“Your courses have opened my musical mind, focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”-Steve F.
“This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had. And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format: DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.
Sale extended! Register by 12/15 and save $50!
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner
See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15)
See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15)
This course will focus solely on playing backup mandolin on bluegrass songs—something we do probably 90% of the time when we’re playing with other people in a jam session or other group settings! So why not take some time to get better at it and learn some of what the pros do? Basic chord forms, rhythm styles and double stops will be given, along with at least two melodic “fills” each week. Songs (two per week) will be taught in several keys to help students get more comfortable with moving chords, double stops and licks around the fretboard. The goal will be to help students become more adept at playing backup in various keys, develop a more solid sense of timing and in general have more fun playing with other people!
The course is intended for beginning to intermediate-level students (though absolute beginners may find it too advanced as we’ll be moving through chord styles fairly quickly in the first few weeks), or to students at any level wanting to improve their backup playing.
Classes meet every Wednesday at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. The week of February 26 is off, as is Saturday, March 8, so there will be eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time.
Register by 12/15 and save $50!
Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (1/8)
The bluegrass “chop” chord
Playing in the basic keys: G, A, D and C
Playing fills behind a singer
Some chop chord-based fills
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Banks of the Ohio
WEEK 2 (1/15)
Backup in the key of A
Using double stops in backup
Double Stop Exercise I
Mixing double stops and fills together
Two more melodic fills
Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
Nine Pound Hammer
WEEK 3 (1/22)
Backup in the key of D
Some more single note fills
More double stops
More dynamics in rhythm playing
New River Train
Gotta Travel On
WEEK 4 (1/29)
Waltzes
Using chop chords in waltz time
Two waltz time fills
Getting into more keys: E and B
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Kentucky Waltz
WEEK 5 (2/5)
Minor keys
Minor chord forms
Minor double stops
Two minor fills
Wayfaring Stranger
The Whole World Round
WEEK 6 (2/12)
Newgrass songs
Some newgrass rhythms
Barre chords
Open position licks
Two Sam Bush licks
White Freightliner Blues
Steam Powered Aeroplane
WEEK 7 (2/19)
More advanced chord progressions
Getting smooth transitions between chords
Working with moving double stops
More single-note fills
Salty Dog Blues
Old Home Place
WEEK 8 (3/5)
Putting it all together
Trying various rhythm styles: folk, bluegrass, blues and rock
Adding fills and double stops in various styles
Transposing to other keys: Bb and F
Sittin’ on Top of the World
Won’t You Come and Sing for Me
The course fee is $225. Register by 12/15 for just $175!
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner