Easy, Fun Irish Mandolin Tutorial

Today, we’re looking at a super fun little Irish tune that anyone can learn. It only uses two fingers, but will have everyone stomping their feet in no time! It’s a Polka called “Britches Full of Stitches” that everyone should have in their tool bag :)
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[@thomascouch4864]

I want to thank you. My issue has been finding a quick easy song to get something under my belt and feel like I am making progress. This did it. I am happy as now I have a song I can play. Not a big song, not a major song but I can play it through memory.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Awesome, great to hear you were able to get it in your fingers! This is such a fun, toe tapper. I’ve played this little tune in public many times and it gets people moving :) Thanks much and have a great day!

[@BanjoPicker]

I agree this is a fun easy Lil piece. Reminds me a bit of a Shaty as well. So maybe progress to...?

[@JamesDoingThings]

Watching from Nevada!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks in Nevada :)

[@nickurbaszek7566]

Just bought a mandolin because I always loved the sound, had no idea where to start and then found you. Brilliant lesson, thank you so much!!! Pin Bamberg in Germany on your map!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Wonderful - so thrilled to be able to help :) You are pinned, Thank you so much - Cheers, Germany!

[@daveegan1029]

Finally got me into the swing of it, starting to love Mandolin more than guitar,,, From Ballina, NSW Australia, just south of Byron Bay

[@COMANDOLIN]

My guitars hang on the wall untouched for months at a time :) Thanks so much in NSW, you’re on the map!

[@saoirsedoyle134]

this was super easy and fun thank you!! born and raised from Ireland it means a lot seeing people love our little island :)

[@COMANDOLIN]

Your little island had provided some of the world’s coolest music :)

[@saoirsedoyle134]

@@COMANDOLIN thank you so much!! 🥹❤️

[@andysinclair7233]

hey comandolin, great to hear an irish jig , i love the way you show your tutoriols , please do some more celtic stuff, how about trying rocky road to dublin!, coming from essex, england, stick me on your map!, all the best my man! andy.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there, I’ll certainly check out Rocky Road to Dublin - I love Irish music! Cheers Essex, you’re on the map!

[@mes252]

Amazing! Love & thanks!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much :)

[@meep387]

Thanks for the turorial! Very simple quick and easy to follow. Much love from New Mexico

[@COMANDOLIN]

Wonderful, thanks so much :)

[@silasmoon6658]

same here, also new mexico

[@TheCheermeister]

Two finger songs: yes please. How about The Waterboy's Fisherman's Blues? Yet another Great tutorial from a fantastic teacher. Thanks so much Neal!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Always a pleasure to hear from you :) Much appreciated - have a great day!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there :) I know it’s been forever since your comment, but I’ve just learned “Fisherman’s Blues” and it’s awesome. It’s the next video up, complete with those fiddle solos. Super fun tune :)

[@TheCheermeister]

@@COMANDOLIN , Thanks Neal I’ve been playing it so long, I’ve forgotten how but I know when I relearn it through your tutorial I’ll be playing it better than ever. The whole album is great. My fav Celtic rock album.

[@Artistix119]

Hi! Thank you for this video! I’m hailing from Duluth, MN! We have a Bluegrass Festival here every summer! I Might have to get good enough to play it! Thanks for the song!!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Heya neighbor - I’m just a few hours down 35 in Minneapolis :) Duluth is such a cool town! Have a great night :)

[@pannekagan3700]

This was a really good lesson I learnt this song from you my first day playing the mandolin

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks bud - I hope it’s fun :)

[@kevintinsley4158]

Love it ! That’s sweet sounding. West Virginia.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much :)

[@ugabuga122]

Watching from Cheshire England! Great video!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much :) Cheers!

[@LaCarchita]

Hi from the Hague! I love this as I just got my first mandolin so I'll get to learning right away

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there - Your city looks amazing! I love seeing where everyone is from :) Cheers, you’re on the map!

[@Gilwilly]

Hi to both, from the Hague! :-) Also new on the Mandolin

[@lawrencemundy4811]

Thank you

[@COMANDOLIN]

@@lawrencemundy4811 - Thanks so much for checking it out :)

[@apoloniakowalska993]

First time ever with mandolin :D greetings from Poland!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Wow - Hello in Poland! Thanks so much for checking out the channel! What city are you in? I want to be accurate on the map :)

[@MrPajoro]

Hi from Daventry England. Love your easy to follow Irish tunes.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much in Daventry - You’re on the map :) Cheers!

[@sobekorus1255]

Buenos Aires, Argentina here!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Greetings in Buenos Aires! Thanks so much for checking in - You’re on the map! Cheers :)

[@candicerohde7506]

thank you so much! from Breckenridge, CO, USA

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there in Breckinridge - what a beautiful town - You’re on the map!

[@Jimbob-v9o]

You put it so plain and simple and are super easy to follow.. thanks heaps dude 🤙

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - I hope it’s fun! Have a great day :)

[@vy2gib]

from prince edward island canada your a great help- thanks

[@COMANDOLIN]

Wow, Prince Edward Island - Awesome :) Thanks for checking in, you’re on the map!

