About This Course
Learn to play Brazilian choro music on the mandolin with young Brazilian virtuoso Ian Coury, from the classic sounds of Jacob do Bandolim to the modern style of Hamilton Holanda. Includes play-along tracks with Ian’s Brazilian backing band.
Try a Sample Lesson
Ian walks you through the melody of the A part of “Naquela Mesa” in this video.
Meet the Instructor
Ian Coury
Ian Coury has been accruing professional awards and accolades since 2014, when he shared a stage with Brazilian choro legends Armandinho and Hamilton de Holanda at the age of 12. Today, he’s one of Brazil’s most-respected virtuosos of the ten-string mandolin. As he continues to push the boundaries of the instrument and of the choro genre, he has performed with such luminaries as Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, and Toninho Horta, and has recently received two important awards: “Best Instrumentalist” in the National FM Radio Festival (2020), and second place (by popular vote) in Brazil’s eFestival (2021), both for performances of original compositions.
Peghead Play-Along Tracks
Peghead Nation is creating a
library of accompaniment videos (and downloadable MP3s) for songs and tunes that are taught on the site, classics that you'll find at many jams and picking parties. As a subscriber, you have access to this library and can use the tracks to practice playing tunes and songs at a slow or medium tempo with guitar accompaniment. New songs will be added regularly.
Brazilian Choro Mandolin Source Material
Check out these songs featured in the Brazilian Choro Mandolin course.
The Brazilian Choro Mandolin Subscription Includes:
- In-depth lessons on playing Brazilian choro music on the mandolin
- New lessons added every month
- High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see close-ups of both hands in action
- Detailed notation and tablature for each tune
- Play-Along Track videos so you can play along with Ian
- Downloadable Play-Along audio tracks of Ian’s Brazilian choro band playing each tune so you can play along (with or without Ian)
$20/Month For One Course
Additional courses only $10/month each!
• Save 20% with an annual subscription
and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription.
Learn to play Brazilian choro music on the mandolin with young Brazilian virtuoso Ian Coury, from the classic sounds of Jacob do Bandolim to the modern style of Hamilton Holanda. Includes play-along tracks with Ian’s Brazilian backing band.
Brazilian Choro Mandolin Course Outline
Intro to Brazilian Choro Mandolin
In this introductory video, Ian talks about the importance of the mandolin in choro music and about some of the characteristics of the music that make it unique.
Naquela Mesa
In the first Brazilian Choro Mandolin lesson, Ian shows you the beautiful D minor choro “Naquela Mesa,” written by Sérgio Bittencourt, son of the legendary Jacob do Bandolim, who was the most influential choro mandolinist. “Naquela Mesa” is a popular Brazilian choro and is often played (as a song and instrumental) at rodas de choros (choro jam sessions).
Benzinho
“Benzinho” is a traditional two-part choro in the key of D minor written by the great choro mandolinist Jacob do Bandolim. It’s not one of the most popular choros, but it is well known at rodas de choros (choro jam sessions) and it's a good tune for players new to choro, because the harmony is very clear, and it’s not too difficult technically.
Carinhoso - New Lesson
“Carinhoso” is one of the most popular Brazilian choros and was written by the legendary composer, flautist, and saxophonist Pixinguinha. “Carinhoso” is a beautiful, emotional tune, and in addition to being played as an instrumental, it’s also often sung.
