Matt Flinner

This course has concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

The Summer Intensive 101 level course is intended for students at a beginner to intermediate level.  Some material may be more easy or more challenging for individual students.  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.

Here is the 101 Curriculum:

WEEK 1 (June 27):

Picking Exercise on one string

Fingering exercise: finger combinations across the strings

Scale exercises: major scales in 6 keys and broken thirds

Arpeggio Exercises: Major 7 Arpeggios in 6 keys

Chord Exercises: “Guitar-style” rhythm on I-IV-V in 6 keys

Double Stop Exercise: Double Stops in G

Lick: V-I Monroe-style lick

Tune: Blue Ridge Cabin Home

WEEK 2 (July 5):

Syncopated picking exercise

Fingering exercise: finger combinations on one string in first position

Scale exercises: Mixolydian scales in 6 keys, broken thirds

Arpeggio exercises: Dominant 7 Arpeggios in 6 keys

Chord Exercise: I-vi-IV-V exercise

Double Stop Exercise: Double Stops in G (I-IV-V) around the neck

Lick: V-I lick in 6 keys

Tune: Dill Pickle Rag

WEEK 3 (July 11):

Picking exercise on 2 strings

Fingering exercise: finger combinations across three strings at a time

Scale exercises: Dorian scales in 6 keys, broken thirds

Arpeggio exercises: Minor 7 Arpeggios in 6 keys

Chord Exercise: Minor i-iv-V progressions

Double Stop exercise: Double stops in C

Lick: Bluesy lick in 6 keys

Tune: Shady Grove

WEEK 4 (July 18):

Picking exercise on 3 and 4 strings

Fingering exercise: Chromatic fingering exercise

Scale exercise: Blues scales in 6 keys

Arpeggio exercise: Arpeggiating through a blues progression

Chord Exercise: 7th chords over a blues progression

Double Stop exercise: Double Stops in A

Lick: Monroe bluesy lick

Tune: Milk Cow Blues

The course fee is $120.

Register for 101 here.

For an overview of all summer courses, click here.

These courses have concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this summer with three four-week long intensive courses designed to help your overall mandolin playing technique and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!

In the Summer Intensive 101 course, we’ll look at several exercises each week which are intended to increase your knowledge of the fretboard and help your picking hand control as we look at seven different areas: picking exercises, fingering exercises, scale exercises, arpeggios, chord exercises, double stops, and licks.  We’ll also learn a new tune each week and apply the ideas from each of the exercises to that week’s tune; by practicing these exercises in this context, students get some practical applications for the exercises as well as some ideas for variations on tunes.

In the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner course, we’ll get more deeply into scales and arpeggios—the building blocks of music and the basic tools of improvisation.  Each week, we’ll look at certain types of scales and learn various patterns based on those scales to help students learn the fretboard.  We’ll also look at certain types of arpeggios each week and get a thorough workout in playing those arpeggios around the fretboard.  Students will also be given a picking exercise each week to help with fundamental technique, and a double stop exercise to further reinforce the students’ knowledge of chord tones—plus students will receive a new tune each week along with suggestions on how to incorporate that week’s exercises into creating variations on the tune.

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

Register for Summer Intensive 101

Register for Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming

The Summer Intensive 101 course, which takes place on Monday evenings (except the week of July 4th, when it takes place on a Tuesday), is intended for beginner to intermediate students, and students will learn one bluegrass or old-time tune in conjunction with the exercises.  The Scale and Arpeggio Intensive course, which takes place on Tuesday evenings (except the week of July 4th, when it takes place on a Wednesday), is intended for intermediate to advanced level students, and students will learn one swing or bluegrass tune in conjunction with the exercises.  Both courses will also address fundamentals which should be beneficial to players of all ability levels.  And both courses will also have practice/review sessions on Saturday mornings.

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course, which takes place on Wednesday evenings (except the week of July 4th, when it takes place on a Thursday), is intended for players of all ability levels, but will lean toward the intermediate level.  The course is intended to help students build repertoire and get practical experience in playing tunes and creating and trying out variations.   This course will also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays.

Summer Intensive 101 Curriculum

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming Curriculum

Here’s a description of the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of what this exciting style of mandolin lessons is all about.

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 (and Scales and Arpeggios, and Jamming!)

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both worlds: access to live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos.  These courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of the bluegrass, old-time and fiddle tune traditions.

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION PLUS 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-week course.  The live lessons get a little more challenging each week, and students are encouraged to practice during the week in order to get comfortable with that week’s concepts in order to be more prepared for the next class session.  Students also have unlimited access to several short instructional videos each week (usually about 8 or 9) but are also following a regular schedule which encourages them to actually practice the material regularly during the eight week period.  The archive of short instructional videos plus the video recordings of each class session and practice session give the student plenty of material to work with during the course and on into their future mandolin endeavors!

THIS QUARTER’S COURSES

For Summer Quarter, there will be THREE 4-week courses offered from June 27-July 23.  The Summer Intensive 101 and 201 courses will focus on various aspects of technique.  Each week, students will receive six or seven exercises and a tune to learn.  For the 101 course, picking exercises, fingering exercises, arpeggios, scales, double stops, chord exercises, and licks will  be given each week.  For the 201 course, picking exercises, scale exercises, scale pattern exercises, modes, arpeggios and double stop exercises will be given each week.  Students will also be given some ideas on how to apply that week’s exercises to that week’s tune in order to create variations.  The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course will focus more on building repertoire, playing lead and rhythm and creating variations in a jam-like setting.

1. Summer Intensive 101, which is geared toward upper beginner to intermediate students.  Students will be given seven exercises per week plus a bluegrass or old-time tune, along with suggestions on how to relate the exercise to that week’s tune.

2. Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner, which is geared toward upper intermediate to advanced students.  Students will receive six scale and arpeggio-focused exercises plus a swing or bluegrass tune, along with suggestions on how to relate the exercises to that week’s tune.

3. Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner, which is open to players of all ability levels, but will lean toward the intermediate level.  Students will be given four tunes each week along with a few exercises and suggestions on how to play lead and rhythm as well as create variations for that week’s tunes.

THE SCHEDULE

The live lessons for the Summer Intensive 101 course take place every Monday night from 8-9 pm Central time from June 27 to July 18, and for the Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner course every Tuesday from 8-9 pm Central time from June 28 to July 19.  Both courses will also have Saturday practice/review sessions; 101 will be from 9-10 am central time, and 201 will be from 10:15-11:15 am central time.

The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course will take place on Wednesday evenings from 8-9 pm Central time from June 29 to July 20.  There will be Saturday practice/review sessions from 11:30 am-12:15 pm Central time.

It is NOT imperative that students be able to attend the live mandolin class sessions.  As all sessions will be recorded, students can revisit the recorded sessions during the week to catch up on that week’s material at their own leisure.  Students attending the live lessons will be able to ask questions on the spot (and get immediate answers and interaction), while those watching the recorded sessions will be able to ask questions via email or on the class forum page.

VIDEOS, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Students have access to video recordings of all of the class sessions and practice sessions as well (generally by the following morning, or, in the case of the Saturday practice sessions, later that afternoon).  In addition, shorter practice videos of the material are immediately available for viewing after each class session, along with PDFs of the all of the material in standard notation and tablature.  All of these videos (about eight or so per week) are available to view as many times as the student would like.  Students can also download all materials (including videos and PDFs) to keep as long as they wish.

Students will also be given a list of recommended recordings for each week’s tunes.  A variety of mp3 recordings will be suggested in the hope that students will broaden their musical horizons and get a better idea of how the tunes are played by the masters!

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

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 in the 102 class), 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 Summer Intensive 101 and 201  courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.

REGISTRATION FEE

The fee for each four-week course is $120.  This gives you access to all live online lessons and practice sessions as well as access to all recorded videos, written materials and mp3s (which are yours to keep).

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

“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:

Summer Intensive 101 Registration

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner Registration

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner Registration

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

Summer Intensive 101 Curriculum

Scale and Arpeggio Intensive with Matt Flinner Curriculum

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner Curriculum

These courses have concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

“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.

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

Sign up for any two courses and get 20% off the second course!  Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off the $200 registration fee. 

Welcome to mattflinner.com.  And welcome to the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program!

This spring, beginning the week of April 4, the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program continues with some fiddle tune courses as well as a Rock and Roll mandolin courses for students of all ability levels.  The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 and 102 courses will introduce students to essential techniques in bluegrass playing—addressing fundamentals of technique, learning positions on the fingerboard, playing backup and learning classic standard fiddle tunes along the way.  Two courses are offered in bluegrass and fiddle tunes: Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 (Beginner to Intermediate) and Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin (Intermediate to Advanced).

New to the program is Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  This will pick up where Bluegrass Mandolin 102 leaves off, and will lead students through the modern world of bluegrass mandolin and into some other “newgrass” styles.  Following the lead of players like Sam Bush and David Grisman, the course will explore ways of adding new elements to the students’ playing, from fiddle tunes to Rock & Roll to a bit of jazz and more.

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 Curriculum  Registration

Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin Curriculum   Registration

Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum   Registration

Here’s a description of the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of what this exciting style of mandolin lessons is all about.

THE BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 ONLINE LESSONS PROGRAM

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both worlds: access to live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos.  These courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of the bluegrass, old-time and fiddle tune traditions.

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION PLUS INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Part of what makes Bluegrass Mandolin 101 unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over an eight-week course.  The live lessons get a little more challenging each week, and students are encouraged to practice during the week in order to get comfortable with that week’s concepts and be prepared for the next week’s class session.  Students also have unlimited access to several short instructional videos each week (usually about 6 to 8) but are also following a regular schedule which encourages them to actually practice the material regularly during the eight week period.  The archive of short instructional videos plus the video recordings of each class session and practice session give the student plenty of material to work with during the course and on into their future mandolin endeavors!

THIS QUARTER’S COURSES

For Spring Quarter, there will be THREE courses offered:

1. Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, which will start at a beginning/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.  This course will introduce students to playing standard tunes in common keys, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique.  View the curriculum here.   Register here.

2. Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin, which will start at an intermediate level and progress to an intermediate/advanced level.  This course will introduce students to the tunes of master fiddler Kenny Baker—one of the great fiddlers and tune writers in bluegrass music.  In addition to some great tunes, students will get more advanced exercises in using scales and arpeggios as well as double stops and ideas for improvisation, adding more licks, and playing in more challenging keys.  View the curriculum here.  Register here.

3. Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  This is intended for students at any level (though rank beginners will have a difficult time) who want to broaden their musical horizons.  Students will learn some concepts covered in the 101 and Kenny Baker courses, but in the context of rock & roll music to get a broader spectrum of sounds into their playing.  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.  Songs by the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones (to name a few) will be part of the curriculum.  The curriculum for this course can be viewed here.  Register here.

THE SCHEDULE

The live lessons for the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course take place every Monday night from 8-9 pm Central time from April 4 to June 6, and for the Bluegrass Mandolin 102 course every Tuesday from 8-9 pm Central time from April 5 to June 7.  The Rock and Roll Mandolin course will take place every Wednesday night from 8-9 pm central time (except Session 2, which will be on Monday, April 18th) from April 6 to June 8.  All three courses will also have Saturday practice/review sessions; 101 will be from 9-9:45 am central time, Kenny Baker Tunes will be from 10-10:45 am central time and the Rock and Roll Mandolin practice sessions will be from 11:15 am-12 pm central time each Saturday from April 9 through June 11.  Classes will be off on April 12, 13, 20, May 2 and May 18-21 will be off due to Matt’s touring schedule.  There will still be eight class sessions and eight practice sessions in each course.

It is NOT imperative that students be able to attend the live mandolin bluegrass sessions.  All sessions will be recorded, so students can revisit the recorded sessions during the week to catch up on that week’s material at their own leisure.  Students attending the live lessons will be able to ask questions on the spot (and get immediate answers and interaction), while those watching the recorded sessions will be able to ask questions via email or on the class forum page.

