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 in September 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 Jamming II with Matt Flinner                     Curriculum          Registration

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner       Curriculum          Registration

Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner                Curriculum          Registration

Note: you do not need to have taken the previous Bluegrass Jamming, Scale and Arpeggio Intensive or Double Stops Intensive courses, which concluded in July, in order to register for (and learn from) the September courses.  Though they are follow-up courses to the July courses and will be a little bit more advanced, they are open to all who want to improve their technique and/or learn some new tunes!

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner course (September 9-October 5) 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 here. 

The Scales and Arpeggios Intensive II Course (September 10-October 5) will help students learn the fundamental building blocks of melody, harmony and improvisation.  The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level, and will use swing and well as bluegrass material as examples in conjunction with exercises in scales and patterns, modes and arpeggios.  Students will get a lot of material to help them learn the fretboard, and will learn one song per week with some suggestions on how to incorporate that week’s exercises and concepts into creating new solos and improvising over chord progressions.  Register here.  

The Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II course (September 11-October 5) is intended to help students with the fundamentals of tone and picking technique while learning the fretboard.  Double stops in various keys will be looked at, along with picking exercises (which will sometimes incorporate those double stops) to help improve efficiency and speed.  And we’ll focus quite a bit on improving our tone and getting the most sound out of our instruments that we can.  Each week, we’ll also learn a tune (sometimes bluegrass or folk, sometimes Bob Dylan, sometimes a little R & B) and look at various ways of using double stops either as part of the melody or as a way of varying the melody.  The course is intended for players of all levels who want to go deeper into the fundamentals of playing the mandolin, especially tone, picking ability and, of course, double stops.  Register here. 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course  (September 9-October 5) takes place on Monday afternoons and evenings at 2 and 8 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  NOTE: Monday 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 Monday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Monday class sessions will take place September 9, 16, 23 and 30, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place September 14, 21, 28 and October 5.   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 Scales and Arpeggios Intensive II course (September 10-October 5) meets on Tuesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  The week of July 2 is off sue to Matt’s tour schedule; students will have four Tuesday class sessions (September 10, 17, 24 and October 1) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (September 14, 21, 28 and October 5).  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 Double Stops Intensive II course (September 11-October 5) meets on Wednesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  Students will have four Wednesday class sessions (September 11, 18, 25 and October 2) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (September 14, 21, 28 and October 5).  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.  

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 September 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 Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner

The course fee for each course is $125.

You can always ask questions about the courses via email ([email protected]), and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.  I hope to see you in September!

“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.

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101                                    Curriculum               Registration

Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin                           Curriculum               Registration

Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques               Curriculum               Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer three courses this fall focusing on the American fiddle tune repertoire!  Courses are offered for a variety of ability levels and interests, and are intended to help students improve their technique and learn the fretboard while learning some great tunes.   Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin and Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques will start up October 7, 8 and 9.

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!  

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 (October 7-December 7): This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way.  Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions.  The course is recommended for students at a beginner (though absolute beginners may find it too difficult) to intermediate level.  

Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin (October 8-December 7): This course is intended to help students learn some more advanced tunes and get tips on how to create variations and/or improvise.  Students will be given new concepts and exercises each week, along with a new tune (plus a bonus tune for more ambitious students) to help improve technique, make better use of practice time, get more familiar with bluegrass and old-time fiddle tunes and have more fun jamming with others.  The course is recommended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  

Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques (October 9-December 7): This course will focus on getting students more familiar with Appalachian fiddle music and old-time songs, and help them improve their mandolin tone and technique along the way.  Students will get pointers on how to maximize their tone, various approaches to rhythm playing and chords, making use of open strings, double stops, bits of variations as well as learning a new tune (or two, or more!) each week.  The course is recommended for students at a beginner (though absolute beginners may find it too difficult) to intermediate level.  Advanced students may benefit, however, from the explorations of fundamentals in picking technique and tone improvement!  

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101), Tuesday (Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin) or Wednesday (Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques) evening from October 7, 8 or 9 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 12 to December 7.  The week of November 25 will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday.

ALSO: we’ve added Europe-friendly times for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course!  Class sessions will  take place on Mondays 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 is $225 for each course.  Register for any course(s) by September 1st and save $50 per course!

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

Register here:

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Register for Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques with Matt Flinner

View curricula for each course here:

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques with Matt Flinner Curriculum

“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.

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

Register by September 1st and save $50!

