Welcome to Matt C Bruno’s personal coaching and mandolin lessons page! If you’re looking to improve your mandolin playing with tailored guidance, you’re in the right place. I offer private lessons designed to meet your individual needs, helping you progress in the style and techniques that interest you most. Whether you’re just beginning your mandolin journey or an experienced mandolin player seeking to refine your skills, I’m here to help you achieve your musical goals.
“My goal is to give you the tools and confidence to play music with others, whether at a jam, on stage, or just for your own enjoyment.”
Matt C Bruno
What You Get With Personal Coaching and Mandolin Lessons
- Weekly 60-Minute Sessions: Consistent lessons to steadily advance your skills.
- Customized Long-Term Plan: A step-by-step roadmap designed to achieve your specific musical goals.
- Personalized Materials: Custom chord charts, melodies, chord positions, solo ideas, and more, provided in standard notation and tablature.
- Targeted Practice Exercises: Exercises crafted to focus on the skills we’re developing.
- Detailed Lesson Recaps: Comprehensive summaries of each session, outlining topics covered and specific practice objectives.
- Educational Discounts: Enjoy a 10% discount on educational books I’ve produced, such as the “Intro to Jamming Boot Camp Vol 1,” “Mandolin Primer: Chords & Progressions,” and “Mandolin Primer: Major Scales.”
- Continuous Support: Stay connected with me between sessions through chat or video exchanges.
- Supplementary Video Assistance: Receive custom video responses to any questions that arise outside of our lessons, ensuring you remain on the right path.
- Humorous Interludes: Expect at least one bad joke per month—perfect for annoying your friends and adding some stage banter!
If you’re not ready for a weekly lessons, I can also provide “drop in” lessons when I have availability in my schedule.
Comments from Personal Coaching Students
Frank Solivan
“I absolutely love how Matt C Bruno has laid out his instruction assets. They are easy to read, follow and they will be a continued resource for me when teaching at workshops, music camps and private lessons.”
Frank Solivan – Dirty Kitchen
Have to say, I really feel like something has been unlocked I’m the last two weeks, all around licks from double stops. The last mid week video you sent me with licks for More Pretty Girls in D is diamond stuff. I’m lifting the licks you demonstrate, and some you don’t as well 😂. Jamie M (~8 months playing).
Personal Coaching and Mandolin Lessons Pricing
- Via Zoom – see below for details on requirements
- $70 / single session or pay as you go OR
- $280 / monthly subscription (includes 4 free lessons / year)
- In-studio lessons at my Seattle WA studio
- $80 / single session or pay as you go OR
- $320 / monthly subscription (includes 4 free lessons / year)
- In your home lesson or during tour / travel to your state *Requires approval
- $90 / single session or pay as you go OR
- $360 / monthly subscription (includes 4 free lessons / year)
- Additional travel costs may apply depending on the amount of time required to drive to your home, gas costs, tolls etc. Upon scheduling the lesson, I’ll be able to calculate these costs if they apply.
For Zoom lessons, you’ll need:
- Computer with a camera
- Decent internet connection with the ability to support a video connection
- A separate microphone – this is not a requirement, but highly recommended
- Zoom (please refer to the setup information here)
- WhatsApp for mid-week communications and video sharing – not required but highly recommended
- PayPal or Venmo account for payment or pay via CC below. Note non-cash payments may have additional fees including exchange rate differences and processing fees.
Please read the terms and conditions below before making payments.
After booking your session, I’ll email you back with a few additional points of information. This will include covering payment options (in person, via my site below, or alternative we agree on). I’ll also ask you the below questions to help shape your personal coaching and music lessons.
- Who are your favorite musicians / bands (regardless of instrument)?
- Who are your favorite mandolin players?
- What are the top 5 songs / tunes you love to play?
- What are you working on that you’d like my help with?
- What do you want to accomplish in the next 6 – 12 months?
Not ready for Personal Coaching and Mandolin Lessons?
I believe music should be accessible to everyone, and I understand that personal coaching sessions aren’t always feasible with time constraints or can be too costly. That’s why I offer a variety of free mandolin lessons on this site for personal practice (not for resale).
For those facing financial difficulties, I’m happy to discuss sliding-scale pricing whenever possible—just reach out, and we’ll see if we can find a solution.
Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe below to receive free mandolin lessons and song breakdowns straight to your inbox!
By making a payment on this site, you are agreeing to the below terms and the sites terms.
- Payment is due prior to any scheduled session. You are responsible for any fees incurred due to your payment method.
