I am available for private instruction or blues mandolin workshops. For those seeking private instruction, I am the staff mandolin and banjo instructor at Roadworthy Guitar and Amp in Bloomington, Indiana. You can email me at jim@richterdigitalarts.net or contact the store to check my availability.

As stated, I also conduct blues mandolin workshops. My focus is more theory and technique oriented, rather than a lecture on history. If interested in such a workshop, please email me at jim@richterdigitalarts.net.

TABLATURE AND LESSONS

I get a lot of requests to tab tunes out. As much as I would like to honor all of them, it is a time-consuming task. It's one of the reasons tab books aren't cheap. If you get any use of these tabs or my YouTube lessons/videos, consider donating to this effort. Thanks!

Some of the following lessons/tabs were created in Tabledit. Please download the free Tefview to view them. PDF's require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

MANDOLIN

(Please check out my YouTube channel for my blues mandolin instruction videos)

The Wind Cries Mary (TEF - PDF file): One of Hendrix's most popular tunes. Slow instruction videos on YouTube. Watch on YouTube.

Basic Blues Shuffles (TEF - PDF file): Different shuffle patterns for the Key of A. These are movable shapes which can be transposed to any key. Watch on YouTube

Spanish Castle Magic (TEF - PDF file): One of my favorite Hendrix tunes. Key to this is to be funky and get that vibrato going! Watch on YouTube

Voodoo Child Part 1 (TEF - PDF file): Part one of one of my most frequent tab requests. A lot of work is going into this, so at this time, here is part one (up through the first phrases of the solo). Watch on YouTube

Ten Years Gone (TEF - PDF file): One of my favorite Led Zeppelin tunes. An interesting mandolin adaptation of the tune. Works well due to tune being in A allow use of open strings. Watch on YouTube.

East Tennessee Blues (TEF - PDF file): The great fiddle tune dating back to the early days of the Grand Ole Opry. My arrangement, loosely based on the playing of Mike Compton, as heard on Butch Robins' Grounded Centered Focused. Watch on YouTube

Tanyards (TEF - PDF file): One of the former "lost" Bill Monroe tunes now made popular by Mike Compton. Very unique old time tune that goes from A minor to A Major. Watch on YouTube

The Fun's All Over (TEF - PDF file): This is based on the playing of Mike Compton as played on Climbing the Walls. The key to it is to slide into the B (2nd fret A string) and E note (7th fret A string). There are more variations, but this is the basic melody. Watch on YouTube.

Jitterbug Waltz (TEF - PDF file): The Fats Waller classic based on the playing of Jethro Burns. Watch on YouTube.

Pilgrim's Knob (TEF - PDF file): Bill Monroe tune taught to me by banjoist Butch Robins. Butch recorded it on The Blue Grass Band's 2nd Cut. Watch on YouTube.

Oklahoma Redbird (TEF - PDF file): Key of C. This is a loose transcription for mandolin of the Missouri fiddle tune as played by Peter Ostroushko on Meeting on Southern Soil

The Soul of Man (TEF - PDF file): Key of E. This is a loose transcription of Ricky Skaggs' first mandolin break on Skaggs and Rice

"Over the IV" Lick (PDF file): Great blues lick to play over the IV chord (this example in E). Taken from guitar stylists such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Ronnie Earl. Watch on YouTube.

G Arpeggio Study (TEF - PDF file): I love arpeggios and run through them often for warm up and to learn the fretboard.

Major pentatonic blues box pattern (PDF file): Demonstrates a closed blues box pattern for mandolin.

Minor pentatonic blues box pattern (PDF file): Demonstrates a closed blues box pattern for mandolin.

Minor pentatonic blues box pattern (PDF file): Demonstrates an open blues box pattern for mandolin.

BANJO

Fishers Hornpipe (TEF - PDF file): Melodic banjo arrangement of the old fiddle tune.

Brilliancy (TEF - PDF file): Melodic banjo arrangement of the old fiddle tune. My contest piece. Watch on YouTube.