Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/23-5/16)
By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 PM
“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.
Sale extended–register by March 8th and save $25!
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)
See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)
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.
Register by 3/8 and save $25!
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 by 3/8 for just $200!
Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/23)
By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 PM
“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.
Save $25 when you register by March 8th!
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/23-5/16)
See the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)
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 1 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 week of May 12 will be off. There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in nine weeks’ time.
The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.
Register by 3/8 and save $25!
Week 1 (3/24)
Bill Monroe
Melodic Exercise I
Rhythms using down-strokes
Picking Exercise I
Rocky Road Blues
Columbus Stockade Blues
Week 2 (3/31)
Roland White
Expanding on Monroe Style
Some bluesy licks
Double Stop Exercise I
If You’re Ever Gonna Love Me
Can’t You Hear Me Calling
Week 3 (4/7)
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
Rider
Sunrise
Week 4 (4/14)
Tim O’Brien
Picking Exercise II
A few jazz-influenced licks
Some more position shifts
High on a Mountain
Life’ Too Short
Week 5 (4/21)
Ronnie McCoury
Expanding further on Monroe Style
Picking Exercise III
Double stops up the neck in various keys
Southbound
I Feel the Blues Movin’ In
Week 6 (4/28)
Sam Bush
Picking Exercise IV
Melodic Exercise II
A few up the neck licks
I’ll Be on that Good Road Someday
Howlin’ at the Moon (Peter Rowan)
Week 7 (5/5)
Adam Steffey
Picking Exercise V
Playing in B
A few bluesy chromatic runs
More position shifts
Another Day, Another Dollar
Cluck Old Hen
Week 8 (5/19)
David Grisman
Picking Exercise VI
Melodic Exercise III
Minor key melodic ideas
A few more up the neck licks
Knockin’ on Your Door
EMD
The course fee is $225. Register by 3/8 for just $200!
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/23)
By Theme Admin on February 8th, 2026 at 9:31 PM
“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.
“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 by 3/8 and save $25!
Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/23-5/16)
See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/23)
Welcome to the Grateful Dead Mandolin course! As you might expect, this course will explore the wide and wonderful world of the Grateful Dead, enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way. The course will especially focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms, getting tips on soloing, and especially learning how to navigate tricky and unusual chord progressions! We’ll also focus on having a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes.
Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of Grateful Dead songs. The goal is to get students to strengthen their fundamental technique, learn more about the fretboard, get better at playing by ear—and do all of the above in a fun way.
This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 7 pm eastern time and Wednesdays at 1 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day. Tuesday/Wednesday class sessions will run from March 24/25 to May 19/20 (with the week of May 12/13 off), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time from March 28 to May 23 (with May 16 off).
Register by 3/8 and save $25!
Here is the schedule:
Week 1 (3/24):
Some bluegrassy-ish tunes
Picking Exercise I
Melodic Pattern I for Soloing
Some Mixolydian melodic ideas
I Know You, Rider
Uncle John’s Band
Week 2 (3/31)
Basic rock rhythms
Rhythm exercise II
Picking Exercise II
Some pentatonic melodic ideas
China Cat Sunflower
Tennessee Jed
Week 3 (4/7):
Some challenging chord progressions
Chord Tone Exercise I
Melodic Pattern II for Soloing
Box of Rain
High Time
Week 4 (4/14):
More rock grooves
More melodic patterns
Picking Exercise III
Bertha
Franklin’s Tower
Week 5 (4/21):
Using Some Double Stops
Typical Double Stop Forms
Tremolo exercises
He’s Gone
Ripple
Week 6 (4/28):
Some minor key tunes
Dorian and other minor melodic ideas
Chord Tone Exercise II
More Chord Forms
Jack-A-Roe
Me and My Uncle
Week 7 (5/5):
Getting up and down the neck
Complex chord progressions II
Arpeggios in soloing
Bird Song
Ramble on Rose
Week 8 (5/19):
Complex Chord Progressions III
Bringing Blues Licks, Double Stops and Various Rhythms into Your Playing
Sugar Magnolia
Mississippi Half Step
The course fee is $225. Register by 3/8 for just $200!
Register for the Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner course
By Theme Admin on February 7th, 2026 at 2:41 AM
“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.
Save $25 through March 8th!
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with courses intended to help students improve their skills in bluegrass mandolin playing as well as various folk and rock styles. Bluegrass Mandolin 101, Advanced Bluegrass Soloing and Grateful Dead Mandolin will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard, improve their rhythm playing as well as soloing—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week. And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!
Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (3/23-5-16) Curriculum Registration
Advanced Bluegrass Soloing with Matt Flinner (3/24-5/23) Curriculum Registration
Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner (3/24-5/23) Curriculum Registration
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (March 23-May 16): 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.
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!).
Register by 3/8 and save $25! Register here.
The Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (March 24-May 23): in this course, we’ll examine the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie McCoury and many others, and we’ll try incorporating and expanding on various aspects of their playing on a couple of bluegrass standard songs (or sometimes not-so-standard, but great tunes!). Each week, students will look at two recorded 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.
The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.
Register by 3/8 and save $25! Register here.
The Grateful Dead Mandolin course (March 24-May 23) will explore the songs of the Grateful Dead on the mandolin! We’ll look at songs from the repertoire of the Dead to help students with a broad array of musical concepts including various approaches to soloing, playing rhythm in different types of grooves, learning various positions up the neck, using double stops in soloing, tremolo, etc. And many of the songs of the Grateful Dead use unusual and unpredictable chord progressions; we’ll talk about ways of soloing effectively over these difficult progressions, as well as approaches to playing the chords. The hope is that students will expand their musicality and have fun along the way!
The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.
Register by 3/8 and save $25! Register here.
The course fee for any winter course is $225. Register by March 8th for just $200!
Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Register for Grateful Dead Mandolin with Matt Flinner
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course (March 23-May 16) 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 23-May 11, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from March 28-May 16. 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 Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing course (March 24-May 23) meets on Tuesdays at 1 pm and 9 pm eastern time (both class sessions are essentially the same; the two times are offered for the convenience of students in Europe and the UK as well as anyone else who finds the afternoon time more convenient), with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time. Students will have eight Tuesday class sessions (March 24-May 19) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 11-March 15). The week of May 12 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 Grateful Dead Mandolin course (March 24-May 23) meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm eastern time as well as Wednesdays at 1 pm eastern (both class sessions are essentially the same; the two times are offered for the convenience of students in Europe and the UK as well as anyone else who finds the afternoon time more convenient), with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students will have eight class sessions (March 24/5- May 19/20) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 28-May 23). The week of May 12 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.
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 winter course is $225. Register for any course(s) by March 8th for just $200! Just register at the registration link(s) and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s) ($200 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 Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner
Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner
Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner Curriculum (1/5-3/7)
By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 7:28 PM
“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 Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner
See the Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns curriculum (1/6-3/7)
See the Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/7)
Explore the world of swing mandolin with Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner. Learn a new swing tune (or two) each week and get pointers on how to play chords and backup as well as approaches to improvising. This course will be very much into chord voicings, scales, arpeggios and how they all relate to one another. It’s a great way to expand your playing and musicianship (and learn some great tunes)!
The course takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time. The course is recommended for advanced beginner to intermediate students, and assumes some knowledge of chords and the ability to play some melodies. Rudimentary knowledge of scales and arpeggios is also helpful.
SWING MANDOLIN BASICS CURRICULUM:
Week 1 (1/5)
Some basic chord shapes
The ii-V-I chord progression
Two ways of playing ii-V-Is
Some simple melodies
Playing “around” the melody
Sweet Sue
I’m Sitting on Top of the World
Week 2 (1/12)
The ii-V-I progression in more keys
The Dorian and Mixolydian modes
Dominant 7 arpeggios
It’s Only a Paper Moon
Sentimental Journey
WEEK 3 (1/19)
The Blues
Dominant 7 Chords
Basic blues progressions
Blues Scales
A few blues licks
Route 66
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Week 4 (1/26)
Going Around the Circle of 5ths
Minor 7 Arpeggios
Making use of 3rds and 7ths
Using chord tones in soloing
Sweet Georgia Brown
Bonus tune: Up a Lazy River
Week 5 (2/2)
Modulating
Finding common tones in chord changes
Voice leading
Blue Moon
They Can’t Take That Away from Me
Week 6 (2/9)
Minor ii-V-is
Notes to emphasize in minor progressions
Using target notes over chord changes
How High the Moon
Autumn Leaves
Week 7 (2/16)
Minor keys
Different scale possibilities in minor keys
Some more blues licks
Summertime
Bonus tune: I Love Paris
Week 8 (3/2)
Tying it all together: inversions, chord tones, arpeggios and scales
Practice tips going forward
Satin Doll
Bonus tune: Pennies from Heaven
The course fee is $225.
Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns Curriculum (1/6-3/7)
By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 7:25 PM
“
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.
