Mandolin Methods - Descriptions, Pictures, Free Downloads

For a long time I have been interested in old mandolin method books, and I am still trying to get more.

On this page I have compiled a great part of the information about my mandolin methods. For many mandolin methods I have made a special page with information about the authors, the images and descriptions of the instruments, notes about position, picks and playing technique.

I am offfering many free scans of the mandolin methods that are public domain and for which the copyright has expired. I am also adding links to other sites where you can get free downloads of mandolin methods.

You can use the table below with the preview pictures to access the detail pages about the different mandolin methods.

Timeline of Mandolin Methods

I am very much interested in the history of mandolin methods. The history of the mandolin methods can be shown in a timeline of  mandolin methods. This timeline shows pictures from the methods and does also contain links to the detail pages with information and pictures from the mandolin methods.

Timeline of mandolin methods (opens in a new window)

As a reference you can use the table containing the data on which the timeline is based:

Table with data of the timeline (opens in a new window)

I have prepared a new page about the history of mandolin methods on my new website mandoweb.de:

History of Mandolin Methods

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My collection of mandolin methods can be found in the following database:

Datenbank Mandolinenschulen

Timeline of historical Violin Methods

Exercises and pieces from the violin methods have always been used in mandolin methods. You can use the old violin methods to find exercises and compositions that are good for the mandolin. Use the following timeline of violin methods to access many free downloads! The timeline contains all the violin methods that I have found as free downloads in the Petrucci Library.

(Please let me know if you have interesting violin method that I could add to this timeline!)

Timeline of historical Violin Methods

To search through the data of the timeline you can use the following table:

Table with data of timeline of violin methods

Timeline of historical Guitar Methods

I have made another timeline of  historical guitar method. This timeline contains all the guitar methods that I have found as free downloads in the Petrucci Library. I am planning to add more guitar methods to this timeline.

(Please let me know if you have interesting guitar method that I could add to this timeline!)

Timeline of historical Guitar Methods

To search through the data of the timeline you can use the following table:

Table with data of timeline of guitar methods

The following methods are very large and deal with the complete mandolin technique:

Cottin, Pietrapertosa, Munier, Calace, Cristofaro, Schick, Graziani-Walter, Branzoli

Some recommendations about which methods are useful for teaching and learning can be found on page recommended mandolin methods (German - translation to English intended...)

Please check my page about free sheetmusic for the mandolin. 

There you can find additional music to play and exercises for the mandolin.

Mandolin Methods in Print

In the following table you can find mandolin methods that are still in print and which are available from most sheet music stores.

Click the little icons to open the page with information about the method, with pictures, examples, descriptions and biographical information.

Mandolinenschule von Marga Wilden-Hüsgen

Das Mandolinenbuch von Rainer Zellner

Mein erstes Mandolinenbuch von Ariane Lorch

Keith Harris - The Mandolin Game

Christian Veith - Mandolinenschule

Historical Mandolin Methods

In the following table you will find many historical mandolin methods which are generally not available today. Some of those methods are availabe as reprints or a scan.

Click the little icons to open the page with information about the method, with pictures, examples, descriptions, biographical information and free download links (if available).

Salvator Léonardi  

Carlo Munier

Alberto Bracony (1885-1946)

W.J.Fletcher

Silvio Ranieri (1882-1956)

Ernö Rossa

Laurent Fantauzzi

Dittrich / Socha

Abraham Leibovitz

William C. Stahl - New Mandolin Method (ca. 1903 -1912)

Hohmann-Zuth Schule für die Mandoline (1930)

Winner's Eureka Method (1891)

Gabriele Leone (18th century) 

 Giovanni Fouchetti (18. Jh.)

Louis Tocaben (1885) 

Wickins' Easy Mandoline Tutor (um 1900) by D. Carati 

G. Zanoli (vor 1900)

Alfred Boutin (um 1900)

J. B. Cramer / Bartolomeo Bortolazzi (ca. 1860)

Zarh Myron Bickford (1876-1961)

Dallas' Italian School - Giovanni Angelici - ca. 1890

Carlos Curti (1859 - 1926)  

Michel Corrette (1772)
   

Mario de Pietro (1896 - 1945)

Edouard Jacovacci (1875 - 1939)

Fisher's Tutor for the Mandolin (1890/1891)

Emil Theodor Weimershaus (*1847)

J. H. Ferrero (1895)

G. Salvini (1901)

Gustav Gerdes

Jul. Huber

Frans de Groodt (1892 - 1988)

F. Lalechère (1893)

A. Degroote (1922)

Kenpachi Hiruma (1903/1910)

Leopoldo Francia (1896/1912)

Alfred Plohn ( 1905/1911)

Stanislaw Maleczek (ca. 1925)

Raphael Talamo (1907)

Giuseppe Pastori-Rusca (1899)

Heinrich Albert (1912)

Francis & Days Mandoline Tutor by Walter Redmond (1890)

J. Cerclier (1876)

Additional links about Mandolin Methods

Whenever I find something interesting related to mandolin methods I safe the link in my link collection. This link collection should contain the newest links, it may take some time until the information has been added to this website. 

Link Collection about Mandolin Methods

Additional links about Violin Methods

The mandolin technique is closely related to the violin technique. Although there are certain differences many classical pieces and studies are very useful for learning to play the mandolin. Therefor I recommend that you also use the many free violin methods available in the internet. I have started to collect links about violin methods in the following link collection:

Link Collection about Violin Methods