This course has concluded. To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.
Register for Celtic Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See other courses offered this fall
New this fall is a course in Celtic Mandolin playing! This course will explore techniques for playing lead and rhythm in traditional Irish fiddle tunes. Each week, students can choose between three reels, jigs or hornpipes to learn, along with several exercises to help with various aspects of technique (during the class sessions, Matt will focus on one of the tunes each week, but students are given the option of learning one or two more if they have time, or focusing on one of the other tunes if they so choose). Rhythm playing and picking technique on reels and jigs will be explored, as well as picking technique for triplets and various ways of playing ornamentations. The course is recommended for players at an advanced beginner to intermediate level.
The live sessions occur online on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern, though week 3 (Oct 17) and week 6 (Nov 21) will occur on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern. The weeks of October 12 and November 2nd will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule (giving students more time to practice!). There will also be practice/review sessions on Saturdays from 12:15-1 pm eastern time (with the weeks of October 15 and November 5 off, again, due to Matt’s tour schedule).
Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions are recorded and uploaded to the class website where they can be viewed after-the-fact at the student’s leisure. Students also have the option of downloading all class videos and practice videos, as well as all PDFs and practice mp3s for the course, so that they can revisit the materials any time.
Register here.
See other courses offered this fall.
Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (9/28)
Picking Exercise I
Playing basic rhythm on reels
Rhythm Exercise I
A few scales
Off to California
Rights of Man Hornpipe
The Lobster
WEEK 2 (10/5)
Picking Exercise II
Adding some hammer-on and pull-off ornaments
Varying the octave
Rhythm Exercise II
My Love is in America
The Maids of Mitchelstown
Jim Coleman’s
WEEK 3 (10/17)
Jigs
Picking Exercise IV
Emphasizing the beat in 6/8 time
Playing rhythm on jigs
Rhythm Exercise III
Tripping Up the Stairs
Merrily Kiss the Quaker
Kesh Jig
WEEK 4 (10/26)
Using chord inversions in your rhythm playing
Picking Exercise III
Pull-off ornaments
Julia Delaney
Music for a Found Harmonium
The Maid Behind the Bar
WEEK 5 (11/9)
Adding trills to your playing
Picking Exercise V
Cooley’s Reel
Tarbolton Reel
Jenny’s Wedding
WEEK 6 (11/21)
Jigs II
Further rhythmic ideas on jigs
Rhythm Exercise IV
Octave variations
Banish Misfortune
Morrison’s Jig
The Mist Covered Mountain
WEEK 7 (11/30)
Slip Jigs
Picking Exercise V
Rhythm Exercise V
Patterns in 9/8
The Kid on the Mountain
The Butterfly
WEEK 8 (12/7)
A few more reels
Tying it together: moving chords, ornaments and trills
The Star of Munster
The Fisherman’s Lilt
The Musical Priest
Salamanca Reel
The course fee is $200.
Register for Celtic Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See other courses offered this fall.