View Full Version : Octave Mandolin Course
Marcus CA
Feb-09-2021, 10:51pm
Matt Flinner is offering an eight-week online course exclusively on OM this spring. I've seen occasional instructional materials and workshops for OM, but never a structured course. After noodling on the instrument for over a decade, I'm looking forward to the deeper dive. https://www.mattflinner.com/2021/01/octave-mandolin-techniques-with-matt-flinner-curriculum-3-31-5-29/
Jim Garber
Feb-11-2021, 3:28pm
The OM I am borrowing might take a month or so to get back in my possession but I might have it in time. I took a mandolin class with Matt a few years ago and he is an excellent teacher. I am sure this class with be good, too. Aside from different fingering there are also different musical uses for the OM like countermelody, harmony and vocal accompaniment for ensemble as well as solo playing.
Sounds like a great course and covers quite a bit. I see that early cost is $150 before 2/14. I doubt my instrument will be ready by then. Oh well...
tmsweeney
Feb-11-2021, 5:58pm
all ready signed up - met Matt a few times - we talked "Underground Music from the Mysterious South" for a bit, looking forward to it.
yarnivore
Mar-01-2021, 3:58pm
I'm a little anxious, because I've never taken proper music lessons, but I'm signed up and eager to start! For now I have a tenor guitar with a 23" scale tuned GDAE, with dreams of a GBOM for my future. I figure if I do well and enjoy the class, I'll be justified in splashing out on a new instrument. :)
Scotter
Mar-01-2021, 4:34pm
I'm a little anxious, because I've never taken proper music lessons, but I'm signed up and eager to start! For now I have a tenor guitar with a 23" scale tuned GDAE, with dreams of a GBOM for my future. I figure if I do well and enjoy the class, I'll be justified in splashing out on a new instrument. :)
I can understand being a little anxious having never taken lessons before but Matt is an excellent teacher and his on-line set up for teaching is comprehensive with chat capability during the weekly zoom lesson AND during the weekly practice session, an on-line forum for getting more follow up help from Matt AND other students as well a slow video for each tune for ensuring correct pick direction AND usually two to three MP3 versions of each song played at various speeds. He typically provides charts with chords and standard and tab notation a few minutes before each class. You can later save the videos and MP3s to your hard drive for review after the course is finished. This is a surprisingly comprehensive approach to teaching and one of the best teaching formats I've experienced anywhere. So, be anxious if you must, but relax in knowing that you have chosen one of the best teachers with one of the best online teaching formats currently available. Your tenor guitar tuned to GDAE should be fine.
-Scotty
Mandular
Mar-03-2021, 9:33pm
I'm excited for this course. I'm working out whether to use mandolin style fingering or one finger per fret so for now trying to learn most things both ways when I can. Just picked this up after playing a double bass mostly for 25 years. My bass callouses make it a little difficult cuz my fingers are like big bulbs that balloon out when I press down but it's alot of fun. Especially just soloing. I'm looking forward to learning to play properly.
Jim Roberts
Mar-31-2021, 10:49pm
First lesson was tonight and, as expected, Matt is an excellent instructor. I'm taking this octave class and learning on my short scale tenor guitar tuned GDAE. Wasn't sure what to expect but am glad to be enrolled in this class.
tmsweeney
Apr-01-2021, 5:31am
Jim I agree Matt is very good teacher, and is giving very solid examples of how to operate these beasts, plus he went almost an hour over, so his enthusiasm is contagious ( I know: a bad analogy in this era).
Some of it was a little "entry level" for me but I understand he has to reach a broad audience and did not advertise this as "advanced".
It never hurts to revisit and reinforce foundation concepts.
I forget to ask him but I think he has a 22" Lawrence Smart octave, where my octaves are all 20".
The funny thing about octaves is there simply is not a lot of professionally recorded and produced music using octave mandolins, this is double edged as there is no rigid instilled tradition to conform to which I believe deters less people, but on the same note the instrument is not widely popular so finding learning resources and picking partners or even music to play along with can be a challenge.
I very much enjoyed the class last night, and although I've been playing the OM for about 3+ years or so (self-taught) I learned quite a lot from the lesson. I play mandolin, and much of what I play on it I also play on the OM, but it takes some adaptation. Matt's class will help clear up some of the transferring of technique from mando to OM. Looking forward to the rest of the lessons.
