Matt Flinner

Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner Curriculum (6/22-7/25)

By Theme Admin on May 3rd, 2026 at 4:49 PM

      “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., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student         “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       Register by 5/10 and save $75! Register for Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner   See the Mandolin Practice Techniques Curriculum (6/23-7/25) See the Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Curriculum (6/24-7/25)     This course is intended to help the aspiring mandolinist build up repertoire and find ways of creating new solos over commonly played standards; it’s also designed in the hope that it will encourage students to get out and jam with other players! Each week, we’ll look at four  standard fiddle tunes.  Students will be given lead sheets (in standard notation and tablature) for each tune, as well as a few exercises to help them learn more about the fretboard and start incorporating new ideas into their solos.  Concepts and tunes will be taught during the class session, and all tunes will be revisited during Saturday practice sessions in a “jam session” format, where each tune is played several times though, and students have the opportunity to try out some of the week’s concepts on the tunes (with guidance from Matt). Classes meet every Monday evening from June 22 to July 20  (the week of June 29 is off due to Matt’s touring schedule) at 9 pm eastern time.  There will also be 45-minute practice/review sessions every Saturday at 10 am eastern time.     The course fee is $150.  Register by 5/10 for just $75 (50% off)!  Register for Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner     Here is the curriculum:   WEEK 1 (6/22) Key of G Warmup Picking Exercise Positions in G G Scale Exercises Sail Away Ladies Big Sciota Lost Girl Corn in the Crib   WEEK 2 (7/6) Key of D D Scale and Patterns Changing Octaves in a Tune Dry and Dusty St. Anne’s Reel Pear Tree Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine   WEEK 3 (7/13) Some Minor Key Tunes A Variety of Minor Chords E Minor Scales and Patterns Throwing in Some Minor Double Stops Cold Frosty Morning Cattle in the Cane Lady of the Lake The Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman     WEEK 4 (7/20) Key of A Some Positions in A Using Open Strings A Major Scale and Patterns Mixing in Licks and Double Stops Black Mountain Rag Salt River John Brown's Dream Blind Steer in a Mudhole     The course fee is $150.  Register by 5/10 for just $75 (50% off)!  Register for Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner.

Mandolin Practice Techniques Curriculum (6/23-7/25)

By Theme Admin on May 3rd, 2026 at 4:38 PM

  “All your courses are really good, very well designed, and you have a great teaching style and a relaxed, open, while also serious, approach – which really comes across with the live lessons – thank you for being so encouraging always!”–-Penny J.       “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.       Register by 3/10 and save $75! Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner   See the Fiddle Tune Jamming Curriculum (6/22-7/25) See the Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Curriculum (6/24-7/25)     Mandolin Practice Techniques is intended to help the aspiring mandolin student practice more efficiently and improve their playing skills more quickly.  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 (in tablature and standard notation), and Matt will then guide them through the exercises.  Matt will then help students build daily practice sessions (as short as 15 minutes and as long as an hour---or longer if they want to!), giving them tips on how to improve and how to practice more effectively.  Class sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 1 and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 1 pm eastern time---a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  1 pm eastern time translates to 6 or 7 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place June 23, July 7, 14 and 21, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place June 27, July 11., 18 and 25.  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) Students have access to all materials (PDFs, videos and mp3s) on a class website any time, and they can also download and keep all PDFs, mp3s and videos (including recordings of the class sessions) to practice with on their own time if they wish to.     Register by 3/10 and save $75! Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner     Here is the curriculum:   WEEK 1 (6/23) Picking Exercise I Fingering Exercise I Double Stop Exercise I in G Scales and Patterns in G Major 7 Arpeggio Exercise Lick #1 in All Keys Tune: Leather Britches   WEEK 2 Curriculum (7/7) Picking Exercise II Fingering Exercise II Double Stop Exercise II in D Scales and Patterns in D Dominant 7 Arpeggio Exercise Lick #2 in All Keys  Tune: Cotton Eyed Joe   WEEK 3 Curriculum (7/14) 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: The Kitchen Girl   WEEK 4 (7/21) 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: Shady Grove (in C Major)   The course fee is $150.  Resister by May 10th for just $75 (50% off)! Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner

Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Curriculum, 6/24-7/25

By Theme Admin on May 3rd, 2026 at 4:28 PM

            "Thanks for the terrific class! I had my mandolin lurking in the corner for 9 months before I took this class. I played with it now and then but felt out of my depth, having only played piano in the past. A few weeks into your class, I couldn’t put down my mandolin, practicing far more than my kids want me to. In addition to the wonderful tunes we learned in class, I started to pick out other melodies like Christmas carols, simple gifts, harry potter, star wars; anything I hear I want to find it on the mandolin.”—Randy R.         “Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you.”—-Eric B.             Save $75 when you register by 3/10!     Register for the Chord and Rhythm Intensive course with Matt Flinner   See the Fiddle Tune Jamming Curriculum (June 22-July 25) See the Mandolin Practice Techniques Curriculum (June 23-July 25)   This course is intended to help students with playing rhythm---something we do all the time when we play with other people, but tend to neglect in our practice!  Various styles of rhythm will be touched on, including folk, bluegrass, swing and blues.  Students will be given practical guides to playing in various keys using a variety of chord styles and shapes (open chords, chop chords, 7th chords, 3-note chords, etc.) to be able to approach playing rhythm in various styles and settings.  Chord progressions to four songs will be given each week, and students will explore applying the various styles of chords while looking at smooth chord movement, basslines and voice leading in various rhythms.  It's a great way to learn more about the fretboard while getting some practical guides to accompaniment.  The course is intended for players of all ability levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult)  who want to expand their possibilities in rhythm playing.   Class sessions meet on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions meet on  Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions (via Zoom), but all sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website so that students can review them any time if they are unable to attend the sessions.     Register for the Mandolin Chord and Rhythm Intensive course     Here is the curriculum:   WEEK 1 (6/24) Basic Folk & bluegrass rhythm styles in G and A Open chords Chop chords Adding basslines Billy Gray I’m Troubled If I Needed You Louis Collins   WEEK 2 (7/8) Waltzes Waltz rhythm Using 3-note major chords The Cowboy’s Lament The Storms Are on the Ocean And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda Black Water   WEEK 3 (7/15) Minor Keys Open Minor Chords 3-Note Minor Chords Minor basslines Look Up Look Down that Lonesome Road The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore  Shady Grove Jackaroo   WEEK 4 (7/22) More complex chord progressions More chord inversion movement Using a variety of styles: folk, bluegrass, swing, blues Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor Please Don't Talk About Me when I'm Gone Peach Picking Time in Georgia Midnight Moonlight   The course fee is $150 Register by 3/10 for just $75 (50% off!)!   Register for the Chord and Rhythm Intensive course with Matt Flinner

Save $75 on Summer Courses through 5/10! Fiddle Tune Jamming, Mandolin Practice Techniques and Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Courses Start 6/22-24

By Theme Admin on May 3rd, 2026 at 4:12 AM

    “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., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student         “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 four-week long intensive courses designed to help you improve your technique, learn some tunes and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!   Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner                                        Curriculum         Registration  Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner                             Curriculum         Registration Mandolin Chord and Rhythm Intensive with Matt Flinner                Curriculum         Registration   The Fiddle Tune Jamming course (June 22-July 25) is intended to help students play standard fiddle tunes with other people while improving their general playing technique.  Each week, students will receive four new tunes from the bluegrass and old-time traditions (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 course fee is $150.  Register by May 10th for just $75! Register for Fiddle Tune Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner.    The Mandolin Practice Techniques course (June 23-July 25) is intended to help the aspiring mandolin student practice more efficiently and improve their playing skills more quickly.  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 (in tablature and standard notation), and Matt will then guide them through the exercises.  Matt will then help students build daily practice sessions (as short as 15 minutes and as long as an hour---or longer if they want to!), giving them tips on how to improve and how to practice more effectively.  The course fee is $150.  Register by May 10th for just $75! Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner    The Mandolin Chord and Rhythm Intensive course (June 24-July 25) is intended to help students with playing rhythm---something we do all the time when we play with other people, but tend to neglect in our practice!  Various styles of rhythm will be touched on, including folk, bluegrass, swing and blues.  Students will be given practical guides to playing in various keys using a variety of chord styles and shapes (open chords, chop chords, 7th chords, 3-note chords, etc.) to be able to approach playing rhythm in various styles and settings.  Chord progressions to four songs will be given each week, and students will explore applying the various styles of chords while looking at smooth chord movement, basslines and voice leading in various rhythms.  The course is intended for players of all ability levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to expand their possibilities in rhythm playing.  The course fee is $150.  Register by May 10th for just $75!  Register for the Mandolin Chord and Rhythm Intensive course with Matt Flinner    Register for Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner Register for the Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive course with Matt Flinner   The Fiddle Tune Jamming course (June 22-July 25) 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 June 22, July 6, 13 and 20, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place June 27, July 11., 18 and 25 All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   The Mandolin Practice Techniques course (June 22-July 25) meets on Tuesdays at 1 and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 1 pm eastern time---a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  1 pm eastern time translates to 6 or 7 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place June 23, July 7, 14 and 21, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place June 27, July 11., 18 and 25.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   The Mandolin Chord and Rhythm Intensive course (June 24-July 25) takes place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Wednesday class sessions will take place June 24, July 8, 15 and 22, and Saturday follow-up sessions will take place June 27, July 11., 18 and 25.  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.     The course fee for each course is $150.  Register by May 10th for just $75!  Just register at the link(s) for the course(s) you want to take, and we'll email you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s) ($75 per course).   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 Fees for the 4-week summer courses are $150 each.  Register by May 10th for just $75 (50% off)!     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 Fiddle Tune Jamming with Matt Flinner (6/22-7/25) Register for Mandolin Practice Techniques with Matt Flinner (6/23-7/25) Register for Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive with Matt Flinner (6/24-7/25)

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/23-5/16)

By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 PM

      “This is the best learning format ever and I like your approach very much.”—Marty C.     “I’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J.      “Your method, approach, pace and materials are the best I’ve seen in my years of perpetual learning.”—Jim H.         Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23) See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)   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.     Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum: Week 1 (1/6) Three warmup exercises Intro to position playing Intro to double stops Will the Circle Be Unbroken Bonus Material: Keep on the Sunny Side of Life   WEEK 2 (1/13) Moving to the key of A Some tag licks to add to your solos Backup playing and fills My Long Journey Home Bonus Material: Little Cabin Home on the Hill   WEEK 3 (1/20) Small position shifts Adding some more licks to your solos Double stop exercise in D Blue Ridge Cabin Home Bonus material: I Am a Pilgrim   WEEK 4 (1/27) Position playing II Three different kickoffs Chord tones in position playing Man of Constant Sorrow Bonus Material: Great High Mountain   WEEK 5 (2/3) Shifting from Position I to Position II Transposing to other keys Blue Moon of Kentucky Bonus Material: I’ll Stay Around   WEEK 6 (2/10) More position shifts Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions Double stop exercise in C Things in Life Bonus material: I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow   WEEK 7 (2/17) Moving double stops around to create melody An approach to improvising Pike County Breakdown Bonus material: Arkansas Traveler   Week 8 (3/3) Tying it all together Adding some licks and improvising Combining double stops and licks Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms Bonus tune: Little Maggie   The course fee is $225.   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/23)

By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 PM

      “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.       “Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.       “It was nice there were various assignments which pushed my ability. Never felt I had “mastered” ALL the homework so never got bored. Always something to work on or do next.”—Joe S.         Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/23-5/16) See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)   Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others. Each week, students will look at two transcribed solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos. Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1 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 May 12 will be off.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in nine weeks’ time.   The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.     Register here   Week 1 (3/24) Bill Monroe  Melodic Exercise I Rhythms using down-strokes Picking Exercise I Rocky Road Blues Columbus Stockade Blues   Week 2 (3/31) Roland White Expanding on Monroe Style Some bluesy licks Double Stop Exercise I If You're Ever Gonna Love Me Can't  You Hear Me Calling   Week 3 (4/7) John Duffey Playing rock and roll licks on the mandolin Various positions on the neck Moving between positions Structuring solos using double stops and licks Rider Sunrise   Week 4 (4/14) Tim O’Brien   Picking Exercise II A few jazz-influenced licks Some more position shifts High on a Mountain Life' Too Short   Week 5 (4/21) Ronnie McCoury Expanding further on Monroe Style Picking Exercise III Double stops up the neck in various keys Southbound I Feel the Blues Movin' In   Week 6 (4/28) Sam Bush  Picking Exercise IV Melodic Exercise II  A few up the neck licks I'll Be on that Good Road Someday Howlin' at the Moon (Peter Rowan)   Week 7 (5/5) Adam Steffey  Picking Exercise V Playing in B A few bluesy chromatic runs More position shifts Another Day, Another Dollar Cluck Old Hen   Week 8 (5/19) David Grisman Picking Exercise VI Melodic Exercise III Minor key melodic ideas A few more up the neck licks Knockin' on Your Door EMD   The course fee is $225.   Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner

Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/23)

