Sweet Georgia Brown is a well known jazz standard, popular in bluegrass circles (jazzgrass). In this lesson, we’ll learn a mandolin arrangement for the head (melody) in the key of G. Played at a moderate to fast tempo we’ll learn the melody with some great licks thrown in, suited to the advancing picker. Go to lesson...
Happy Birthday on the mandolin! This arrangement is in the key of G and features four variations of varying difficulty. Approached in a bluegrass style, the first variation is in the traditional 3/4 time signature, great for the beginner and features the melody using the tremolo technique. The second variation moves into cut common time with a typical bluegrass feel, embellishing the melody to suit and is great for the beginner/intermediate picker. Go to lesson...
The Sligo Maid is a fantastic traditional Irish reel in the key of Am (Dorian). Featuring some challenging techniques throughout the tune, paired with a faster tempo, this arrangement is well suited to the advanced intermediate picker. It’s a great trad reel and an excellent technique workout! In the lesson we’ll break down how to approach the tune and work through the techniques you’ll need to focus on. Go to lesson...
The Kesh Jig is a traditional Irish jig in the key of G major. Played at a fast tempo and featuring some challenging right-hand picking, this tune is a great technique workout and is suited to the advanced picker. It’s a great traditional jig and one well worth having under your fingers! Go to lesson...
The Boys of Malin is a fantastic traditional Irish reel in the key of A and this mandolin arrangement sits on strings 1 & 2 utilising the A major scale. There are 3 parts to the tune, played at a fast tempo and there are some demanding passages within the tune and is certainly suited to the advanced picker. Go to lesson...
The Irish Washerwoman is a fantastic traditional Irish jig in the key of G. Played at quite a lively tempo, there are some demanding techniques within the tune including the right-hand picking structure to help emphasise the pulse, plus the melody has quite a bit of movement up the neck. This in combination certainly lends the tune to the advancing intermediate picker. Go to lesson...
Pigeon On The Gate is a fantastic traditional Irish reel in the key of Em (Dorian). Played at a fast tempo, there are some demanding techniques within the tune and is certainly suited to the advanced picker. In the lesson we’ll break down how to approach the tune and work through the techniques you’ll need to focus on. Go to lesson...
In this third instalment of Bluegrass Licks on the mandolin, we’ll dive into an open position set of licks, in the key of G. In the lesson we’ll cover an example break, over 23 individual licks for the G, C & D chords plus the open position arpeggios and major blues and minor pentatonic scales that are used within the licks. Go to lesson...
Leather Britches is a great old-time fiddle tune, played at a medium/fast tempo, in the key of G. This arrangement features 2 variations for each section, played over a Texas Swing style backing. With a number of challenging techniques used throughout the tune, it’s well suited to the advanced picker. This is a fantastic tune to pick on the mandolin, jump into the lesson and we’ll break it down together. Go to lesson...
Tarbolton Reel is a traditional Scottish reel, played at a fast tempo, in the key of Em. Using both the dorian & aeolian minor scales, this arrangement features a nice mixture of ornamentation & rhythmic variation. Up to tempo, this is a challenging tune, well suited to the advanced picker. Jump into the lesson & we’ll break down the techniques and variations found within the arrangement. Go to lesson...