“I’m loving the instruction and all the materials, it’s got me playing my mandolin constantly!”—James M.
“Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you.”—-Eric B.
Register for Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns
See the Swing Mandolin Basic with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/5-3/7)
See the Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/7)
Brand new this fall is a course exploring swing mandolin playing by two great masters: Jethro Burns, Tiny Moore. Two swing standards will be taught each week, along with transcribed solos from each of these virtuosos. Some analysis will be given, along with some extra exercises to help students understand, apply and expand on concepts from the solos in their own playing—whether on the given tunes or any other jazz standards. Along the way, students will learn plenty of melodic ideas, licks and bits of theory to help them energize their playing and navigate the wonderful world of swing!
The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.
Class sessions will take place on Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm (for those in the UK and Europe!) as well as 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time. The week of February 24th will be off due to Matt’s touring schedule. There will be eight class sessions (or 16, if you count the extra afternoon sessions) and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks.
Here is the curriculum:
WEEK 1 (1/6)
Major chord forms
Arpeggio ideas
Some scale patterns
Lick #1
Lick #2
Liza
Fly Me to the Moon
WEEK 2 (1/13)
Some blues ideas
Dominant 7 chord shapes
Lick #3
Lick #4
The Shadow of Your Smile
Corrina, Corrina
WEEK 3 (1/20)
Using double stops in soloing
Double Stop Exercise I
Lick #5
Lick #6
I’ll Always Be in Love with You
I Never Knew
WEEK 4 (1/27)
Whole tone and diminished ideas
Lick #7
Lick #8
If Dreams Come True
Paramount Stomp
WEEK 5 (2/3)
Chromatic ideas
Chromatic scale fingerings
Lick #9
Lick #10
Absence Never Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Jeanine, I Dream of Lilac Time
WEEK 6 (2/10)
Some triplet runs
Lick #11
Lick #12
Just Friends
Don’t Be that Way
WEEK 7 (2/17)
Soe minor ii-V-is
ore minor ideas and patterns
Lick #13
Lick #14
Love Me or Leave Me
Autumn Leaves
WEEK 8 (3/3)
Entering into chord melody playing
Putting scale tones on top of major chords
Lick #15
Lick #16
No Greater Love
Lil’ Darlin’
The course fee is $225.
Register for Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing; the Solos of Jethro Burns
Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (1/7-3/7)
By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 7:19 PM
“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
Register for Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See the Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/5-3/7)
See the Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/7)
This course is all about chords! Chord inversions will be explored around the fretboard in various keys, and students will learn how to play melodies using those chord inversions as melodic and harmonic foundations. Each week, two solo arrangements of swing/jazz standard tunes will be given in which the melody is played as the top note (or often passing notes) of the chord; as the melody moves, the chord inversions move accordingly, creating a full, rich sounding solo arrangement on, of all things, the mandolin. Students will also be given tips on using these chords to accompany other soloists, as well as ways of using chord inversions and chord melody technique in improvisation. It’s a great way to become not only a better solo mandolinist, but a much better accompanist as well!
The class meets on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time and Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm eastern time (which is 5 or 6 pm in the UK and Europe—students are welcome to join either or both sessions!), with follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.
This course is intended for students at an intermediate/advanced level.
MANDOLIN CHORD MELODY WITH MATT FLINNER CURRICULUM
WEEK 1 (1/7)
Intro to Chord Melody
Major chord inversions in a few keys
Scales over major chords
Some simple melodies using major chord inversions
Careless Love
Under the Double Eagle
WEEK 2 (1/14)
Dominant 7 Chord Inversions
Scales over dominant 7 chords
Somethin’ Stupid
Bye Bye Blues
WEEK 3 (1/21)
Minor 7 chord inversions
Scales over minor 7 chords
Moving from minor 7 to dominant 7 chords
St. James Infirmary
Sing, Sing, Sing
WEEK 4 (1/28)
ii-V-I Progressions
ii-V-Is using various inversions
More moving chord inversions
When You’re Smiling
It’s Only a Paper Moon
WEEK 5 (2/4)
More workouts with ii-V-Is
Some 4-note chords
Stardust
Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
WEEK 6 (2/11)
Minor ii-V-is
Common tones in chords
Blue Skies
Softly, As a Morning Sunrise
WEEK 7 (2/18)
Extensions
More major scales over chords
Mood Indigo
Someone to Watch Over Me
WEEK 8 (3/5)
Starting to improvise using chord melody
Further use of chord inversions
Adding melodic lines between chords
What a Wonderful World
Sweet Georgia Brown
Yesterday
The course fee is $225.
Register for Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner
By Theme Admin on November 9th, 2025 at 5:48 PM
“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.
The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with three eight-week long courses in swing and jazz. Courses for a variety of levels from advanced beginner to intermediate to advanced students will be offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays from early January through early March. Show up live for the streamed sessions on Zoom or stream them later on the class website. Or both!
Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner Curriculum Registration
Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns with Matt Flinner Curriculum Registration
Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum Registration
The Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner course (January 5-March 7) will dive into the wonderful world of swing mandolin. Students will learn a new swing tune (or two) each week and get pointers on how to play some basic chords and backup as well as approaches to improvising. This course will be very much into chord voicings, scales, arpeggios and how they all relate to one another. It’s a great way to expand your playing and musicianship (and learn some great tunes)!
The course is recommended for advanced beginner to intermediate students, and assumes some knowledge of basic chords and the ability to play some melodies.
The Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns course (January 6-March 7) will explore swing mandolin playing by one of the truly great mandolinists of all time: Jethro Burns. Two swing standards will be taught each week, along with transcribed solos from the master himself (plus a couple of handy Jethro licks!). Some analysis will be given, along with some extra exercises to help students understand, apply and expand on concepts from the solos in their own playing—whether on the given tunes or any other jazz standards. Along the way, students will learn plenty of melodic ideas, licks and bits of theory to help them energize their playing and navigate the wonderful world of swing!
The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.
The Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner course (January 7-March 7) is all about chords! Chord inversions will be explored around the fretboard in various keys, and students will learn how to play melodies using those chord inversions as melodic and harmonic foundations. Each week, two solo arrangements of swing/jazz standard tunes will be given in which the melody is played as the top note (or often passing notes) of the chord; as the melody moves, the chord inversions move accordingly, creating a full, rich sounding solo arrangement on, of all things, the mandolin. Students will also be given tips on using these chords to accompany other soloists, as well as ways of using chord inversions and chord melody technique in improvisation. It’s a great way to become not only a better solo mandolinist, but a much better accompanist as well!
The course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.
THE SCHEDULE
The Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner course (January 5-March 7) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time. Students will have eight Monday class sessions (January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 and March 2) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21 and March 7). 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 Advanced Swing Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns course (January 6-March 7) meets on Tuesday afternoons and evenings at 1 pm and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time. NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 1 pm eastern time—a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe! 1 pm eastern time translates to 5 or 6 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 January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17 and March 3, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21 and March 7. 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 Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner course (January 7-March 7) meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm eastern time and Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon class sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content). Students will have eight Tuesday/Wednesday class sessions (January 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, February 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 and March 3-5—which is a Thursday) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21 and March 7). The week of February 25th will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule, and the Week 8 afternoon class session will take place on Thursday, March 5 (due to a birthday in the family!). 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.
The course fee for each course is $225. You can go ahead and register at the link(s), and we’ll email you an invoice for the course fee(s) ($225 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 8-week spring courses are $225 each.
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 Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner
Register for Advanced Swing Soloing; the Solos of Jethro Burns with Matt Flinner
Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum (10/8-12/6)
By Theme Admin on September 18th, 2025 at 8:11 PM
“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.
“I really enjoy your courses and your teaching style. It works for me nicely. You obviously put a great deal of effort and thought in to the classes.”—Mike B.
See the Blues and Rags for Mandolin curriculum (10/6-12/6)
See the Norman Blake Tunes for Mandolin curriculum (10/7-12/6)
Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin will cover many of Matt’s original tunes in bluegrass, “New Acoustic,” jazz and old-time styles. Students will be given exercises to help them navigate some difficult aspects of the tunes each week, including picking exercises to help with speed, arpeggio exercises to help with improvisation, and other exercises in rhythms, modes, various keys, positions on the neck and ideas for licks. The goal is to help the aspiring mandolinist expand their musical palette, improve their improvisation skills and, most importantly, have more fun playing the mandolin!
The course is recommended for students at a high intermediate to advanced level.
Register for Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
The eight-week course begins on October 8th and runs until December 6th. Class sessions will take place every Wednesday evening from 9-10 pm eastern time, and follow-up practice sessions will take place every Saturday afternoon from 12:30-1:15 pm eastern time. Matt will be taking off the week of November 26 off for the Thanksgiving holiday, so there will be eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over a nine-week period. All class sessions and practice sessions will be recorded so that students can revisit the lessons as often as they’d like to, and students who are unable to attend any of the live sessions can view the lessons at their own convenience.
