String instrumentalist Michael Holmes provides a recorded tutorial in the playing of the mandolin. The recording is composed of two parts. The first part presents examples of mandolin playing in traditional folk music first slowly and then at performance speed. The second part has Holmes replaying all the songs from the first part and joined by Reed Martin (banjo) and Mike Rivers (guitar).

The extensive liner notes provide information of buying and tuning a mandolin and musical notation for the 15 songs presented as part of this tutorial.

Holmes dedicated this recording to Pete Seeger, “whose version of “Woody’s Rag” was the first tune I ever heard played on the mandolin.”

Track Listing