Register for Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques with Matt Flinner

See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 curriculum (Oct 7-Dec 7)

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum (Oct 8-Dec 7)

This course will focus on getting students more familiar with Appalachian fiddle music and old-time songs, and help them improve their mandolin tone and technique along the way.  Students will get pointers on how to maximize their tone, various approaches to rhythm playing and chords, making use of open strings, double stops, bits of variations as well as learning a new tune (or two, or more!) each week.  

The course is intended for students at a beginner to intermediate level.  More advanced students may benefit from the tone exercises and focus on fundamentals (plus learn some great tunes!).  

60-minute class sessions take place online every Wednesday evening from October 9th to December 4th at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday afternoon from October 12th through December 7th at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The week of November 27th is off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  

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.  Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (10/9)

Key of D

Picking Exercise I

Picking Exercise II

Rhythmic Patterns in D

Rock that Cradle Lucy

Cider Mill

Rockingham Cindy

WEEK 2 (10/16)

Key of A

Picking Exercise III

Rhythmic Patterns in A with Added Notes

Slides and Anticipations

Sourwood Mountain

Old Mother Flanagan

WEEK 3 (10/23)

Key of G

Some Double Stops

Rhythm Playing in G with Double Stops

Pretty Little Widow

Dance All Night with a Bottle in Your Hand

WEEK 4 (10/30)

Some More Double Stops

Rhythm Playing with Added Runs

Octave Variations

Shakin’ Down the Acorns

Lonesome John

WEEK 5 (11/6)

Going Between Octaves

Some “Open” Style Double Stops

Some More Double Stops in Backup

Old Time Sally Ann

The Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman

WEEK 6 (11/14)

Waltzes

Rhythm in Waltz Time

Tremolo Picking Exercise

The Blackest Crow

Chapel Hill Serenade

WEEK 7 (11/20)

Key of C

Picking Exercise IV

Picking Exercise V

Playing Backup in C

Four Cent Cotton

Rocky Pallet

WEEK 8 (12/4)

Tying it all together 

Double Stops

Octave Variations

Approaches to Rhythm

The Yellow Barber

Dry and Dusty

John Brown’s Dream

Salt River

The course fee is $225.  Register by September 1st for just $175!

“I have taken nearly every course Matt has offered, even three at a time! Matt is a brilliant teacher. Every course is deep and rich with information. The material is thoughtfully explained, allowing a student to slowly transform the class material into music. I can’t imagine this journey without Matt Flinner.  His courses are a true life changing musical experience!”—Lisa S.

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

Register by September 1st and save $50!

Register for the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner course

See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 curriculum

See the Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques curriculum

This course is intended to help the intermediate to advanced mandolinist learn some new tunes while exploring various ways of learning the fretboard and improving their improvisational skills.  Fiddle tunes in various keys will be taught each week, and students will be given suggestions on how to improvise and/or create variations on these tunes. Scale and arpeggio exercises, picking exercises and fingering exercises will also be given to help students increase their improvisation skills.

Tunes will include “Denver Belle,” “A Red Prairie Dawn,” “Big Sciota,” “Elzic’s Farewell,” “Cricket on the Hearth” and many others (see below).

The course fee is $225. Register by September 1st and save $50!

WEEK 1 (10/8): 

Creating octave variations & transitions between octaves

Warmup exercises

Adding some ornaments (hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc.)

Ear training exercise I

Chinquapin Hunting

Bonus material: Winder Slide

WEEK 2 (10/15) 

Adding some runs to your solos

Some V to I licks

Ear training exercise II

A Red Prairie Dawn

Bonus material: Old Grimes 

WEEK 3 (10/22)

Minor and modal tunes

Using some bluesy licks

Blues scales in A and E

Blues licks in two positions

Elzic’s Farewell

Bonus Material: Ice on the Road

WEEK 4 (10/29) 

Some tunes in C

C Major Scale & Pattern

C Mixolydian Scale & Pattern

Ear training exercise III

Denver Belle

Bonus material: Ashland Breakdown

WEEK 5 (11/5) 

Adding some double stops to your playing

Moving double stops in improv

Double stops as position shifts

Licks up the neck

Big Sciota

Bonus material: Paddy on the Turnpike

WEEK 6 (11/13)

More playing up the neck

Diatonic patterns up the neck

Pentatonic patterns up the neck

Huckleberry Hornpipe

Bonus tune: Grey Eagle

WEEK 7 (11/19)

Playing rags

Circle of fifths exercises

7th chord inversions & diminished chords

Complex chord patterns—how to smooth them out

Some more V-I licks

Beaumont Rag

Bonus material: Bully of the Town

WEEK 8 (12/3) 

Tying it all together: using octaves, licks, patterns, positions, target notes and double stops to create variations

Exercises for speed

Cricket on the Hearth

Bonus material: New Chance Blues

The course fee is $225.  Register by September 1st for just $175!

“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 have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps.  The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin.  Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it.”—Steve F.

Register by September 1st and save $50!

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum

See the Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques curriculum

Welcome Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101!  This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way.  Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions.  Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.

The course runs from October 7 to December 7, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the week of November 11th, when class will take place on Tuesday, November 12th), and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time.  The week of November 25th will be off due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks.  Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions will be recorded and available to view afterward (generally by the next day) anytime at the students’ convenience.

To view other courses offered this fall, click here.  

The course fee is $225.  Sign up by September 1st for just $175!

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

WEEK 1 (10/7)

Picking and rhythm

Picking Exercise I

Fingering Exercise I

Scales: D Major and G Major

Open style backup in D

Eighth of January

Bonus material: St. Anne’s Reel

WEEK 2 (10/14)

Getting a fuller sound using open strings

Picking Exercise II

Fingering Exercise II

Open style backup in G

Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe?

Bonus material: Old Dan Tucker

WEEK 3 (10/21)

Octave variations

Picking Exercise III (three and four string exercises)

Fingering Exercise III

Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G

Open style backup in A

June Apple

Bonus material: The Squirrel Hunters

WEEK 4 (10/28)

Transitions between octaves

Learning Chord Tones

Major Arpeggios

3 Chord Inversions

Playing backup using basslines and moving chords

Liberty

Bonus material: Cuckoo’s Nest

WEEK 5 (11/4)

Throwing in some licks

Scales: A Major and A Mixolydian; D Major and D Mixolydian

Open style chords in C

Dominant Arpeggios

Billy in the Lowground

Bonus Material: Boston Boy

WEEK 6 (11/12)

Creating variations using target notes

Minor Arpeggios

Minor Scales

Cold Frosty Morning

Bonus Material: Cattle in the Cane

WEEK 7 (11/18)

Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos

Double Stop Exercise in A

Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian

Bill Cheatem

Bonus material: Sally Gooden

WEEK 8 (12/2)

Various approaches to improvising

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

Blackberry Blossom

Bonus material: Liza Jane

Register by Septmber 1st and save $50!

Register here for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course.

See the Advanced Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin curriculum

See the Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques curriculum

“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 in September 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 Jamming II with Matt Flinner                     Curriculum          Registration

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner    Curriculum          Registration

Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner               Curriculum         Registration

Note: you do not need to have taken the previous Bluegrass Jamming, Scale and Arpeggio Intensive or Double Stops Intensive courses, which concluded in July, in order to register for (and learn from) the September courses.  Though they are follow-up courses to the July courses and will be a little bit more advanced, they are open to all who want to improve their technique and/or learn some new tunes!

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner course (September 9-October 5) 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 here. 

The Scales and Arpeggios Intensive II Course (September 10-October 5) will help students learn the fundamental building blocks of melody, harmony and improvisation.  The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level, and will use swing and well as bluegrass material as examples in conjunction with exercises in scales and patterns, modes and arpeggios.  Students will get a lot of material to help them learn the fretboard, and will learn one song per week with some suggestions on how to incorporate that week’s exercises and concepts into creating new solos and improvising over chord progressions.  Register here.  

The Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II course (September 11-October 5) is intended to help students with the fundamentals of tone and picking technique while learning the fretboard.  Double stops in various keys will be looked at, along with picking exercises (which will sometimes incorporate those double stops) to help improve efficiency and speed.  And we’ll focus quite a bit on improving our tone and getting the most sound out of our instruments that we can.  Each week, we’ll also learn a tune (sometimes bluegrass or folk, sometimes Bob Dylan, sometimes a little R & B) and look at various ways of using double stops either as part of the melody or as a way of varying the melody.  The course is intended for players of all levels who want to go deeper into the fundamentals of playing the mandolin, especially tone, picking ability and, of course, double stops.  Register here. 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course  (September 9-October 5) takes place on Monday afternoons and evenings at 2 and 8 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  NOTE: Monday 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 Monday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Monday class sessions will take place September 9, 16, 23 and 30, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place September 14, 21, 28 and October 5.   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 Scales and Arpeggios Intensive II course (September 10-October 5) meets on Tuesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  The week of July 2 is off sue to Matt’s tour schedule; students will have four Tuesday class sessions (September 10, 17, 24 and October 1) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (September 14, 21, 28 and October 5).  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 Double Stops Intensive II course (September 11-October 5) meets on Wednesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  Students will have four Wednesday class sessions (September 11, 18, 25 and October 2) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (September 14, 21, 28 and October 5).  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.  

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 September 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 Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive II with Matt Flinner

The course fee for each course is $125.

You can always ask questions about the courses via email ([email protected]), and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.  I hope to see you in September!

All the best,

Matt

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

“Matt is a brilliant teacher. Every course is deep and rich with information. The material is thoughtfully explained, allowing a student to slowly transform the class material into music.  His courses are a true life changing musical experience!”—Lisa S.

Register for the Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II course 

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II curriculum

See the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II curriculum

This course is intended to help students with fundamentals while learning the fretboard.  Double stops in various keys will be looked at, along with picking exercises (which will sometimes incorporate those double stops) to help improve efficiency and speed.  And we’ll focus quite a bit on improving our tone and getting the most sound out of our instruments that we can.  Each week, we’ll also learn a tune (sometimes bluegrass or folk, sometimes Bob Dylan, sometimes Otis Redding!) and look at various ways of using double stops either as part of the melody or as a way of varying the melody.

The course is a continuation of the Mandolin Double Stops Intensive I course, which concludes in July, but students are not required to have taken the first course in order to enroll in (and benefit from) the Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II course

The course is intended for players of all levels who want to go deeper into the fundamentals of playing the mandolin, especially tone, picking ability and, of course, double stops. 

Here is the curriculum: 

WEEK 1 (September 11)

Double Stop Exercise in E

Moving Between Shapes Across Chord Progressions

Combining Double Stop Shapes

Picking Exercise 9

Picking Exercise 10

Blowin’ in the Wind

WEEK 2 (September 18)

Minor Double Stops in a Few Keys

Playing the i-iv-V Minor Progression in Various Double Stops

Picking Exercise 11

Picking Exercise 12

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

WEEK 3 (September 25)

Double Stop Exercise in Bb 

Double Stop Tremolo Exercise

Adding Other Chords and Double Stops

Picking Exercise 13

Picking Exercise 14

Gone, Gone, Gone

WEEK 4 (October 2) 

“Open” Style Diatonic Double Stops

Open Style Double Stop Licks

More Combinations of Shapes

Picking Exercise 15

Three String Picking Exercise

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay

The course fee is $125.  

Register for the Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II course 

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

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II course

See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II curriculum

See the Mandolin Double Stops Intensive II curriculum

The Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II course is intended to give students a more solid understanding of the fretboard while getting ideas of the “tools” used in soloing and improvisation.  Each week, students will be given a handful of exercises using various types of scales and arpeggios in various keys, along with a tune from either the bluegrass or swing/jazz repertoire as a vehicle for using ideas from that week’s exercises in creating solos.  The goal is to help students gain a better understanding of how music works, and to get ideas to help them advance more quickly and have more fun playing with others.  The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  

The course is a continuation of the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive I course, which concludes in July, but students are not required to have taken the first course in order to enroll in (and benefit from) the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II course.  

Classes meet every Tuesday from September 11 to October 2 at 8 pm eastern time, with practice/review sessions every Saturday from September 14 to October 5 at 11 am eastern time.  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions, but will be able to view the sessions afterwards on the class website in the event they cannot attend live. 

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (September 10)

Major Scales in Seven Positions

Major Scale Patterns in 3rds

Major 7 Arpeggios from the 3rd, 5th and 7th

Major Arpeggio Exercise I

Down Yonder as Improv Landscape 

WEEK 2 (September 17)

Natural Minor (Aeolian) Scales in All Keys

Aeolian Scale Pattern I

Diminished Scales

Diminished Scales and Arpeggios as Substitutions

Minor 7 Arpeggios from the 3rd, 5th and 7th

Minor Swing as Improv Landscape

WEEK 3 (September 24)

Mixolydian Scales in Various Positions on the Neck

Mixolydian Scale Pattern I

Dominant 7 Arpeggios in Various Positions

Dominant 7 Arpeggios from the 3rd, 5th and 7th

Diminshed 7 Arpeggios

Alabama Jubilee as Improv Landscape

WEEK 4 (October 1)

Harmonic Minor Scales in All Keys

Harmonic Minor Scale Pattern I

Finding Chord Tones in Minor Tunes

Augmented Arpeggios

Augmented Chords as V Chords

Dark Eyes as Improv Landscape

The course fee is $125.  

Register here.

“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 stude

“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 Scale and Arpeggio Intensive II curriculum

See the Double Stops Intensive II curriculum

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).

While this course is a continuation of the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course which completes in early July, it is not necessary for students to have taken the first course to be able to take the second course.  The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II course is intended to reinforce many of the concepts taught in the previous course, while expanding the student’s knowledge of the fretboard beyond where the first course left off.

The course begins September 9 and runs through October 5.  Class sessions will meet on Wednesdays at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe) and 8 pm eastern time.  Practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from 10-10:45 am eastern time.  

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

The course fee is $125.  

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming II with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (September 9)

Key of C

Various Positions in C

Using Open Strings

C Chord Tones and Double Stops

The Walls of Time

Way Downtown

I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

Tennessee Waltz

WEEK 2 (September 16)

Key of E 

Position Playing in E 

E Chord Tones and Double Stops

Octave Changes

Hold Whatcha Got

The Last Thing on My Mind

In the Pines

Why You Been Gone So Long?

WEEK 3 (September 23)

Key of F

Positions in F

Chord Tones in F

Using Two Chord Styles in Backup

Once More

Memories of Mother and Dad

Rank Strangers

Won’t You Come and Sing for Me?

WEEK 4 (September 30)

Key of B

Positions in B

B Chord Tones and Double Stops

Chop Chords and “Open” Style Chords in B

Dooley

Love, Please Come Home

I Cried Again

Rain, Please Go Away

Register here.

Questions?  Email Matt at [email protected]

“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 Jamming with Matt Flinner                         Curriculum         Registration 

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner        Curriculum         Registration

Double Stops Intensive with Matt Flinner                   Curriculum         Registration

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner course (June 10-July 13) 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 here. 

The Scales and Arpeggios Intensive Course (June 11-July 13) will help students learn the fundamental building blocks of melody, harmony and improvisation.  The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level, and will use swing and well as bluegrass material as examples in conjunction with exercises in scales and patterns, modes and arpeggios.  Students will get a lot of material to help them learn the fretboard, and will learn one song per week with some suggestions on how to incorporate that week’s exercises and concepts into creating new solos and improvising over chord progressions.  Register here.  

The Mandolin Double Stops Intensive Course (June 12-July 13) is intended to help students with the fundamentals of tone and picking technique while learning the fretboard.  Double stops in various keys will be looked at, along with picking exercises (which will sometimes incorporate those double stops) to help improve efficiency and speed.  And we’ll focus quite a bit on improving our tone and getting the most sound out of our instruments that we can.  Each week, we’ll also learn a tune (sometimes bluegrass or folk, sometimes Beatles, sometimes Bob Dylan) and look at various ways of using double stops either as part of the melody or as a way of varying the melody.  The course is intended for players of all levels who want to go deeper into the fundamentals of playing the mandolin, especially tone, picking ability and, of course, double stops.  Register here. 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive with Matt Flinner

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course takes place on Monday afternoons and evenings at 2 and 8 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  NOTE: Monday 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 Monday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Monday class sessions will take place June 10, 17, 24 and July 8, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place June 15, 22, 29 and July 13.  The week of July 1 is 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 Scales and Arpeggios Intensive Course (June 11-July 13) meets on Tuesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  The week of July 2 is off sue to Matt’s tour schedule; students will have four Tuesday class sessions (June 11, 18, 25 and July 9) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (June 15, 22, 29 and July 13).  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 Double Stops Intensive Course (June 12-July 13) meets on Wednesday evenings at 8 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  The week of July 3 is off sue to Matt’s tour schedule; students will have four Wednesday class sessions (June 12, 19, 26 and July 10) and four Saturday follow-up practice sessions (June 15, 22, 29 and July 13).  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.  Sign up for two courses by May 13th and save $50!  Just sign up for the courses you want to take, and we’ll send you a confirmation along with an invoice for the course fees ($200 for both courses).  You’ll be all set!

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 Jamming with Matt Flinner

Register for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner

Register for the Double Stops Intensive with Matt Flinner

You can always ask questions about the courses via email ([email protected]), and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.  I hope to see you this summer!

All the best,

Matt