This course has concluded. To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.
Welcome Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101! This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improv their mandolin technique along the way. Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions. Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.
The course runs from April 4 to June 11, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (one exception: the week of May 2nd, class will be held on Tuesday, May 3rd). The weeks of April 18 and May 16 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule. Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of 10 weeks. Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions will be recorded and available to view afterward (generally by the next day) anytime at the students’ convenience.
To view other courses offered this spring, click here.
The course fee is $200. Sign up for any two courses and receive 20% off the second course. Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off.
Here is the curriculum for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 online course
WEEK 1 (4/4):
Picking and rhythm
Picking Exercises I
Fingering Exercises I
Scales: D Major and G Major
Open style chords
Eighth of January
Bonus material: The Speed of the Plow
WEEK 2 (4/11):
Getting a fuller sound using open strings
Picking Exercises II
Fingering Exercises II
Open style backup in G
Arkansas Traveler
Bonus material: Cotton Eyed Joe
WEEK 3 (4/25):
Octave variations
Picking Exercises III (three and four string exercises)
Fingering Exercises III
Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G
Open style backup in D
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Bonus material: Leather Britches
WEEK 4 (5/3):
Transitions between octaves
Learning Chord Tones
Major Arpeggios
3 Chord Inversions
Playing backup using basslines and moving chords
Liberty
Bonus material: June Apple
WEEK 5 (5/9):
Throwing in some licks
Scales: A Major and A Mixolydian; D Major and D Mixolydian
Open style chords in A and C
Dominant Arpeggios
Salt Creek
Bonus Material: Weave and Way
WEEK 6 (5/23):
Creating variations using target notes
Minor Arpeggios
Using Bluegrass “Chop” Chords
Cuckoo’s Nest
Bonus Material: Flowers of Edinburgh
WEEK 7 (5/30):
Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos
Double Stop Exercise in A
Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian
Pike County Breakdown
Bonus material: Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Closer to the Fire
WEEK 8 (6/6):
Various approaches to improvising
Pulling it all together: octave changes, chord tones, licks and double stops as part of your solos
Bonaparte’s Retreat
Bonus material: Liza Jane
Register here.
To go back to the spring classes info page, click here.
The View From Here
Walking on the Moon
Latitude
Music du jour
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