VIDEOS, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Students have access to video recordings of all of the class sessions and practice sessions as well (generally by the following morning, or, in the case of the Saturday practice sessions, later that afternoon).  In addition, shorter practice videos of the material are immediately available for viewing after each class session, along with PDFs of the all of the material in standard notation and tablature.  All of these videos (about eight or so per week) are available to view as many times as the student would like.  Students can also download all materials (including videos and PDFs) to keep as long as they wish.

Students will also be given a list of recommended recordings for each week’s tunes.  A variety of mp3 recordings will be suggested in the hope that students will broaden their musical horizons and get a better idea of how the tunes are played by the masters!

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

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 (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 eight-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 in the 102 class), 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 Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin and Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner courses.  Here, students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.

REGISTRATION FEE

The fee for each eight-week course is $200.  This gives you access to all live online lessons and practice sessions as well as access to all recorded videos, written materials and mp3s (which are yours to keep).

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

“I’ve taken music and instrument classes over the years, and I’ve never received such a comprehensive and successful approach as this format. Live video, downloaded charts and diagrams, recorded sessions, at the most affordable price. Nothing I’ve participated in compares to this. Best value for the dollar. Highly recommended.”—Jim H. 

“I was amazed at the time, feedback, and focus you gave us on chat questions, emails, and mp3s.  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.

“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.

“You thoroughly answered the email questions and the recorded .mp3 feedback to the sample I posted was SUPER helpful. Very detailed and specific to what you heard on my recording. Very helpful to hear you play examples of what your were talking about and get recommendations of specific exercises to do.”—Barb N.

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

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner.

Register for Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner.

Register for Rock and Roll Mandolin 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 spring!

All the best,
Matt

These courses have concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

Sign up for any two courses and get 20% off the second course!  Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off the $200 registration fee. 

Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 here.

Register for Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin 102 here.

Register for Rock & Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner here.

See the curricula for:

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101

Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin

Rock & Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner.

“I’ve taken music and instrument classes over the years, and I’ve never received such a comprehensive and successful approach as this format. Live video, downloaded charts and diagrams, recorded sessions, at the most affordable price. Nothing I’ve participated in compares to this. Best value for the dollar. Highly recommended.”—Jim H. 

“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.

Fiddle tunes return to the menu in April with the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 and Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin online courses.  These unique courses offer students the opportunity to not only learn from recorded videos and mp3s, but also to learn directly from Matt Flinner in an interactive group session twice per week.  Students are given new materials to learn each week during the live class sessions, and then are invited to practice the material with Matt a few days later in the Saturday practice/review sessions.  Meanwhile, students have 24-hour access to a class website where they can find all class materials, including written materials in PDF form, short practice videos, mp3s to play along with as well as the recorded class sessions themselves.  This way, students who are unable to attend some or all of the live sessions can keep up with the course on their own schedule, and students also have several options in deciding how they want to practice the material.

The next courses will be:

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 (April 4-June 11).  Classes take place Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern and Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern.

Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin (April 5-June 11).  Classes take place Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern and Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern.

Rock and Roll Mandolin: (April 6-June 11).  Classes take place Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern (except April 18, which is a Monday) and Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern.

Students will be able to take part in 16 sessions (eight class sessions and eight practice/review sessions) over a 10- or 11-week period (depending on the course).   A few dates (April 12, 13, 20 and May 2, 16, 17 and 18) will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule.

Useful info on the courses and what you’ll need to participate.

Fiddle Tunes for  Mandolin 101 and Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin will focus on helping students get more familiar with bluegrass mandolin playing.  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.  Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin (which will focus on the tunes of the great bluegrass fiddler Kenny Baker) will introduce some more advanced concepts, and will start at an intermediate level and progress to an intermediate/advanced level.

New to the program is Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  This will lead students through the wonderful world of Rock and Roll from a mandolin standpoint.

The fee for each course is $200 (that’s just $12.50 per session).  Sign up for two courses for $360!  Just use the discount code “blackbird” on our second course to receive the extra $40 discount.  Interested in all three courses?  Use the discount code “jerusalemridge” to receive another $80 off, for a total registration fee of $480 for all three courses ($120 total discount from the normal course fees).

