Don Julin's Mando-School
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The Instructors section organizes all of the lessons on Mandolins Heal The World by instructor regardless of style or level.
Preview
Two basic wrist actions: one for picking and one for strumming.
Don Julin
This video demonstrates how to take a simple lick in G and move it to the key of C and the key of D.
This six part lesson will take you through the process building a traditional bluegrass style break for the bluegrass standard Long Journey Home .
Chris Henry
This lesson is not a song but a lesson in style. Chris Henry breaks down some of the essential elements in Monroe's blues style mandolin playing. He then constructs mandolin breaks for the three songs: Rocky Road Blues, Columbus Stockade Blues, and True Life Blues. If you are looking to add some grease to your bluegrass playing, I highly recommend spending some time with this video.
Notes and people are alike in that they both appreciate it when we remember their names.
Learn were the notes D, G, C, and F are on all four strings.
Learn were the notes Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db are on all four strings.
Learn were the notes F#, B, E, and A are on all four strings.
This lesson uses the six notes A, G, F, Eb, Db, and B in ascending and descending patterns.
Jordan Ramsey
This lesson uses the six notes Bb, Ab, F#, E, D, and C in ascending and descending patterns.
Learning to count and identify the beat is a crucial skill that all good musicians understand. At first, this can one of the most difficult parts to learn but will become easier over time.
Dividing the beat by two, three, and four. AKA 1/8 notes, triplets, and 16th notes.
Once you can hear the strong beats, it is time to start subdividing beats bt two, three, and four smaller beats.
This exercise uses whole notes, half notes and quarter notes and their equivelent rests. The concept is to be able to continue counting whether you are playing a note or waiting for the next note by playing a rest. Be sure to mute the note at the beginning of the rest so that the end of the note is just a precise as the beginning of the note. Remember that rests are silent.
This exercise introduces you to ties and dots. Ties linking two notes together and a dot placed directly after the note are two ways of increasing the length of the note. The tie combines two notes by adding their length together, so two quarter notes tied together is the same as one half note. A dot increases the length of the note by 50% so a half note followed by a dot would be worth three beats.
This lesson includes eighth notes. In general eighth notes are where mandolin players start using alternate picking requiring an understanding of which notes are played with a down-stroke and which one are to be played with an up-stroke.
Alan Epstein
An essential mandolin picking technique.
Which finger goes on which fret?
Developing a good organized right hand is essential in becoming a mandolin player.
The king of all mandolin techniques: The Tremolo! It all starts with being able to keep a steady down-up motion with your pick while staying in time with the music.
Free or expressive style tremolo varies in speed and intensity to fit the mood of the music.
Syncopated melodies and rhythms are more challenging than straight melodies and rhythms. Mandolin players need to pay close attention to pick direction in order to handle syncopated rhythms.
These right hand coordination exercises are favorites of many of todays mandolin superstars. These will surely improve your overall timing and alternate picking skills.
Alternate picking works fine for fiddle tunes but your blues, jazz, and ballads just won't sound as good as they can until you have spent some time playing only downstrokes.
Chris demonstrates a common Monroe-ism in this lesson on what he calls Staggered 16th Notes.
A dampening technique used to stop a note.
Slides are a common left hand ornament. This lessons cover two basic types of slides.
A left hand slurring technique.
Adding an open string to your melody can really add a dimension to your sound.
Two exercises that will strengthen your fourth finger.
This strumming technique can come in handy when playing old time music or traditional country songs.
These strumming patterns work in a variety of musical styles.
A couple variations to spice up you rhythm playing.
This rhythm style is great for ballads, love songs, and a variety of places where strumming seems too much.
This technique will turn your mandolin into a percussion instrument, the driving force of a bluegrass band.