Matt Flinner

“After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student

“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is a great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student

Sale extended!  Register by 5/4 and save $50!

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

See the Mandolin Tune Studies Curriculum (7/8-8/2)

See the Music Theory for Mandolin Players Curriculum (7/9-8/2)

This course is intended to help the aspiring mandolinist build up repertoire and find ways of creating new solos over commonly played standards; it’s also designed in the hope that it will encourage students to get out and jam with other players!

Each week, we’ll look at four bluegrass standard tunes.  Students will be given lead sheets (in standard notation and tablature) for each song, as well as a few exercises to help them learn more about the fretboard and start incorporating new ideas into their solos.  Concepts and tunes will be taught during the class session, and all tunes will be revisited during Saturday practice sessions in a “jam session” format, where each song is played several times though, and students have the opportunity to try out some of the week’s concepts on the tunes (with guidance from Matt).

Classes meet every Monday evening from June 10 to July 8  (the week of July 1 is off due to Matt’s touring schedule) at 9 pm eastern time.  There will also be 45-minute practice/review sessions every Saturday at 10 am eastern time.

The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75!

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (July 7)

Key of G

Warmup Picking Exercise

Positions in G

G Scale Exercises

Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

Big Sciota

Wheel Hoss

WEEK 2 (July 14)

Key of D

Moving Between Positions in D

D Scale and Patterns

Changing Octaves in a Tune

Angeline the Baker

Cora Is Gone

Reuben

Little Birdie

WEEK 3 (July 21)

Some Minor Key Tunes

A Variety of Minor Chords

E Minor Scales and Patterns

Throwing in Some Minor Double Stops

Randall Collins

Nashville Blues

Little Sadie

Kentucky Mandolin

WEEK 4 (July 28)

Key of A

Some Positions in A

Using Open Strings

A Major Scale and Patterns

Mixing in Licks and Double Stops

Gold Rush

Uncle Pen

Hit Parade of Love

Your Love Is Like a Flower

The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!  

Register here.

“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.

“I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.

“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.

Sale extended!  Save $50 when you register by 5/4!

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner 

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner curriculum (7/7-8/2)

See the Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner curriculum (7/9-8/2)

This course will get in-depth in helping students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes:  “Big Sandy River” and “Shakin’ Down the Acorns,”  along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well!

The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  Exercises at a variety of levels will be given each week; students will be encouraged to focus on the exercise(s) that they feel best suits their ability level and/or interest.  

Class sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time from June 11 to July 9 (with the week of July 2 off due to Matt’s touring schedule).   We’re hoping the 2 pm time will be more convenient for students in the UK and Europe, as well as anywhere else in the world that might benefit from an earlier time (and students in the U.S. who prefer an afternoon time slot).  Both sessions will essentially be the same, and students are welcome to attend either class session (or both)!  Additional practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time from June 15 to July 13 (again, with the week of July 6 off).  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions, but they can also review the recordings of any and all sessions at their convenience.  

The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75!

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner

TUNE STUDIES CURRICULUM

Big Sandy River

Shakin’ Down the Acorns

WEEK 1 (7/8)

Octave Variations

Blue notes

Throwing in some blues licks

Picking Exercise I

WEEK 2 (7/15)

Double stops

Adding open strings

Double Stop Exercise I

Double Stop Exercise II

WEEK 3 (7/22)

Chord tones

Arpeggio Exercise I

Creating musical lines using chord tones

Eighth note triplet rhythms

Adding some more licks

WEEK 4 (7/29)

Getting up high on the neck

Positions II, III and IV in A

Licks in various positions

Combining blues, double stops and rhythms

The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!  

Register here.

“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, practicing far more than my kids want me to. In addition to the wonderful tunes we learned in class, I started to pick out other melodies like Christmas carols, simple gifts, harry potter, star wars; anything I hear I want to find it on the mandolin.”—Randy R.

“Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you.”—-Eric B.  

Sale extended!  Save $50 when you register by 5/4!