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner:
Curriculum    Registration

Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner:
Curriculum     Registration

Rock and Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner:
Curriculum     Registration

Click here for more info on the courses and what you’ll need to participate. 

“I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really, I was amazed at the time, feedback, and focus you gave us on chat questions, emails, and mp3s.  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.

Questions?  Email Matt Flinner at [email protected].

This course has concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

Welcome Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101!  This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improv 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 April 4 to June 11, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (one exception: the week of May 2nd, class will be held on Tuesday, May 3rd).  The weeks of April 18 and May 16 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule.  Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of 10 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 spring, click here.

The course fee is $200.  Sign up for any two courses and receive 20% off the second course.  Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off.

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

WEEK 1 (4/4):

Picking and rhythm

Picking Exercises I

Fingering Exercises I

Scales: D Major and G Major

Open style chords

Eighth of January

Bonus material: The Speed of the Plow

WEEK 2 (4/11):

Getting a fuller sound using open strings

Picking Exercises II

Fingering Exercises II

Open style backup in G

Arkansas Traveler

Bonus material: Cotton Eyed Joe

WEEK 3 (4/25):

Octave variations

Picking Exercises III (three and four string exercises)

Fingering Exercises III

Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G

Open style backup in D

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Bonus material: Leather Britches

WEEK 4 (5/3):

Transitions between octaves

Learning Chord Tones

Major Arpeggios

3 Chord Inversions

Playing backup using basslines and moving chords

Liberty

Bonus material: June Apple

WEEK 5 (5/9):

Throwing in some licks

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

Open style chords in A and C

Dominant Arpeggios

Salt Creek

Bonus Material: Weave and Way

WEEK 6 (5/23):

Creating variations using target notes

Minor Arpeggios

Using Bluegrass “Chop” Chords

Cuckoo’s Nest

Bonus Material: Flowers of Edinburgh

WEEK 7 (5/30):

Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos

Double Stop Exercise in A

Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian

Pike County Breakdown

Bonus material: Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Closer to the Fire

WEEK 8 (6/6):

Various approaches to improvising

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

Bonaparte’s Retreat

Bonus material: Liza Jane

Register here.

To go back to the spring classes info page, click here.

This course has concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

Welcome to the Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin online course!  This course focuses on the fiddle tunes of Kenny Baker, and gives the aspiring mandolin student a broad knowledge of tunes in various keys and also gives them insights into how to create variations on those tunes and improvise.  Kenny Baker was one of the most influential fiddle players in the history of bluegrass music, and he played as a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys for more years than any other sideman, beginning in 1957.  His versions of many fiddle tunes are considered definitive, and many of his own tunes are now bluegrass standards.  We’ll be getting deep into the Baker repertoire to cover a lot of ground, and along the way we’ll also cover many aspects of technique, including picking exercises, double stops, fingering exercises, scales and arpeggios.

The course will run from April 5 to June 11.  Classes take place on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and follow-up practice sessions take place Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  It is NOT imperative for students to attend all (or any) live sessions, as all sessions will be recorded and available to view at the students’ convenience (generally by the following day).

The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced ability level.  Exercises will be given each week to accommodate intermediate level players as well as more advanced level players.  Students will be able to decide which materials to focus on based on their ability level (or they can focus on all of the materials!).

To view other courses offered this spring, click here.

The course fee is $200.  Sign up for any two courses and receive 20% off the second course.  Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off.

Here is the Curriculum

Week 1 (4/5):

Getting started in A

Playing double stops and Drone Strings

Double Stop Exercise in A

A couple of positions in A

Ducks on the Millpond

Callahan

Week 2 (4/18):

Key of D

Incorporating “open style” double stops in your playing

Double Stop Exercise: Moving from Chord to Chord

Hickman County Breakdown

Cricket on the Hearth

Week 3 (4/26):

Waltzes

Moving between different types of double stops

Tremolo Exercises

Festival Waltz

Roxanna Waltz

Week 4 (5/4):

Key of G

Fingering Exercises on One String

Diatonic Double Stop Exercises

Washington County

Greenleaf Breakdown

Week 5 (5/10):

