Introduction to the Course
The Mandolin and the Blues.
The Mandolin is most commonly thought of as being either an American Bluegrass instrument or an Irish Folk Instrument. Its placement in the world of Blues music is certainly understated, but it has always been there in the background. Playing Blues on the Mandolin can give a real 'Back Porch' sound when it is on its own and brings a whole new depth to an acoustic jam session.
As a mandolin player, you may find that bringing some Blues into your playing will uncover some new sounds and licks that can sit in with your normal playing be it in a Bluegrass or Folk setting. It is also the key to playing more popular styles of music like rock and alt. country.
If you are guitar player who is coming to the mandolin as a 2nd instrument then learning the Blues can be the connecting point between the two.
Your Instructor
Chris Hopgood is a professional multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of both performing and teaching under his belt. He first picked up a Mandolin in his teenage years and went on to play it throughout his 20's in successful Dorset based country/punk band Lady Winwoods Maggot. Since then he has been running folk music and mandolin workshops all across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.
The Course
This is a short course comprising of 3 lessons. Each lesson contains material that would normally be covered in at least 2 or 3 weeks of lessons when being taught face-to-face. So you are getting up to 9 lessons worth of material for around the price of 3 in person lessons.
The course is separated into 3 keys, each with their own backing track that has been recorded for the course. In each lesson we look at 3 aspects of playing the blues: Rhythm, Scales/Improvisation and Melody.
Rhythm
In each lesson contained within this course we are going to start by learning a rhythm. Rhythm in the Blues is where we find the feel for it and underpins everything that goes after. We also look at how we can use patterns to move rhythms into different keys and situations.
Scales and Improvisation
Improvisation is a key component of playing blues music. This course covers 3 different scales that can each be used as your first step into blues improvisation. We deal with techniques and phrasing that you can experiment over the included backing tracks that come with the course.
Melody
Learning a melody gives you something to play that you sounds good, but more than that, it gives you ammunition for improvisation and technique. The melodies in this course have been written exclusively to improve your playing in a methodical way, each one building upon the last.
