Are you interested in learning the mandolin but don’t have the time or resources to take in-person lessons? Or maybe you’re an experienced mandolin player looking to improve your skills or learn a new style. Either way, online mandolin lessons and courses are a great option to level up your Mando skills.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing 10 of the best online mandolin lessons and courses currently on the market in 2024.
Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or an advanced player looking to fine-tune your skills, there’s something for everyone on this list. So grab your mandolin, and let’s get started on your musical journey!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links, which means we get a commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you.
1. Mandolin Lesson Online with Mike Marshall on ArtistWorks
The absolute winner on our list of the best online mandolin courses is the “Mandolin Lesson Online with Mike Marshall” course, which you can find on ArtistWorks.com.
This paid course offers hundreds of mandolin lessons covering a variety of musical styles. The lessons are very engaging and presented in a beautiful and easy-to-understand way.
They are suitable for students of all ages and levels, including beginners, intermediate learners, advanced learners, and even professionals looking for a way to refresh their knowledge and polish their skills.
The lessons will lead you through the fundamentals of music theory and mandolin playing, and through more complicated matters as you advance in your learning.
If you sign up for this course, you will get unlimited access not only to video lessons but also to tablatures and mp3 play-along tracks. In addition, you will also be able to submit your videos for review using the special Video Exchange Learning platform on this site.
Your videos will be reviewed by the teacher, and you will get a response in the form of another video containing detailed feedback and tips on how to improve your playing.
Besides this, you will also get access to the Video Exchange Library, where you will find videos exchanged between the teacher and other students and use these as a resource for learning as well.
As for the teacher, if you pick this course, your teacher will be Mike Marshall, who has more than 35 years of experience playing and performing and who set a new standard for American acoustic music with his exceptional talent.
Sign up for this course and learn how to play the mandolin from a legendary musician at an affordable price without leaving the comfort of your home.
2. Andy Wood’s Bluegrass Mandolin on TrueFire
The second spot on our list belongs to True Fire and its paid course “Andy Wood’s Bluegrass Mandolin.”
This course focuses on technique, melody, rhythm, and fills, which are the most important for playing bluegrass. Additionally, this course includes a bonus for guitar players, which covers lessons and play-along tracks that show how to accompany a mandolin player on guitar.
The course is divided into two sections containing many beautifully presented lessons suitable for beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced-level players.
The first section presents important mandolin fundamentals such as alternate and cross-picking, chopping and rhythm approaches, and traditional elements of bluegrass performance, including double shuffles and playing tags.
The second section will lead you through five bluegrass standards often found in bluegrass jams. You will learn how to play melody parts, mandolin variations, chords, and rhythm, as well as chord and rhythm approaches for playing along to these five tunes on the guitar. You will also get the notation and tabs you need for exercises.
All lessons are taught, as the name of the course implies, by Andy Wood, a recognized guitarist and mandolinist with vast experience performing and teaching. Therefore, you can rest assured that Andy will give his best to teach you everything essential to master the art of mandolin playing.
If you’re already a guitarist and are thinking about delving into the wonderful world of the Mando, then we’d also recommend Marcy Marxer’s Mandolin for Guitar Players course also on TrueFire.
You can sign up for a 14-day free trial using this link, or you can buy it below for a very affordable price.
3. Beginner Mandolin Lessons on Udemy
The next course we picked for you is “Beginner Mandolin Lessons,” offered by Udemy.
This paid course offers a wide variety of lessons presented in an easy and fun way, designed for absolute beginners who have never touched a mandolin before.
The lessons will provide you with an insight into the fundamentals of mandolin playing and terminology. You will learn to work with the pick, tune the mandolin, study on your own, and continue with your playing after the course. Besides this, you will cover D major scale, D major pentatonic scales and mandolin tricks, fine motor skills exercises, and much more.
If you pick this course, your teachers will be Chuck and Sandi Millar, founders of Lesson Pros, who have many years of experience teaching and performing all over the United States.
They won numerous awards for their musical achievements, such as Songwriter of the Year – Sandi Millar, Mandolin Performer of the Year – Chuck Millar, Album of the Year -“Originals” – No Grass Limit – Universe Unlimited, Bluegrass Band of the Year (Contemporary) – No Grass Limit and Vocal Group of the Year – No Grass Limit.
So, you can rest assured that you will learn the art of mandolin playing from the very best.
4. MandoLessons
Another great resource for online mandolin lessons is MandoLessons. This site offers hundreds of free online mandolin lessons for all ages and levels of expertise.
Whether you are new to the instrument and want to learn more, or you already have some experience playing mandolin and just want to improve your techniques, this site can meet all your needs.
Lessons for beginners are under the Resources tab. They include material about different types and parts of the mandolin, tips on a proper setup, and a buying guide. Lessons for more experienced learners will lead you through more details on fundamentals, music theory, and techniques.
There’s also a jazz and blues section and a section with songs where each song is broken into several parts so you can learn to play them step by step.
All lessons are taught by the founder of this site, Baron Collins-Hill. He is dedicated to creating quality lessons and sharing his extensive knowledge and experience with people all around the world. His content is fun and easy to follow.
Although this site doesn’t offer feedback, it can be helpful for beginners and intermediate-level learners looking for a way to refresh their knowledge and acquire new skills.
5. Online Academy of Irish Music
If you are looking for a way to learn to play traditional Irish music on the mandolin, then our next pick is the right option for you.
Online Academy of Irish Music offers two paid courses: “Mandolin Basics” for absolute beginners and “Mandolin Progressions” for more experienced players. These two courses promise to teach you everything you need to know about the mandolin.
The “Mandolin Basics” course covers eighteen lessons teaching how to play eleven popular Irish tunes. You can access the lessons on all your devices, and the lessons come with downloadable PDF sheet music, MP3s, and a 14-day free trial.
“Mandolin Progressions” covers thirteen lessons teaching thirteen more complicated Irish tunes. The lessons are also accessible from all devices and come with downloadable mp3s, sheet music, and a 14-day trial period that you can cancel at any time.
Pick any of these, and your teacher will be Paddy Cummins, a mandolin tutor who is highly knowledgeable about the instrument and who teaches in a very relaxed and interesting way.
6. Mandolin Secrets
The next resource for mandolin lessons is Mandolin Secrets. This site is a good resource for learners of all levels. It offers various paid step-by-step courses, including “Jazz Composing Guide,” “Mandolin Foundations,” “Memorizing Music,” and others.
These courses will lead you through the fundamentals of mandolin playing and help you acquire the basic skills and techniques you need to play all styles of music, from simple songs to more complicated things.
By becoming a member, you will get access to easy and engaging video lessons, sheet music, and backing tracks. You will also get the opportunity to participate in jam sessions, ensemble playing, and online community.
No matter which course you pick, you will get quick results and be able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills right away.
Your guide on the path to mastering the art of mandolin playing will be Magnus. Mangus is a mandolin instructor and creator of Mandolin Secrets.
He is eager about sharing his knowledge with his students and providing necessary feedback. So, you can be sure that you won’t skip anything and that you will master all techniques and practical skills needed to play your favorite songs on the mandolin.
7. Mandolin Compass
Another resource for online mandolin lessons is Mandolin Compass. Although this site might not appear very engaging, it offers various free and paid courses and lessons for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced learners.
Their free online lessons are designed to quickly teach you some basic concepts, while their premium courses will equip you with everything you need to play mandolin like a pro.
The “Beginner Mandolin Lessons” course covers video lessons that will guide you through core concepts of mandolin playing, such as tuning, reading tabs, playing chords strumming, and more.
As you advance in your learning, you can move on to the “Mandolin Song Lessons & Tabs” course, which will help you improve your techniques and knowledge of music theory and teach you how to play bluegrass standards and other classic mandolin songs.
After completing these two courses, you can start learning to play mandolin licks, scales, solos, and how to improvise.
The lessons are taught by true experts in this area, who will guide you through this journey and make sure you understand and learn everything necessary.
8. Beginning Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist on Peghead Nation
Peghead Nation has paid courses and lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, and for all styles, including bluegrass, old-time, Irish, and others. The site also offers free sample lessons.
If you are just a beginner looking for the best way to get started, we recommend the “Beginning Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist” course.
This course covers over eighty video lessons that will equip you with basic techniques, help you learn essential scales and chords, and play simple bluegrass and old-time tunes.
The course also includes downloadable play-along audio practice tracks for melody and rhythm on all tunes, advice on playing tremolo, embellishing melodies, and more.
The lessons are presented in a simple and easy-to-follow way, and all of them are taught by Sharon Gilchrist. She is a respected mandolin teacher and performer who has taught at music camps and performed throughout the US.
This course comes at more than an affordable price and will allow you to quickly learn the fundamentals of mandolin playing and play simple songs, all without leaving your house.
9. Bradley Laird
Bradley Laird is one of the world’s most respected performers and mandolin teachers. He has a vast experience as a teacher, and he started this site to help people all around the world learn more about the mandolin and how to play it.
While it looks like it was designed in the 90s, don’t let that fool you as it offers dozens of mandolin lessons and a lot of free videos. There are lessons designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. They start with the basics, such as tuning and simple mandolin tunes, and progress to more advanced matters, such as learning the standard bluegrass jam session tunes.
You will also learn chords and music theory and acquire a bunch of other practical skills and techniques that will later allow you to easily play and improvise solos.
Besides this, the lessons also include tablature, music notation, and chord charts, while some come with MP3 practice tracks as well.
The lessons are easy and very engaging, and you will enjoy learning all the important mandolin tricks from a true master of this form of art.
10. Banjo Ben Clark
And the last on our list of the best online mandolin resources is Banjo Ben Clark. Although the name of the site implies that it is all about banjos, don’t let the name confuse you. This site is a great resource for a number of instruments, including the mandolin.
It offers free introductory lessons on each level, and to access the complete library of lessons for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners, you will have to pay for the membership.
Besides this, the site offers free tabs and chord charts. You can access them online or download them as a PDF and take them wherever you want.
Although this site has gained great popularity as a resource for online banjo lessons, it provides high-quality mandolin lessons as well. They are taught by an amazing teacher who plays several instruments and who will give his best to pass on his knowledge to you and help you acquire all skills you need to start playing mandolin.
Conclusion: Which Course is the Best for You?
That about wraps up our post reviewing some of the best mandolin courses. We hope you found it helpful!
It can be hard knowing what you need to know and what’s important to practice when learning a new instrument, so it’s really important to get some guidance from someone who’s done it before.
If you’re still on the fence and not what option would be the best, we recommend the “Mandolin Lesson Online with Mike Marshall” course offered by ArtistWorks.com.
This is an absolute winner on our list for a good reason, and it will help you master the art of mandolin playing in no time and at an affordable price.
For more information, click the button below, and good luck with your mandolin playing!