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.
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.
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.
Class sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time from October 8 through December 3 (with the week of November 26 off due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time from October 11 through December 6 (again, with Thanksgiving weekend off). Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions if possible, but if they miss sessions they can view them after-the-fact at their leisure on the class website.
The fee for the course is $225.
If you have questions about the course, email Matt at [email protected].
Register for Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
MATT FLINNER TUNEES FOR MANDOLIN CURRICULUM
WEEK 1 (10/8/25)
A couple of simpler tunes
Picking Exercise I
Arpeggio Exercise I
Playing rhythm with open chords and mixed rhythms
Improv ideas
Cold Quarters
Bonus material: The View from Here
WEEK 2 (10/15)
Tunes in minor keys
Picking Exercise II
Arpeggio Exercise II
Using different types of minor scales
The Narrows
Bonus material: New Cimarron
WEEK 3 (10/22)
Building a little speed
Picking Exercise III
Arpeggio Exercise III
Raji’s Romp
Bonus material: Black’s Fork
WEEK 4 (10/29)
A couple of waltzes
Some chord shapes and 3/4 rhythm patterns (including jazz waltz)
More improv ideas
The Village Road
Bonus material: Ice Queen
WEEK 5 (11/6)
Some newgrass & rock rhythms
Sam Bush-style rhythm
Some interval studies (4ths and 7ths)
Men from Boise
Bonus material: Nowthen
WEEK 6 (11/13)
Some old time-style tunes
Picking Exercise IV
Positions in C, with improv ideas
Sugar Maple
Bonus material: The Woodstove Dogs
WEEK 7 (11/20)
Some tricky chord progressions
Arpeggio Exercise IV
Addressing improv in various positions on the neck
Shiny Blue
Bonus material: Fallen Star
WEEK 8 (12/4)
Jamming tunes
Working with modes
More improv ideas
Meridian
Bonus material: Paint It Shut
The course fee is $225.
Register for Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin Curriculum (10/7-12/6)
By Theme Admin on September 4th, 2025 at 2:50 PM
“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.
Register for Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
See the Blues & Rags for Mandolin Curriculum (10/6-12/6)
See the Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum (10/8-12/6)
This course will get in-depth into the music of the great Norman Blake. Tunes and songs from albums spanning Norman and Nancy Blake’s career will be given each week including handful of mandolin tunes from the classic “Natasha’s Waltz” (or the original LP, “Underground Music from the Mysterious South”). Students will also be given some picking exercises, double stop exercises, licks and other exercises to help with more difficult parts of the tunes and to help them learn the fretboard more thoroughly and help with their improvisation skills. We’ll explore various approaches to soloing each week and discuss which approaches tend to work best from tune to tune. We’ll also 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, especially, to learn some great tunes and songs by one of the greatest American roots musicians ever!
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.
This course is offered at Europe-friendly times! Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in most of Europe) and 9 pm eastern time. Students are welcome to join whichever session is more convenient for them…or they can join both! Students who cannot make it to the live sessions are able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website—generally by the following day. Tuesday class sessions will run from October 7 to December 2 (with the week of November 25 off due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time from October 11 to December 6 (with November 29 off).
The course fee is $225.
Register for Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
WEEK 1 (10/7)
Getting warmed up
Picking Exercise I
Playing tunes in different octaves
Blind Dog
Billy Gray
WEEK 2 (10/14)
Some bluesy tunes
Blues licks in a few keys
Chattanooga Sugar Babe
Crossing Number 9
WEEK 3 (10/21)
Challenging chord progressions I
Using double stops in vocal tunes
Double Stop Exercise I
Orphan Annie
Church Street Blues
WEEK 4 (10/28)
A copley of waltzes
Tremolo exercise
More with double stops
Three Ravens
Memories that Never Die
WEEK 5 (11/4)
Minor keys
Some minor licks
Minor double stop exercises
Lincoln’s Funeral Train
Thebes
WEEK 6 (11/11)
A couple of challenging fiddle tunes
Finding chord tones in challenging progressions
Chord Tone Exercise I
Pig on the Engine
Walnut River
WEEK 7 (11/18)
Double Stops II
More double stop shapes
Sweet Heaven
Georgia Home
WEEK 8 (12/2)
Challenging chord progressions II
Chord Tone Exercise II
Combining licks, blues ideas, double stops and more into solos
Ginseng Sullivan
Dusty Rose
The course fee is $225.
Register for Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner
The View From Here
Walking on the Moon
Latitude
Music du jour
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