Bluegrass Mandolin Learning Paths & Lessons

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 for Mandolin Beginners

Start your mandolin journey with video lessons and tablatures for 'Old Joe Clark,' 'Angelina Baker,' and 'Red Haired Boy.' Master D ...

Song

G Major Scale

Check this out to learn the G major scale. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to help increase strength, coordin...

Song

G Major Scale - High Octave

Check this out to learn the higher octave G Major scale. You'll also find several exercises and scale patterns to help increase str...

Tablature

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...

Tablature

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!

Tablature

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 ...

Tablature

I'll Fly Away
Bluegrass

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  GDAE

A great standard version of I'll Fly Away with some nice licks! Follow those fret hand fingerings and pick direction markings in th...

Tablature

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 Scale

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

Tablature

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 ...

Tablature

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...

Tablature

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 ...

Tablature

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...

Tablature

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 ...

Tablature

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 ...

Tablature

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...

Tablature

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...

Tablature

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.

Tablature

Autumn Leaves
Jazz

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Em
• 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...