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming curriculum (7/7-8/2)

See the Mandolin Tune Studies curriculum (7/8-8/2)

Welcome to the Music Theory for Mandolin Players online course!  This course is intended to help students learn more about the mandolin fretboard and learn some music theory along they way as they progress through a series of exercises week by week.  Students will be given a mix of scale, arpeggio, chord, transposition and ear training exercises each week to help them find their way around the fretboard in various keys.  We’ll also do a bit of musical analysis on some familiar melodies and chord progressions from the songs of the Beatles—a band that had a remarkable variety in melody and chord writing that ranged from simple to complex to sublime.  Students at all levels are encouraged to participate, though the course will likely be most beneficial to students at an upper beginner to higher intermediate level. 

Class sessions meet every Wednesday evening from July 9th to July 30th at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from July 12th to August 2nd at 12:30 pm eastern time. 

Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions to be able to interact more directly with the instructor, but live attendance is NOT required.  Students will be able to view the recordings of all of the sessions any time afterward as often as they want through the class website.

Students are encouraged to prioritize certain exercises according to their ability level, and are given the option of adding to many of the exercises in order to further challenge themselves if they wish to.  Part of the intent of the course is to challenge students at a variety of levels, and to help students advance their playing, learn new musical ideas and have more fun playing the mandolin regardless of their ability level.

The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75!

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner

WEEK 1 (7/9)

Major Scales

Numbering notes in the scale

Transposing melodies

Chord study #1 

I-IV-V Progressions 

Melodic exercise I: Hello Goodbye

WEEK 2 (7/16)

Minor Scales

Chord study #2

Ear training exercise #1

Scale exercise I

Melodic Exercise II: Glass Onion

WEEK 3 (7/23)

Modes

Diatonic chord exercise

Closed position scales

Scale Exercise II

Chord study #3

Melodic Exercise III: If I Fell

WEEK 4 (7/30)

Chord Inversions

Chord tones as melodic devices

Chord tones as improv devices

Arpeggio Exercise I

Melodic Exercise IV and analysis: Blackbird

The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!

Register here.

“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. 

“After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D. 

Sale extended!  Register by May 4th and save $50!

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this summer with three four-week long intensive courses designed to help you improve your technique, learn some tunes and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner                           Curriculum         Registration 

Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner                                Curriculum         Registration

Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner               Curriculum         Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course (July 7-August 2) is intended to help students play bluegrass music with other people.  Each week, students will receive four new tunes (from beginner to advanced level) along with ways of playing rhythm, approaches to creating variations on the tune, and some exercises to help with fundamental technique.  The goal is to help students learn more tunes, learn practical approaches to playing those tunes, and get out and play with other people!   Register by 5/4 and save $50!

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner. 

The Mandolin Tune Studies course (July 8-August 2) is intended to help students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes: “Big Sandy River” and “Shakin’ Down the Acorns,” along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well!   Register by 5/4 and save $50!

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner 

The Music Theory for Mandolin Players course (July 9-August 2) is intended for students at all levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to understand more about music theory and how it relates to the mandolin.  Each week, students will receive various exercises relating to scales, arpeggios, chords, progressions, transpositions and more.  And we’ll look at songs by the Beatles!  We’ll relate several concepts from the week to the chords, melody or structure of that week’s song.  The goal is to help students learn more about the fretboard and be able to learn songs more quickly and improvise more easily.  Register by 5/4 and save $50!

Register for the Music Theory for Mandolin Players course with Matt Flinner 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner

Register for the Music Theory for Mandolin Players course with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course (July 7-August 2) takes place on Monday afternoons and evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place July 7, 14, 21 and 28, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.

The Mandolin Tune Studies course (July 8-August 2) meets on Tuesdays at 2 and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 2 pm eastern time—a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  2 pm eastern time translates to 7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place July 8, 15, 22 and 29, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.

The Music Theory for Mandolin Players course (July 9-August 2) takes place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Wednesday class sessions will take place July 9, 16, 23 and 30, and Saturday follow-up sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.

ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.  

The course fee for each course is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!  Just register at the link(s) for the course(s) you want to take, and we’ll email you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s) ($75 per course).  

All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.  

Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 

Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions. 

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.  

All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.  

One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!  

HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES?

All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.

HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?

That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material.

Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.

