Mandolin Lessons: 1 Fundamentals

Learn foundations of bluegrass, classical, and Brazilian mandolin. Learn basics like holding and tuning a mandolin, positioning your hands and fingers, and playing simple chords.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Getting Started

• Introduction to beginner mandolin
• About the mandolin
• Sitting position
• Sitting vs. standing
• Tuning

2. Right and Left Hand Fundamentals

• The right hand, part 1
• The right hand, part 2
• The left hand, part 1
• The left hand, part 2
• Open chords, part 1
• Open chords, part 2
• Open chords, part 3

3. Beginner Mandolin Tunes

• "Old Joe Clark", part 1
• "Old Joe Clark", part 2
• "Liberty", part 1
• "Liberty", part 2
• "Boil Them Cabbage Down"
• "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane", basic rhythm, key of G

4. Theory and Exercises

• Build your own exercise
• Fun with theory, part 1
• Fun with theory, part 2
• "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane", basic rhythm, key of D
• "I Am a Pilgrim"
• Finding minor chords
• Minor chord progression exercise
• Finding moveable chords
• The 7th or dominant chords
• 7th chords as dominants
• Playing 1-4-5 in minor

5. Chops and Picking

• Bluegrass chop chords, part 1
• Bluegrass chop chords, part 2
• Down and up picking basics
• "This Little Light of Mine"
• "Wabash Cannonball"
• Fiddle tune, "Devil's Dream" in A
• Banjo tune, "Cripple Creek" in G

Conclusion

• ArtistWorks and Next Steps