Although those who have started to play on their own will not require a 'Teach Yourself' mandolin method, I would like to mention Frances Taylor's Mandolin Method Books 1 and 2. As well as the 'method' they also contain some very beautiful Baroque and Classical duets which would be accessible to absolute beginners. Also, the duets deliver the joy of being able to play together, which is a great thing to be able to do early in a course of lessons. The books are available directly from Frances. If you email her via her website, www.taylor-mandolin.com she will post them to you.

Now to the books I would recommend for those already having learned the basics, Alison Stephens has compiled a number of pieces for beginners, published by Astute Music. Her 'Six Episodes for solo mandolin' contains six pieces which are designed to improve technique. Instructions on when to play Downstroke or Down/Up; fingerings and even tremolos are included in the notation. Alison provides a commentary at the foot of each page, which gives further guidance as to how the piece should be played. In working through 'Six Episodes', a student would improve technique as well as build repertoire. (See page 9 of the May 2007 Newsletter for a full review.)

Astute Music also publishes 'Four Progressive Pieces' by Paul Mitchell-Davidson, for mandolin and piano. The pieces are, as the title suggests, more progressive and therefore more technically demanding than those for absolute beginners, but not beyond the reach of a beginner who wishes to make progress. See www.astute-music.com for more details.

For an entirely different style of music and approach, Mel Bay's 'Easy Mandolin Solos' does exactly what it says on the tin; they are easy. The terminology used is American, i.e. "quarter note" instead of "crotchet", and the notation includes tablature and chords. The pieces get more interesting as you go through the book and there is one piece in 7/8 time, which might stall the beginner.

Looking further a field to German literature, I have come across Marlo Strauss' 'Burlesken' for mandolin solo and 'Vier Episoden' for mandolin and guitar. Both contain pieces that I would use with students for various purposes, but many would require to be taught. The same would apply to 'Musikalisches Bilderbuch' by the same author, which is for two mandolins, so teacher and student could therefore play duets. The Hamburg based Haus der Musik Trekel website, www.trekel.de, is now much more accessible, and books by Marlo Strauss are available there.

Finally, from the Celtic Music side, there are many pieces available from the work of Nigel Gatherer via his website, www.nigelgatherer.com, and via publications, e.g. his 'The Joy of Sets.' My experience of teaching absolute beginners' mandolin at Glasgow Fiddle Workshop has shown me that many of the simpler Celtic jigs, reels and especially polkas can be within reach of the beginner by the end of the first term. Glasgow Fiddle Workshop also provides a 'Slow Session' booklet and CD, which is a great help to beginners who are less confident readers.

All in all, there is a great deal of interesting material available to beginners, but a word of caution, there are also many books which try to do too much and are reminiscent of Bert Weedon's 'Play in a Day' guitar tutors, which I recall from my youth. It is best for a student to ask for advice before going out and spending money on material which will not help their mandolin playing.