Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming Curriculum (7/7-8/2)

By Theme Admin on April 20th, 2025 at 7:57 PM

    “After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student         “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is a great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C., Bluegrass Mandolin 101 student         Sale extended!  Register by 5/4 and save $50! Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner   See the Mandolin Tune Studies Curriculum (7/8-8/2) See the Music Theory for Mandolin Players Curriculum (7/9-8/2)     This course is intended to help the aspiring mandolinist build up repertoire and find ways of creating new solos over commonly played standards; it’s also designed in the hope that it will encourage students to get out and jam with other players! Each week, we’ll look at four bluegrass standard tunes.  Students will be given lead sheets (in standard notation and tablature) for each song, as well as a few exercises to help them learn more about the fretboard and start incorporating new ideas into their solos.  Concepts and tunes will be taught during the class session, and all tunes will be revisited during Saturday practice sessions in a “jam session” format, where each song is played several times though, and students have the opportunity to try out some of the week’s concepts on the tunes (with guidance from Matt). Classes meet every Monday evening from June 10 to July 8  (the week of July 1 is off due to Matt’s touring schedule) at 9 pm eastern time.  There will also be 45-minute practice/review sessions every Saturday at 10 am eastern time.     The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75! Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner     Here is the curriculum:   WEEK 1 (July 7) Key of G Warmup Picking Exercise Positions in G G Scale Exercises Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms Big Sciota Wheel Hoss   WEEK 2 (July 14) Key of D Moving Between Positions in D D Scale and Patterns Changing Octaves in a Tune Angeline the Baker Cora Is Gone Reuben Little Birdie   WEEK 3 (July 21) Some Minor Key Tunes A Variety of Minor Chords E Minor Scales and Patterns Throwing in Some Minor Double Stops Randall Collins Nashville Blues Little Sadie Kentucky Mandolin   WEEK 4 (July 28) Key of A Some Positions in A Using Open Strings A Major Scale and Patterns Mixing in Licks and Double Stops Gold Rush Uncle Pen Hit Parade of Love Your Love Is Like a Flower   The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!   Register here.

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

By Theme Admin on April 20th, 2025 at 7:56 PM

      “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.   “I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O.   “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C.           Sale extended!  Save $50 when you register by 5/4! Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner    See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner curriculum (7/7-8/2) See the Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner curriculum (7/9-8/2)   This course will get in-depth in helping students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes:  "Big Sandy River" and "Shakin' Down the Acorns,"  along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well! The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced level.  Exercises at a variety of levels will be given each week; students will be encouraged to focus on the exercise(s) that they feel best suits their ability level and/or interest.   Class sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time from June 11 to July 9 (with the week of July 2 off due to Matt’s touring schedule).   We're hoping the 2 pm time will be more convenient for students in the UK and Europe, as well as anywhere else in the world that might benefit from an earlier time (and students in the U.S. who prefer an afternoon time slot).  Both sessions will essentially be the same, and students are welcome to attend either class session (or both)!  Additional practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 11 am eastern time from June 15 to July 13 (again, with the week of July 6 off).  Students are encouraged to attend the live sessions, but they can also review the recordings of any and all sessions at their convenience.     The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75! Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner       TUNE STUDIES CURRICULUM Big Sandy River Shakin' Down the Acorns   WEEK 1 (7/8) Octave Variations Blue notes Throwing in some blues licks Picking Exercise I   WEEK 2 (7/15) Double stops Adding open strings Double Stop Exercise I Double Stop Exercise II   WEEK 3 (7/22) Chord tones Arpeggio Exercise I Creating musical lines using chord tones Eighth note triplet rhythms Adding some more licks   WEEK 4 (7/29) Getting up high on the neck Positions II, III and IV in A Licks in various positions Combining blues, double stops and rhythms   The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!   Register here.