Jack
Chris Gray
Apr-01-2021, 3:04pm
I just received notification that Joe K Walsh's Octave Mandolin course is now available on Peghead Nation
Dave Hulse
Apr-01-2021, 4:26pm
I am taking Matt's octave class also. The first session was great. Very well thought out with an accompanying web site with helpful material and a forum for students. Matt says he has never taught an octave class. I couldn't tell.
Marcus CA
Apr-01-2021, 10:05pm
Jim I agree Matt is very good teacher, and is giving very solid examples of how to operate these beasts, plus he went almost an hour over, so his enthusiasm is contagious ( I know: a bad analogy in this era).
Some of it was a little "entry level" for me but I understand he has to reach a broad audience and did not advertise this as "advanced". It never hurts to revisit and reinforce foundation concepts.
I agree completely!!!
I just received notification that Joe K Walsh's Octave Mandolin course is now available on Peghead Nation
Interesting timing! I wonder if the PN folks saw Matt's course offering and decided to get in on the action.
Joe is starting with some tunes that I really like, but he's just starting to build the curriculum for the course, so I might check back near the end of the year to see how it has filled out. John Reischman's PN course was the same at first, but now he really has an extensive set of lessons in it.
Mandobar
Apr-02-2021, 6:45am
The OM I am borrowing might take a month or so to get back in my possession but I might have it in time. I took a mandolin class with Matt a few years ago and he is an excellent teacher. I am sure this class with be good, too. Aside from different fingering there are also different musical uses for the OM like countermelody, harmony and vocal accompaniment for ensemble as well as solo playing.
Sounds like a great course and covers quite a bit. I see that early cost is $150 before 2/14. I doubt my instrument will be ready by then. Oh well...
The man to learn counter melody and harmony lines from is Dave Surette. He is the master at this. His Green Mandolin and Northern Roots CD have a lot of octave and bouzouki on them.
yarnivore
Apr-02-2021, 9:55pm
Matt's class was great! I got a little overwhelmed towards the end of the first session, but I tried to just let it wash over me and not get too hung up about it -- Matt mentioned that the later material was for people who are a little more advanced.
Thanks so much to Marcus, who posted about it above!
shaundeane
Apr-03-2021, 6:37am
Matt is the best, I'll take anything he offers and have. Jo's course on Peghead is excellent, too. The first tune by Duke Levine is beautiful and doable with som nice extras to grow into.
Jim Garber
Apr-03-2021, 7:09am
My borrowed OM is finally ready at the luthier’s. It was not really playable but it is a good one. Too bad I missed Matt’s first class—I took an in-person class with him in NYC a few years ago. I might check out Joe’s though. I love both their playing on mandolin and general musicianship.
Mandobar
Apr-03-2021, 7:28am
Matt is the best, I'll take anything he offers and have. Jo's course on Peghead is excellent, too. The first tune by Duke Levine is beautiful and doable with som nice extras to grow into.
Notice Joe has switched to a Brock GBOM for the Sam Brown Hill tune.
abousall
Apr-12-2021, 5:10pm
Hey Jack! Where are you located and where do you play? Im in Wellfleet. Back before the 'demic I used to play some of the sessions at O'Sheas, and my 'local' was The Well Friday night session in Wellfleet (sadly closed down)
Vivian
May-14-2021, 10:02am
Matt’s class, teaching, styles explored and materials provided (PDFs, MP3s, videos) are just great. I am really enjoying myself. A big thank you to Marcus CA for posting, otherwise, I would never have known.
JCook
May-27-2021, 11:38am
Hey Jack! Where are you located and where do you play? Im in Wellfleet. Back before the 'demic I used to play some of the sessions at O'Sheas, and my 'local' was The Well Friday night session in Wellfleet (sadly closed down)
Hi abousall, I just noticed your post from back in April! I live in North Falmouth, and play mando and octave mando with some people in an informal group that hardly ever plays out. But I play octave mando with a sword dancing group in Woods Hole (English sword dance, similar to morris dancing). I also play mando in a mandolin orchestra based in Providence. I haven't been to O'Sheas, but have heard of it. I have a friend who lives in Dennis named Eric, who plays banjo, and he goes to the sessions there sometimes.
