the neck

More chord tones in improv

Position shifts

A and E Reel 

Road to Jenkins

WEEK 6 (5/16)

Waltzes

Tremolo Exercise I

Double stops and tremolo

More position shifts

Midnight (Kenny Baker)

Home of the Soul (Norman Blake)

WEEK 7 (5/23)

Playing over difficult chord progressions

Chord tones II

Arpeggio exercise II

Using double stops to navigate chord progressions

Crazy Creek

Wild Fiddler’s Rag

WEEK 8 (5/30)

Tying it all together

Chord tones, octave changes, double stops and the blues

Over at the Side of the Road (John Hartford)

Up and Around the Bend (Bela Fleck)

The course fee is $225.  Register here

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 Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum (3/28-6/3)

See the Building Mandolin Technique curriculum (3/29-6/3)

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 27 to June 3, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the weeks of April 24 and May 8, which will be off due to Matt’s travel 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 10 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 for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101

Here is the curriculum for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 online course:

WEEK 1 (3/27)

Picking and rhythm

Picking Exercise I

Fingering Exercise I

Scales: D Major and G Major

Open style backup in D

Arkansas Traveler

Bonus material: Muddy Roads

WEEK 2 (4/3)

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 (4/10)

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 (4/17)

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 (5/1)

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 (5/15) 

Creating variations using target notes

Minor Arpeggios

Minor Scales

The Kitchen Girl

Bonus Material: The Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman

WEEK 7 (5/22)

Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos

Double Stop Exercise in A

Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian

Fire on the Mountain

Bonus material: Back Up and Push

WEEK 8 (5/29)

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 here

“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

“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.

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101                                    Curriculum               Registration

Advanced Fiddle Tunes and Improv for Mandolin          Curriculum               Registration

Building Mandolin Technique                                      Curriculum               Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer courses this spring focusing on the American fiddle tune repertoire!  Plus a brand-new course to help you improve your fundamentals.  Courses are offered for a variety of ability levels and interests, and are intended to help students improve their technique and learn the fretboard while learning some great tunes.   Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin and Building Mandolin Technique will start up March 27, 28 and 29.

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!  

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 (March 27-June 3): 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.  The course is recommended for students at a beginner (though absolute beginners may find it too difficult) to intermediate level.  Register here.

Advanced Fiddle Tunes and Improvisation for Mandolin (March 28-June 3): This course is intended to help students learn some more advanced tunes and get tips on how to create variations and/or improvise.  Students will be given new concepts and exercises each week, along with a new tune (plus a bonus tune for more ambitious students) to help improve technique, get tips on playing up the neck and in various keys, make better use of practice time, get more familiar with bluegrass and old-time fiddle tunes and have more fun jamming with others.  The course is recommended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  Register here.

Building Mandolin Technique (March 29-June 3) is intended to help students improve their technique in both the right and left hand, and to give students a more solid understanding of the fretboard while getting ideas of the “tools” used in soloing and rhythm playing.  Each week, students will be given a handful of exercises in the areas of picking technique, fingering technique, scales, arpeggios, chords, double stops and tremolo.  We’ll also look at a tune each week—from old-time, bluegrass, swing, classical or the Beatles—and try applying concepts from the exercises to them.  The goal is to help students play with more ease and better tone, and to get ideas to help them advance more quickly and have more fun playing with others.  The course is intended for students at any level who want to improve their skills, though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult.  Knowledge of some fiddle tunes and basic chords and rhythm playing is a must!  Register here. 

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101), Tuesday (Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin) or Wednesday (Building Mandolin Technique) evening from March 27, 28 or 29 to May 29, 30 or 31 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning/afternoon from April 1 to June 3.  The weeks of April 24th and May 8th will be off due to Matt’s travel schedule.

ALSO: we’ve added Europe-friendly times for the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin course!  Class sessions will  take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe) in addition to the 9 pm eastern time class time.  Students are invited to attend either or both of the sessions (both will be essentially the same).  

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.

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 Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Advanced Fiddle Tunes and Improvisation for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for Building Mandolin Technique with Matt Flinner

Join the trio of Will Patton, Jamie Masefield and Matt Flinner along with Pat Melvin for a unique take on….well, whatever they decide to play.  Bluegrass, swing, roots music, Bach and plenty of original tunes are on tap.  

We hope you’ll join us for one (or more) of these rare shows! 

2/18 Greensboro, VT; Highland Center for the Arts, 7 pm (rescheduled from Feb 4 due to extreme cold)

3/3 Randolph, VT; Chandler Center for the Arts, 7 pm 

3/10 South Pomfret, VT; Artistree, 7:30 pm

3/11 Burlington, VT; Metronome, 7 pm

“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. 

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 (1/9-3/11)                             Curriculum         Registration 

Advanced Bluegrass Soloing with Matt Flinner  (1/9-3/11)                      Curriculum         Registration

Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner   (1/4-3/5)             Curriculum         Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 9-March 11): 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 10-March 11): 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 Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm course (January4-March 5): this course will help students learn ways of playing rhythm in bluegrass and folk music, with a bit of blues and “newgrass” mixed in.  Basic chord forms will be given, and the course will gradually build on these into chord inversions, double stops and melodic “fills.”  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 exercises and rhythm exercises along with two or more songs to practice.  Some of those exercises will be more basic, and as we go through the class session, the exercises will get more advanced.  Each week, students will be encouraged to focus on the exercises that best suit their ability level.  The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing rhythm in various keys and styles and develop a more solid sense of timing.

