Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 Curriculum (1/6-3/15)

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:54 PM

      “This is the best learning format ever and I like your approach very much.”—Marty C.     “I’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J.      “Your method, approach, pace and materials are the best I’ve seen in my years of perpetual learning.”—Jim H.       Sale extended!  Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15) See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)   Bluegrass Mandolin 101 returns!  This course will start at a beginning/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.  This course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique and knowledge of the fretboard.  Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing. Classes take place Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and review sessions take place on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (note: the week of February 24th is off, as is Saturday, March 8.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time). Register by 12/1 and save $50!   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 by 12/1 for just $175! Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing Curriculum (1/7-3/15)

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:53 PM

      “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.       “Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.       “It was nice there were various assignments which pushed my ability. Never felt I had “mastered” ALL the homework so never got bored. Always something to work on or do next.”—Joe S.       Sale extended!  Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15) See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)   Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others. Each week, students will look at two transcribed solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos. Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The weeks of February 25 and March 4 will be off.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks’ time.   The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.   Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register here   Week 1 (1/7) Bill Monroe  Melodic Exercise I Chord Tone Exercise in a Few Keys Rhythms using down-strokes Playing melody in chop chord position Picking Exercise I Brand New Shoes Sittin’ on Top of the World   Week 2 (1/14) David McLaughlin  Picking Exercise II Expanding on Monroe Style Some syncopated licks Say You’ll Take Me Back  My Long Journey Home   Week 3 (1/21) Dempsey Young Triplet Patterns Open style double stop licks Some chromatic patterns Sun’s Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday Southbound   Week 4 (1/28) John Duffey Playing rock and roll licks on the mandolin Various positions on the neck Moving between positions Structuring solos using double stops and licks Sunrise Girl from the North Country   Week 5 (2/4) Tim O’Brien   Picking Exercise IV A few jazz-influenced licks Some more position shifts Open strings in B If I Should Wander Back Tonight Blue Night   Week 6 (2/11) Jesse McReynolds Crosspicking Exercises I and II Double stops up the neck in various keys How to create crosspicking solos Are You Missing Me She Left Me Standing on the Mountain   Week 7 (2/18) Adam Steffey  Picking Exercise V A few bluesy chromatic runs More position shifts Raleigh and Spencer  It Won’t Work this Time   Week 8 (3/11) Sam Bush  Picking Exercise III Melodic Exercise II  A few up the neck licks Doin’ My Time Stream Powered Aeroplane   The course fee is $225.  Register by 12/1 for just $175! Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills Curriculum (1/8-3/15)

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:29 PM

        “Your courses have opened my musical mind,  focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”-Steve F.       “This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.             Sale extended!  Register by 12/1 and save $50!    Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15) See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15)   This course will focus solely on playing backup mandolin on bluegrass songs—something we do probably 90% of the time when we’re playing with other people in a jam session or other group settings!  So why not take some time to get better at it and learn some of what the pros do?  Basic chord forms, rhythm styles and double stops will be given, along with at least two melodic “fills” each week.  Songs (two per week) will be taught in several keys to help students get more comfortable with moving chords, double stops and licks around the fretboard.  The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing backup in various keys, develop a more solid sense of timing and in general have more fun playing with other people!  The course is intended for beginning to intermediate-level students (though absolute beginners may find it too advanced as we’ll be moving through chord styles fairly quickly in the first few weeks), or to students at any level wanting to improve their backup playing.  Classes meet every Wednesday at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The week of February 26 is off, as is Saturday, March 8, so there will be eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time.   Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register here    Here is the curriculum:    WEEK 1 (1/8) The bluegrass “chop” chord Playing in the basic keys: G, A, D and C Playing fills behind a singer Some chop chord-based fills Blue Ridge Cabin Home Banks of the Ohio   WEEK 2 (1/15) Backup in the key of A Using double stops in backup Double Stop Exercise I Mixing double stops and fills together Two more melodic fills Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms Nine Pound Hammer   WEEK 3 (1/22) Backup in the key of D Some more single note fills More double stops  More dynamics in rhythm playing New River Train Gotta Travel On   WEEK 4 (1/29) Waltzes Using chop chords in waltz time Two waltz time fills Getting into more keys: E and B Blue Moon of Kentucky Kentucky Waltz   WEEK 5 (2/5) Minor keys Minor chord forms Minor double stops Two minor fills Wayfaring Stranger The Whole World Round   WEEK 6 (2/12) Newgrass songs Some newgrass rhythms Barre chords Open position licks Two Sam Bush licks White Freightliner Blues Steam Powered Aeroplane   WEEK 7 (2/19) More advanced chord progressions Getting smooth transitions between chords Working with moving double stops More single-note fills Salty Dog Blues Old Home Place   WEEK 8 (3/5) Putting it all together Trying various rhythm styles: folk, bluegrass, blues and rock Adding fills and double stops in various styles Transposing to other keys: Bb and F Sittin’ on Top of the World Won’t You Come and Sing for Me   The course fee is $225.  Register by 12/1 for just $175! Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner

Sale Extended---Save $50 on Winter Courses through 12/1! Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing & Bluegrass Backup Mandolin Start 1/6-8

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 6:59 AM

        “This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format:  DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.      “After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.                   Register by 12/1 and save $50!     The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this winter with courses intended to help students improve their skills in bluegrass mandolin playing and perhaps branch out into some other related styles.  Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing and Folk & Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard, improve their rhythm playing as well as soloing—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week.  And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!   Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (1/6-3/15)                             Curriculum         Registration  Advanced Bluegrass Soloing with Matt Flinner  (1/7-3/15)                      Curriculum         Registration Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner   (1/8-3/15)          Curriculum         Registration   The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 6-March 15): this course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique and knowledge of the fretboard.  Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing.  The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!).  Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register here.    The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (January 7-March 15): in this course, we’ll examine the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others, and we’ll try incorporating and expanding on various aspects of  their playing on a couple of bluegrass standard songs (or sometimes not-so-standard, but great tunes!). Each week, students will look at two recorded solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos. The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.  Register by 12/1 and save $50!   Register here.     The Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills course (January 8-March 15): this course will help students learn ways of playing backup in bluegrass music, with a bit of “newgrass” mixed in.  Basic chord forms and rhythm styles will be given along with double stops and melodic “fills,”  with emphasis on accompanying a vocalist.  Songs will be taught in several keys to help students get more comfortable with the fretboard and gain more confidence to be able to play more effectively in jam sessions.  Each week, students will be given chord and rhythm exercises along with two (or more) melodic fills to try on a couple of bluegrass standard songs.  The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing rhythm in various keys, develop a more solid sense of timing and, most of all, to have more fun playing in jam sessions.   The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!), or for players at any level who are looking to improve their chord vocabulary and rhythm playing.  Register by 12/1 and save $50!  Register here.     The course fee for any winter course is $225.  Register by 12/1 for just $175!   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner   The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (January 6-March 15) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place from January 6-March 3, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from January 11-March 15.  The week of February 20 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.   The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (January 7-March 15) meets on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  Students will have eight Tuesday class sessions (January 7-March 11) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15).  The week of February 21 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.   The Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills course (January 8-March 15) meets on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (January 8-March 5) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15).  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.         All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.     Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.   BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101  Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.    A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.   All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.   One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!     HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES? All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.   HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE? That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material. Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.   THE CLASS WEBPAGE This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.     REGISTRATION FEE The course fee for any winter course is $225.  Register for any course(s) by 12/1 for just $175!  Just register at the registration link(s) and we'll send you an invoice via PayPal for the discounted course fees ($175 per course).         Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program: “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M. “I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O. “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C. “I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.   To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner

Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/7-12/7)

