Mandolin Lessons: 1 Fundamentals

Course details

Take mandolin lessons online and learn at your own pace. Mike Marshall—founder of Mandolin Symposium, Grammy nominee, and founding member of the David Grisman Quintet—teaches the fundamentals of bluegrass, classical, and Brazilian mandolin. This four-part comprehensive video library includes hundreds of online mandolin lessons, plus exclusive performances, special guest interviews, and study materials such as tab and audio samples. Part 1 covers basics such as holding and tuning a mandolin, positioning your hands and fingers, and playing simple chords. Mike also covers a bit of music theory and techniques like chops and picking, so you can start to play the mandolin in more modern arrangements. Plus, learn to play some simple tunes, including classics such as "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" and "Wabash Cannonball," that will keep you motivated on your journey to mandolin mastery.

Learning objectives
Sitting and standing with the mandolin
Tuning a mandolin
Positioning the right and left hands
Strumming open chords
Playing two-finger chords and melodies
Playing beginner mandolin tunes
Finding minor and moveable chords
Playing 7th chords
Playing chop chords
Picking on the mandolin

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome

1. Getting Started

02 - Introduction to beginner mandolin
03 - About the mandolin
04 - Sitting position
05 - Sitting vs. standing
06 - Tuning

2. Right and Left Hand Fundamentals

07 - The right hand, part 1
08 - The right hand, part 2
09 - The left hand, part 1
10 - The left hand, part 2
11 - Open chords, part 1
12 - Open chords, part 2
13 - Open chords, part 3

3. Beginner Mandolin Tunes

14 - Old Joe Clark , part 1
15 - Old Joe Clark , part 2
16 - Liberty , part 1
17 - Liberty , part 2
18 - Boil Them Cabbage Down
19 - Hand Me Down My Walking Cane , basic rhythm, key of G

4. Theory and Exercises

20 - Build your own exercise
21 - Fun with theory, part 1
22 - Fun with theory, part 2
23 - Hand Me Down My Walking Cane , basic rhythm, key of D
24 - I Am a Pilgrim
25 - Finding minor chords
26 - Minor chord progression exercise
27 - Finding moveable chords
28 - The 7th or dominant chords
29 - 7th chords as dominants
30 - Playing 1-4-5 in minor

5. Chops and Picking

31 - Bluegrass chop chords, part 1
32 - Bluegrass chop chords, part 2
33 - Down and up picking basics
34 - This Little Light of Mine
35 - Wabash Cannonball
36 - Fiddle tune, Devil's Dream in A
37 - Banjo tune, Cripple Creek in G

Conclusion

38 - ArtistWorks and Next Steps