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

By Theme Admin on April 20th, 2025 at 7:52 PM

  "Thanks for the terrific class! I had my mandolin lurking in the corner for 9 months before I took this class. I played with it now and then but felt out of my depth, having only played piano in the past. A few weeks into your class, I couldn’t put down my mandolin, practicing far more than my kids want me to. In addition to the wonderful tunes we learned in class, I started to pick out other melodies like Christmas carols, simple gifts, harry potter, star wars; anything I hear I want to find it on the mandolin.”—Randy R.         “Your classes are the best and most successful learning approach for me, Thank you.”—-Eric B.             Sale extended!  Save $50 when you register by 5/4! Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming curriculum (7/7-8/2) See the Mandolin Tune Studies curriculum (7/8-8/2)     Welcome to the Music Theory for Mandolin Players online course!  This course is intended to help students learn more about the mandolin fretboard and learn some music theory along they way as they progress through a series of exercises week by week.  Students will be given a mix of scale, arpeggio, chord, transposition and ear training exercises each week to help them find their way around the fretboard in various keys.  We’ll also do a bit of musical analysis on some familiar melodies and chord progressions from the songs of the Beatles---a band that had a remarkable variety in melody and chord writing that ranged from simple to complex to sublime.  Students at all levels are encouraged to participate, though the course will likely be most beneficial to students at an upper beginner to higher intermediate level.  Class sessions meet every Wednesday evening from July 9th to July 30th at 9 pm eastern time, and practice/review sessions meet every Saturday from July 12th to August 2nd at 12:30 pm 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.     The course fee is $125.  Register by May 4th for just $75! Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner     WEEK 1 (7/9) Major Scales Numbering notes in the scale Transposing melodies Chord study #1  I-IV-V Progressions  Melodic exercise I: Hello Goodbye   WEEK 2 (7/16) Minor Scales Chord study #2 Ear training exercise #1 Scale exercise I Melodic Exercise II: Glass Onion   WEEK 3 (7/23) Modes Diatonic chord exercise Closed position scales Scale Exercise II Chord study #3 Melodic Exercise III: If I Fell   WEEK 4 (7/30) Chord Inversions Chord tones as melodic devices Chord tones as improv devices Arpeggio Exercise I Melodic Exercise IV and analysis: Blackbird       The course fee is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75! Register here.

Sale extended! Save $50 on Bluegrass Jamming, Mandolin Tune Studies and Music Theory for Mandolin Courses through 5/4!

