Lesson 2
Level 2 - 55 minute DVD

You can't help but learn to play the mandolin in true bluegrass style with Butch Baldassari as your teacher! His easy-going teaching manner and clear, slowed-down examples and explanations continue in the second of two easy beginner's lessons. This one features a lot of play-along sessions: Before you know it, you'll be playing melodies while Butch "chops" the rhythm chords and then he trades places while you play the rhythm parts.

Butch demonstrates several chord positions up and down the neck and teaches many helpful soloing technqiues to give you the real country-bluegrass flavor. You'll learn slides; hammer-ons; open chord positions; open-string harmonies; how to increase your playing speed; tremolo technique; licks and tricks, some in Bill Monroe style; how to play double-stops in G and D; and playing in the key of D.

Songs: Bury Me Beneath The Willow, Soldier's Joy, Whiskey Before Breakfast.

Lesson 1
Level 1 - 60 minute DVD

Butch Baldassari will have you playing your mandolin in minutes with his easy, hands-on, beginner's lessons. He covers all you need to know to get the bell-like high notes and percussive back-beat that are the signature sound of this popular instrument.

Butch shows you how to hold your instrument and tune it up, discusses all you need to know about picks, strings and more, using his own 1925 "unsigned" F5 Lloyd Loar as a teaching tool. He teaches chords and scales, simple melodies, how to work with open strings, execute double-stops plus much more. With patience, repeated explanations, close-up camera work and split screens, Butch gives you confidence and lays a solid foundation of skills for further study.

By the time you're done with this one-hour lesson, you'll be playing the melody and rhythm parts for John Henry, Nine-Pound Hammer, Old Joe Clark and Sally Goodin, with lots of variations. You'll be jamming right along with Butch too! He plays melody while you pick up the rhythm chords and vice versa. You can't help but learn from this lesson.