Picture this: you’re sitting on your porch, basking in the warm afternoon sun, while the sweet sound of a mandolin fills the air. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day—or to impress guests at your next BBQ. But there’s one tiny problem—you don’t know how to play the mandolin yet! Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many people out there share your dream of mastering this charming instrument, and luckily, we live in an age where learning to play is easier than ever before!
Enter the world of online courses – the ideal solution for busy folks who want to learn at their own pace, without the pressure of in-person lessons, and from the comfort of their homes. You might be overwhelmed by the countless options available, but fear not! We’ve put in the legwork to help you find the perfect mandolin course that aligns with your goals, budget, and learning style. Get ready to strum your way to mandolin greatness and grab your instrument, because it’s time to embark on an exciting musical journey!
Mandolin Courses – Table of Contents
- Beginner Mandolin Lessons – LEARN MANDOLIN FROM SCRATCH
- MASTER MANDOLIN COURSE – Intermediate and Advanced Mandolin
- Improv Bluegrass Theory works for Guitar Mandolin Fiddle etc
- Beginner’s Mandolin – Including strumming & reading music
- Mandolin Irish Songbook
- Learn How to Use Tremolo on a Mandolin
- Christmas Carols on Mandolin
- Play Chords and Melodies at the Same Time on Mandolin
Beginner Mandolin Lessons – LEARN MANDOLIN FROM SCRATCH
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
4.7 out of 5
Get ready to master the mandolin with the #1 online course, “MANDOLIN FROM THE BEGINNING.” With over 100,000 enrollments from 182 countries, this in-depth beginner course is for anyone interested in learning this unique instrument. Featured in the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and recorded in Nashville with a Grammy Award Winner, this course offers lessons that are clear, concise, and patiently explained.
What can you expect to learn in this online mandolin course? As a beginner, you’ll be taught shortcut techniques to make learning faster and easier. Broken down into easy-to-understand parts, these lessons will guide you through the basics, scales, playing along with backing tracks, and much more! Catering to all ages, this course is perfect for those who have never played mandolin before or those who feel they need to relearn it the right way. Join this Mandolin Mastery course today and build your confidence through music!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Master the basics of playing the mandolin
- Learn shortcut techniques for faster progress
- Play confidently in the key of D
- Understand and utilize the D scale and Major Pentatonic scale
- Develop skills through playing along with backing tracks
- Learn tricks to sound like a professional player
- Improve understanding of mandolin concepts and building blocks
- Build confidence in playing mandolin for enjoyment.
MASTER MANDOLIN COURSE – Intermediate and Advanced Mandolin
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
4.4 out of 5
If you’re looking to up your mandolin game, then the #1 Master Mandolin Course for intermediate and advanced players just might be what you need. This top-rated course already has over 100,000 enrollments from 182 countries, and it’s taught by a Minnesota Music Hall of Fame inductee who’s recorded in Nashville with a Grammy Award winner. It’s won contests for its innovative teaching system and has teachers who have taught alongside national touring bands in workshops across the US and South America. Pretty cool, huh?
This course focuses on building a strong foundation for the intermediate to advanced mandolin player, teaching you a shortcut way to play mandolin to make it easier to learn the mandolin faster. You’ll learn major and minor mandolin scales, and even get backing tracks to play along with to help develop your skills. This course is perfect for anyone interested in intermediate to advanced learning on the mandolin, whether you want to play for enjoyment or be a performer or musician. So why not give it a go and become the mandolin player you’ve always dreamt of being?
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Improved mandolin techniques for intermediate and advanced players.
- Shortcut methods to enhance mandolin learning.
- Mastery of major and minor scales on the mandolin.
- Playing along with backing tracks for skill development.
- Confidence in intermediate to advanced mandolin playing.
- Ability to perform and enjoy playing the mandolin.
- Understanding and applying various mandolin teaching styles.
- Adapting to different mandolin lesson speeds and techniques.
Improv Bluegrass Theory works for Guitar Mandolin Fiddle etc
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
Are you looking to master Bluegrass breaks and improvisation? Look no further! The #1 Bluegrass Break with Improvisation Lesson Course Online has over 100,000 enrollments from students in 182 countries. This course, taught by a Minnesota Music Hall of Fame inductee who has recorded with a Grammy Award Winner, is designed to help you learn Bluegrass breaks, solos, and improve on any instrument in the Key of G. While using Bluegrass mandolin for teaching, you’ll find that this course is applicable to various musical genres and instruments, such as guitar, banjo, fiddle, dobro, bass, upright bass, and piano.
Students rave about the clear and thorough instructions offered throughout the course. By the end of your learning journey, you’ll be able to play on the fly in the Key of G on any instrument and increase your speed by playing along with 14 backing tracks from 50 BPM to 180 BPM. This instructor’s passion lies in inspiring others to feel more confident in their ability to play an instrument. So, enroll in this Bluegrass Improvisation course today and take the first step towards becoming a better improvisation player. Let’s build confidence through music together!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Mastering bluegrass breaks with improvisation lessons
- Applying bluegrass theory to various instruments
- Gaining confidence in playing solos and improvising in the Key of G
- Adapting techniques to different musical genres such as Rock, Blues, and Jazz
- Developing speed by playing along with backing tracks ranging from to 1Bpm
- Understanding key concepts through clear and concise teaching methods
- Enhancing your overall improvisation skills
- Performing improvisation in your next Bluegrass jam session
Beginner’s Mandolin – Including strumming & reading music
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
4.6 out of 5
Are you ready to dive into the world of mandolin playing? This course is designed to get you strumming chords and picking melodies as soon as possible! You’ll not only start playing your mandolin quickly, but you’ll also have a ton of fun while learning.
Throughout the course, you’ll explore playing chords, reading music through tablature (AKA tab), and learning rhythms with easy-to-remember mnemonic techniques. And to top it off, you’ll learn to play a few classic tunes like Molly Malone and Skip To My Lou. By the end of your mandolin journey, you’ll feel confident and equipped with the knowledge to continue advancing your skills. Just remember, practice makes perfect, so take it slow and steady, and you’ll be playing sweet melodies in no time.
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Playing mandolin chords
- Reading music in the form of tablature
- Understanding and reading rhythms
- Using mnemonics to remember rhythms
- Playing specific songs like Molly Malone and Skip To My Lou
- Developing a personal repertoire of tunes
- Gaining confidence in playing the mandolin
- Building a foundation for further mandolin skill development
Mandolin Irish Songbook
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
0 out of 5
Boost your mandolin skills with this engaging online course, designed for aspiring musicians who are already familiar with the basics. The primary focus is on traditional Irish music, which offers the perfect opportunity to enhance your rhythm and technique with its mixture of fast-paced jigs and slow, emotional ballads. Don’t worry if you find the term “intermediate” daunting, as the course takes a detailed approach with close-up finger instructions for each song—so you’ll be feeling confident in no time!
Throughout the course, you’ll briefly revisit how to read tablature to brush up on your skills before diving into five famous and fantastic Irish songs. To make your learning experience that much smoother, you’ll have access to downloadable resources, including PDF tabs and MIDI mp3 files, so you can study and practice at your own pace. By the end of the course, you’ll also explore how to integrate chords into your melodies, enabling you to play accompaniment and melody simultaneously—an invaluable technique to enhance any future musical endeavors. So why not give it a shot and make the most of your mandolin skills!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Improve rhythmic techniques on the mandolin
- Enhance expressive playing for ballads
- Refresh knowledge of reading tablature
- Learn five Irish songs on the mandolin
- Practice playing along to chord accompaniments
- Develop skills in playing melody and accompaniment simultaneously
- Apply newfound techniques to future pieces
- Gain a deeper understanding of traditional Irish music
Learn How to Use Tremolo on a Mandolin
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
5 out of 5
Rose, a music tutor and performer, has created a fantastic course all about playing tremolo on the mandolin. She designed this course to help you learn quickly and have fun while doing it. Throughout the lessons, you’ll find plectrum tips, learn how to read music in tablature form, discover the art of reading rhythms using mnemonics, and even play five popular songs like “The Water Is Wide” and “Amazing Grace.” By the time you’re done, you’ll feel proud of your progress and have a better understanding of the mandolin.
To make things even more exciting, Rose has included an extension song as a challenge for you to apply your learning in a new way, helping you to explore how the techniques can be used on other songs you already know. The most important takeaway from this course is to relax and enjoy your journey—tremolo is a skill that requires time and consistent practice. Give yourself grace and watch improvement flourish as you learn from Rose’s expertise. Happy strumming!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Understanding and playing tremolo technique on the mandolin
- Proper use of plectrums for tremolo
- Reading mandolin tablature (tab) notation
- Reading and interpreting rhythmic patterns using mnemonics
- Learning to play five songs: including The Water Is Wide and Amazing Grace
- Developing your own unique style on the mandolin
- Applying learned skills to other songs and arrangements
- Importance of relaxation and patience while practicing
Christmas Carols on Mandolin
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
0 out of 5
I just came across this festive online course that teaches you how to play five popular Christmas carols on the mandolin. The carols included are Deck the Halls, Silent Night, In Dulci Jubilo, Joy to the World, and Ding Dong Merrily on High. What’s unique about this course is that it also gives you the chance to play along with a guitar backing, which can help develop your musical ear and sight-reading skills!
The instructor uses a conversational approach, breaking down the rhythms with both beats and mnemonics. You’ll need a basic understanding of tabs to fully benefit from the course, but if you need extra help, the instructor recommends checking out their Beginner Mandolin Course first. Additionally, they touch on playing chords with melodies in Joy to the World. This course is designed to build upon the skills from their previous courses, further enhancing your mandolin abilities and confidence. So, if you’re in the holiday spirit and looking for a fun challenge, grab your mandolin and give this course a try!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Play five classic Christmas carols on the mandolin
- Improve sight-reading skills
- Enhance musical ear and rhythm understanding
- Count beats and use mnemonics to break down rhythms
- Follow basic mandolin tablature
- Play along with a guitar backing
- Explore playing chords with melody (specifically in “Joy to the World”)
- Boost overall mandolin playing confidence
Play Chords and Melodies at the Same Time on Mandolin
Platform:
Udemy
Rating:
5 out of 5
Are you ready to take your mandolin skills to the next level by learning how to play chords and melodies simultaneously? In this online course, you can do just that! No need to worry about having all scales memorized or knowing the notes on the neck/fretboard by heart. The course provides lecture videos, diagrams, and additional resources to assist you every step of the way.
Throughout the course, you’ll explore how to make chords using scales, find notes on the neck/fretboard, and use chord notes to back up melodies, all with the aim of making your solo playing sound fuller. It’s recommended to have a basic knowledge of some main chord shapes (G Major, D Major, C Major). You’ll work through three songs together, focusing on enhancing your chordal accompaniment. If you’re a beginner, consider checking out the Beginner’s Mandolin Course first, and soon enough, you’ll be impressing everyone with your newfound mandolin prowess!
Skills you’ll learn in this course:
- Playing chords and melodies simultaneously
- Making chords using scales
- Identifying notes on the neck/fretboard
- Using chord notes to accompany melodies
- Understanding basic chord shapes (G Major, D Major, C Major)
- Adding chordal accompaniment to songs
- Increasing knowledge of mandolin theory
- Enhancing overall mandolin playing skills
And there you have it, friends! Embarking on your mandolin journey has never been easier, thanks to the variety of online courses now available. These comprehensive classes cater to various skill levels, learning styles, and schedules, making it blisteringly simple for anyone to squeeze in a lesson or two. From mastering the basics to playing iconic melodies and improvising, these online resources will certainly help you strum your way to success on this charming stringed instrument.
Before you commit to a single course or collection of video lessons, we recommend dipping your toes in a few of the options mentioned above. Get a feel for the teaching style that resonates with you and aligns with your musical aspirations. Who knows, you might just discover an unparalleled thrill in plucking those mandolin strings. So, pick up your mandolin, tune up, and get ready to conquer the online learning landscape – here’s to creating and celebrating sweet-sounding symphonies!