By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 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.        "I have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps.  The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin.  Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it."---Steve F.         Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course   See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/23-5/16) See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)     Welcome to the Grateful Dead Mandolin course!  As you might expect, this course will explore the wide and wonderful world of the Grateful Dead, enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.  The course will especially focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms, getting tips on soloing, and especially learning how to navigate tricky and unusual chord progressions!  We'll also focus on having a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes.  Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of Grateful Dead songs.  The goal is to get students to strengthen their fundamental technique, learn more about the fretboard, get better at playing by ear—and do all of the above in a fun way. This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 7 pm eastern time and Wednesdays at 1 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day.  Tuesday/Wednesday class sessions will run from March 24/25 to May 19/20 (with the week of May 12/13 off), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time from March 28 to May 23 (with May 16  off).       Register here   Here is the schedule:   Week 1 (3/24): Some bluegrassy-ish tunes Picking Exercise I Melodic Pattern I for Soloing Some Mixolydian melodic ideas I Know You, Rider Uncle John's Band   Week 2 (3/31) Basic rock  rhythms Rhythm exercise II Picking Exercise II Some pentatonic melodic ideas China Cat Sunflower Tennessee Jed   Week 3 (4/7): Some challenging chord progressions Chord Tone Exercise I Melodic Pattern II for Soloing Box of Rain High Time   Week 4 (4/14): More rock grooves More melodic patterns Picking Exercise III Bertha Franklin's Tower   Week 5 (4/21): Using Some Double Stops Typical Double Stop Forms Tremolo exercises He's Gone Ripple   Week 6 (4/28): Some minor key tunes Dorian and other minor melodic ideas Chord Tone Exercise II More Chord Forms Jack-A-Roe Me and My Uncle   Week 7 (5/5): Getting up and down the neck Complex chord progressions II Arpeggios in soloing Bird Song Ramble on Rose   Week 8 (5/19): Complex Chord Progressions III Bringing Blues Licks, Double Stops and Various Rhythms into Your Playing Sugar Magnolia Mississippi Half Step   The course fee is $225.   Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course

Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing and Grateful Dead Mandolin Start 3/23-25

By Theme Admin on February 7th, 2026 at 2:41 AM

        “This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format:  DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.      “After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.      "I’ve taken the Rhythm Mandolin and Monroe Tunes courses, and both are excellent. Matt provides meticulously thorough instruction to help you learn the material, while relating tunes and techniques to broader concepts, so you can apply the ideas elsewhere in your playing. He’s not only a worldclass musician, but an equally great instructor." – Andy S.                 The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with courses intended to help students improve their skills in bluegrass mandolin playing as well as various folk and rock styles.  Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing and Grateful Dead Mandolin 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 (3/23-5-16)                             Curriculum         Registration  Advanced Bluegrass Soloing with Matt Flinner  (3/24-5/23)                      Curriculum         Registration Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner   (3/24-5/23)                          Curriculum         Registration   The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (March 23-May 16): 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 (March 24-May 23): in this course, we’ll examine the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie McCoury 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 Grateful Dead Mandolin course (March 24-May 23) will explore the songs of the Grateful Dead on the mandolin!  We'll look at songs from the repertoire of the Dead to help students with a broad array of musical concepts including various approaches to soloing, playing rhythm in different types of grooves, learning various positions up the neck, using double stops in soloing, tremolo, etc.  And many of the songs of the Grateful Dead use unusual and unpredictable chord progressions; we'll talk about ways of soloing effectively over these difficult progressions, as well as approaches to playing the chords.  The hope is that students will expand their musicality and have fun along the way!   The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.   Register here.       The course fee for any winter course is $225.     Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Register for Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner   The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (March 23-May 16) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place from March 23-May 11, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from March 28-May 16.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.   The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (March 24-May 23) meets on Tuesdays at 1 pm and 9 pm eastern time (both class sessions are essentially the same; the two times are offered for the convenience of students in Europe and the UK as well as anyone else who finds the afternoon time more convenient), with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  Students will have eight Tuesday class sessions (March 24-May 19) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15).  The week of May 12 will be off due to Matt's tour schedule, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   The Grateful Dead Mandolin course (March 24-May 23) meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm eastern time as well as Wednesdays at 1 pm eastern (both class sessions are essentially the same; the two times are offered for the convenience of students in Europe and the UK as well as anyone else who finds the afternoon time more convenient), with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students will have eight class sessions (March 24/5- May 19/20) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 28-May 23).  The week of May 12 will be off due to Matt's tour schedule, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.         All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.     Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.   BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101  Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.    A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.   All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.   One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!     HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES? All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.   HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE? That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material. Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.   THE CLASS WEBPAGE This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.     REGISTRATION FEE The course fee for any winter course is $225.  Just register at the registration link(s) and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s) ($225 per course).       Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program: “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M. “I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O. “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C. “I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.   To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Register for Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner Curriculum (1/5-3/7)

