Homespun - The Mandolin of Norman Blake

Before there was bluegrass there were fiddle tunes, mostly brought to these shores from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In this Homespun video tutorial series, Norman and Nancy Blake teach beautiful, little-known old-time and original instrumentals in the Celtic and Southern mountain tradition.

All of the tunes presented here will be easy to learn by intermediate-level mandolinists. Norman and Nancy Blake have chosen hauntingly beautiful mandolin instrumentals in the Celtic and Southern mountain traditions, and each of the tunes is a gem chosen for easy learning by intermediate-level mandolin players. The duo generously shares tips and advice on tuning, phrasing, ornamentation, double-stops, tremolos, drones, split strings and other essential topics.

Norman teaches lovely traditional tunes, playing each one up to speed and then slowed down as our split-screen close-ups capture both the picking and the fingering in detail. You'll learn little-known pieces like John Brown's March, Campbell's Farewell To Red Gap and The Hollow Poplar.

Nancy then shows you how to play her own Father's Hall. Norman's slow Irish air The Little Fair Child features tremolo, and the spectacular Jack Danielson's Reel, with its leaps up and down the neck, challenges players with more advanced technique. Green Castle Hornpipe, and two duets, Mandolin Fanfare and Blake's March, close this excellent lesson.

As a bonus you'll see how Norman uses prized vintage instruments to demonstrate differences in tone, including his "Style B" Lyon & Healy, a 1914 Martin, a 1914 Gibson "A4", a 1922 white-top "A3" and a 1923 Lloyd Loar "F5.