So You Want to Play the Mandolin?

Instructor: Alan Epstein

Saturday November 14 Location: Saratoga Guitar, Saratoga Springs , NY

So you want to play the mandolin? If you have been asking yourself this question look no further. This 2-hour workshop is specifically designed for those who've never played this eight-stringed instrument but who are ready to give it a try. By the end of class, you'll be playing your first tune on the mandolin!

The first part of the workshop will cover an introduction to the mandolin. A general overview of the instrument, examples of various types of mandolins, and a survey of various playing styles with both live and recorded examples will enable you to hear the mandolin's diversity...jazz, blues, classical, folk, ethnic, and bluegrass. Then the second part of the class starts, and the real fun begins. With Alan as your skilled and patient coach, you'll learn some playing basics, including how to hold the instrument, how to use the pick, your first chords and then your first tune!

So you say you currently don't have a mandolin? Not a problem. Just let Saratoga Guitar know when you sign up and they will provide a loaner for you to use during the class. Class size is limited so sign up early.

Alan Epstein has been playing the mandolin since the 1970's. He is the founder and former director of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra and has been a contributing writer for Mandolin Magazine. In 2004, he was a recipient of the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts Apprenticeship in Traditional Arts, studying mandolin with world-renowned Gypsy mandolinist Charley Rappaport. Alan has been a member of various bluegrass bands across the country, always sharing his love of the mandolin through teaching.