“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.”—Randy R.
“The material chosen for the class was excellent, and I’m already excited for the next session.”—Larry S.
See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum
See the Crosspicking Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum
This course will focus on getting students more familiar with Appalachian fiddle music and old-time songs, and help them improve their mandolin tone and technique along the way. Students will get pointers on how to maximize their tone, various approaches to rhythm playing and chords, making use of open strings, double stops, bits of variations as well as learning a new tune (or two, or more!) each week.
The course is intended for students at a beginner to intermediate level. More advanced students may benefit from the tone exercises and focus on fundamentals (plus learn some great tunes!).
SCHEDULE:
60-minute classes take place online every Wednesday evening from January 10 to March 7 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday afternoon from January 13 to March 10 at 12:15 pm eastern time. The week of February 5 is off due to Matt’s touring schedule.
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.
WHAT STUDENTS GET FROM THE COURSE
All students will also have unlimited access to short recorded videos of all of the material played at a slow tempo, PDFs of all material in both standard notation and mandolin tablature, and mp3s of all of the tunes at slow and medium speeds that they can practice along with. Students can access all of this material at any time through the class website, and can also download all materials (videos and class session videos included) to keep them permanently. All class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted on the class website (usually by the following day) so that students who were unable to attend the live sessions may view them at their own convenience, and all students may review the class videos as often as they wish.
Students will also be given a “Recommended Listening” list each week for the material covered. A variety of versions of each tune will be provided in the hopes that students will listen to recordings and further explore the wide world of recorded old-time and bluegrass music.
HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?
During the live sessions, students can ask questions and/or play examples via their microphone (built-in or external plug-in), or they can ask questions via a built-in chat window. The instructor responds to all questions immediately (or between teaching exercises, etc.) on the spot.
Students are also encouraged to submit mp3 recordings at any time during the course if they would like to, and the instructor will respond in an mp3 recording with constructive criticism. Students can submit these mp3s either privately via email or publicly via the class website, where all students can listen and respond if they choose to. Mp3 submissions are encouraged but not required, and there is no limit on how many mp3 submissions a student can send in.
There is also a class website where registered students can find all class materials (videos, PDFs, mp3s) anytime. The site also has a Forum section, where students can ask questions, bring up topics for discussion, etc., in an open forum where the instructor and other students can respond.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE:
1. A desktop or laptop Mac or PC computer, iPad or Internet-connected mobile device (such as iPhone) in order to view the sessions, plus a good internet connection.
2. An internal microphone and speakers on your laptop or desktop computer, or a phone to listen and speak (if desired) during the sessions. Instructions for participating by phone are included when you register for the course (long distance charges may apply).
3. During the course, you have the option of submitting recorded examples of your playing to the instructor (and to the group, if desired). In order to do this, you will need your computer’s built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity or Garage Band, that will allow you to record yourself playing and save the recording in MP3 format.
4. A mandolin (actually maybe that should have been #1).
The coure fee is $225.
If you have questions about the course, email Matt at [email protected].
Register for Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Technique with Matt Flinner.
To view other mandolin courses offered this fall, click one of these:
Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum
Crosspicking Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum
WEEK 1 (1/10)
Key of D
Picking Exercise I
Picking Exercise II
Rhythmic Patterns in D
Rabbit Chase
Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine
WEEK 2 (1/17)
Key of A
Picking Exercise III
Rhythmic Patterns in A with Added Notes
Slides and Anticipations
Train on the Island
Shakin’ Down the Acorns
WEEK 3 (1/24)
Key of G
Some Double Stops
Rhythm Playing in G with Double Stops
Prettiest Girl in the County-O
Barlow Knife
WEEK 4 (1/31)
Some More Double Stops
Rhythm Playing with Added Runs
Octave Variations
Old Molly Hare
Red Rockin’ Chair
WEEK 5 (2/15)
Going Between Octaves
Some “Open” Style Double Stops
Some More Double Stops in Backup
Little Rabbit
Fortune
WEEK 6 (2/21)
Waltzes
Rhythm in Waltz Time
Tremolo Picking Exercise
My Own House Waltz
Jack of Diamonds
WEEK 7 (2/28)
Key of C
Picking Exercise IV
Picking Exercise V
Playing Backup in C
Take Me Back to Georgia
Tennessee Mountain Fox Chase
WEEK 8 (3/7)
Tying it all together
Double Stops
Octave Variations
Approches to Rhythm
Walk Along John to Kansas
Chinquapin Hunting (key of A)
Dog in the Rye Straw
Lost John
The coure fee is $225.
Register for Appalachian Tunes and Techniques