Mandolin Workshops at Wyatt Violin Shop

Bruce Graybill will teach two Mandolin workshops November 19, 2011 at Wyatt Violin Shop, 2418 East R D Mize Rd, Independence, MO 64057 (www.wyattviolinshop.com) We have a practical limit of about 25 seats, and available seating is first come first serve. Advance registration is available by credit card may be done directly with Wyatt Violin Shop by phone at (816) 252-5656. Questions may be sent to: Mandokinetics@aol.com or through the contact form at www.BruceGraybill.com

The Beginners Mandolin Workshop 10 AM – 12 Noon Cost is $20

For those new to the Mandolin, through those who have learned two or three chords and maybe one or two melodies (fiddle tune or other). Student will need a playable Mandolin to bring if they wish to join the hands on exercises. If you need help tuning your instrument, please arrive at least 30 minutes early so we can assist after you have registered for the workshop. If you are unsure your instrument is playable, please email me at Mandokinetics@aol.com and put ‘Instrument check’ in the subject line. I will make arrangements to be at Wyatt Violin Shop for a few hours the day before the workshop to evaluate instruments if needed.

The Beginner’s Mandolin Workshop will cover topics of holding the instrument with proper playing posture, tricks for staying in tune, basic right and left hand technique, and chording and rhythm playing basics. We will cover at least two fiddle tunes and the accompanying chords, and you will experience playing both melody and rhythm with others. We will also cover beginning tremolo and exercises to make yours sing.

The Intermediate/Advanced Mandolin Workshop 1 PM – 4 PM Cost is $30

For students who are able to play several fiddle tunes at normal tempos, be able to chord fiddle tunes or Bluegrass/Folk songs in several keys (i.e., A, D, G, C) and know (or be able to find) the basic minor chords in those keys. Ability to improvise a melody over basic chords a plus but not required.

The Intermediate/Advanced Mandolin Workshop will cover topics of proper playing posture to avoid stress and injury, right and left hand technique and exercises to improve and evaluate both, playing up the neck (closed positions), generating good tone both with single notes and tremolo, playing basic double stops, and how to improve your playing speed. We will also cover how chording structure works and how to use it to figure out the chords in a Jam session on a song you don't know.

Bruce is a two time National Mandolin Champion, five time Kansas State Mandolin Champion and former President of the Classical Mandolin Society of America Inc. The Internet Mandolin discussion group COMANDO voted him one of two top private Mandolin instructors in America in 2003. He is an endorsing artist for Weber Mandolins (made by Sound to Earth Ltd.). Bruce has taught a number of workshops at Mountain Music Shoppe and CMSA conventions, as well as many workshops (both pre-festival and onstage) at the Walnut Valley Festival (National Flatpick Championships). He will be teaching at Kaufman Kamp in summer 2012.