Mandolin Instruction: Old Time, Country and Fiddle Tunes

String instrumentalist Michael Holmes provides a recorded tutorial in the playing of the mandolin. The recording is composed of two parts. The first part presents examples of mandolin playing in traditional folk music first slowly and then at performance speed. The second part has Holmes replaying all the songs from the first part and joined by Reed Martin (banjo) and Mike Rivers (guitar).

The extensive liner notes provide information of buying and tuning a mandolin and musical notation for the 15 songs presented as part of this tutorial.

Holmes dedicated this recording to Pete Seeger, “whose version of “Woody’s Rag” was the first tune I ever heard played on the mandolin.”

Track Listing

101	Tune to a "G"	Michael Holmes	00:13
102	Soldier's Joy, slow	Michael Holmes	01:25
103	Soldier's Joy, fast	Michael Holmes	00:43
104	St. Anne's Reel, slow	Michael Holmes	01:27
105	St. Anne's Reel, fast	Michael Holmes	00:41
106	Cripple Creek, slow	Michael Holmes	00:44
107	Cripple Creek, fast	Michael Holmes	00:22
108	Old Joe Clark, slow	Michael Holmes	01:23
109	Old Joe Clark, fast	Michael Holmes	00:38
110	Turkey in the Straw, slow	Michael Holmes	01:16
111	Turkey in the Straw, fast	Michael Holmes	00:38
112	Colored Aristocracy, slow	Michael Holmes	01:04
113	Colored Aristocracy, fast	Michael Holmes	00:44
114	East Virginia	Michael Holmes	00:24
115	Will the Circle Be Unbroken	Michael Holmes	00:48
201	Arkansas Traveler, slow	Michael Holmes	01:32
202	Arkansas Traveler, fast	Michael Holmes	00:41
203	Girl I Left Behind Me, slow	Michael Holmes	01:30
204	Girl I Left Behind Me, fast	Michael Holmes	00:39
205	Devil's Dream, slow	Michael Holmes	01:50
206	Devil's Dream, fast	Michael Holmes	00:46
207	Fisher's Hornpipe, slow	Michael Holmes	02:04
208	Fisher's Hornpipe, fast	Michael Holmes	00:39
209	Flop Eared Mule, slow	Michael Holmes	01:54
210	Flop Eared Mule, fast	Michael Holmes	00:44
211	Lost Indian, slow	Michael Holmes	01:23
212	Lost Indian, fast	Michael Holmes	00:35
213	Ragtime Annie, slow	Michael Holmes	01:56
214	Ragtime Annie, fast	Michael Holmes	01:00
301	Soldier's Joy	Michael Holmes	01:37
302	Saint Anne's Reel	Michael Holmes	01:49
303	Cripple Creek	Michael Holmes	00:54
304	Old Joe Clark	Michael Holmes	01:38
305	Colored Aristocracy	Michael Holmes	01:41
306	East Virginia	Michael Holmes	00:43
307	Will The Circle Be Unbroken	Michael Holmes	00:43
401	Arkansas Traveler	Michael Holmes	01:41
402	The Girl I Left Behind Me	Michael Holmes	01:46
403	Devil's Dream	Michael Holmes	01:16
404	Fisher's Hornpipe	Michael Holmes	01:11
405	Flop Eared Mule	Michael Holmes	01:46
406	Lost Indian	Michael Holmes	01:37
407	Ragtime Annie	Michael Holmes	02:21
408	Turkey in the Straw	Michael Holmes	01:46