[@antoinbrown4060]

Dia dhuit, I'm watching from Derry 🇮🇪 Ireland thanks

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there - Thanks for checking in from Derry :) Cheers!

[@pierreblanchet8241]

I like that polka, thanks from Quebec City Canada

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hi Quebec -You’re on the map! Thanks so much :)

[@jamesbrown8766]

What a fun song! Just found your channel and will be looking for more Irish tunes. Thanks, from Mount Vernon, Washington.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - you’re on the map :)

[@ElizabethOConnell-qr3pt]

Thank you so much! Please do more Celtic songs and how about some Pogues! From Seal Beach, California

[@COMANDOLIN]

You got it - I love Celtic music and the Pogues :)

[@jeffreygordon128]

Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there, thanks for checking in from Winnipeg! I’m in Minneapolis just a little below you and have always wanted to visit. Have a great day - you’re on the map!

[@BarnUker]

Love it 👍 great jig , Jindabyne NSW Australia

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - you’re on the map! Cheers :)

[@fearnanadarra4233]

Watching from Scotland ! :)

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hello there in Scotland - Thanks for checking in :) Cheers!

[@gregorywhitham]

Great tutorial- playing along in Warkworth, New Zealand

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hello there in New Zealand - thanks so much for tuning in! You’re on the map- cheers :)

[@COMANDOLIN]

I often google the places people tell me they’re from, and your town looks amazing :)

[@gregorywhitham]

Indeed - it's a nice little quiet corner of the planet!@@COMANDOLIN

[@HymnWhistle]

Hey mate. Love your work. From Newcastle, Australia.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Cheers Newcastle - you’re on the map!

[@farmworkMi]

Michigan near grand rapids

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - you’re on the map :)

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

Very Cool!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks for checking it out :)

[@scottwaltner4908]

Columbus, Montana

[@COMANDOLIN]

Awesome, you’re on the map :)

[@blanemacdonald6674]

Edmonton Alberta Canada

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there in Edmonton! Thanks so much for checking in :)

[@mcjohnsonsgirl]

Josephine County, Oregon

[@COMANDOLIN]

Awesome, thanks much - you’re on the map :)

[@TheBruthajay]

I’m from south east Michigan

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey, thanks much - hope you’re having a great day :)

[@jimbagsh9569]

Watching your video in Armenia. Bet you don't have that pin in your map yet!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Armenia - that’s awesome! Thanks so much for checking in, you are on the map :) Have a great day!

[@jimbagsh9569]

@@COMANDOLIN Yeah, I'm a US Peace Corps volunteer teaching English here for the next two years. Brought with me a baritone ukulele but it's tuned like an octave mandolin. Hoping to learn to play it, so thanks for videos like yours. :)

[@COMANDOLIN]

@@jimbagsh9569 - I bet this tune sounds pretty cool on that :) Good luck over there!

[@PaddyByrne931]

I'm in Co laois in Rep of Ireland

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks for checking in - Cheers in Ireland!

[@jsdun9565]

Bonjour. Pouvez-vous filmer la mappemonde pour voir où sont les abonnés. Merci beaucoup. From Paris

[@COMANDOLIN]

I definitely will. The map is amazing to me - I’m glad you’re on it :)

[@debralearyan8844]

❤😎

[@TheMurrier]

Ireland

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks for checking in - Where are you in Ireland?

[@watson4913]

Necesit. Yes sidioloña

[@justinh.6683]

Indiana, U.S.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks bud - you’re on the map :) I just stuck it in Indianapolis. Hope you’re having a great day!

[@trailerminifilm3076]

Czech 🇨🇿

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much - you’re on the map :) Cheers!

[@BaBavisualizer]

Hey sir can u pls teach some Hindi songs

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hi there - I’m sorry, but I don’t know any Hindi songs.

[@BaBavisualizer]

@@COMANDOLIN sir from where I able to learn mandolin

[@Gang-zy7lq]

Liverpool uk

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much in Liverpool - Cheers 🍻!

[@Gang-zy7lq]

@@COMANDOLIN home of the Beatles

[@karenringer5995]

May I ask what strings you are using please

[@COMANDOLIN]

Just plain old D’Addario medium EJ74 - probably the most common mandolin string out there. I always mean to experiment a bit more but never quite get to it :)

[@molcatron]

México city

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hello in Mexico City! Thank you so much - you’re on the map :)

[@Jmoore1957]

New zealand

[@COMANDOLIN]

New Zealand, Awesome - thanks for checking in :)

[@Road_Rash]

Hello from Louisiana... I'm a little southeast of Shreveport, bout as close as you'll get on that map... Lol! Gotta love some sweet two finger action...wait, this is about mandolins? Oh well, same thing applies...Lol!

[@COMANDOLIN]

That’s a really different video :) Hey down there in Louisiana. I was born in Lake Charles and New Orleans is one of my favorite places on the planet, so I always feel a little connected to Louisiana. Plus, of course, the food :) Have a great day down there!