Jack
cunparis
Aug-22-2021, 4:09pm
I guess the course must be over now, so how did you all like it? How much of the course was on accompaniment?
If he does the class again I'd like to take it. I don't have an octave mandolin (yet).. I play on a baritone ukulele tuned like an octave mandolin. Would that be OK?
Marcus CA
Aug-23-2021, 4:30pm
I think it would be OK from a technical standpoint, since the scale length would be on the low end of the OM's range, and the tuning would be the same. However, I think that much of the music --- both the skills practice and the tunes --- wouldn't sound as good, because to my ear, ukes don't have the sustain or the richness of an OM. Also, you'd have melody problems with the G string not being the lowest of the set.
Jim Garber
Aug-23-2021, 6:49pm
Marcus: baritone Ukes don’t have re-entrant tuning and besides he said it was tuned like an OM.
Marcus CA
Aug-23-2021, 9:44pm
Thanks for the info, Jim. I thought that all ukes were tuned in the same relationships, with the 4th string higher than the 3rd. So, when cunparis said that his bari uke was tuned like an OM, I figured that he meant GDAE, but with the G an octave higher, like on the other ukes.
cunparis
Aug-30-2021, 1:28am
Thanks for the info, Jim. I thought that all ukes were tuned in the same relationships, with the 4th string higher than the 3rd. So, when cunparis said that his bari uke was tuned like an OM, I figured that he meant GDAE, but with the G an octave higher, like on the other ukes.
I have my soprano uke in GDAE (with a "low-G") too. Even when the soprano was in uke tuning, I never liked that re-entrant G so I replaced it with a low G.
I'm having a hard time with the finger stretch on my baritone which is 20.375″ scale length. But so far I'm really liking the sound.
ajschnitzelbank
Jan-29-2023, 8:43pm
Does anyone know if Matt may be teaching this OM course again? I tried reaching out to him via the email addresses on his website but had no luck (one was returned “inbox is full” and the other I got no reply; maybe he’s having email spam issues).
Thanks. And apologies for resurrecting an old thread.
I don’t know if it’s firmed up yet but Matt did mention in one session of the current course that he’s got another OM workshop planned. As soon as I hear something confirming an OM workshop I’ll post here. I’m taking his Folk and Bluegrass Rhythm workshop now. It’s my fourth Matt Flinner workshop and every one has been exceptional.
mandocello8
Jan-30-2023, 2:11pm
I was in the very first Matt Flinner OM class and I think it was very good. He used a couple of neat tricks early on to establish the mindset of "hey, this is better than the small mandolin". I recommend!
Bluey
Feb-23-2023, 11:55am
How is the course done though?
Do you gain access to videos or something?
mandocello8
Feb-23-2023, 12:45pm
this was 2 years ago now, things may have changed, email Matt F. and ask him directly. back when, it was live on zoom in "webinar" mode. all lessons were recorded for replay. sound and video quality was excellent.
Kenny
Feb-23-2023, 10:16pm
How is the course done though?
Do you gain access to videos or something?
Matt does a weekly Zoom workshop, generally Mon, Tue or Wed, depending on the course. He sends out PDFs of the materials just before each workshop session then has a practice session on Saturday. It’s interactive via a text chat during the Zoom sessions and he provides a forum where we interact with questions, pointers, et al. Each week he posts videos of the workshop segments so you can practice along and he also posts MP3s for play along practicing. When the course ends he posts the videos of the full sessions (in SD and HD) that you can download. I’ve done five workshops and have just signed up for #6, so clearly I’m finding it helpful. Whether you’re a tyro or an ace there’s much to gain from Matt’s offerings.
dulcillini
Feb-23-2023, 11:26pm
One of the builders on this site offered a short scale octave a few years ago. If my memory serves me, it was in the 18-19 inch scale length range. Do any of you know or remember who that might have been? One of my regrets was that years ago, I sold a Weber Bridger Mandola with a 17.5 inch scale length to a guy who converted it into an octave mandolin, using lighter strings by Thomastik. Why didn't I think of that ?? Anyway, it is long gone now, but I have tried the traditional length octaves and the bouzoukis and I really struggle with the fretting. My hands are not large. Thanks in advance for any info.