By Theme Admin on April 19th, 2025 at 11:48 AM

        “This was the best online learning experience I've ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format:  DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.      “After buying six mandolins and umpteen books...I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I'm getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)...and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.                Sale extended!  Register by May 4th and save $50!     The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this summer with three four-week long intensive courses designed to help you improve your technique, learn some tunes and help you have more fun playing the mandolin!   Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner                           Curriculum         Registration  Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner                                Curriculum         Registration Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner               Curriculum         Registration   The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course (July 7-August 2) 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 by 5/4 and save $50! Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner.    The Mandolin Tune Studies course (July 8-August 2) is intended to help students create variations and improvise on fiddle tunes and bluegrass songs—though the concepts will apply to any style of music.  Upon registering, students will receive PDFs in tablature and standard notation for two tunes: "Big Sandy River" and "Shakin' Down the Acorns," along with mp3s of each tune and links to videos of the tunes played slowly.  During the four-week course, we’ll look at various ways of playing the melodies to both tunes as well as various ways of getting outside the melodies using double stops, positions up the neck, blues ideas and different rhythms and licks.  Each week, we’ll explore a different approach to soloing and talk about how to use these approaches on our two tunes and relate these concepts to other tunes and songs students may already know.  The goal is to create more possibilities in our soloing and to have more fun playing music with other people—and to learn two tunes REALLY well!   Register by 5/4 and save $50! Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner    The Music Theory for Mandolin Players course (July 9-August 2) is intended for students at all levels (though absolute beginners will likely find it too difficult) who want to understand more about music theory and how it relates to the mandolin.  Each week, students will receive various exercises relating to scales, arpeggios, chords, progressions, transpositions and more.  And we'll look at songs by the Beatles!  We'll relate several concepts from the week to the chords, melody or structure of that week's song.  The goal is to help students learn more about the fretboard and be able to learn songs more quickly and improvise more easily.  Register by 5/4 and save $50! Register for the Music Theory for Mandolin Players course with Matt Flinner    Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner Register for the Music Theory for Mandolin Players course with Matt Flinner   The Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming course (July 7-August 2) takes place on Monday afternoons and evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place July 7, 14, 21 and 28, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.   The Mandolin Tune Studies course (July 8-August 2) meets on Tuesdays at 2 and 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  NOTE: Tuesday afternoon sessions take place at 2 pm eastern time---a more convenient time for our friends in the UK and Europe!  2 pm eastern time translates to 7 or 8 pm in the UK and most of Europe.  Students are welcome to join in on either or both of the Tuesday sessions each week (they will be essentially identical to one another in content).  Tuesday class sessions will take place July 8, 15, 22 and 29, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.   The Music Theory for Mandolin Players course (July 9-August 2) takes place on Wednesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, with follow-up practice sessions on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Wednesday class sessions will take place July 9, 16, 23 and 30, and Saturday follow-up sessions will take place July 12, 19, 26 and August 2.  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re usually available to view later that day).  Register here.   ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.     The course fee for each course is $125.  Register by 5/4 for just $75!  Just register at the link(s) for the course(s) you want to take, and we'll email you an invoice via PayPal for the course fee(s) ($75 per course).   All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.     Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.   BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101  Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.    A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.   All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.   One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!     HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES? All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.   HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE? That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material. Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.   THE CLASS WEBPAGE This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.     REGISTRATION FEE Fees for the 4-week summer courses are $125 each.   Register by 5/4 for just $75!      Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program: "I've participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I've ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses."---Gina M. “I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O. “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I'm improving daily because of it.”---Joe C. “The level was perfect. Mentally I understand many things that have opened up the fingerboard a lot; now I need some quality time to get it under my hands. I found things challenging without feeling out of reach.”—Stan M. “I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.   To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin Jamming with Matt Flinner (7/7-8/2) Register for Mandolin Tune Studies with Matt Flinner (7/8-8/2) Register for Music Theory for Mandolin Players with Matt Flinner (7/9-8/2)

New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/26-5/31)

By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 8:32 PM

      “I have done some online courses, some one-on-one instruction and some camps.  The course I just finished with you has been the most useful by a pretty large margin.  Thanks for both the thought and effort that went into the design and material preparation and for the personal presence you bring to it.”—Steve F.       “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 here for the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner course   See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/24-5/24) See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum (3/25-5/31)    “New Acoustic” music has come a long way since it first started up some 50 years ago.  What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber 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.  Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).   This course runs from April 5 to June 11.  Classes take place on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), and follow-up practice sessions take place on Saturdays at 12:30 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.  Register here.     WEEK 1 (3/26) New Acoustic Fiddle Tunes Slightly more complex chord progressions Variations using octaves and chord tones Major scale exercises  Picking Exercise I Through the Gates Eye of the Hurricane   WEEK 2 (4/9) Basic 4-note Major 7, Dominant 7 and Minor 7 chord forms Some David Grisman rhythms and licks A few blues ideas Sea of Cortez Dysentery Stomp   WEEK 3 (4/23) Some jazz waltzes Rhythmic patterns in the jazz waltz Using chord tones Some positions up the neck Old Gray Coat Moses Sole   WEEK 4 (4/30) Tunes in minor keys Mixolydian and Dorian modes Melodic patterns  A few minor licks Picking Exercise II The Hymn of Ordinary Motion Backwaters   WEEK 5 (5/7) Some Latin rhythms Diatonic 4-note chord exercise More with chord tones Redhill Dawgmatism   WEEK 6 (5/14) A couple of slow ones Using chord tones and double stops The Years Between John’s Waltz to the Miller (Trischka)    WEEK 7 (5/21) Some rock and funk rhythms Some Sam Bush grooves and licks Picking Exercise III Dawg Funk Funk 55   WEEK 8 (5/28) Tying it all together Advanced chord progressions More with chord tones  More melodic patterns Using various grooves in a tune Big Monk  Fish Scale   Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner 

Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Curriculum, 3/25-5/31

By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 7:25 PM

          “I’m loving the instruction and all the materials, it’s got me playing my mandolin constantly!”—James M.       “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 for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner   See the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/24-5/24) See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)     This course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe!  Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes.  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.   Students also have access to short (1-3 minute) practice videos each week, along with mp3s to practice with at various tempos and PDFs of all of the written exercises and tunes.  Students are invited to download all materials (including short practice videos and recorded videos of all class sessions) so that they can view and/or listen to them at any point in the future after the course has concluded.   Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time 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!).     The course fee is $225.   Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner     WEEK 1 (3/25) Getting open strings in the mix Picking Exercise I Picking Exercise II Two ways of playing backup The Dead March Louisville Breakdown   WEEK 2 (4/8) Double stops G Double stop exercise I G Double stop exercise II Moving double stops to create variations  Bill’s Dream Lee Wedding Tune   WEEK 3 (4/22) Some classic Monroe licks Chop chord position playing Double stops in chop chord position Virginia Darlin’ Honky Tonk Swing   WEEK 4 (4/29) A couple of waltzes Tremolo exercise Tremolo with double stops Kiss Me Waltz Lonesome Moonlight Waltz   WEEK 5 (5/6) Some minor key tunes A couple of ways of playing minor chords in backup Minor double stop exercise Cheyenne Jekyll Island    WEEK 6 (5/13) Bluesy Tunes A couple of advanced Monroe licks Bluesy licks Picking Exercise IV Bluegrass Twist Watson’s Blues   WEEK 7 (5/20) A couple of fast ones Picking Exercise for Speed Playing double stops at fast tempos Come Hither to Go Yonder Tall Timber   WEEK 8 (5/27) Some more advanced tunes Picking Exercise V Roanoke Tanyards     Bonus Material: a few classics to know (these will be given at the begining of the course, and played occasionally during practice sessions).   Gold Rush Wheel Hoss Big Mon The Road to Columbus     Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner    

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Curriculum, 3/24-5/24

By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 6:54 PM

      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.       “I got a lot out of it! Everyday I have a practice routine based on the summer intensive. You have helped me by leaps and bounds.”—Sandy N.               Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   See the Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/25-5/31) See the New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner curriculum (3/26-5/31)   Welcome to Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101!  This course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way.  Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions.  Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level. The course runs from March 24 to May 24, with class sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time (except the week of April 14, which will be off due to Matt's tour schedule), and follow-up practice sessions on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time.  Students will have a total of eight class sessions and eight practice sessions over the course of nine weeks.  Students are NOT required to attend all (or any) of the live sessions; all sessions will be recorded and available to view afterward (generally by the next day) anytime at the students’ convenience.     Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101   Here is the curriculum for the Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 online course:   WEEK 1 (3/24) Picking and rhythm Picking Exercise I Fingering Exercise I Scales: D Major and G Major Open style backup in D Arkansas Traveler Bonus material: Eighth of January   WEEK 2 (3/31) Getting a fuller sound using open strings Picking Exercise II Fingering Exercise II Open style backup in G Leather Britches Bonus material: Temperance Reel   WEEK 3 (4/7) Octave variations Picking Exercise III (three and four string exercises) Fingering Exercise III Scale Patterns: thirds in D and G Open style backup in A June Apple Bonus material: Tater Patch   WEEK 4 (4/21) Transitions between octaves Learning Chord Tones Major Arpeggios 3 Chord Inversions Playing backup using basslines and moving chords St. Anne’s Reel Bonus material: Squirrel Hunters   WEEK 6 (4/28) Throwing in some licks Scales: A Major and A Mixolydian; D Major and D Mixolydian Open style chords in C Dominant Arpeggios Billy in the Lowground Bonus Material: Farewell to Trion   WEEK 6 (5/5)  Minor tunes Creating variations using target notes Minor Arpeggios Minor Scales Cattle in the Cane Bonus Material: The Kitchen Girl   WEEK 7 (5/12) Incorporating Double Stops into Your Solos Double Stop Exercise in D Scales: A Dorian, D Dorian Soldier's Joy Bonus material: Old Spinning Wheel   WEEK 8 (5/19) Various approaches to improvising Pulling it all together: octave changes, chord tones, licks and double stops as part of your solos Forked Deer Bonus material: Liza Jane     The course fee is $225.  Register here

Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Bill Monroe Tunes and New Acoustic Mandolin Courses Start 3/24-26

By Theme Admin on February 2nd, 2025 at 6:00 AM

  “This was the best online learning experience I’ve ever had.  And, for the time and money, the best music learning experience in any format:  DVD, video, group, or individual live lessons.”—Christine R.      “After buying six mandolins and umpteen books…I am convinced your course is best $100 I have invested in my mandolin journey to date.  Finally, I’m getting the discpline I need with your exercises to learn scales, arpeggios, double stops, fingering techniques, learn the fretboard (the essential tools I need)…and most importantly to learn how those things fit into playing tunes.”—Rick D.      I’ve taken the Rhythm Mandolin and Monroe Tunes courses, and both are excellent. Matt provides meticulously thorough instruction to help you learn the material, while relating tunes and techniques to broader concepts, so you can apply the ideas elsewhere in your playing. He’s not only a worldclass musician, but an equally great instructor. – Andy S.           The Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online lessons program continues this spring with courses intended to help students improve their mandolin skills at various levels of playing and perhaps branch out into some other related styles.  Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101, Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin and New Acoustic Mandolin courses will help students improve their fundamentals, learn the fretboard and improve their soloing skills—all while learning a couple of new tunes each week.  And all with the goal of having more fun playing the mandolin!   Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner (3/24-5/24)                        Curriculum         Registration  Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner  (3/25-5/31)                      Curriculum         Registration New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner   (3/26-5/31)                                Curriculum         Registration   The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24): this course will introduce students to the core of bluegrass/fiddle tune repertoire and help them improve their mandolin technique along the way.  Exercises in scales, arpeggios double stops, backup, and creating variations will give students the tools they need to move forward in their playing and enable them to play more comfortably on their own or with other players in jam sessions.  Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 will start at a beginner/intermediate level and progress to a solidly intermediate level. Register here.    The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31): this course is intended to give students a broader understanding of many aspects of bluegrass mandolin playing through the music of the greatest writer of mandolin tunes—Bill Monroe!  Students will explore fundamental aspects of technique (picking exercises, double stop exercises, tremolo and more) to help them at any ability level while learning some great (and often lesser-known) Bill Monroe tunes.  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.  Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time   The course is intended for players at an intermediate 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.     The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31): this course will introduce students to tunes in the “new acoustic” genre.  What was started by the likes of David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in the 1970s as an outgrowth of bluegrass and jazz has grown into a wide-ranging music incorporating elements of rock and roll, Hot Club Jazz, folk music, old-time music, classical chamber 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.  Tunes by the masters listed above, plus a few from Russ Barenberg, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Reischman, David Grier, Edgar Meyer and Todd Phillips will be featured, along with exercises to help students learn the fretboard and improve their fundamental skills—all for the purpose of playing more effectively in any style (and, especially, having more fun playing the mandolin!).   The course is intended for players at a beginning to intermediate ability level (though absolute beginners will have a difficult time keeping up—knowledge of basic chords and rhythm playing will help!), or for players at any level who are looking to improve their chord vocabulary and rhythm playing.   Register here.     The course fee for any winter course is $225.     Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner   The Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 course (March 24-May 24) takes place on Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time.  We’ll also have practice/review sessions on Saturdays at 10 am eastern time.  Monday class sessions will take place from March 24-May 19, and Saturday follow-up practice sessions will take place from March 29-May 24.  The week of April 14 will be off, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.   The Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin course (March 25-May 31) meets on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time.  Students will have eight (or 16 if you count both class times) Tuesday class sessions (March 25-May 27) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31).  The weeks of April 1 and 15 will be off due to Matt's tour schedule, so students will have a little extra time to review!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day). Register here.   The New Acoustic Mandolin course (March 26-May 31) meets on Wednesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (again, both sessions are the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to), with follow-up practice sessions Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  Students will have eight Wednesday class sessions (March 26-May 28) and eight Saturday follow-up practice sessions (March 29-May 31).  The weeks of April 2 and 16 will be off due to Matt's tour schedule, so students can catch up on those tunes or exercises they didn't get to yet!  All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to a class website, where they are viewable generally by the following day (in the case of Saturday practice sessions, they’re often available to view later that day).  Register here.   ALL class materials (PDFs, practice mp3s, short practice videos and class session videos) are available for students to download and keep for future use.         All students access to the live sessions as well as all materials (PDFs, mp3s, practice videos and class session videos), which they can download for future use.     Here’s a little more info about the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 online experience that I hope will give you a good idea of how the program works.   BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN 101  Matt Flinner started the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program in the fall of 2013.  Along the way, the program has helped hundreds of students improve their mandolin playing in a wide variety of styles.  The program offers a unique approach to online mandolin lessons that gives students the best of both live lessons as well as recorded mandolin instructional videos, audio recordings and written materials.  The courses focus on helping mandolin students get to the next level in their playing and broaden their understanding of a variety of American musical traditions.    A UNIQUE APPROACH: LIVE INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS Part of what makes the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program unique is the fact that students follow a step-by-step program of live lessons over a four or eight week course.  The courses follow a carefully planned curriculum in the given style or area of technique, and the live lessons get a little more challenging each week as the course progresses.  Classes meet twice per week: on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening, depending on the course, and on Saturday morning/afternoon, when students can join a follow-up practice session to review that week’s material.  Students can view the live lessons via their computer, iPad or smart phone.  Students are encouraged to ask questions during the class sessions via a chat window and/or their external or built-in microphone (this microphone is muted unless the student requests to use it).  And students do not need a webcam.   All live sessions are also recorded so that students can review them any time if they are unable to make it to the live sessions; this also gives students the added convenience of going through the material as many times as they want to.  Students are given access to a private class website where they can find these recorded sessions and they can also view and download all PDFs of the materials and several practice mp3s of that week’s song(s) recorded at various tempos.  Students will also be given download links for all class videos so that they can view them offline at their convenience on into the future.  In essence, all materials from the course are for the students to keep.   One aspect of the live class schedule that makes the program so effective is that students are generally more encouraged to practice in order to keep up with the schedule.  Students are given a list of suggested priorities each week, depending on their ability level and amount of practice time, and all material is then reviewed in the Saturday practice session so that students get another chance to run through it with the instructor.  Just by showing up, students will run through the material twice each week—for many of us, that’s already an improvement!     HOW INTERACTIVE ARE THE COURSES? All live sessions are interactive; students can ask questions and/or demonstrate tunes or exercises via live microphone or telephone, or via a chat window (most students opt for this approach).  The instructor is able to immediately respond and demonstrate the answers for the whole class.  Another form of interaction comes via mp3 recordings; students can record mp3s on their own time of themselves playing the material (or anything else they want to send in) and send it to the instructor for feedback, which is also recorded in mp3 form and sent back to the student.  Students can post their mp3s on the class site (and likely get encouraging feedback from other students in addition to the instructor) or email them privately to the instructor.   HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE? That is completely up to the student.  While, say, 30 minutes per day might be a good recommendation for practice time, students can make whatever they choose of this course based on their own schedule and aspirations.  Practicing week to week (again, say 30 minutes per day) will help students keep up with the week’s lessons and concepts, but the instructor knows that people have busy lives!  This is why all instructional material is archived and available for download so that students can learn on their own time after the course has finished as well as during the eight weeks of classes.  However, one advantage to the four-week scheduled course is that by practicing at least somewhat regularly, students are more able to be prepared for the following week’s lessons and therefore take full advantage of the live and recorded mix of lesson material. Students can decide whether to practice along with the class session or with the shorter individual videos (or both), depending on what they want to focus on for that week.  Material is given each week that is targeted toward various ability levels; a song is given which is playable for beginning to intermediate players (or intermediate to advanced, depending on the course), and various concepts relating to that song are also given to educate and challenge players at beginning, intermediate and even advanced levels.  The student essentially decides how much they want to take on for the week (and the course) based on their ability level and how much practice time they have.  Any material they were unable to get to during the week and want to revisit later will be available in the archived videos and PDFs.  The instructor will also give students a recommended list of priorities each week to help students take the best advantage of their practice time.   THE CLASS WEBPAGE This is the virtual gathering place for the courses, where students can view the instructional videos, view and/or download all written materials, listen to mp3s of Matt playing the tunes, get listening recommendations, ask questions, submit their own mp3s for feedback and generate forum discussions.  It’s a great place to drop by any time and explore, learn and discuss.     REGISTRATION FEE The course fee for any spring course is $225.  Just register at the registration link(s) and we'll send you an invoice via PayPal for the discounted course fee(s) ($225 per course).       Here are a few quotes from some past students about their experiences in the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 program: “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M. “I’ve practiced more in two weeks than I have in months!  Really enjoying how it’s going.”—Donna O. “I have to say that making everything available online is a great convenience for me. Being able to stop and return to a more challenging exercise or a newer phrase is great for learning. I also really appreciate your availability to answer questions offline. This is a great course, and I feel as though I’m improving daily because of it.”—Joe C. “I’m really enjoying the course. The first time I’ve actually practiced an instrument in my 60 years!”—Skip H.   To visit the registration pages, click one of these links:   Register for Fiddle Tunes for Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner Register for Bill Monroe Tunes for Mandolin with Matt Flinner Register for New Acoustic Mandolin with Matt Flinner

Bluegrass Mandolin 101 Curriculum (1/6-3/15)

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:54 PM

      “This is the best learning format ever and I like your approach very much.”—Marty C.     “I’ve learned so much from your courses and have improved greatly due to learning some basic skills and music theory.”—Jamie J.      “Your method, approach, pace and materials are the best I’ve seen in my years of perpetual learning.”—Jim H.       Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   See the Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/7-3/15) See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)   Bluegrass Mandolin 101 returns!  This course 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 and knowledge of the fretboard.  Each week, students are given two standard bluegrass tunes (and encouraged to learn at least one of them); that week’s exercises are correlated to the tunes during the week’s practice session so that students find practical ways of using the exercises in their playing. Classes take place Monday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and review sessions take place on Saturday mornings at 10 am eastern time (note: the week of February 24th is off, as is Saturday, March 8.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks time).   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner   Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum: Week 1 (1/6) Three warmup exercises Intro to position playing Intro to double stops Will the Circle Be Unbroken Bonus Material: Keep on the Sunny Side of Life   WEEK 2 (1/13) Moving to the key of A Some tag licks to add to your solos Backup playing and fills My Long Journey Home Bonus Material: Little Cabin Home on the Hill   WEEK 3 (1/20) Small position shifts Adding some more licks to your solos Double stop exercise in D Blue Ridge Cabin Home Bonus material: I Am a Pilgrim   WEEK 4 (1/27) Position playing II Three different kickoffs Chord tones in position playing Man of Constant Sorrow Bonus Material: Great High Mountain   WEEK 5 (2/3) Shifting from Position I to Position II Transposing to other keys Blue Moon of Kentucky Bonus Material: I’ll Stay Around   WEEK 6 (2/10) More position shifts Turnarounds: I-V-I progressions Double stop exercise in C Things in Life Bonus material: I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow   WEEK 7 (2/17) Moving double stops around to create melody An approach to improvising Pike County Breakdown Bonus material: Arkansas Traveler   Week 8 (3/3) Tying it all together Adding some licks and improvising Combining double stops and licks Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms Bonus tune: Little Maggie   The course fee is $225.   Register for Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner

Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing Curriculum (1/7-3/15)

By Theme Admin on November 10th, 2024 at 9:53 PM

      “I’ve participated in many online learning programs, but so far, your format is the best I’ve ever seen. I am so pleased I happened upon your courses.”—Gina M.       “Your classes are moving me forward so very much. Thank you.” —Jean C.       “It was nice there were various assignments which pushed my ability. Never felt I had “mastered” ALL the homework so never got bored. Always something to work on or do next.”—Joe S.       Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner   See the Bluegrass Mandolin 101 with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/6-3/15) See the Bluegrass Mandolin Backup and Fills with Matt Flinner curriculum (1/8-3/15)   Join Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner for a look into the mandolin styles of many of the bluegrass masters: Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, Tim O’Brien, Adam Steffey and many others. Each week, students will look at two transcribed solos by one of the greats, along with some related exercises to help both improve technique and find ways of using melodic ideas in other solos. Class sessions take place on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 9 pm eastern time (they’re the same—we’ve added the 2 pm time for the convenience of students in the UK and Europe, but anyone who finds the time convenient is welcome to join!  And students can attend both sessions if they want to).  Practice/review sessions will take place on Saturdays at 12:30 pm eastern time.  The weeks of February 25 and March 4 will be off.  There will be a total of eight weeks of classes in 10 weeks’ time.   The course is recommended for intermediate to advanced players.   Register here   Week 1 (1/7) Bill Monroe  Melodic Exercise I Chord Tone Exercise in a Few Keys Rhythms using down-strokes Playing melody in chop chord position Picking Exercise I Brand New Shoes Sittin’ on Top of the World   Week 2 (1/14) David McLaughlin  Picking Exercise II Expanding on Monroe Style Some syncopated licks Say You’ll Take Me Back  My Long Journey Home   Week 3 (1/21) Dempsey Young Triplet Patterns Open style double stop licks Some chromatic patterns Sun’s Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday Southbound   Week 4 (1/28) John Duffey Playing rock and roll licks on the mandolin Various positions on the neck Moving between positions Structuring solos using double stops and licks Sunrise Girl from the North Country   Week 5 (2/4) Tim O’Brien   Picking Exercise IV A few jazz-influenced licks Some more position shifts Open strings in B If I Should Wander Back Tonight Blue Night   Week 6 (2/11) Jesse McReynolds Crosspicking Exercises I and II Double stops up the neck in various keys How to create crosspicking solos Are You Missing Me She Left Me Standing on the Mountain   Week 7 (2/18) Adam Steffey  Picking Exercise V A few bluesy chromatic runs More position shifts Raleigh and Spencer  It Won’t Work this Time   Week 8 (3/11) Sam Bush  Picking Exercise III Melodic Exercise II  A few up the neck licks Doin’ My Time Stream Powered Aeroplane   The course fee is $225.  Register for Advanced Bluegrass Mandolin Soloing with Matt Flinner