Road To Lisdoonvarna is a traditional Irish Single Jig in the key of Em (dorian), sharing the same key signature as D (F# & C#). The left hand note combinations are relatively straight forward, but is quite a challenge for your right hand! As part of this lesson we’ll look at both a basic melody & then add a bit of flair with some added ornamentation. Go to lesson...
Learn how to harmonise the melody with this pretty chord melody arrangement of The First Noel. In the key of D, we’ll look at the basic maj/min chord choices when harmonising the major scale, while keeping the melody on top. We’ll also break down the arrangement of the Christmas carol, looking at the different voicing of the chords, some of which are a challenge for the left-hand, so I’d suggest this lesson is for the intermediate student. Go to lesson...
The Good Natured Man is a great traditional Irish Hornpipe. In the key of G, the tune moves along at a quick tempo & features many triplets within the melody. As part of this lesson, we’ll focus on the efficiency of the picking hand, specifically looking at the follow-through & alternating picking techniques, directly relating to the triplet. Go to lesson...
In this mandolin lesson we’ll follow up the Mandolin Arpeggios 101 mini-course & Arpeggio Licks Lesson by learning and analysing a variety of licks that feature & focus on arpeggios, while blending with the natural minor & harmonic minor scales. Make sure you’ve learnt the arpeggio patterns & licks in the previous lessons, as in this lesson we won’t spend much time on the patterns, but rather analyse how to blend them with the minor scales. Go to lesson...
In this mandolin lesson we’ll follow up the Mandolin Arpeggios 101 mini-course by learning and analysing 13 licks that feature & focus on arpeggios. Make sure you’ve learnt the arpeggio patterns in the previous lesson, as in this lesson we won’t spend much time on the patterns, but rather analyse how to use them. Go to lesson...
Arpeggios are broken chords, in other words, the notes used to form a chord, played individually. Understanding how arpeggios are built and fluently being able to play many arpeggio variations will help your playing on all levels – improv, melody creation/analysis, building harmony lines, back-up…
In this Mandolin Arpeggios 101 mini-course, we’ll cover:
The Merry Blacksmith is a traditional Irish reel in the Key of D. In this lesson we’ll learn the melody with the addition of some advanced ornamentation including the grace note slur and triplet 16th notes, suiting the advanced intermediate student. The added ornaments certainly spice up the tune, giving it an extra flair. Go to lesson...
Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine is a traditional tune in the key of D Major. There are 2 variations within this arrangement. Firstly, the basic melody, perfect for a beginner picker, but also a great variation for any level, as knowing the basic melody really helps develop your knowledge of the tune, plus sometimes less is more! The Go to lesson...
In this Traditional Celtic mandolin lesson we’ll take a look at a great jig, The Blarney Pilgrim. The tune is in the key of G Major, has 3 parts and would suit the intermediate student.
The left hand positions are relatively straight forward, but the right hand has some difficult rhythms to contend with. Go to lesson...
In this Traditional Celtic mandolin lesson we’ll take a look at a fun tune, Merrily Kissed The Quaker. The tune is in the key of G Major, has 3 parts and would suit the intermediate student.
The left hand positions are relatively straight forward, but the right hand has some difficult rhythms to contend with. Go to lesson...