Matt does a weekly Zoom workshop, generally Mon, Tue or Wed, depending on the course. He sends out PDFs of the materials just before each workshop session then has a practice session on Saturday. It’s interactive via a text chat during the Zoom sessions and he provides a forum where we interact with questions, pointers, et al. Each week he posts videos of the workshop segments so you can practice along and he also posts MP3s for play along practicing. When the course ends he posts the videos of the full sessions (in SD and HD) that you can download. I’ve done five workshops and have just signed up for #6, so clearly I’m finding it helpful. Whether you’re a tyro or an ace there’s much to gain from Matt’s offerings.
Thanks, i'm interested but it looks like registration is basically closed.
Also, time zone difference will probably mean I can't attend the Zoom call.
Marcus CA
Feb-26-2023, 11:45pm
Matt's spring session classes will begin the last week of March, and the registration for those is still open --- although the discount will be ending in an hour. He hasn't updated the header on the web page yet, though, so that still refers to his winter session classes, which are almost finished. However, all the info on the page is accurate for the upcoming session.
https://www.mattflinner.com/2018/06/summer-online-courses-include-bluegrass-jamming-gypsy-swing-jamming-and-music-theory-and-fretboard-exercises/
That's the good news. The bad news is that Matt isn't offering an OM course this time. I took the first one, which was when I started this thread, and I would have taken the one last year, except that Matt was also offering a New Acoustic Music course, which I was even more interested in, so I took that one instead.
During the summer, Matt's courses only run for four sessions because he's out at the festivals and workshops, but his courses during the other three seasons always run for eight sessions, and are ALWAYS excellent. During the registration period, he lists a very detailed curriculum for each upcoming course, with the techniques and tunes that he will be covering in each session, so you'll have a clear sense of what you'll be learning if you sign up.
Kenny
Feb-28-2023, 12:42am
Thanks, i'm interested but it looks like registration is basically closed.
Also, time zone difference will probably mean I can't attend the Zoom call.
OM isn’t being offered this spring, sorry. I’m looking forward to the next one, whenever it may come, having enjoyed the prior (second) OM session.
People attend Matt’s Zoom sessions from around the world. The 9 p.m. sessions can be awkward for Germany and Japan but people there do join! Since he posts video recordings of the sessions and practice MP3s (usually the next day) the only thing you’d miss by not being in the live session would be opportunity to type a comment or question in the chat window. Each class has a forum where you can talk with other participants between Zoom times.
thirdposition
Mar-10-2023, 2:33pm
Somewhat off topic but... I enrolled in the Joe K. Walsh course through Pedhead Nation a week ago. I love it! super helpful approach. Great sheet music, play along tracks, and plenty of videos for each song. I was excited to learn the song Palmer off of his new record. I highly recommend.
-Jonathan
ajschnitzelbank
Dec-06-2023, 9:49pm
FYI, Matt is offering the OM course again beginning 1/8. I’m registered!
https://www.mattflinner.com/2023/11/octave-mandolin-techniques-with-matt-flinner-curriculum-1-8-3-16-2/
Kenny
Dec-08-2023, 12:02am
I recently got the notice of Matt’s 2024 OM course. I’m torn because I really want to take it but I’m about to have a total hip replacement which will leave me out of sorts for most of the course sessions. Given that Matt’s courses are so well done I may still sign up and rely on the recorded videos.
Any idea what time of day the zoom sessions are? I see that they are on Mondays this time around?
ajschnitzelbank
Dec-10-2023, 1:06pm
Any idea what time of day the zoom sessions are? I see that they are on Mondays this time around?
I got this after registering (via Zoom):
Octave Mandolin Techniques with Matt Flinner
Date & Time
Jan 8, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 13, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 15, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 20, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 22, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 27, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Jan 29, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 3, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 5, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 10, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 12, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 17, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Feb 26, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Mar 2, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Mar 11, 2024 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Mar 16, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
slaminsam
Dec-10-2023, 5:42pm
I am in, so looking forward to the class!
addamr
Dec-10-2023, 10:03pm
Registered for the Matt Flinner course also. Looking forward to it.
Adam
Don Herring
Dec-11-2023, 1:42pm
Just signed up myself....
D
Sue Rieter
Dec-11-2023, 5:59pm
You guys are making me feel bad :crying:
I really wanted to sign up, but know I don't have the time to put into it.