Matt Flinner

“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.

Register by 9/21 and save $75!

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 by 9/21 and save $75!

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.  Register by 9/21 for just $150!

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 by September 21st for just $150!

Register for Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

“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.

Register by 9/21 and save $75!

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 by 9/21 and save $75!

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.  Register by 9/21 for just $150!

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 by September 21st for just $150!

Register for Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

“I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.

“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 by 9/21 and save $50!

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 by 9/21 for just $175!

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 by September 21st for just $175!  

Register for Norman Blake Tunes and Songs for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

“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 by 9/21 and save $50!

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 by 9/21 and save $50!

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 by 9/21 for just $175!

Register for Blues and Rags for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

“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.

Register for any course by September 21st and save $50!  Save $75 on Matt Flinner Tunes for Mandolin!

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. 

Register by September 21st and save $50!  Register here.  

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.  

Register by September 21st and save $50!  Register here.

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. 

Register by September 21st and save $75!  Register here.

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.  Register for any course by September 21st and save $50!  Just follow the registration links and after registering, we’ll send you an invoice for the course fee(s) ($175 per course).  

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

Register here:

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

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)

“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

“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 Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II Curriculum (8/25-9/27)

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

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

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

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 August 26 to September 30 (with the weeks of September 2 and 23 off due to Matt’s tour schedule), and practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time from August 30 to October 4 (with September 6 and 27 off).  

This course is a continuation of the Mandolin Tune Studies I course which concludes on August 9, but students do not to have taken that course in order to take the Mandolin Tune Studies II course. 

The course fee is $125.  

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner

TUNE STUDIES CURRICULUM

Tunes (sent in advance):

Fisher’s Hornpipe

Old Molly Hare

WEEK 1 (8/26)

Octave Variations

Picking Exercise II

Finding scale tones

Melodic patterns

Throwing in some added licks

WEEK 2 (9/9)

Double stops

Using double stops to create variations

Double Stop Exercise I (in D)

Double Stop Exercise II (in D)

WEEK 3 (9/16)

Positions on the neck in D

Licks in various positions

Shifting between positions

WEEK 4 (9/30)

Adding some blues

Mixing blues and double stops

Combining blues, double stops, licks, patterns and rhythms

The course fee is $125. 

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner

“Thanks for the terrific class! I had my mandolin lurking in the corner for 9 months before I took this class. I played with it now and then but felt out of my depth, having only played piano in the past. A few weeks into your class, I couldn’t put down my mandolin, practicing far more than my kids want me to. In addition to the wonderful tunes we learned in class, I started to pick out other melodies like Christmas carols, simple gifts, harry potter, star wars; anything I hear I want to find it on the mandolin.”—Randy R.

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

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II curriculum (8/25-9/27)

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

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

Class sessions meet every Wednesday evening from August 27th to October 1st at 9 pm eastern time (the weeks of 9/4 and 9/25 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule), and practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from August 30th to October 4th at 12:30 pm eastern time (again, with the weeks of 9/6 and 9/27 off). 

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

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

NOTE: This is a continuation of the Music Theory for Mandolin Players I course, which concludes August 9.  Students do not need to have taken that course in order to take this one—they’re welcome to jump right in!  

The course fee is $125. 

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner

WEEK 1 (8/27)

More interval studies

Double stops as chord tones

Ear training exercise #1

Scale Exercise III

Arpeggio Exercise II

Melodic Exercise I: Mother Nature’s Son

WEEK 2 (9/10)

Dominant 7 chords

Types of cadences

Voice leading in cadences

Secondary dominants

Ear training exercise #2

Melodic Exercise II: Let It Be

WEEK 3 (9/17)

Modulation

Common tones in chords

Chord exercise #3 (using common tones to find chords)

Scale Exercise III

Arpeggio Exercise III

Ear training exercise #3

Melodic Exercise III: I Want to Hold Your Hand

WEEK 4 (10/1)

Chromaticism

More with modulation

Scale and arpeggio review

Ear Training Exercise #4

Melodic Exercise IV: Free as a Bird

The course fee is $125.  

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner

“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 summer with three four-week long intensive courses designed to help you improve your technique, learn some tunes and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner                       Curriculum         Registration 

Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner                                Curriculum         Registration

Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner                 Curriculum         Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course (August 25-September 27) is intended to help students play bluegrass music with other people.  Each week, students will receive four new tunes (from beginner to advanced level) along with ways of playing rhythm, approaches to creating variations on the tune, and some exercises to help with fundamental technique.  The goal is to help students learn more tunes, learn practical approaches to playing those tunes, and get out and play with other people!  

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner. 

The Mandolin Tune Studies II course (August 26-October 4) is intended to help students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes: “Fisher’s Hornpipe” and “Old Molly Hare,” along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well!  

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner

The Music Theory for Mandolin Players II course (August 27-October 4) is intended for students at all levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to understand more about music theory and how it relates to the mandolin.  Each week, students will receive various exercises relating to scales, arpeggios, chords, progressions, transpositions and more.  And we’ll look at songs by the Beatles!  We’ll relate several concepts from the week to the chords, melody or structure of that week’s song.  The goal is to help students learn more about the fretboard and be able to learn songs more quickly and improvise more easily.  

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

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course (August 25-September 27) 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 August 25, September 8, 15 and 22, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place August  30, September 13, 20 and 27.  The week of September 1 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.

The Mandolin Tune Studies II course (August 26-October 4) meets on Tuesdays at 2 and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 2 pm eastern time—a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  2 pm eastern time translates to 7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place August 26, September 9, 16 and 30, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place August  30, September 13 and 20 and October 4 at 11 am eastern time.  The weeks of September 2 and 23 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.

The Music Theory for Mandolin Players II course (August 27-October 4) meets on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  Wednesday class sessions will take place August 27, September 10, 17 and October 1, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place August  30, September 13 and 20 and October 4 sat 12:30 pm eastern time.  The weeks of September 3 and 24 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule..  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day). Register here.

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

The course fee for each course is $125.  Just register at the link(s) for the course(s) you want to take, and we’ll email you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s).

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

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

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 

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

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

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

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

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

HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES?

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

HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?

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

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

THE CLASS WEBPAGE

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

REGISTRATION FEE

Fees for the 4-week summer courses are $125 each. 

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

“I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.

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

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

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

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

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

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner (8/25-10/4)

Register for Mandolin Tune Studies II with Matt Flinner (8/26-10/4)

Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players II with Matt Flinner (8/27-10/4)

“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 with Matt Flinner

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

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

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

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

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

The course fee is $125.  

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (July 7)

Key of G

Warmup Picking Exercise

Positions in G

G Scale Exercises

Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

Big Sciota

Wheel Hoss

WEEK 2 (July 14)

Key of D

Moving Between Positions in D

D Scale and Patterns

Changing Octaves in a Tune

Angeline the Baker

Cora Is Gone

Reuben

Little Birdie

WEEK 3 (July 21)

Some Minor Key Tunes

A Variety of Minor Chords

E Minor Scales and Patterns

Throwing in Some Minor Double Stops

Randall Collins

Nashville Blues

Little Sadie

Kentucky Mandolin

WEEK 4 (July 28)

Key of A

Some Positions in A

Using Open Strings

A Major Scale and Patterns

Mixing in Licks and Double Stops

Gold Rush

Uncle Pen

Hit Parade of Love

Your Love Is Like a Flower

The course fee is $125.   

Register here.