Homespun

Mandolin master Mike Marshall is an engaging instructor with a unique (and fun) teaching perspective. He provides a personal back-up band throughout this lesson so you can play along as you work out your licks, solos and improvisations. Along the way, he teaches music fundamentals, improves your fingerboard technique and helps you develop the tools to improvise on-the-spot solos.

Arpeggios are the building blocks of music. Mike breaks each chord shape into its separate notes, starting with basic first position 1-3-5 triads and then moving through every position on the fingerboard. In his hands, these arpeggios turn quickly from simple exercises into demonstrations of musical creativity. Major, minor, 7th, 6th, diminished and other forms follow, and before long you’ll be using them to solo in a variety of rhythmic and musical styles and genres, from bluegrass to samba.
 
Illustrating his musical points on an oversize pad, Mike brings clarity to basic music theory, showing you how the chords, notes and progressions work together in building improvisations. He passes along essential fretboard knowledge and the playing skills necessary to hold your own in any band or jam session.