Lessons start with a clean pick stroke and the chop that holds a bluegrass band together, then open up into fiddle tunes, Celtic melodies or classical pieces. Your teacher can come to your home, see you at their studio, or teach online.
The mandolin's small body fits kids well, but its paired steel strings take some finger strength, so most do best starting around 8. Young players learn simple melodies, basic chords and steady picking, and kids who already play violin find the fingerings familiar.
Lessons for kidsTeens learn fiddle tunes, bluegrass breaks and the chop chords that make them welcome at any jam or in a folk-rock band. Plenty first come in wanting the riff from "Losing My Religion" by Athens' own R.E.M., and stay for everything else the instrument can do.
Lessons for teensMandolin is a natural second instrument for guitarists and violinists, and bluegrass fans often arrive with years of listening behind them. It rewards a little practice every day, and the fiddle-tune repertoire alone gives you hundreds of melodies to learn.
Lessons for adultsEvery student gets goals and a weekly practice plan. Here's roughly how mandolin lessons progress. Your teacher adjusts it to you.
Your teacher tunes your mandolin, shows you how to hold the pick and fret a pair of strings cleanly, and gets you playing a simple melody and the chop. If you already play, bring a tune or two; the teacher will listen for tone, timing and technique and build your plan from there.
An A-style mandolin is the usual starting point, and a well set up student model plays better than an expensive one with high action. You'll need picks (thicker picks are common on mandolin), a clip-on tuner and a strap. Your teacher can check the setup at the first lesson, so don't buy before you talk to us.
Love your first lesson, or your money back.
If the first lesson with your teacher isn't a great fit, tell us within 48 hours. We'll rematch you with a different teacher at no charge, or refund everything you've paid. Your choice. Your teacher still gets paid for their time; we cover it. That's how sure we are about who we send you.
Pick what fits your week. You can change it any time, and many families mix all three.
Your teacher comes to you, same day and time each week. No drive, no waiting room, no car-line shuffle. Kids learn on the instrument they actually practice on.
Learn in a real working musician's space: their instruments, their recording setup, a room built for music. A great fit for drums, advanced players and anyone who likes a change of scene.
The same teacher, live on video. Perfect for busy weeks, travel, sick days and families outside our in-home area. Many students mix online with in-person.
It's a big head start. The mandolin is tuned in fifths like a violin, G-D-A-E, so fingerings and fiddle tunes transfer directly. The new skills are using a pick and pressing paired steel strings against frets.
An F-style has a decorative scroll and points and is the classic bluegrass look; an A-style has a simpler teardrop body. Sound and playability depend more on build quality and setup than on body style, and A-styles usually cost less.
No. Mandolin is a fine first instrument. If you do play guitar, you already know about chords and picking, but the tuning is different, so expect to learn the fretboard fresh.
That's often the goal. Your teacher will cover the chop that keeps the band's rhythm, the standard jam tunes, how to take a break when it's your turn, and the etiquette that makes people want to play with you again.
Paired steel strings take extra pressure at first. Fingertips toughen up within a few weeks of regular practice, and a good setup with lower action helps a lot. Your teacher can check whether your instrument is making it harder than it should be.
Tell us who's learning and what they want to play. A coordinator will call within one business day with a teacher in mind.