Matt Flinner

Register here for Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner

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. Register by November 25th for just $150!

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.

Sale extended! Register by 11/25 and save $75!

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.

Register by 11/25 and save $75!

Register for Advanced Swing Mandolin Soloing; the Solos of Jethro Burns

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 by 11/25 for just $150!

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

Sale extended! Register by 11/25 and save $75!

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 Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm eastern time, 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.

Register by 11/25 and save $75!

Register for Chord Melody Mandolin with Matt Flinner

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 by 11/25 for just $150!

Sale Extended--Save $75 on Winter Courses through 11/25! Swing Mandolin Basics, Advanced Soloing: the Solos of Jethro Burns and Chord Melody Mandolin Start 1/5-7

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.

Salle extended! Save $75 through 11/25!

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.

Register by 11/25 and save $75!

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.

Register by 11/25 and save $75!

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.

Register by 11/25 and save $75!

Register for Swing Mandolin Basics with Matt Flinner

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! 2 pm eastern time translates to 6 or 7 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 Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time. Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18 and March 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 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. Register by November 25th for just $150! Go ahead and register at the link(s), and we’ll email you an invoice for the course fee(s) ($150 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. Register by 11/25 for just $150!

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 Advanced Swing Soloing; the Solos of Jethro Burns with Matt Flinner

Register for Chord Melody Mandolin 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

Blues and Rags for Mandolin Curriculum, 10/6-12/6

By Theme Admin on September 4th, 2025 at 2:29 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.

“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.

Register for Blues and Rags for Mandolin with Matt Flinner (10/6-12/6)

See the Norman Blake Tunes for Mandolin curriculum (10/7-12/6)

See the Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum (10/8-12/6)

Blues mandolin returns to the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online program! In this course, we’ll be learning how to play a variety of blues styles and grooves as well as rags (with a bluesy flavor) on the mandolin. We’ll go deep into recordings from the 1920s and 30s, drawing from the playing of the Dallas String Band, Mississippi Mud Steppers, Carl Martin, Charlie McCoy, Yank Rachell, Johnny Young and Howard Armstrong, among others. Rhythm playing, lead playing and improvising will all be covered, with suggestions on chord forms, rhythmic patterns and licks across a variety of blues tunes, rags and stomps in various keys and tempos.

Class sessions will meet up on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.

The course is intended for players at any level who are interested in blues mandolin.

Register for Blues and Rags for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (10/6)

Basic blues playing and backup

Some blues licks

Picking Exercise I

Rising Sun Blues (King David’s Jug Band)

Two White Horses in a Line (Joe Evans & Arthur McClain)

WEEK 2 (10/13)

Some Raggy Blues

7th chords and double stops

Picking Exercise II

Carbolic Rag (Scottdale String Band)

Tear It Down (King David’s Jug Band)

WEEK 3 (10/20)

Using tremolo

Tremolo exercise !

Some more blues licks

3-note chords in backup

Vicksburg Stomp (Mississippi Mud Steppers)

Mister Mary Blues (Al Miller)

Morning Glory Waltz (Mississippi Mud Steppers)

WEEK 4 (10/27)

Some slow blues

Slow blues backup

Tremolo Exercise II

You Gonna Need Me (Charlie McCoy)

Trouble on Your Hand No. 1 (Carl Martin)

WEEK 5 (11/3)

Some double stop shapes

Using double stops in licks

Tremolo Exercise III

Do the Boogie Mama (Yank Rachel)

Stealin’ (Johnny Young)

WEEK 6 (11/10)

Some advanced rags

Picking Exercise IV

Some slide runs (Monroe-esque)

Jug Rag (Blue Ridge Ramblers)

Hawkins Rag (Gid Tanner)

WEEK 7 (11/17)

Chromatic Runs

Fingering exercises

Sweet Mama Blues (Dallas String Band)

On an Island By Myself (Al Miller)

WEEK 8 (12/1)

Some more advanced techniques and patterns

Dallas Rag (Dallas String Band)

State Street Rag (Howard Armstrong)

Shine (Dallas String Band)

The course fee is that $225.

Register for Blues and Rags for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Blues & Rags for Mandolin, Norman Blake Tunes for Mandolin and Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin Start 10/6-8

By Theme Admin on September 3rd, 2025 at 2:30 PM

“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

“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.

Blues and Rags for Mandolin Curriculum Registration

Norman Blake Mandolin Tunes and Songs Curriculum Registration

Matt Flinner Ttunes Mandolin Curriculum Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer three courses this fall focusing on some great American roots music, plus a course in Matt Flinner tunes. These courses are intended to help students improve their technique and learn the fretboard while learning some great tunes. Blues and Rags for Mandolin,Norman Blake Mandolin Tunes and Songs and Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin will start up October 6, 7 and 8.

Each course lasts eight weeks, with class sessions on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings (depending on which course it is) and follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings or afternoons to help you solidify the material while learning practice techniques and getting tips on practice routines.

Students DO NOT need to tune in to the live online sessions, as all class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted to the class website by the next day for viewing at the students’ convenience. Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions whenever possible, as they can ask questions during the session—plus we’ve found that many students are more likely to practice when they show up for the live sessions!

Blues and Rags for Mandolin (October 6-December 6): This course will explore a variety of blues styles and grooves on the mandolin. We’ll go deep into recordings from the 1920s and 30s, drawing from the playing of Carl Martin, Charlie McCoy, Yank Rachell, Johnny Young and Howard Armstrong, among others. Rhythm playing, lead playing and improvising will all be covered, with suggestions on chord forms, rhythmic patterns and licks across a variety of blues tunes in various keys and tempos.

Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin (October 7-December 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! This course is intended for intermediate to advanced level students.

Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin (October 8-December 6): This course 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, positions on the neck and ideas for licks. This course is intended for high intermediate to advanced level students.

Blues and Rags Mandolin with Matt Flinner (10/6-12/6)

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Blues and Rags for Mandolin), Tuesday (Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin) or Wednesday (Mandolin for Beginners) evening from October 6, 7 or 8 to December 2, 3 or 4 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning/afternoon from October 11 to December 6. The week of Thanksgiving will off; each course will have eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks.

ALSO: we’ve added Europe-friendly times for the Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin course! Class sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe) in addition to the 9 pm eastern time class time. Students are invited to attend either or both of the sessions (both will be essentially the same).

NOTE: It is helpful, but not essential, to be present for the live sessions. All class sessions are recorded and available to view on the class website by the following day.

WHAT STUDENTS GET FROM THE COURSE

All students will also have unlimited access to short recorded videos of all of the material played at a slow tempo, PDFs of all material in both standard notation and mandolin tablature, and mp3s of all of the tunes at slow and medium speeds that they can practice along with. Students can access all of this material at any time through the class website, and can also download all materials (videos and class session videos included) to keep them permanently. All class sessions and practice/review sessions are recorded and posted on the class website (usually by the following day) so that students who were unable to attend the live sessions may view them at their own convenience, and all students may review the class videos as often as they wish.

Students will also be given a Recommended Listening list each week for the material covered. A variety of versions of each tune will be provided in the hopes that students will listen to recordings and further explore the wide world of recorded old-time and bluegrass music.

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

During the live sessions, students can ask questions and/or play examples via their microphone (built-in or external plug-in), or they can ask questions via a built-in chat window. The instructor responds to all questions immediately (or between teaching exercises, etc.) on the spot.

Students are also encouraged to submit mp3 recordings at any time during the course if they would like to, and the instructor will respond in an mp3 recording with constructive criticism. Students can submit these mp3s either privately via email or publicly via the class website, where all students can listen and respond if they choose to. Mp3 submissions are encouraged but not required, and there is no limit on how many mp3 submissions a student can send in.

There is also a class website where registered students can find all class materials (videos, PDFs, mp3s) anytime. The site also has a Forum section, where students can ask questions, bring up topics for discussion, etc., in an open forum where the instructor and other students can respond.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE:

1. A desktop or laptop Mac or PC computer, iPad or Internet-connected mobile device (such as iPhone) in order to view the sessions, plus a good internet connection.

2. An internal microphone and speakers on your laptop or desktop computer, or a phone to listen and speak (if desired) during the sessions. Instructions for participating by phone are included when you register for the course (long distance charges may apply).

3. During the course, you have the option of submitting recorded examples of your playing to the instructor (and to the group, if desired). In order to do this, you will need your computer’s built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity or Garage Band, that will allow you to record yourself playing and save the recording in MP3 format.

4. A mandolin (actually maybe that should have been #1).

The course fee for each course is $225. Just follow the registration links and after registering, we’ll send you an invoice for the course fee(s) ($225 per course).

If you have questions about any of the courses, email Matt at [email protected].

Register here:

Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner (10/7-12/6)

Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner (10/8-12/6)

View curricula for each course here:

Blues and Rags Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/6-12/6)

Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/7-12/6)

Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (10/8-12/6)

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner Curriculum (8/25-9/27)

By Theme Admin on July 20th, 2025 at 3:25 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 Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

See the Mandolin Tune Studies II Curriculum (8/26-10/4)

See the Music Theory for Mandolin Players II Curriculum (8/27-10/4)

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 from August 25 to September 22 at 9 pm eastern time, with the week of September 1 being off due to Matt’s tour schedule. There will also be 45-minute review sessions every Saturday at 10 am eastern time. This course is a continuation of the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming I course which concludes on August 9, but students do not to have taken that course in order to take the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course.

The course fee is $125.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (8/25)
Starting off in the key of C
Open position and positions up the neck
Double stops in C
Toy Heart
Goodbye Old Pal
Home Sweet Home
Teardrops in My Eyes

WEEK 2 (9/8)
Keys of E and F
Adding the blues in E and F
Moving double stop exercises
Footprints in the Snow
The Last Thing on My Mind
Travelin’ Down this Lonesome Road
Tall Buildings

WEEK 3 (9/15)
Keys of B and Bb
More moving double stops
Some Monroe-style ideas
Wild Bill Jones
Roving Gambler
My Rose of Old Kentucky
Old Home Place

WEEK 4 (9/22)
Some “modern” classics
More difficult chord progressions
Finding chord tones and double stops
Combining double stops and licks
Steam Powered Aereoplane
Early Morning Rain
Panama Red
Wait a Minute

The course fee is $125.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner