Genre
Every musical instrument has a genre that suits it the most. In the case of the mandolin, you will most often hear one being played in bluegrass music. I love this genre of music and have been playing it for over 7 years on the mandolin. It has an old time, jazzy, country sound and is naturally energetic and fun.
Bluegrass is also a great way to start learning mandolin, as it has simple melodies and an easy style to pick up. Although as a teacher I will be mostly focusing on bluegrass, I am willing to try different genres if that is the student’s wish.
Material
As mentioned on my “Rates and Policies” page, I provide the student with any music book necessary for their lessons, which they can pay for upon receipt.
Below is the list of books I will be using in my lessons:
Hal Leonard Mandolin Method
The first book my students learn from is the “Hal Leonard Mandolin Method” book by Rich DeGrosso. This book is a wonderful guide for the beginner mandolinist. It instructs the student on the instrument’s anatomy, correct body posture, string names, and easy songs to play. It also comes with a link to online audio with most of the tunes and exercises found in the book so the student can listen at home.
The Ultimate Mandolin Songbook
When my students have finished the first book, they are now ready for something more intermediate. “The Ultimate Mandolin Songbook: 26 Favorites Arranged by Janet Davis” by Janet Davis gives the student an amazing experience into more advanced arrangements from a unique variety of genres. Each song the student learns comes in several variations with extra licks he or she can add in, teaching them how to improvise and expand their playing techniques. This book also comes with online audio for every song.
After these two books, the student can determine whether they would like me to give them more specific training in the bluegrass genre, or whether they would like to try something in a different musical style.
Chris Thile Stealing Second
For an advanced look into modern bluegrass mandolin, I would recommend “Chris Thile Stealing Second”. Chris Thile, one of my favourite mandolinists, was only 16 when he wrote these songs in the book, but do not let his age fool you. He has an unbelievable skill at composition and gives the student who goes through this book plenty to learn in speed, dexterity, and style. I will provide CD tracks for the student as we go through the book. The songs are written in both notation and tablature.
Other Genres
If the student would like to try other styles such as classical, Celtic, oldtime, or others, I am happy to teach them the genre they prefer.
Theory
Unlike other instruments and genres of music, students who learn the mandolin do not need a excessive amount of music theory knowledge. Nevertheless, a rudimentary knowledge of chord progressions, scales, timing, etc. is necessary to any music student’s education.
The method by which I teach music theory is a “learn-as-you-go” approach. By teaching theory throughout the lesson, I keep students excited about what they are doing because they can learn to play mandolin while understanding what they’re playing at the same time.
I teach mandolin using musical notation, the most common way of learning music theory. However, as students get into more advanced songs written “higher up the neck”, it can become difficult to keep track of note names and positions. That is why all songs in both “The Ultimate Mandolin Songbook” and “Stealing Second” include tablature, a shorthand notation involving numbers rather than notes. This method of learning songs can be taught to the student when we get to these books.