Do you feel like your playing’s got stuck?

If you’re like most musicians, you’ll hit a plateau after playing for a while.

You probably learned the basic chords for some favorite songs. From there you get to grips with more advanced chords and maybe experiment with rhythms a bit.

But, it’s not so obvious where to go from there. You know that there’s plenty more to learn, but what to learn next and how to learn it can feel like a mystery.

It’s completely understandable. Music is a vast topic that can feel overwhelming, so having an experienced guide is highly recommended.

Go beyond the random mix of YouTube lessons

Don’t get me wrong, YouTube is a fantastic resource. I wish it had been around when I started learning all those years ago.

If you learned the basics from free videos, then that’s great.

But YouTube isn’t ideal for more advanced learning. Clicking on the AI’s next suggested video is fine, but you will miss fundamental concepts.

What you need instead is an intentional course, a set path that starts at the basics and helps you put the ideas together.

Drawing on both my performance
and pedagogy expertise

I have been playing and teaching Mandolin for over 25 years - it truly is my life’s work.

I have played with Mike Marshall, David Grisman, Eric Skye and many other great musicians.

Mandolin has taken me all over the world, from giant folk festivals here in the US to intimate gigs in Warsaw.

As well as playing great gigs, I have always been passionate about teaching.

Having taught many musicians individually, I’m now taking my teaching online. I’m excited to help mandolin lovers from around the world master this fantastic instrument.

I earned a Masters degree in Music Education from the New England Conservatory of Music. So as well as being an experienced musician, I have spent countless hours studying music pedagogy (i.e, approaches to teaching).

That background means that this course isn’t a jumbled collection of song instructions. It draws on all my teaching skills to methodically build up your knowledge and skills.

It’s like going from Ikea assembly
to master carpentry

You’ve reached a point where you actually need to know more about how music functions.

Chunking out some simple chords is like assembling Ikea furniture. You go along with the basic instructions so that with a bit of fiddling and cursing, you get something like what you saw in the store.

Improvising your own chords or melody is more like using carpentry to come up with your own ideas. You need to understand how wood behaves, when to use different joints, how to combine ideas and lots more in order to form your own creations.

“Music theory” might sound like some dry or intimidating topic. But really, it’s a similar challenge of learning how different pieces fit together.

3 core modules:
Rhythm, Melody and Chords

The course will take you through three core areas. You will learn each one step by step, gradually building up knowledge while learning custom pieces to practice the new skills.

Hear from happy students

“Tim has been dream mandolin teacher! He is prepared for lessons and keep my son challenged and moving ahead. Love what I hear coming out of my son's mandolin!”

Kelly M., Seattle, WA

“A year ago I could read music but could not play a chord or accompany anyone to save my life. Now, I am leading gypsy jazz-jams, improvising and playing chordal backing - and I can't help grin from ear to ear!”

Amanda Schrader, Manchester, NH

“As a practicing professional musician, Tim's playing is phenomenal. He also spent many years as school music teacher, so he can actually translate what he is doing into terms that I can understand, and he can explain all the whys.”

Steve Tufte, Portland, OR

➤ [Note: this course isn’t a shortcut]

If you’re looking for a shortcut to becoming the next Chris Thile in a few weeks, then I’m afraid I can’t help. The truth is it takes time.

But the good news is you will make progress if you’re patient. You won’t become an instant virtuoso, but you will feel your knowledge steadily expanding. The aim is to enjoy the journey, take satisfaction in each skill that you master.

Learn songs in a range of genres.

Once you have mastered the core modules you can enjoy learning songs from a variety of genres, including:

▶ Jazz

▶ Bluegrass

▶ Classic Rock

▶ Klezmer

▶ Brazilian Choro

▶ Irish Traditional

▶ Chord Melody

▶ Octave Mandolin

You’ll start by hearing a demo of the song. You will then learn any new techniques or theory required, which you’ll use to learn a simplified then more complex way to play each song.