Matt Flinner

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum, 3/29-5/29

 

 

“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.

 

 

“The biggest strides I have made in my playing have been when I was taking your class.”—Chris M.

 

 

“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 Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

 

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum

See the Octave Mandolin Techniques curriculum

 

Welcome to Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101!  This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve 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 March 29 to May 29, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the week of April 26, which will be off), and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time.  Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of nine 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.

 

 

The course fee is $225.  

 

Here is the curriculum for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 online course:

 

WEEK 1 (3/29)

Picking and rhythm

Picking Exercise I

Fingering Exercise I

Scales: D Major and G Major

Open style backup in D

Eighth of January

Bonus material: Nail that Catfish to a Tree

 

WEEK 2 (4/5)

Getting a fuller sound using open strings

Picking Exercise II

Fingering Exercise II

Open style backup in G

Leather Britches

Bonus material: Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe?

 

WEEK 3 (4/12)

Octave variations

Picking Exercise III (three and four string exercises)

Fingering Exercise III

Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G

Open style backup in A

June Apple

Bonus material: The Squirrel Hunters

 

WEEK 4 (4/19)

Transitions between octaves

Learning Chord Tones

Major Arpeggios

3 Chord Inversions

Playing backup using basslines and moving chords

Liberty

Bonus material: Cuckoo’s Nest

 

WEEK 6 (5/3)

Throwing in some licks

Scales: A Major and A Mixolydian; D Major and D Mixolydian

Open style chords in C

Dominant Arpeggios

Billy in the Lowground

Bonus Material: Boston Boy

 

WEEK 6 (5/10) 

Creating variations using target notes

Minor Arpeggios

Minor Scales

Cold Frosty Morning

Bonus Material: Cluck Old Hen

 

WEEK 7 (5/17)

Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos

Double Stop Exercise in A

Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian

Bill Cheatem

Bonus material: Flop Eared Mule

 

WEEK 8 (5/24)

Various approaches to improvising

Pulling it all together: octave changes, chord tones, licks and double stops as part of your solos

Blackberry Blossom

Bonus material: Liza Jane

 

 

The course fee is $225.  Register here.