Key of C

C Double Stop Exercise

Two Positions in C

Denver Belle

Ashland Breakdown

Week 6 (5/24):

Some More Complicated Progressions

Following a Chord Progression with Chord Tones

Finding Diminished Chord Tones

Flopareno

Salty

Week 7 (5/31):

The Big Minor Tunes

Scales Used on Minor Tunes

Minor Double Stops in A and D

Octave Variations

Jerusalem Ridge

Bluegrass in the Backwoods

Week 8 (6/7):

Tying it All Together

Using Double Stops, Licks and Octave Variations to Create Solos

First Day in Town

Whitehorse Breakdown

Crosseyed Fiddler

Stoney Lonesome

Register here.

Go back to the spring classes info page here.

This course has concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

Welcome to Rock & Roll Mandolin with Matt Flinner!  This course will explore the wide and wonderful world of Rock & 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 along the way.  Songs by the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones (to name a few) will be part of the curriculum.

Each week, students will be given exercises related to picking technique, chords, licks or double stops, along with a couple of standard Rock & Roll 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.  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 April 6 to June 11, with class sessions on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern (except Session 2, which will be on Monday, April 18th at 9 pm eastern) and follow-up practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 12:15 pm eastern time.  The weeks of April 13 and May 18 will be off due to Matt’s tour schedule.  There will be a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of 11 weeks.

The course fee is $200.  Sign up for any two courses and receive 20% off the second course.  Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off.

Here is the schedule:

Week 1 (4/6):

A Few Rock & Roll Rhythmic Patterns

Using Picking Patterns Over Various Rhythms

Ways of Playing Chords in A and E

Rock & Roll (Led Zeppelin)

Bonus tune: Proud Mary

Riffs: Day Tripper

Week 2 (4/18):

Monroe-style Playing in Rock & Roll

A Few Chuck Berry Riffs

Johnny B. Goode

Bonus tune: Roll Over Beethoven

Riffs: Birthday

Week 3 (4/27):

Rhythm II

More Chord Forms

Creating a Groove

Pinball Wizard

Bonus tune: Gallow’s Pole

Riffs: Sunshine of Your Love

Week 4 (5/5):

Using Some Double Stops

Typical Double Stop Forms

Some Pentatonic Licks

Time Is On My Side

Bonus tune: The Wind Cries Mary

Riffs: Cinnamon Girl

Week 5 (5/11):

Complex Picking Patterns

Picking Exercises Across the Strings

Here Comes the Sun

Bonus tune: Every Breath You Take

Riffs: Heartbreaker

Week 6 (5/25):

The Blues in Rock

Blues Scales

Blues Licks

The “Hendrix Chord”

Voodoo Chile

Bonus tune: Hound Dog

Riffs: Back in Black

Week 7 (6/1):

Diatonic Chords

3-Note Chord Shapes

Blackbird

Bonus tune: Sultans of Swing

Riffs: Hey Joe

Week 8 (6/8):

More Complex Chord Progressions

Bringing Blues Licks, Double Stops and Various Rhythms into Your Playing

White Room

Bonus tune: Comfortably Numb

Riffs: Black Dog

Register here.

To go back to the spring classes info page, click here.

Join the Matt Flinner Trio (Matt Flinner, mandolin; Eric Thorin, bass and Grant Gordy, guitar) as they celebrate the release of their new Compass Records CD, “Traveling Roots.”  The group will tour several cities in the northeast from New York City to Portland, ME for two weeks, often with special guests sitting in: Jamie Masefield, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, Frank Vignola and Joe Walsh.  On these shows, each member of the trio will write a new tune the day of the show for the trio plus banjo, fiddle, 2nd mandolin, 2nd guitar (whatever instrument the special guest happens to play), and all three new tunes will be performed on that night’s concert.  It’s Music du Jour plus one!

Dates are as follows:

2/16 New London, NH; Wheeler Hall at Colby-Sawyer College, 7 pm.

2/18 Burlington, VT: the Skinny Pancake w/guest Jamie Masefield (of the Jazz Mandolin Project), 8 pm.

2/19 Bristol, VT; Walkover Gallery, 7 pm.

2/20 Purdys, NY.  Westchester Bluegrass Club with guest Tony Trishcka, 9 pm.

2/21 Hartford, CT; The Half Door (Big Apple’achia Bluegrass Series), 5 pm.

2/23 New York, NY; Rockwood Music Hall, 11 pm.

2/24 Boston, MA; Club Passim with guest Darol Anger, 8 pm.

2/25 Albany, NY; The Linda Theater with guest Frank Vignola, 8 pm.

2/26 Portland, ME; One Longfellow Square with guest Joe Walsh, 8 pm.

2/27 Cumberland, RI; Blackstone River Theater with guest Darol Anger, 8 pm.

Over the past decade, the Matt Flinner Trio has been on the cutting edge of the 21st century string band movement. All master composers and improvisers, the trio has become legendary for their ability to almost simultaneous compose and perform new music. Their past two albums have developed this “music du jour” concept—drawing on whatever inspires them that day to compose a new tune and then performing it that evening. Their collective ability to conjure great melodies out of the ether and deliver them in front of a live audience has earned the group a reputation as one of the most imaginative and fearless in the contemporary instrumental space. But on Traveling Roots the trio has set their musical sights on seeking out and delivering beautiful music. Band leader and mandolinist Matt Flinner explains: “I feel that our goal as musicians should be to try to add some bit of beauty to the world. I see this as our small, esoteric string band bluegrass-jazz-new acoustic living on the 17th-moon-of-Saturn contribution to that.  We hope that all of the sweat, frustration, love and aspiration that we put into this music makes your world a little more beautiful.”

Order a copy of “Traveling Roots” here.

The Matt Flinner Trio (Matt Flinner, mandolin; Eric Thorin, bass and Ross Martin, guitar) will be playing many shows throughout the winter and spring of 2016 as part of their CD release tour.  On several selected shows, all three members of the trio will be writing tunes the day of the show for special guests!  Andy Hall (Dobro) and Jake Schepps (banjo) will be joining the trio on a couple of their Colorado dates in January; Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, Jamie Masefield, Joe Walsh and Frank Vignola will be special guests on their February northeast tour.  More info here.

“Matt Flinner blurs the lines between jazz and bluegrass, traditional and avant-garde.” —The Associated Press

“Matt Flinner (is) one of the best mandolin players ever.” —Downbeat

One of the hottest mandolin players on the acoustic scene, multi-instrumentalist Matt Flinner joins trio partners, Ross Martin (guitar) and Eric Thorin (bass) in an experiment gone right.

Pre-order “Traveling Roots.”

These courses have concluded.  To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.

“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.

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

Welcome to mattflinner.com.  And welcome to the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program!

This winter, beginning the week of January 4, the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program continues with some bluegrass and “newgrass” mandolin courses for students of all ability levels.  The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 and 102 courses will introduce students to essential techniques in bluegrass playing—addressing fundamentals of technique, learning positions on the fingerboard, playing backup and learning classic standard bluegrass songs along the way.  Two courses are offered in bluegrass playing: Bluegrass Mandolin 101 (Beginner to Intermediate) and Bluegrass Mandolin 102 (Intermediate to Advanced).

New to the program is Newgrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  This will pick up where Bluegrass Mandolin 102 leaves off, and will lead students through the modern world of bluegrass mandolin and into some other “newgrass” styles.  Following the lead of players like Sam Bush and David Grisman, the course will explore ways of adding new elements to the students’ playing, from fiddle tunes to Rock & Roll to a bit of jazz and more.

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 Curriculum  Registration

Bluegrass Mandolin 102 Curriculum   Registration

Newgrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum   Registration

Here’s a description of the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of what this exciting style of mandolin lessons is all about.

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101 (and 102 and Newgrass!)

The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program is a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both worlds: access to live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos.  These courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of the bluegrass, old-time and fiddle tune traditions.

A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION PLUS INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Part of what makes Bluegrass Mandolin 101 unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over an eight-week course.  The live lessons get a little more challenging each week, and students are encouraged to practice during the week in order to get comfortable with that week’s concepts and be prepared for the next week’s class session.  Students also have unlimited access to several short instructional videos each week (usually about 6 to 8) but are also following a regular schedule which encourages them to actually practice the material regularly during the eight week period.  The archive of short instructional videos plus the video recordings of each class session and practice session give the student plenty of material to work with during the course and on into their future mandolin endeavors!

THIS QUARTER’S COURSES

For Winter Quarter, there will be THREE courses offered:

1. Bluegrass Mandolin 101, which will start at a beginning/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level.  This course will introduce students to the use of double stops and various positions on the neck, as well as various picking and fingerboard exercises to help develop good mandolin technique.  View the curriculum here.   Register here.

2. Bluegrass Mandolin 102, which will start at an intermediate level and progress to an intermediate/advanced level.  This course will move take double stops and position playing to as well as transposing to various keys, moving toward improvisation, adding more licks, and playing in more challenging keys.  View the curriculum here.  Register here.

3. Newgrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner.  This is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level who want to broaden their musical horizons into modern “newgrass.”  Students will learn some concepts covered in the 101 and 102 courses, but they’ll also learn to incorporate some ideas from rock & roll, blues and jazz as well as fiddle tunes to get a broader spectrum of sounds into their playing.  Styles of Sam Bush and David Grisman will be discussed, along with some other modern players.  The curriculum for this course can be viewed here.  Register here.

THE SCHEDULE

The live lessons for the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 course take place every Monday night from 8-9 pm Central time from January 4 to February 29, and for the Bluegrass Mandolin 102 course every Tuesday from 8-9 pm Central time from January 5 to March 1.  The Newgrass Mandolin course will take place every Wednesday night from 8-9 pm central time from January 6 to March 2.  All three courses will also have Saturday practice/review sessions; 101 will be from 9-9:45 am central time, 102 will be from 10-10:45 am central time  and the Newgrass Mandolin practice sessions will be from 11:15 am-12 pm central time each Saturday from January 9 through March 5 (101 and 102 will have the week of February 22 off, and Newgrass Mandolin will have the week of January 27th off, as the instructor has prior commitments during those weeks.  There will still be eight class sessions and eight practice sessions in each course).

It is NOT imperative that students be able to attend the live mandolin bluegrass sessions.  All sessions will be recorded, so students can revisit the recorded sessions during the week to catch up on that week’s material at their own leisure.  Students attending the live lessons will be able to ask questions on the spot (and get immediate answers and interaction), while those watching the recorded sessions will be able to ask questions via email or on the class forum page.

VIDEOS, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Students have access to video recordings of all of the class sessions and practice sessions as well (generally by the following morning, or, in the case of the Saturday practice sessions, later that afternoon).  In addition, shorter practice videos of the material are immediately available for viewing after each class session, along with PDFs of the all of the material in standard notation and tablature.  All of these videos (about eight or so per week) are available to view as many times as the student would like.  Students can also download all materials (including videos and PDFs) to keep as long as they wish.

Students will also be given a list of recommended recordings for each week’s tunes.  A variety of mp3 recordings will be suggested in the hope that students will broaden their musical horizons and get a better idea of how the tunes are played by the masters!

HOW INTERACTIVE IS THE COURSE?

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 (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 eight-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 in the 102 class), 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 Bluegrass Mandolin 101 and 102 as well as the Newgrass Mandolin with Matt Flinner courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.

REGISTRATION FEE

The fee for each eight-week course is $175 until December 15th (normal fee: $200).  This gives you access to all live online lessons and practice sessions as well as access to all recorded videos, written materials and mp3s (which are yours to keep).

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

“I was amazed at the time, feedback, and focus you gave us on chat questions, emails, and mp3s.  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.

“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.

“You thoroughly answered the email questions and the recorded .mp3 feedback to the sample I posted was SUPER helpful. Very detailed and specific to what you heard on my recording. Very helpful to hear you play examples of what your were talking about and get recommendations of specific exercises to do.”—Barb N.

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

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner.

Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 102 with Matt Flinner.

Register for Newgrass Mandolin 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 winter!

All the best,
Matt