THE CLASS WEBPAGE

This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.  

REGISTRATION FEE

Fees for the 4-week summer courses are $125 each.   Register by 5/4 for just $75! 

Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program:

“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.

“I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.

“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.

“The level was perfect. Mentally I understand many things that have opened up the fingerboard a lot; now I need some quality time to get it under my hands. I found things challenging without feeling out of reach.”—Stan M.

“I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.

To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner (7/7-8/2)

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner (7/8-8/2)

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner (7/9-8/2)

“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.

“I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based of the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.

Register here for the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner course

See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/24)

See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/25-5/31)

 “New Acoustic” music has come a long way since it first started up some 50 years ago.  What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber music and more.  We’ll explore this modern frontier of music and give students many of the tools they’ll need to play the tunes as well as improvise and play backup in new ways with new rhythms.  Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).  

This course runs from April 5 to June 11.  Classes take place on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), and follow-up practice sessions take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  While it is recommended, students do not need to be present for the live sessions, as all sessions are recorded and available to view by the following day.  Students may also download all class sessions and watch them offline at their convenience.  

This course is recommended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  

The course fee is $225.  Register here.  

WEEK 1 (3/26)

New Acoustic Fiddle Tunes

Slightly more complex chord progressions

Variations using octaves and chord tones

Major scale exercises 

Picking Exercise I

Through the Gates

Eye of the Hurricane

WEEK 2 (4/9)

Basic 4-note Major 7, Dominant 7 and Minor 7 chord forms

Some David Grisman rhythms and licks

A few blues ideas

Sea of Cortez

Dysentery Stomp

WEEK 3 (4/23)

Some jazz waltzes

Rhythmic patterns in the jazz waltz

Using chord tones

Some positions up the neck

Old Gray Coat

Moses Sole

WEEK 4 (4/30)

Tunes in minor keys

Mixolydian and Dorian modes

Melodic patterns 

A few minor licks

Picking Exercise II

The Hymn of Ordinary Motion

Backwaters

WEEK 5 (5/7)

Some Latin rhythms

Diatonic 4-note chord exercise

More with chord tones

Redhill

Dawgmatism

WEEK 6 (5/14)

A couple of slow ones

Using chord tones and double stops

The Years Between

John’s Waltz to the Miller (Trischka) 

WEEK 7 (5/21)

Some rock and funk rhythms

Some Sam Bush grooves and licks

Picking Exercise III

Dawg Funk

Funk 55

WEEK 8 (5/28)

Tying it all together

Advanced chord progressions

More with chord tones 

More melodic patterns

Using various grooves in a tune

Big Monk 

Fish Scale

Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner 

“I’m loving the instruction and all the materials, it’s got me playing my mandolin constantly!”—James M.

“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.

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/24)

See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)

This course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe!  Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes.  Each week, students will be given two tunes relating to various aspects of technique, along with several exercises and suggestions for playing backup and creating variations on the tunes.  

Students also have access to short (1-3 minute) practice videos each week, along with mp3s to practice with at various tempos and PDFs of all of the written exercises and tunes.  Students are invited to download all materials (including short practice videos and recorded videos of all class sessions) so that they can view and/or listen to them at any point in the future after the course has concluded.  

Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time

The course is intended for players at an intemediate level, though advanced players as well as advanced beginners can benefit from the exploration of fundamentals to strengthen technique (plus learn some tunes they didn’t know before!).  

The course fee is $225.  

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

WEEK 1 (3/25)

Getting open strings in the mix

Picking Exercise I

Picking Exercise II

Two ways of playing backup

The Dead March

Louisville Breakdown

WEEK 2 (4/8)

Double stops

G Double stop exercise I

G Double stop exercise II

Moving double stops to create variations 

Bill’s Dream

Lee Wedding Tune

WEEK 3 (4/22)

Some classic Monroe licks

Chop chord position playing

Double stops in chop chord position

Virginia Darlin’

Honky Tonk Swing

WEEK 4 (4/29)

A couple of waltzes

Tremolo exercise

Tremolo with double stops

Kiss Me Waltz

Lonesome Moonlight Waltz

WEEK 5 (5/6)