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 for Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner

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 Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 9-March 11) 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 9-March 6, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from January 14-March 11.  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 10-March 11) 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 10-March 7) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 14-March 11).  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 Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm course (January 4-March 5) 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 4-March 1) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 7-March 5).  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.  

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.

“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:

Register for Bluegrass Mandoin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner

Register for Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner

“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 (1/9-3/11)

See the Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/4-3/5)

Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Herschel Sizemore, Adam Steffey and many others. 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.

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 week of February 21 will be off.

The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.

Register here

Week 1 (1/10)

Bill Monroe 

Melodic Exercise I

Chord Tone Exercise in a Few Keys

Rhythms using down-strokes

Picking Exercise I

Y’All Come

Columbus Stockade Blues

Week 2 (1/17)

Bobby Osborne  

Picking Exercise II

Double Stops and Positions in D

Some syncopated licks

Reuben 

Sledd Ridin’  

Week 3 (1/24)

Dempsey Young

Triplet Patterns

Playing up the neck in D

Some chromatic patterns

Dempsey’s Run

Virginia That’s My Home

Week 4 (1/31)

Butch Baldassari

Various positions in E

Moving between positions

Double stops in E 

The Jackrabbit Trail

Old Town

Week 5 (2/7)

Herschel Sizemore  

Picking Exercise III

Melodic Exercise II 

A few up the neck licks

Cincinnati Rag

Durham’s Bull

Week 6 (2/14)

Jesse McReynolds

Crosspicking Exercises I and II

Double stops up the neck in various keys

How to create crosspicking solos

Salty Dog Blues

I Wish You Knew

Week 7 (2/28)

Tim O’Brien  

Picking Exercise IV

A few jazz-influenced licks

Open strings in B

Some more position shifts

Look Down that Lonesome Road

Country Boy Rock & Roll

Week 8 (3/7)

Adam Steffey 

Picking Exercise V

A few bluesy chromatic runs

More position shifts

Another Night

East Tennessee Blues

The course fee is $225.

Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner

“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 (1/10-3/11)
See the Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/4-3/5)

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 2oth is off).

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum:

Week 1 (1/9)
Three warmup exercises
Intro to position playing
Intro to double stops
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Bonus Material: Amazing Grace

WEEK 2 (1/16)
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 (1/23)
Small position shifts
Adding some more licks to your solos
Double stop exercises in D
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Bonus material: I Am a Pilgrim

WEEK 4 (1/30)
Position playing II
Three different kickoffs
Chord tones in position playing
Man of Constant Sorrow
Bonus Material: Great High Mountain

WEEK 5 (2/6)
Shifting from Position I to Position II
Transposing to other keys
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Bonus Material: I’ll Stay Around

WEEK 6 (2/13)
More position shifts
Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions
Double stop exercises in C
Things in Life
Bonus material: I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

WEEK 7 (2/27)
Moving double stops around to create melody
An approach to improvising
Pike County Breakdown
Bonus material: Arkansas Traveler

Week 8 (3/6)
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.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

“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 Folk and Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/9-3/11)

See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/10-3/11)

This course will focus solely on playing rhythm—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 learn some new approaches?  This course will help students learn ways of playing rhythm in bluegrass and folk music, with a bit of blues and “newgrass” mixed in.  Basic chord forms will be given, and the course will gradually build on these into chord inversions, double stops and melodic “fills.”  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 exercises and rhythm exercises along with two or more songs to practice.  Some of those exercises will be more basic, and as we go through the class session, the exercises will get more advanced.  Each week, students will be encouraged to focus on the exercises that best suit their ability level.  The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing rhythm in various keys and styles and develop a more solid sense of timing.  

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 any students wanting to improve their backup playing. 

The course is also designed to challenge students who took the Rhythm Mandolin course in winter 2020; each week, exercises ranging from fairly easy to advanced will be given for students at various levels of experience.  

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 22 is off, so there will be eight weeks of classes in nine weeks time.  

Register here 

Here is the curriculum: 

WEEK 1 (1/4)

Reviewing open style rhythm

Open chords

Basslines between chords

Adding dynamics between phrases

Keep on the Sunny Side of Life

If I Needed You

WEEK 2 (1/11)

Barre style chords

Minor chords in a couple of styles

Bass notes as target notes

Red Rocking Chair

Kentucky Waltz

WEEK 3 (1/18)

Bluegrass Chop chords in various keys

Using fills

More dynamics in rhythm playing

Moving between chord inversions

I’m on My Way Back to the Old Home

John Hardy

WEEK 4 (1/25)

3-note chords 

Moving between inversions

Adding 7th chords

Nine Pound Hammer

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

WEEK 5 (2/1)

A bit of blues rhythm

7th chords

Some double stops

Adding some more fills to your backup

See See Rider

How Long Blues

WEEK 6 (2/8)

Newgrass rhythms

Syncopated rhythms 

More double stops in backup

Going between chords and double stops

One More Love Song

White Freightliner

WEEK 7 (2/15)

More advanced chord progressions

Getting smooth transitions between chords

Mixing in different chord styles

Tricky progressions in various positions

Salty Dog Blues

Beaumont Rag

WEEK 8 (3/1)

Putting it all together

Trying various rhythm styles: folk, bluegrass, blues and rock

Adding fills and double stops in various styles

Transposing to various keys

Sittin’ on Top of the World

Trouble in Mind

The course fee is $225. 

Register for Folk and Bluegrass Rhythm Mandolin with Matt Flinner