Mandolin Lessons

w200

Hi.
Have been attempting to learn the mandolin for a while and can very slowly pick my way through a few tunes. My ambition would be to be able to strum along in a house party sing song situation . Now my problem is that if I go for formal lessons the teacher wants to go back to the very start with lessons on music theory, the exact way to hold the instrument etc etc. I agree that this is the correct way to teach someone who has ambitions to play at a high level but as somebody who will not see 50 again my ambitions and time are limited.
So is there anybody who has a more "informal approach " to a few lessons.
(Kildare Dublin area )

session savage

This may now be what you want to hear but the truth of the matter is that going back to the start and learning the correct way to do things is actually going forward.
I am a firm believer in "its never too late to learn".
Granted you are at a very slight disadvantage because you need to re-learn but its so worth it.
I reccomend you go to a teacher and tell them you dont need to learn any theory (especially with trad music as its an aural tradition) but if you relearn how to hold the mandolin and pick/plec then you will progress much faster.
I am, by the way, speaking from experience.

Best of luck to you.

Beanstalk

Why not get a few DVDs if you don't like the idea of more official lessons. This site produces high quality DVD lessons from proffessional players and theres loads on Mandolins:

http://www.homespuntapes.com/

You should listen to samples form from of the mandolin DVDs and CDs and see what you like, Ive got quite a few of them now, so if you like the idea then let me know and ill give you advice on the really good ones.