Some minor key tunes

A couple of ways of playing minor chords in backup

Minor double stop exercise

Cheyenne

Jekyll Island 

WEEK 6 (5/13)

Bluesy Tunes

A couple of advanced Monroe licks

Bluesy licks

Picking Exercise IV

Bluegrass Twist

Watson’s Blues

WEEK 7 (5/20)

A couple of fast ones

Picking Exercise for Speed

Playing double stops at fast tempos

Come Hither to Go Yonder

Tall Timber

WEEK 8 (5/27)

Some more advanced tunes

Picking Exercise V

Roanoke

Tanyards

Bonus Material: a few classics to know (these will be given at the begining of the course, and played occasionally during practice sessions).  

Gold Rush

Wheel Hoss

Big Mon

The Road to Columbus

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

All your courses are really good, very well designed, and you have a great teaching style and a relaxed, open, while also serious, approach – which really comes across with the live lessons – thank you for being so encouraging always!”—Penny J.

“I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based on the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/25-5/31)

See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)

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 24 to May 24, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the week of April 14, which will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule), 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.

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101

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

WEEK 1 (3/24)

Picking and rhythm

Picking Exercise I

Fingering Exercise I

Scales: D Major and G Major

Open style backup in D

Arkansas Traveler

Bonus material: Eighth of January

WEEK 2 (3/31)

Getting a fuller sound using open strings

Picking Exercise II

Fingering Exercise II

Open style backup in G

Leather Britches

Bonus material: Temperance Reel

WEEK 3 (4/7)

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: Tater Patch

WEEK 4 (4/21)

Transitions between octaves

Learning Chord Tones

Major Arpeggios

3 Chord Inversions

Playing backup using basslines and moving chords

St. Anne’s Reel

Bonus material: Squirrel Hunters

WEEK 6 (4/28)

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: Farewell to Trion

WEEK 6 (5/5) 

Minor tunes

Creating variations using target notes

Minor Arpeggios

Minor Scales

Cattle in the Cane

Bonus Material: The Kitchen Girl

WEEK 7 (5/12)

Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos

Double Stop Exercise in D

Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian

Soldier’s Joy

Bonus material: Old Spinning Wheel

WEEK 8 (5/19)

Various approaches to improvising

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

Forked Deer

Bonus material: Liza Jane

The course fee is $225.  Register here

“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. 

“After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D. 

I’ve taken the Rhythm Mandolin and Monroe Tunes courses, and both are excellent. Matt provides meticulously thorough instruction to help you learn the material, while relating tunes and techniques to broader concepts, so you can apply the ideas elsewhere in your playing. He’s not only a worldclass musician, but an equally great instructor. – Andy S.

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with courses intended to help students improve their mandolin skills at various levels of playing and perhaps branch out into some other related styles.  Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin and New Acoustic Mandolin courses will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard and improve their soloing skills—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week.  And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (3/24-5/24)                        Curriculum         Registration 

Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner  (3/25-5/31)                      Curriculum         Registration

New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner   (3/26-5/31)                                Curriculum         Registration

The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24): 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.

Register here. 

The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31): this course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe!  Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes.  Each week, students will be given two tunes relating to various aspects of technique, along with several exercises and suggestions for playing backup and creating variations on the tunes.  Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time  

The course is intended for players at an intermediate level, though advanced players as well as advanced beginners can benefit from the exploration of fundamentals to strengthen technique (plus learn some tunes they didn’t know before!).  

Register here.  

The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31): this course will introduce students to tunes in the “new acoustic” genre.  What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber music and more.  We’ll explore this modern frontier of music and give students many of the tools they’ll need to play the tunes as well as improvise and play backup in new ways with new rhythms.  Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).  

The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!), or for players at any level who are looking to improve their chord vocabulary and rhythm playing.  

Register here.

The course fee for any winter course is $225.  

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner

The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place from March 24-May 19, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from March 29-May 24.  The week of April 14 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.

The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31) meets on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  Students will have eight (or 16 if you count both class times) Tuesday class sessions (March 25-May 27) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31).  The weeks of April 1 and 15 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.

The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31) meets on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (again, both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (March 26-May 28) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31).  The weeks of April 2 and 16 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule, so students can catch up on those tunes or exercises they didn’t get to yet!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.

ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.  

All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.  

Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 

Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions. 

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.  

All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.  

One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!  

HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES?

All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.

HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?

That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material.

Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.

THE CLASS WEBPAGE

This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.  

REGISTRATION FEE

The course fee for any spring course is $225.  Just register at the registration link(s) and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal for the discounted course fee(s) ($225 per course).

Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program:

“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.

“I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.

“I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.

“I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.

To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner

“This is the best learning format ever and I like your approach very much.”—Marty C.

“I’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J. 

“Your method, approach, pace and materials are the best I’ve seen in my years of perpetual learning.”—Jim H.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15)

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 returns!  This course will start at a beginning/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.  This course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique and knowledge of the fretboard.  Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing.

Classes take place Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and review sessions take place on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (note: the week of February 24th is off, as is Saturday, March 8.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time).

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum:

Week 1 (1/6)

Three warmup exercises

Intro to position playing

Intro to double stops

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Bonus Material: Keep on the Sunny Side of Life

WEEK 2 (1/13)

Moving to the key of A

Some tag licks to add to your solos

Backup playing and fills

My Long Journey Home

Bonus Material: Little Cabin Home on the Hill

WEEK 3 (1/20)

Small position shifts

Adding some more licks to your solos

Double stop exercise in D

Blue Ridge Cabin Home

Bonus material: I Am a Pilgrim

WEEK 4 (1/27)

Position playing II

Three different kickoffs

Chord tones in position playing

Man of Constant Sorrow

Bonus Material: Great High Mountain

WEEK 5 (2/3)

Shifting from Position I to Position II

Transposing to other keys

Blue Moon of Kentucky

Bonus Material: I’ll Stay Around

WEEK 6 (2/10)

More position shifts

Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions

Double stop exercise in C

Things in Life

Bonus material: I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

WEEK 7 (2/17)

Moving double stops around to create melody

An approach to improvising

Pike County Breakdown

Bonus material: Arkansas Traveler

Week 8 (3/3)

Tying it all together

Adding some licks and improvising

Combining double stops and licks

Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms

Bonus tune: Little Maggie

The course fee is $225.  

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

“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.

“Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.

“It was nice there were various assignments which pushed my ability. Never felt I had “mastered” ALL the homework so never got bored. Always something to work on or do next.”—Joe S.

Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15)

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)

Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others. Each week, students will look at two transcribed solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos.

Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The weeks of February 25 and March 4 will be off.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks’ time.  

The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.

Register here

Week 1 (1/7)

Bill Monroe 

Melodic Exercise I

Chord Tone Exercise in a Few Keys

Rhythms using down-strokes

Playing melody in chop chord position

Picking Exercise I

Brand New Shoes

Sittin’ on Top of the World

Week 2 (1/14)

David McLaughlin 

Picking Exercise II

Expanding on Monroe Style

Some syncopated licks

Say You’ll Take Me Back 

My Long Journey Home

Week 3 (1/21)

Dempsey Young

Triplet Patterns

Open style double stop licks

Some chromatic patterns

Sun’s Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday

Southbound

Week 4 (1/28)

John Duffey

Playing rock and roll licks on the mandolin

Various positions on the neck

Moving between positions

Structuring solos using double stops and licks

Sunrise

Girl from the North Country

Week 5 (2/4)

Tim O’Brien  

Picking Exercise IV

A few jazz-influenced licks

Some more position shifts

Open strings in B

If I Should Wander Back Tonight

Blue Night

Week 6 (2/11)

Jesse McReynolds

Crosspicking Exercises I and II

Double stops up the neck in various keys

How to create crosspicking solos

Are You Missing Me

She Left Me Standing on the Mountain

Week 7 (2/18)

Adam Steffey 

Picking Exercise V

A few bluesy chromatic runs

More position shifts

Raleigh and Spencer 

It Won’t Work this Time

Week 8 (3/11)

Sam Bush 

Picking Exercise III

Melodic Exercise II 

A few up the neck licks

Doin’ My Time

Stream Powered Aeroplane

The course fee is $225. 

Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner