The mandolin is one of those great instruments that you can enjoy within 15 minutes of having 1st picked it up. I decided that I wanted to play mandolin after transcribing a mandolin tune "Korobushka" for the Mazeltones. I quickly found out that this instrument was going to take some time to play properly--but I could learn tunes relatively easy on it. I found that the hardest aspect of performing live with a mandolin was to be heard. After two years of struggling with various sound persons, I bought a Ovation mandolin that has the built in pickups and EQ. I know purist will say this is not a mandolin----but now I am heard and spend more time concentrating on my ideas than trying to play loud enough to be heard. Listed below are some wonderful mandolin sites that have lessons etc..... I am also listing on this page sheet music of some of my mandolin originals as well as some of my favorite Klezmer tunes.