[@Cornsnakes13]

Ireland

[@COMANDOLIN]

Cheers :)

[@guitarrwd]

Watching from Michigan near detroit. Thank you for the lesson sir!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks for checking in from Michigan :)

[@ambu6478]

Thank you for sharing your mandolin knowledge with us. I'm thinking of buying a used mandolin for my first one, it looks to be in good condition, but I I don't believe it has a truss rod. I was wondering what you think about a mandolin without a truss rod. Is it necessary? Thanks for any insight.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there - Thanks so much for checking out the channel :) I would be very leery of a mandolin with no truss rod. Even if you never adjust it, it provides a lot of stability and strength to the neck. The strings pull at such a high tension as well as weather/humidity factors and you’ll want that rod in there. I personally wouldn’t buy one without a truss.

[@jsv438]

Can't read the headstock? Is that an Eastman you're playing here? ~JSV

[@COMANDOLIN]

It’s the Eastman 415 with the black top. I also have a 305 which I adore, so I got one of these and was honestly a little disappointed in the sound originally. It seemed sort of dull with a very brittle high E. On a whim, I ordered a deer antler saddle from Rosa String Works and now it sings like the angels. Couldn’t believe the difference that made.

[@PhilMigliorino]

Very cool and easy. Thank you

[@COMANDOLIN]

@@PhilMigliorino - Thanks a lot :)

[@sbkmarkel]

My first mandolin song, thank you! Maybe I missed it, but what’s the up/down stroke pattern?

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hey there, sorry I didn’t go over it in the video. It’s hard to explain written out because it’s not just one pattern throughout. But that first little phrase bouncing around on the A string starts with two down picks and is just alternating. Down, down, up, down, up, down, up, down up is the first phrase. The second down is the really fast one that makes it sound “bouncy”. Sorry, it’s hard to explain written out - I should have mentioned it in the video. Maybe try to see my right hand as much as you can - slow it down if you need to. My bad - good luck :)

[@sbkmarkel]

@@COMANDOLIN thank you

[@bentbaptist]

Slainte for this from Liverpool capital of Eire.

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thank you Liverpool! Cheers:)

[@darrylreaume590]

Richesrwe hills Michigan. Pin it!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks bud - you’re pinned!

[@tuomok2343]

Go raibh maith agat, watching from Kanturk, North Cork, Ireland

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks for checking in from Ireland 🇮🇪 - Cheers!

[@surfninja3402]

Hello from new brunswick canada

[@COMANDOLIN]

“Surfninja” - what a cool name! Thanks for checking in, you’re on the map :)

[@surfninja3402]

First time I seen any videos on mandolin. I love this little tune. My dad is 81 and he was impressed with what learned in 3 days of practice. Thanks.Too bad they don't have for Rocksmith yet.

[@STEAM_MA]

Watching from Cocoa Beach, Florida

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much in Cocoa Beach! You’re on the map :)

[@STEAM_MA]

@@COMANDOLIN your tutorials are keeping me sane while I am sick this week. I'll try to get a recording of me playing this one when I feel more confident, and I'll tag you.

[@COMANDOLIN]

@@STEAM_MA - That’d be awesome :) I hope you feel better down there!

[@olddogguitar1095]

Katy, TX

[@COMANDOLIN]

No way! I went to Jr High in Katy Tx back in ‘81/‘82 :) I went to West Memorial. Used to love living in Katy and going to Astros games and Astroworld! Thanks for checking in down there!

[@ramise5932]

🙏🏽 good demonstration. Thank you. Camden Haven area NSW Australia ❤

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thank you so much - great to hear from you in Australia :) You’re on the map!

[@1hroff149]

Cyprus 🇨🇾

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks in Cyprus - you’re on the map!

[@saggacc]

timely lesson CommandoM. ' just pickin' the mando back up after a lengthy layoff (been playin' the new National Tricone M1 out to great effect). it seems like Irish music is the new 'black' round these parts this summer, so i gotta get that brogue flavor if i wanna get the gig. thx. glad it only took two (2)... ps - love that foot stomp at the end bro!

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks so much, my man - glad it came along at a good time!

[@RealHunterVR]

Hey there from Custer South Dakota👋 got an old bowl back mandolin from my elderly German neighbor a while back and a week ago decided to start playing. This video was a BIG kickstart in my learning process so thank you

[@COMANDOLIN]

Heya neighbor, greetings from Minneapolis - I hope you’re enjoying same mild winter that we are :) I’m glad the video was helpful. Thanks much and have a great day :)

[@geraldtoland5394]

Great wee learning tune ...ireland

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thanks Gerald - Cheers 🍻!

[@karenringer5995]

Hi from hull in the uk

[@COMANDOLIN]

Hi there - greetings from Minneapolis!

[@karenringer5995]

Many thanks . I bought a set the other day. But was not sure. . Love how easy you make it look . Keep up the brilliant work X

[@COMANDOLIN]

Thank You so much - cheers!