This course has concluded. To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this summer with two four-week long intensive courses designed to help your overall mandolin playing technique. Each week, we’ll look at seven exercises intended to increase your knowledge of the fretboard and help your picking hand control as we look at seven different areas: picking exercises, fingering exercises, scale exercises, arpeggios, chord exercises, double stops, and licks. We’ll also learn a new tune each week and apply the ideas from each of the exercises to that week’s tune; by practicing these exercises in this context, students get some practical applications for the exercises as well as some ideas for variations on tunes.
The 102 level course begins June 11th and runs through July 5th. Class sessions meet every Wednesday evening from 8 to 9 pm Central time, and practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from 11:15 am-noon Central time. Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions to be able to interact more directly with the instructor, but live attendance is not required. Students will be able to view the recordings of the sessions any time afterward as often as they want through the class website.
Register for the 102 course here.
To view the curriculum for the 101 level course, click here.
Students will have access to:
The live sessions (Tuesdays and Saturdays) with Matt on the internet
Recordings of the above sessions
Shorter videos of all of the exercises and songs
mp3s of the songs to practice with
Feedback from the instructor for any mp3s students submit for review
The class website, which includes all of the above plus a discussion forum and mp3 submission area
The 102 level course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level. Some material may be more easy or more challenging for individual students. Students are encouraged to prioritize certain exercises according to their ability level, and are given the option of adding to many of the exercises in order to further challenge themselves if they wish to. Part of the intent of the course is to challenge students at a variety of levels, and to help students advance their playing, learn new musical ideas and have more fun playing the mandolin regardless of their ability level.
Here is the 102 Curriculum:
WEEK 1
Picking Exercise: 2-string exercises across the strings
Fingering Exercise: finger combinations on one string, full range of the string
Scale Exercise: Closed position scales in A
Arpeggio Exercise: Major 7 Arpeggios, 2 octaves
Double Stop Exercise: Double stops in E
Chord Exercise: 3 note chords
Lick: Arpeggio on one string lick
Tune: Black Mountain Rag
WEEK 2
Picking Exercise: boogie-woogie picking exercise
Fingering Exercise: finger combinations on two strings
Scale Exercise: Mixolydian to Major scale exercise
Arpeggio Exercise: Dominant 7th Arpeggios, 2 octaves
Double Stop Exercise: Double Stops in A—various inversions on I-IV-V
Chord Exercise: Inversions of 7th chords
Lick: Mixolydian lick around the circle of 5ths
Tune: Sweet Georgia Brown
WEEK 3
Picking Exercise: 3 string picking/chord exercise
Fingering Exercise: Chromatic fingering exercise
Scale Exercise: Playing Dorian, Mixolydian and Major scales over a chord progression
Arpeggio Exercise: Minor 7 Arpeggios, 2 octaves
Double Stop Exercise: creating smooth ii-V-I double stops
Chord Exercise: ii7-V7-I progressions in 6 keys
Lick: “‘Round Midnight” lick in 6 keys
Tune: Lady Be Good
WEEK 4
Picking Exercise: Triplets
Fingering Exercise: Chromatic fingering exercise II
Scale Exercise: Bb Major scale and pattern in thirds
Arpeggio Exercise: Minor, Dominant and Major Arpeggios in a key
Double Stop Exercise: Double Stops in Bb
Chord Exercise: Diatonic 3 note chords
Lick: V-I triplet lick
Tune: Big Spike Hammer
The fee for the course is $100.
Students can resister for both the 101 and 102 courses at a discounted rate of $180. You can go ahead and sign up for both and we’ll apply the discount afterwards, or email Matt at [email protected] if you want to make other payment arrangements or have questions.
You can register for the 102 course here.
To view the 101 level curriculum, click here.
To return to the Summer Mandolin Intensive 101 and 102 page, click here.