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.

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

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

Register here:

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)

Register here.

“Your courses have opened my musical mind, focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”—-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.

Welcome to the Mandolin Fretboard and Music Theory Exercises 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 scale, arpeggio and transposition exercises each week to help them find their way around the fretboard in various keys.  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 Tuesday evening from July 10 to August 1 at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from July 14 to August 4 11 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.

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.

Register for Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises

Get info about other Summer 2018 courses

MUSIC THEORY AND MANDOLIN FRETBOARD EXERCISES CURRICULUM (July 10-August 4)

Week 1 (July 10)

Finding roots

Major scale on one string

Major scales in six keys

Numbering notes in scales

Two fingerings for major scales

A few licks in two positions

Simple song #1 in various keys

Week 2 (July 17)

Chords

Building chords from scales

Moving closed chords around the neck

I-IV-V progressions

Arpeggios (1-3-5-3) in six keys

Starting licks from chord tones (3234321 etc.)  

Simple song #2 in various keys

Week 3 (July 24)

Diatonic triads

Adding ii and vi chords to chord progressions

Minor arpeggios in six keys

Minor chord progressions

Finding scales and arpeggios in various keys

Two more major scale fingerings

Simple song #3 in various keys

Week 4 (July 31)

Modes

Dominant 7 arpeggios

Mixolydian scales in six keys

Chord inversions 

A few scale patterns

Finding I-IV-V roots in various positions on the neck

Simple song #4 in various keys

The course fee is $125.  Register here.

See the Bluegrass Jamming (July 11-August 4) curriculum 

See the Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming (July 9-August 4) curriculum 

Questions?  Email [email protected]. 

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 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

This course is intended to help the aspiring mandolinist build up repertoire and find ways of creating new solos over Django Reinhardt-style Gypsy swing tunes; 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 Gypsy swing standard tunes with a particular concept in mind—Dominant 7 chords, ii/V/Is etc.  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).  Ways of playing the chord progressions will also be suggested, so students will have a guide for playing backup as well as lead and improv on all four tunes.  

Classes meet Monday evenings from July 9 to July 30 at 9 pm eastern time.  There will also be 45-minute review sessions every Saturday morning from July 14 to August 4 at 10 am eastern time.

Register for Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Get info about other Summer 2018 courses

GYPSY SWING MANDOLIN JAMMING CURRICULUM:

Week 1 (July 9)

Simple chord progressions

Major and dominant 7 arpeggios

A few chord inversions

Playing Django-style rhythm

Louise

My Sweet

Dinah

Tiger Rag

Week 2 (July 16)

Dominant 7 chords

Mixolydian scales

Using chord tones

Caravan

Charleston

Limehouse Blues

Clouds

Week 3 (July 23)

ii-V-Is

A couple of ii-V-I inversions

Arpeggio exercises 

You’re Driving Me Crazy

Honeysuckle Rose

HCQ Strut 

Swing ’42

Week 4 (July 30)

Minor chords

Harmonic minor scales

Arpeggiating through changes

Minor Swing

Blue Drag

I’ve Found a New Baby

Dark Eyes

The course fee is $125.  Register here.

See the Bluegrass Jamming (July 11-August 4) curriculum 

See the Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises (July 10-August 4) curriculum

Questions?  Email [email protected]. 

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN JAMMING WITH MATT FLINNER (July 11-August 4)

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 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 here.

Get info about other Summer 2018 courses

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!

Now offered at Europe-friendly times!  Class sessions take place 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.  

Each week, we’ll look at four bluegrass standard tunes: usually two instrumentals and two vocal songs in a particular key.  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 Wednesday from July 11 to August 1 at 2 pm eastern time (7 or 8 pm in the UK and Europe) as well as 9 pm eastern time.  We hope this will be convenient for folks in various time zones, including Europe and around the world!  There will also be 45-minute review sessions every Saturday at 12:15 pm eastern time (5:15 or 6:15 pm in the UK and Europe).

The course fee is $125. 

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (July 11)

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 18)

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 25)

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 (August 1)

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

Come Hither to Go Yonder

The course fee is $125.  Register here. 

See the Gypsy Swing Mandolin Jamming (July 9-August 4) curriculum 

See the Music Theory and Mandolin Fretboard Exercises (July 10-August 4) curriculum

Questions?  Email [email protected]. 

“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 was very impressed and feel better about my confidence level, how I play and focus now. The course just worked for me and got me over a hump in terms of my motivation and focus.”—Donna O.

Welcome to the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program!  Established in the fall of 2013 by Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner, the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program has become one of the premier mandolin learning methods in the world, whether online or offline.  This program presents a variety of online mandolin courses from bluegrass to old-time to swing and jazz to rock and roll and more.  Hundreds of students have improved their playing and broadened their horizons through this unique mix of live lessons and recorded materials.

Celtic Mandolin                    Curriculum      Registration

Beatles for Mandolin           Curriculum      Registration

New Acoustic Mandolin      Curriculum      Registration

This spring, we’re offering three courses: Celtic Mandolin, Beatles for Mandolin and New Acoustic Mandolin. Each course lasts for eight weeks from mid-March to late May or early June, and each course includes eight live class sessions on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings and eight live practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings. Students also receive a variety of materials, including PDFs of all of the written materials, mp3s to practice with, short practice videos of all materials and recommended listening lists. And students do not need to be present for the live sessions (though it is helpful), as all sessions are recorded and uploaded to the class website by the following day so that students can view them (and download them) at their convenience.

Celtic Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  March 19-May 26.  This course is recommended for players at an advanced beginner to intermediate level, and is intended to familiarize students with traditional Irish music on the mandolin.  The course will explore techniques for playing lead and rhythm in traditional Irish fiddle tunes.  Rhythm playing and picking technique on reels, hornpipes and jigs will be explored, as well as picking technique for triplets and various ways of playing ornamentations.  Live class sessions take place on Monday evenings, and practice/review sessions take place on Saturday mornings/afternoons (depending on your time zone).  The curriculum can be viewed here.   Register here.

Beatles for Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  March 20-June 2. This course is recommended for students at any playing level, though it is recommended that students at least know several chords and be able to play several fiddle tunes or other songs. Exercises will be given to benefit players at a variety of skill levels. The course will lead students through much of the world of Rock and Roll, enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.  The course will focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms with a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, strengthening fundamentals such as picking and fingering, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes by the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Bo Diddley and the Rolling Stones (to name a few) will be part of the curriculum.  See the curriculum here.  Register here.

New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner. March 21-May 26. This course is recommended for students at an intermediate to advanced level. New Acoustic Mandolin will explore modern string band music—an outgrowth of various American roots musics including bluegrass, jazz and old-time music as well as rock and roll, blues and funk. This course will teach students a wide variety of rhythm patterns for both lead and backup playing, explore the fretboard with various chord forms and exercises in jazz harmony, and look at improvisation in a variety of musical contexts and styles. Along the way, students will learn several Matt Flinner tunes and get tips on how to play tunes by many of the modern masters such as David Grisman and Sam Bush. Live class sessions take place on Wednesday evenings, and practice/review sessions take place on Saturday mornings/afternoons (depending on your time zone).  The curriculum can be viewed here. Register here.

The fee for each course is $225.  Register for any two and save $50!  Use the discount code “twofer” on your second course and you’ll be charged just $175 for that course.

“Your courses have opened my musical mind, focused my practice and expanded my skill far beyond expectation.”—-Steve F.

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

Register here.

See the Beatles for Mandolin Curriculum.

See the New Acoustic Mandolin Curriculum.

Celtic Mandolin returns this spring!  This course will explore techniques for playing lead and rhythm in traditional Irish fiddle tunes.   Each week, students can choose between three reels, jigs, songs or hornpipes to learn, along with several exercises to help with various aspects of technique.  During the class sessions, Matt will focus on one of the tunes each week, but students are given the option of learning one or two more if they have time, or focusing on one of the other tunes if they so choose.  Rhythm playing and picking technique on reels, hornpipes and jigs will be explored, as well as picking technique for triplets and various ways of playing ornamentations.  The course is recommended for players at an advanced beginner to intermediate level (though advanced players who want to learn some Irish tunes may enjoy it as well!).  

The live class sessions occur online on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions take place on Saturdays from 10-10:45 am eastern time.

Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions are recorded and uploaded to the class website where they can be viewed after-the-fact at the student’s leisure.  Students also have the option of downloading all class videos and practice videos, as well as all PDFs and practice mp3s for the course, so that they can revisit the materials any time.

Register here.

Here is the curriculum:

WEEK 1 (3/19)

Picking Exercise I

Playing basic rhythm on reels

Rhythm Exercise I

A few scales

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Rolling in the Rye Grass

The Concertina Reel

WEEK 2 (3/26)

Picking Exercise II

Adding some hammer-on and pull-off ornaments

Varying the octave

Rhythm Exercise II

Mulqueen’s

Tommy People’s

The Crooked Road to Dublin

WEEK 3 (4/9)

A few hornpipes

Adding triplets

Triplet picking exercise

The Boys of Blue Hill

Harvest Home

Stack of Barley

WEEK 4 (4/16)

Jigs

Picking Exercise IV

Emphasizing the beat in 6/8 time

Playing rhythm on jigs

Rhythm Exercise III

Blarney Pilgrim

Road to Lisdoonvarna

Behind the Haystack

WEEK 5 (4/30)

Using chord inversions in your rhythm playing

Picking Exercise III

Pull-off ornaments

The Silver Spire

The Mason’s Apron

Jenny Picking Cockles

WEEK 6 (5/7)

Accompanying songs

Adding melodic lines behind vocals

Patterns to use on mandolin or octave mandolin

Mary and the Soldier

Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

Arthur McBride

WEEK 6 (5/14)

Jigs II

Further rhythmic ideas on jigs

Rhythm Exercise IV

Octave variations

Monaghan’s Jig

Cunla

The Laurel Tree

WEEK 7 (5/21)

Slip Jigs

Picking Exercise V

Rhythm Exercise V

Patterns in 9/8

The Rocky Road to Dublin

Foxhunter’s Jig

The Salmon’s Leap

WEEK 8 (5/28)

A few more reels

Tying it together: moving chords, ornaments and trills

Farewell to Ireland

The Broken Pledge

Music in the Glen

The Otter’s Holt

The course fee is $225.  Sign up here

“Your course was exactly what I have been looking for.  It was well structured with a ton of good material.  I like that fact that we were given tunes to learn but also tools that allows me expand the lessons beyond the course tunes to others that I already know.”—Todd M.

“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 the Beatles for Mandolin course for $225 (that’s about $14 per class session)

Register here.

See the Celtic Mandolin Curriculum.

See the New Acoustic Mandolin Curriculum.

Welcome to Beatles for Mandolin with Matt Flinner!  This course will explore the songs of the Beatles while enabling students to learn more about mandolin technique, be more versatile in various styles of playing, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.  The course will focus on a few main areas: learning various rhythms with a consistent picking hand technique, learning new ways of playing chords, strengthening fundamentals such as picking and fingering, and getting to know the fretboard better in various keys—as well as learning some great tunes along the way.  

Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of (mostly) familiar Beatles songs.  Students will also be given a simple “riff” tune each week (though they’ll gradually get more complicated over the 8-week course) to explore the fingerboard with in various keys.  The goal is to get students to strengthen their fundamental technique, learn more about the fretboard, get better at playing by ear—and do all of the above in a fun way.

The course will run from March 20 to June 2, with class sessions on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time and follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time.  

The course fee is $225.  Register here

Here is the schedule:

WEEK 1 

Rhythmic Patterns

Rhythm Exercise I

Rhythm Exercise II

A Bit of Soloing

All My Loving

Please Please Me

Riff: Love Me Do

WEEK 2 

Rock & Roll Rhythm

Rhythm Exercise III

Down-picking Exercise

Twist and Shout

Revolution

Riff: Birthday

WEEK 3 

Using Double Stops in Soloing

Double Stop Exercise I

Diatonic Double Stops

Chord Inversions

This Boy

Two of Us

Riff: Day Tripper

WEEK 4 

Blues in Rock

Blues Scales

I’m Down

Drive My Car

Riff: Hey Bulldog

WEEK 5 

Various Picking Patterns

Picking Exercise II

Picking Exercise III

Here Comes the Sun

Because

Riff: Paperback Writer

WEEK 6 

Mixing Meters

Strumming Patterns in Mixed Meters

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Good Day Sunshine

Riff: In My Life

WEEK 7 

Diatonic Chords

Diatonic Chords in G Major

Blackbird

Here There and Everywhere

Riff: I Feel Fine

WEEK 8 

More Complex Chord Progressions

More Chord Inversions

Chord Tones in Soloing

Strawberry Fields Forever

Yesterday

Riff: Norwegian Wood

Register here.

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

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

Register for the New Acoustic Mandolin course for $225 (that’s about $14 per class session)

Register here.

See the Celtic Mandolin Curriculum.

See the Beatles for Mandolin Curriculum.

 “New Acoustic” music has come a long way since it first started up some 40 years ago.  What was started by the likes of David Grisman and Sam Bush in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, folk music, old-time music and more.  We’ll explore this modern frontier of music and give students many of the tools they’ll need to play the tunes as well as improvise and play backup in new ways with new rhythms.  

Spring of 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Matt Flinner’s “The View from Here” CD, which is regarded by many as a landmark album in New Acoustic music.  Eight of the tunes from this CD will be covered, along with several other tunes from Flinner’s solo albums as well as Phillips, Grier and Flinner and Matt Flinner Trio albums.  The styles of other New Acoustic players will also be covered, and  a wide range of tunes will be studied in order to give students a better understanding of how to approach various tunes in Newgrass and New Acoustic Music.  

This course runs from March 21-May 26.  Classes take place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm, and follow-up practice sessions take place on Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  While it is recommended, students do not need to be present for the live sessions, as all sessions are recorded and available to view by the following day.  Students may also download all class sessions and watch them offline at their convenience.  

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

The course fee is $225.  Sign up here

WEEK 1

New Fiddle Tunes

Slightly more complex chord progressions

Variations using octaves and chord tones

Black’s Fork

The View from Here

WEEK 2 

Rock-influenced rhythms and patterns

Rhythmic pattern I

Two bluesy licks

Cold Quarters

Nowthen

WEEK 3

Picking Patterns

Picking Exercise I

Picking Exercise II

Some positions up the neck

Suggestions for improvisation

A New Leaf

City Chickens

WEEK 4 

More improvising

Mixolydian and Dorian modes

Melodic patterns 

A few minor licks

Paint It Shut

The Narrows

WEEK 5 

New Acoustic rhythms

Going between 4/4 and 3/4

Rhythmic exercise II

Wilson Bridge

Another Alley

WEEK 6 

Major 7, Dominant 7 and Minor 7 chord forms

Diatonic 4-note chord exercise

Some David Grisman rhythms and licks

Ice Queen

Shiny Blue

WEEK 7 

More rock and funk rhythms

Some Sam Bush grooves and licks

Quartal chord forms

Men from Boise

Half Moondog

WEEK 8 

Advanced chord progressions

Using chord tones 

More melodic patterns

Using various grooves in a tune

Miasma

Red Shift

 Register here. 

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

“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.

Register here for Week 1 (January 2-6) 

Register here for Week 2 (January 8-12)

Register here for Week 3 (January 22-26)

Register here for Week 4 (January 29-February 2)

Join Matt Flinner for a series of 5-day courses this winter which are geared toward helping the aspiring mandolin student practice more efficiently and improve their playing skills more quickly.  Every day for five days, students will run through a series of exercises and one tune, with Matt guiding them in a live 30-minute online practice session.  Students who are unable to make the live sessions can view them later that day or evening on the class website, as all sessions will be recorded.  

Students will be given exercises in the following areas: picking exercises, arpeggios, scales, fingering exercises, double stops, and a tune for the week.  Students will receive the materials in PDF form four weeks ahead of time (or whenever they sign up) so that they have a chance to learn them before the course begins.  Matt will then guide them through daily practice sessions for five straight days, giving them tips on how to improve and how to practice more effectively.  

All class sessions take place from 10-10:30 am eastern time, except for the January 6 session (at the end of week 1), which will take place from 11-11:30 am eastern time.  

The four weeks’ courses are different from one another, with different materials and a different tune being given for each week.  Students can take any single course on its own or take any combination of courses to establish a routine and build on knowledge from one course to the next.  

The registration fee for each course is $40.  

Students can view all materials (videos and PDFs) on a class website any time, and they can also download and keep all PDFs and videos (including recordings of the class sessions) to practice with on their own time if they wish to.  

Register here for Week 1 (January 2-6) 

Register here for Week 2 (January 8-12)

Register here for Week 3 (January 22-26)

Register here for Week 4 (January 29-February 2)

WEEK 1 Curriculum (1/2-1/6)

Picking Exercise I

Fingering Exercise I

Double Stop Exercise I in G

Scales and Patterns in G

Major 7 Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #1 in All Keys

Tune: Leather Britches

Register here for Week 1

WEEK 2 Curriculum (1/8-1/12)

Picking Exercise II

Fingering Exercise II

Double Stop Exercise II in D

Scales and Patterns in D

Dominant 7 Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #2 in All Keys 

Tune: Cotton Eyed Joe

Register here for Week 2

WEEK 3 Curriculum (1/22-1/26)

Picking Exercise III

Fingering Exercise III

Double Stop Exercise III in A

Scales and Patterns in A

Minor 7 Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #3 in All Keys 

Tune: The Kitchen Girl

Register here for Week 3

WEEK 4 Curriculum (1/29-2/2)

Picking Exercise IV

Fingering Exercise IV

Double Stop Exercise IV in C

Scales and Patterns in C

I-IV-V Arpeggio Exercise

Lick #4 in All Keys 

Tune: Shady Grove (in C Major)

Register here for Week 4

Questions? Contact 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.

“Your course was exactly what I have been looking for.  It was well structured with a ton of good material.  I like that fact that we were given tunes to learn but also tools that allows me expand the lessons beyond the course tunes to others that I already know.”—Todd M.

Want to buy a course for a special friend for the holidays?  Get a gift card for any course for just $200 ($25 off). 

Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum

Crosspicking Mandolin Curriculum

Appalachian Tunes and Techniques Curriculum

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is pleased to offer three new courses for a variety of ability levels and interests!  Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin, Crosspicking Mandolin and Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques will start up January 8, 9 and 10.

Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin (Jan 8-March 10) will cover many of the well-known and lesser-known tunes by the greatest mandolin tune writer, Bill Monroe.  Each week, students will be given two tunes relating to various aspects of technique, along with several exercises and suggestions for playing backup and creating variations on the tunes. The course is intended for players at an intemediate level, though advanced players as well as advanced beginners can benefit from the exploration of fundamentals to strengthen technique (plus learn some tunes they didn’t know before!).  Register here.

Crosspicking Mandolin (Jan 8-March 10) dives into the intricate, beautiful style pioneered by the great mandolinist Jesse McReynolds.  Material will focus on various crosspicking patterns and double stops and positions in various keys to create unique and often intricate solos on bluegrass standard songs.  It’s a great way to add some color and flair to your playing!  This course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.  Register here.

Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Techniques (Jan 10-March 10) explores the deep groove of old-time fiddle tunes.  Fundamentals will be emphasized, as students will get tips and exercises to help them improve their rhythm, picking and tone.  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!).  Register here.

SCHEDULE:

60-minute classes take place online every Monday (Monroe Tunes), Tuesday (Crosspicking) or Wednesday (Appalachian Tunes) evening from January 8, 9 or 10 to March 5, 6 or 7 at 9 pm eastern time, and 45-minute practice/review sessions take place every Saturday morning/afternoon from January 13 to March 10.  The week of February 5 is off due to Matt’s touring schedule.

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.

If you have questions about the course, email Matt at [email protected].

Register here:

Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin

Register for Crosspicking Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Register for Appalachian Mandolin Tunes and Technique

View curricula for each course here: 

Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum

Crosspicking Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Appalachian Tunes and Techniques Curriculum