By Theme Admin on September 1st, 2024 at 12:38 AM

      “Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.         “I started playing the mandolin a little over two years ago. I played the piano as a child, but having never played a stringed instrument before, my intention was to study as much as I could about technique, theory, improvisation and the various genres of music for the mandolin.  To that end, I have taken nearly every course Matt has offered, even three at a time! Matt is a brilliant teacher. Every course is deep and rich with information. The material is thoughtfully explained, allowing a student to slowly transform the class material into music. I can’t imagine this journey without Matt Flinner.  His courses are a true life changing musical experience!”—Lisa S.         Register for the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner course   See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/8-12/7) See the Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/9-12/7)     The Carter Family Mandolin course will explore the roots of country music from one of the most influential and important groups of the 20th century, the Carter Family.  Students will learn melodies and rhythm for many classic songs that form some of the core repertoire of bluegrass, country and American folk music.   The course is recommended for advanced beginner (knowledge of basic chords and at least a few songs and tunes s helpful) to intermediate players.   60-minute class sessions take place online every Monday evening from October 2nd to December 4th at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning from October 7th through December 9th at 10 am eastern time.  The week November 25th is off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.   NOTE: It is helpful, but not essential, to be present for the live sessions.  All class sessions are recorded and available to view on the class website by the following day.  Here is the curriculum:   Register here   WEEK 1 (10/7) Playing lead and rhythm in the key of G Picking Exercise I Rhythm Exercise I Going back and forth between lead and rhythm Getting better tone and volume Keep on the Sunny Side My Clinch Mountain Home   WEEK 2 (10/14) The key of C Using double stops in soloing Double Stop Exercise #1 Wildwood Flower Meet Me Out in the Moonlight Alone   WEEK 3 (10/21) The key of A Picking Exercise #2 Double Stop Exercise #2 Hello Stranger I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes   WEEK 4 (10/28) Waltzes Tremolo Exercise #1 Double stop exercise #3 Moving smoothly between double stops The Storms Are on the Ocean Cowboy Jack   WEEK 5 (11/4) A bit of blues A few blues licks Rhythm Exercise #2 Cannonball Blues It's a Long, Long Road to Travel Alone   WEEK 6 (11/11) The key of E Picking Exercise #3 More chord forms for backup Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone My Native Home   WEEK 7 (11/18) The Key of F Some more bluesy licks Melodic Pattern I Double Stop Exercise #4 I Never Will Marry Girl on the Grenebriar Shore   WEEK 8 (12/2) Tying it all together: double stops, licks and positions on the neck  Single Girl, Married Girl Little Darling Pal of Mine     The course fee is $225.   Register for the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner course

Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/8-12/7)

By Theme Admin on September 1st, 2024 at 12:28 AM

            "This was the best online learning experience I've ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format:  DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons."---Christine R.        "I have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps.  The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin.  Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it."---Steve F.         Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course   See the Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (10/7-12/7) See the Mandolin Fundamentals & Technique curriculum (10/9-12/7)     Welcome to the Grateful Dead  Mandolin course!  As you might expect, this course will explore the wide and wonderful world of the Grateful Dead, enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.  The course will especially focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms, getting tips on soloing, and especially learning how to navigate tricky and unusual chord progressions!  We'll also focus on having a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes.  Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of Grateful Dead songs.  The goal is to get students to strengthen their fundamental technique, learn more about the fretboard, get better at playing by ear—and do all of the above in a fun way. This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in most of Europe) and 9 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day.  Tuesday class sessions will run from October 8 to December 3 (with the week of November 26 off due to the Thanksgiving holiday), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time from October 12 to December 7 (with November 30 off).     Register here   Here is the schedule:   Week 1 (10/8): Some bluegrassy tunes Picking Exercise I Melodic Pattern I for Soloing Rhythm Exercise I Friend of the Devil Dire Wolf   Week 2 (10/15) Basic rock  rhythms Rhythm exercise II Picking Exercise II Black Muddy River Fire on the Mountain    Week 3 (10/22): Some Minor and Blues Ideas Melodic Pattern II Using Picking Patterns Over Various Rhythms Althea Mountains of the Moon   Week 4 (10/29): Some complex chord progressions Finding roots Using melodic patterns over a variety of chords More Chord Forms Black Peter Candyman   Week 5 (11/5): Using Some Double Stops Typical Double Stop Forms Tremolo exercises Ripple Broke Down Palace   Week 6 (11/12): More rock grooves Bo Diddley Rhythm Picking Exercise III Aiko Aiko Scarlet Begonias   Week 7 (11/19): Getting up and down the neck Complex chord progressions II Arpeggios in soloing Lazy River Road Cumberland Blues   Week 8 (12/3): Complex Chord Progressions III Bringing Blues Licks, Double Stops and Various Rhythms into Your Playing So Many Roads If I Had the World to Give   The course fee is $225.   Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin course with Matt Flinner  

Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/9-12/7)

By Theme Admin on August 31st, 2024 at 11:42 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’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 the Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner course   See the Carter Family Mandolin  curriculum (10/7-12/7) See the Grateful Dead Mandolin curriculum (10/8-12/7)     The Mandolin Fundamentals and 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 October 9th to December 4th at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions every Saturday from October 12th to December 7th at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The week of November 27th will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  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 (10/9) Picking exercises Picking Exercise I Picking Exercise II  Major Scale Exercise I Lick #1 Music for a Found Harmonium   Week 2 (10/16) Fingering exercises Fingering Exercise I (one string) Fingering Exercise II (across the strings) Major Arpeggio Exercise I  Lick #2 Blackberry Blossom (and variations)   Week 3 (10/23) Double stop exercises Double Stop Exercise II Double Stop Exercise III Major Scale Exercise II Lick #3 Eight More Miles to Louisville   Week 4 (10/30) Picking exercises—tremolo Tremolo Picking Exercise I Tremolo Picking Exercise II Lick #4 Tennessee Waltz   Week 5 (11/6) Chord exercises Chord Exercise I Chord Exercise II (diatonic chords) Diatonic Double Stop Exercise Lick #5 Home Sweet Home   Week 6 (11/13) Scale exercises Major Scale Exercise III (various positions) Minor Scale Exercise I (low position) Lick #6 Position shifts Liza Jane   Week 7 (11/20) Arpeggio exercises Major Arpeggio Exercise II Minor Arpeggio Exercise II Lick #7 Jackson's Hornpipe   Week 8 (12/4) Position shifts II Picking Exercise IV Fingering Exercise III Minor Scale Exercise II Lick #8 Jethro's Tune   The course fee is $225.   Register for the Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner course

Carter Family Mandolin, Grateful Dead Mandolin & Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique Courses Start 10/7-9!

By Theme Admin on August 31st, 2024 at 11:38 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 spring with three eight-week long courses in a variety of styles and techniques.  Courses for a variety of levels from advanced beginner to intermediate to advanced students will be offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays from early October through early December.  Show up live for the streamed sessions on Zoom or stream them later on the class website.  Or both!     Carter Family Mandolin with Matt Flinner                                                          Curriculum         Registration Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner                                                         Curriculum         Registration Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique with Matt Flinner                                   Curriculum         Registration   The Carter Family Mandolin course (October 7-December 7) will explore the songs of the Carter Family from the 1920s and 30s---songs that make up a significant part of the standard bluegrass and American folk repertoire.  Students will learn basic melodies and chords, along with various approaches to embellishing those melodies using double stops, tremolo, licks and various positions on the neck.  Songs will be in a variety of keys (G, C, A, D, E and F) so that students get experience in common and slightly less-common bluegrass keys.  It’s a great way to expand your playing and musicianship (and learn some great tunes)!   The course is recommended for advanced beginner to intermediate students, and assumes some knowledge of basic chords and the ability to play some melodies.  Register here.    The Grateful Dead Mandolin course (October 8-December 7) 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 Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique course (October 9-December 7) will focus (as the name implies) on fundmentals of mandolin playing: picking, fingering technique, double stops, scales and patterns, arpeggios, chords and licks.  Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of technique and apply it to a tune we'll learn.  We'll also learn a new lick each week and move it around the fretboard to various keys.  Students will get a good workout each week in a variety of areas to help them strengthen their fundamentals and have more fun playing the mandolin.   The course is intended for players at a beginner to intermediate level, or to players at any level who want to improve their fundamental skills! Register here.      The Carter Family Mandolin course (October 7-December 7) course takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Students will have eight Monday class sessions (October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18 and December 2) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23 and December 7).  The week of November 25 will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  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 (October 8-December 7) meets on Tuesday afternoons and evenings at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 2 pm eastern time—a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  2 pm eastern time translates to 7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe.   Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place October 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19 and December 3, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23 and December 7.  The week of November 26 will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  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 Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique course (October 9-December 7) 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 (October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20 and December 4) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23 and December 7).  The week of November 27 will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  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 $225.   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 8-week spring courses are $225 each.       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 the Carter Family Mandolin Course with Matt Flinner Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin Course with Matt Flinner Register for Mandolin Fundamentals and Technique Course with Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II Curriculum (8/19-9/21)

By Theme Admin on July 7th, 2024 at 3:17 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       Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner   See the Mandolin Tune Studies II Curriculum (August 20-September 21) See the Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Curriculum (August 21-September 21)   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 bluegrass standard tunes. Students will be given lead sheets (in standard notation and tablature) for each song, 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 song 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 from August 19 to September 16 at 9 pm eastern time, with the week of August 26 being off due to Matt's tour schedule.  There will also be 45-minute review sessions every Saturday at 10 am eastern time.  This course is a continuation of the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming I course which concludes on July 13, but students do not to have taken that course in order to take the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course.   The course fee is $125.  Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner     Here is the curriculum: WEEK 1 (August 19) Starting off in the keys of A and D Open position and positions up the neck Double stops in A Wild Bill Jones I’ll Stay Around Dig A Hole in the Meadow Summer Wages   WEEK 2 (September 2) Keys of E and F Adding the blues in E and F Moving double stop exercises The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake Memories of Mother and Dad The Last Thing on My Mind Why You Been Gone So Long   WEEK 3 (September 9) Keys of B and Bb More moving double stops Some Monroe-style ideas White House Blues Roving Gambler Blue Moon of Kentucky Old Home Place   WEEK 4 (September 16) Some “modern” classics More difficult chord progressions Finding chord tones and double stops Combining double stops and licks Redwood Hill Old Train Nellie Kane Wait a Minute   The course fee is $125.   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Mandolin Tune Studies II Curriculum (8/20-9/21)

By Theme Admin on July 7th, 2024 at 3:17 AM

      "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.             Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II Curriculum (August 19-September 21) See the Mandolin Chord & Rhythm Intensive Curriculum (August 21-September 21)     This course will get in-depth in helping students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes: Cotton Eyed Joe and the Road to Columbus, along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well! The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  Exercises at a variety of levels will be given each week; students will be encouraged to focus on the exercise(s) that they feel best suits their ability level and/or interest.   This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in most of Europe) and 9 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day.  Tuesday class sessions will run from August 20 to September 17 (with the week of August 27 off due to Matt's tour schedule), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time from August 24 to September 21 (with August 31 off).   This course is a continuation of the Mandolin Tune Studies I course which concludes on July 16, but students do not to have taken that course in order to take the Mandolin Tune Studies II course.  The course fee is $125.   Register for Mandolin Tune Studios II with Matt Flinner     TUNE STUDIES CURRICULUM Tunes (sent in advance): Forked Deer Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine    WEEK 1 (August 20) Octave Variations Picking Exercise II Finding scale tones Melodic patterns Throwing in some added licks   WEEK 2 (September 3) Double stops Using double stops to create variations Double Stop Exercise I (in D) Double Stop Exercise II (in D)   WEEK 3 (September 10) Positions on the neck in D Licks in various positions Shifting between positions   WEEK 4 (September 17) Adding some blues Mixing blues and double stops Combining blues, double stops, licks, patterns and rhythms   The course fee is $125.  Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner