Local mandolin tuition
Mandolin lessons in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders
Local mandolin lessons—based in Berwick-upon-Tweed—are structured to be accessible for students wanting to learn the mandolin and for experienced students wishing to consolidate and further advance their skills. Students will develop the important aspects of rhythm, timing and plectrum control that are required to produce the beautiful melodies and the signature sound of the mandolin across a range of popular music styles, such as bluegrass, classical and Italian music. Mandolin students will also learn how to improvise and advance their skills along with recordings of authentic folk instruments such as the fiddle and banjo. Specific mandolin learning techniques are outlined below, as are answers to common queries about learning to play the mandolin with a local music tutor.
Mandolin lessons
Your local mandolin teacher will explain the importance of a correct plectrum directions when picking to ensure melodies are fluid and important rhythmical concepts such as syncopation are achieved.
Learn vital picking techniques such as cross picking and double stops.
Understanding of tremolo to producing the defining sound of the mandolin. This includes holding the plectrum, arm movement, the frequency of the tremolo and how the tremolo corresponds to note value and the flow of the music.
The mandolin tutor will show you positional playing across the length of the mandolin fretboard.
Improvisation played to backing tracks.
Explore a wide range of music styles, from Italian classics such as the Godfather love theme and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin to Bluegrass, Celtic tunes, classical and folk/rock music, such as the Battle of Evermore and Losing my Religion.
Common mandolin lesson queries
Discover how you can learn to play the mandolin with a local tutor
Will playing the Mandolin be sore on my fingers?
At first learning to play the mandolin will feel uncomfortable as the your fingers press on the courses (double steel strings), but this will pass very quickly as the fingertips harden and adapt.
Can I strum using my mandolin?
Yes chords are available for strumming, particularly as accompaniment in bluegrass playing, but the mandolin is primarily played as a solo instrument to play fiddle tunes, Italian arias, pop tunes, etc. The nearest equivalent would be the violin, which shares the same tuning and fingering as the mandolin.
Is it difficult to play tremolo on the mandolin?
Tremolo is what gives the mandolin its expressive and unique sound. Its hard to imagine the Godfather without it. Tremolo does take time to master but with the correct mandolin tutor, learning material and dedication it is most certainly achievable.
Where is Morrison Music Tuition located?
Morrison Music Tuition is located in Berwick-upon-Tweed, right on the border between north Northumberland and the eastern Scottish Borders.
If I can't attend a local mandolin lesson can I learn online?
Yes. Experienced mandolin tutors are very difficult locate, so online lessons provide the advantage of bringing that experience to the comfort of your own home. The learning process and structure of the course is identical whether learning the mandolin in-person or online.