Mandoline

Mandolin Description

The mandolin is a plucked string instrument descended from the lute. It has 4 sets of strings which are tuned in fifths, the same as the strings of a violin. The mandolin was popularly used during the Baroque period by composers such as Vivaldi, and was used by many later composers as well, including Beethoven and Mozart. After making its way to the Americas, the mandolin experienced new relevance and popularity as a central instrument in Brazilian choro music and in American bluegrass. Mandolin orchestras also began to appear in the early 20th century and remain popular to this day, with some also including the mandolin’s larger cousins: the mandola, mandocello, and mandobass.

Mandolin with Matt Adomeit

Matt Adomeit is offering mandolin lessons at the GMA to students of any age and of any proficiency level from beginner to advanced.

The very first lessons will deal with the basics of mandolin posture, terminology, and technique. The goal is to progress as quickly as possibly to a point where the student can hold the instrument comfortably, produce a pleasing sound, and have some basic knowledge of scales and chords on the mandolin. Many students who have experience with related instruments such as violin and guitar will already have mastered some of these components.

Once the student has a basic level of comfort on the instrument, we will gradually introduce music of whatever genre suits and inspires the student. My specialty is fiddle and folk songs from the Irish or American traditions. As these songs increase in complexity they will serve as valuable technical etudes and opportunities to work on skills such as notation reading and ear training. In the end the ultimate reward is the joy of playing the music itself and sharing that with other like-minded musicians.