- If you are unable to make a specific scheduled session and you provide 48 hour notice prior to the scheduled session, we can try reschedule to another date. This may mean doubling up sessions in a week or doing Zoom / recorded lessons. If you do not provide 48 hours notice, there will be no reschedule or refund without approval. I get it if something comes up, but missing a schedule session without notice means I lose the time.
- No refunds are provided for personal coaching or mandolin lessons.
- Paid sessions are valid for up to 6 months after payment. If we are unable to schedule a paid lesson within 6 months it will be considered a donation to the site.
- For remote lessons via Zoom or similar, please confirm your internet connection prior to making payments if you are unsure, contact me to run a “test” call. If you’re internet is too poor for video lessons after we start lessons, you’ll be charged for that lesson but you can get refunded the remaining balance for monthly pre-paid lessons.
Matt Bruno is an incredible mandolin teacher. If you are interesting in formalizing your mandolin training then I can’t recommend him enough.
I have to sing Matt’s praises – he’s by far the best music teacher I’ve ever worked with. I love the mandolin, and Matt clearly does as well. Not only is he an amazing player, but he’s a truly exceptional teacher. He listens to what his students need and want, and crafts lessons to suit. The lessons are backed up with lots of material, including charts, music in standard and tab notation, diagrams, links to listen to the tune we’re working on, etc. Not only that, but he follows up every lesson with a recap of what we learned and what to practice.
He’s kind, warm, personable, and knowledgeable, and adapts his teaching to the level of the student in a way that feels effortless. I find myself excited and motivated by each lesson, and am becoming a demonstrably better musician.
Five stars all the way.
Matt Bruno is an absolutely outstanding mandolin instructor, especially for someone like me who is just starting out and eager to dive into bluegrass jams.
From day one, his patience and encouraging demeanor put me at ease. He breaks down complex concepts into clear, manageable steps and explains the “why” behind each technique. He also doesn’t rush me; he meets you where you are and builds your skills at a pace that feels challenging but totally doable.
What really sets Matt apart is how practical his lessons are. He doesn’t just teach you to play in a vacuum—he teaches you how to participate to get to be a part of jams. He shows you simple backup patterns, how to listen and blend with other players, and jam etiquette. He even helps you pick the right tunes for your level and gradually introduces melodies you can realistically pull off in a live jam without feeling overwhelmed. He’s also incredibly generous with practice plans and bite-sized exercises that actually fit into a busy week.
Thanks to Matt Bruno, I’ve felt welcomed into the bluegrass community rather than intimidated by it. I’ve gained confidence, improved my timing and tone, and I feel excited to keep growing as a player. If you’re a beginner or coming back to mandolin, I can’t recommend Matt Bruno enough. Five stars, no question.
Erin Valovich
Matt Bruno has been my online bluegrass mandolin teacher for four months . I plan to continue online or in person in Seattle for as long as Matt is free to teach. It has taken many years for me to find a music teacher who was able to unravel how I learn and teach me to improvise. I have tried unsuccessfully many times. I was taught to read music and was SO glued to the page. I am finally being freed from this. Matt gives clear instructions with examples and structures his lessons so I know how to practice. He summarizes the lesson as well as sends me the summary to help me know exactly what my learning target is for the following week. A major benefit of online zoom lessons, besides not having to drive so far, is that I have a recording of the lesson and can go back over it to take notes when I am done. Matt gives clear instructions and lesson plans help me to understand chord structures and their relationships, and therefore how to improvise over top whether bluegrass, folk, jazz or another form of music. Besides being a great role model, as a performer, Matt can relate to his students and is such an encouraging and knowledgeable instructor. I am retired and was worried about being older but Matt has put me completely at ease through his kindness. There are no dumb questions with Matt Bruno. I have enjoyed going to a Bluegrass Jam bi-weekly that Matt runs in Seattle at Machine House Brewery. Thanks to his encouragement and coaching, I have more confidence to lead songs and try to improvise. I highly recommend Matt Bruno as a teacher, especially in the area of learning the basics to being an advanced bluegrass player. He is truly amazing as a performer, teacher and player. He has taught me pentatonic scales, riffs, and is working with me on my mandolin technique. As a teacher for 25 years myself, I can attest to the ton of work that Matt has put into his Bluegrass website. There is an abundance of free materials, well laid out for sequential learning, and his books are the best, easy to understand and SO worth the small price. Matt C. Bruno is one of the best bluegrass mandolin teachers and players I have ever met. He is a genuinely good person others enjoy being around.