Bluegrass Mandolin Learning Paths & Lessons

Learning Path

Bluegrass Mandolin 101

These online beginner mandolin lessons will help you get started with the basics from holding your mandolin to strumming. Follow a s...

Learning Path

Mandolin Chords for Beginners

Now that you have a good handle on your strumming technique, let's include the fretting hand and learn some chords. After mastering ...

Arrangement

Happy Birthday
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is a great melody for beginners. There's also some great licks available. Remember, you can use the difficulty slider for indiv...

Arrangement

Ode to Joy
Melody

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This arrangement is based on Beethoven's classic melody. Most of the arrangement is played with quarter notes, with an eighth note h...

Arrangement

Oh Susanna
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

Oh Susanna is a popular American traditional melody. If you are a beginner player, make sure to use the green difficulty slid...

Song

I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away by The Carter Family is a classic gospel hymn of hope, optimism and promises of a better life beyond death. This pop...

Song

Cluck Old Hen

Cluck Old Hen is a traditional Appalachian plucked string piece featuring powerful bluegrass mandolin licks in syncopated breaks and...

Arrangement

Ragtime Annie
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

A simplified version of this tune to get you pickin' ASAP!

Arrangement

Cripple Creek
Melody

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

This basic melody is a great place to start for beginners. It's also great intermediate and advanced players when learning to...

Arrangement

Freight Train
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  C
• Tuning
  GDAE

Freight train, freight train, run so fast...No! Wait! Slow Down! Yes this is a Beginner arrangement but if it feels to fast for you,...

Arrangement

Crossroad Blues
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

Feelin blue? Give it a minute...You'll get there. This easy version of Crossroad Blues is a perfect place to start.

Arrangement

Angeline the Baker
High Octave - Melody

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This arrangement teaches you how to play Angeline the Baker in the key of D. You'll be reaching out with your ring finger to grab th...

Arrangement

Eight More Miles to Louisville
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

Simple but sweet. Check out this jam ready arrangement and licks. Be sure to work on those quick chord changes as well. Backup is i...

Arrangement

There Is A Time
Melody

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Dm
• Tuning
  GDAE

Learn the basic melody to there is a time. This follows the rhythm and pitch of the melody as you would sing it. Listening to the s...

Learning Path

Learning by Ear with Hide Notes

This lesson video will teach you how to use Hide Notes. Hide Notes is a tool from Tunefox that conceals certain notes in the tablatu...

Learning Path

Flatpicking Mandolin 101: The Picking Hand

This lesson series focuses on right hand technique for flat picking melodies on the mandolin.

Learning Path

Flatpicking Mandolin 102: The Fretting Hand

Now that you've practiced your picking technique on the mandolin let's add in your fretting hand and learn some scales.

Learning Path

First Fiddle Tunes

Learn Old Joe Clark, Angelina Baker, and Red Haired Boy, plus D and A major scales!

Song

G Major - 2nd Position - Low Octave

Check this out to learn the G major scale in 2nd position. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to help increase s...

Song

G Major - 2nd Position - High Octave

Check this out to learn the higher octave G Major scale in 2nd position. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to h...

Arrangement

Boil Them Cabbage Down
Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

Boil Them Cabbage Down is one of the first tunes many mandolinists and fiddle players learn and it’s a good one for learning your no...

Arrangement

Old MacDonald
Melody - Key of G

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

After you've learned this in the key of A, try it out in G as well!

Arrangement

Grandfather's Clock
Bluegrass - Key of G

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

Sometimes your in a jam with a banjo and a guitar player. It happens. Sometimes those players are lazy. Instead of putting the capo ...

Arrangement

I'll Fly Away
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

A great standard version of I'll Fly Away with some nice licks!

Arrangement

Turkey in the Straw
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is how a seasoned fiddle player might interpret this tune. The licks are will add a great challenge for you.

Song

C Major - 2nd Position

Start on the Scale exercise. Memorize the fret hand fingerings. These will be used on all the exercises. The Alternate Picking e...

Song

Crawdad Song - Key of C

This is a classic tune that's sometimes played at jams

Arrangement

The Entertainer
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  C
• Tuning
  GDAE

This classic American melody works out great on mandolin. There's a lot of Bluesy runs and chromaticism in the arrangement and some ...

Learning Path

How to Play Salt Creek

Learn the melody and some sweet variations to Salt Creek.

Learning Path

How to Play Red Haired Boy

A jam standard with a beautiful melody.

Learning Path

How to Play Sugarfoot Rag

A great tune with some nice variations.

Learning Path

How to Play Chinquapin Hunting

This fiddle tune has a very lovely melody. In this lesson we'll walk through the base arrangement then learn several licks that draw...

Learning Path

A Major Workout

Stretch out and get ready. This is a serious workout. We've got something for all levels here. Do what you can.

Song

Old Joe Clark

This is a jam standard! Make sure to learn this at the easiest level so you get the basic melody. You'll need to adjust the green d...

Song

Gold Rush

Gold Rush, composed and performed by Byron Berline on the fiddle, works beautifully on the mandolin. It features three different arr...

Song

Cherokee Shuffle

This is a very popular fiddle tune you are likely to hear in many jam circles. When first learning the Bluegrass arrangement, make ...

Song

Bill Cheatum

Bill Cheatum is a jam standard and super fun tune to play. When first learning this tune, set the green difficulty slider to the eas...

Song

Devil's Dream

Devil's Dream is a traditional folk tune that was popularized by banjoist Bill Keith. It is a fast-paced melody that often features...

Learning Path

Tremolo 101

Gain control of the speed and rhythmic accuracy of your tremolo through an intense workout. Learn the A minor scale and apply all th...

Learning Path

How to Play Watson Blues

This is a lesson for Watson Blues. It's a great instrumental. It was written by Bill Monroe. We'll learn the tune and some subtletie...

Arrangement

Wayfaring Stranger
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Am
• Tuning
  GDAE

This arrangement follows the melody and uses a lot of tremolo. Remember, there is more than one speed you can use on a tremolo. 16th...

Arrangement

House of the Rising Sun
Tremolo

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Am
• Tuning
  GDAE

A simple representation of this classic Rock melody with added tremolo and some great licks.

Arrangement

In the Pines
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is a nice, and simple arrangement for, "In the Pines". There's also a wide variety of licks available in the switcher. Pay atte...

Arrangement

The Old Rugged Cross
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

The song Hymn has a wonderful melody. Pay attention to the sound of the tremolo when using the lick switcher. Some are triplet trem...

Arrangement

Midnight on the Water
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This beautiful waltz sounds so good on mandolin. It sounds even better if you engage the "swing" feature in the Tunefox player. It i...

Learning Path

Chopping 101

Learn to play on the back beat, add authentic Bluegrass rhythmic embellishments, and articulate your chop by controlling left hand r...

Learning Path

Sam Bush Style Rhythm 101

This lesson will teach you some of the basics of Sam Bush Style rhythm. We'll Use "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" as a vehicle to stud...

Learning Path

Mandolin Rhythm - Barre Chord Chop

Learn to use the Barre Chord for mandolin, along with 3 songs. Chopping 101 is a prerequisite course. The rhythms in this lesson pat...

Arrangement

I'll Fly Away
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

A great standard version of I'll Fly Away with some nice licks!

Learning Path

A Major Workout

Stretch out and get ready. This is a serious workout. We've got something for all levels here. Do what you can.

Learning Path

Movable Double Stops

This lesson path will help you see how double stop shapes connect on the mandolin fret board. After learning double stop patterns, w...

Song

A Major Workouts

Start with the scales . Memorize the fingerings. The Scale tab features A Major Scales all over the fretboard. Don't try to lear...

Song

D Major Workout

D major. It's an important key. Time to get comfortable with it!

Song

G Major Scale Workout

This Mandolin lesson teaches a G Major Scale Workout using three different exercises: Two Octave Scale, 3rds Pattern, and Scale Patt...

Song

Pentatonic Scales

A couple tips for learning and practicing this: The pentatonic scale is a five note scale pattern. If you’re having trouble ...

Song

G Major - 2nd Position - Low Octave

Check this out to learn the G major scale in 2nd position. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to help increase s...

Song

G Major - 2nd Position - High Octave

Check this out to learn the higher octave G Major scale in 2nd position. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to h...

Song

C Major - 2nd Position

Start on the Scale exercise. Memorize the fret hand fingerings. These will be used on all the exercises. The Alternate Picking e...

Learning Path

Chopping 101

Learn to play on the back beat, add authentic Bluegrass rhythmic embellishments, and articulate your chop by controlling left hand r...

Learning Path

How to Play Watson Blues

This is a lesson for Watson Blues. It's a great instrumental. It was written by Bill Monroe. We'll learn the tune and some subtletie...

Arrangement

Watson's Blues
Monroe Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  E
• Tuning
  GDAE

This version of Watson's Blues is closely based on the playing of Bill Monroe. Even the licks are based off of various recordin...

Arrangement

Turkey in the Straw
Monroe Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

The Father of Bluegrass. He played fast and fearless. He didn't often play note for note fiddle tunes but relied on his wild sy...

Arrangement

Road to Columbus
Monroe Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

This arrangement is based closely on Bill Monroe's playing. It comes from his mandolin playing as heard on Kenny Baker's record...

Arrangement

Roanoke
Advanced

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

Bill and the Boys put the scald on this one. You play it as you like, and practice even slower. The Intro and A part is a Monroe tra...

Learning Path

Sam Bush Style Rhythm 101

This lesson will teach you some of the basics of Sam Bush Style rhythm. We'll Use "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" as a vehicle to stud...

Arrangement

Eight More Miles to Louisville
Sam Bush Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

Grandpa wrote it but this song has become synonymous with Sam Bush. This is a transcription from his playing with a few extra licks ...

Arrangement

Brilliancy
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  A
• Tuning
  GDAE

A modern masterpiece for solo mandolin. Arranged by Sam Bush. All the licks in the lick switcher are official Sam Bush licks. Have f...

Arrangement

Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

A wonderful melody that works great with the mandolin and tremolo. Check out the licks to learn to play a little bit more like Sam B...

Arrangement

Musette in D Major
Classical

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  gDAE

This tune has been performed at a variety of speeds. It's fun to play fast, but some of the turns and classical ornamentation are ve...

Arrangement

Blue Danube Waltz
Classical

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

A beautiful waltz by "The King of Waltzes" - Johan Strauss II. The little dots above the tablature mean you are to play those notes ...

Arrangement

Wiegenlied
Classic

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Eb
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is a simple, but beautiful melody. That being said it is still a bit of a challenge. The original key is Eb. That's what we are...

Arrangement

The Entertainer
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  C
• Tuning
  GDAE

This classic American melody works out great on mandolin. There's a lot of Bluesy runs and chromaticism in the arrangement and some ...

Arrangement

Feliz Navidad
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is a great Holiday tune, written by Jose Feliciano. Jose was a Puerto Rican superstar. He was an amazing guitarist, singer and ...

Arrangement

Panhandle Rag
Swing

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  GDAE

This tune was an instrumental written for steel guitar. The style is Western Swing, so it's gonna have the best feel if you engage t...

Arrangement

Sweet Georgia Brown
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  F
• Tuning
  GDAE

This is a swing tune you are likely to hear at a jam. It's a basic 6-2-5-1 Jazz progression with a few twists. Enjoy this one and ch...

Arrangement

Take 5
Jazz

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Eb
• Tuning
  GDAE

Eb on mandolin, is tough. Jazz is general, is tough. You are tough! Tune up and let's Take 5(or more) on this Jazz standard.

Arrangement

Autumn Leaves
Jazz

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Am
• Tuning
  GDAE

A Jazz standard. Tremolo works so great with the melody of this tune. To give this tune the classic Jazz feel, engage the swing feel...

Song

Crossroad Blues

Written by Robert Johnson, made famous by Eric Clapton. Start with the Beginner arrangement to get a foundation for the timing in th...