By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 7:28 PM

        “All your courses are really good, very well designed, and you have a great teaching style and a relaxed, open, while also serious, approach – which really comes across with the live lessons – thank you for being so encouraging always!”—Penny J.       “I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based on the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.             Register for Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner   See the Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns curriculum (1/6-3/7) See the Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/7)       Explore the 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.    Register here   SWING MANDOLIN BASICS CURRICULUM: Week 1 (1/5) Some basic chord shapes The ii-V-I chord progression Two ways of playing ii-V-Is Some simple melodies Playing "around" the melody Sweet Sue I’m Sitting on Top of the World   Week 2 (1/12) The ii-V-I progression in more keys The Dorian and Mixolydian modes Dominant 7 arpeggios  It’s Only a Paper Moon Sentimental Journey   WEEK 3 (1/19)  The Blues Dominant 7 Chords Basic blues progressions Blues Scales A few blues licks Route 66 Don’t Get Around Much Anymore   Week 4 (1/26) Going Around the Circle of 5ths Minor 7 Arpeggios Making use of 3rds and 7ths Using chord tones in soloing Sweet Georgia Brown Bonus tune: Up a Lazy River   Week 5 (2/2) Modulating Finding common tones in chord changes Voice leading Blue Moon They Can’t Take That Away from Me   Week 6 (2/9) Minor ii-V-is  Notes to emphasize in minor progressions Using target notes over chord changes How High the Moon  Autumn Leaves   Week 7 (2/16) Minor keys Different scale possibilities in minor keys Some more blues licks Summertime Bonus tune: I Love Paris    Week 8 (3/2) Tying it all together: inversions, chord tones, arpeggios and scales Practice tips going forward Satin Doll Bonus tune: Pennies from Heaven     The course fee is $225.   Register here for Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner

Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns Curriculum (1/6-3/7)

By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 7:25 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.     "I’m loving the instruction and all the materials, it's got me playing my mandolin constantly!"---James M.      "Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you."----Eric B.               Register for Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns   See the Swing Mandolin Basic with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/5-3/7) See the Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/7)   Brand new this fall is a course exploring swing mandolin playing by two great masters: Jethro Burns, Tiny Moore.  Two swing standards will be taught each week, along with transcribed solos from each of these virtuosos.  Some analysis will be given, along with some extra exercises to help students understand, apply and expand on concepts from the solos in their own playing---whether on the given tunes or any other jazz standards.  Along the way, students will learn plenty of melodic ideas, licks and bits of theory to help them energize their playing and navigate the wonderful world of swing! The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.   Class sessions will take place on Tuesday afternoons at 1 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 week of February 24th will be off due to Matt's touring schedule.  There will be eight class sessions (or 16, if you count the extra afternoon sessions) and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks.     Register here.   Here is the curriculum:    WEEK 1 (1/6) Major chord forms Arpeggio ideas Some scale patterns Lick #1 Lick #2 Liza Fly Me to the Moon   WEEK 2 (1/13) Some blues ideas Dominant 7 chord shapes Lick #3 Lick #4 The Shadow of Your Smile Corrina, Corrina   WEEK 3 (1/20) Using double stops in soloing Double Stop Exercise I Lick #5 Lick #6 I’ll Always Be in Love with You I Never Knew   WEEK 4 (1/27) Whole tone and diminished ideas Lick #7 Lick #8 If Dreams Come True Paramount Stomp   WEEK 5 (2/3) Chromatic ideas Chromatic scale fingerings Lick #9 Lick #10 Absence Never Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Jeanine, I Dream of Lilac Time   WEEK 6 (2/10) Some triplet runs Lick #11 Lick #12 Just Friends Don’t Be that Way   WEEK 7 (2/17) Soe minor ii-V-is ore minor ideas and patterns Lick #13 Lick #14 Love Me or Leave Me Autumn Leaves   WEEK 8 (3/3) Entering into chord melody playing Putting scale tones on top of major chords Lick #15 Lick #16 No Greater Love Lil’ Darlin’   The course fee is $225.   Register for Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing; the Solos of Jethro Burns