Mandolin Essentials with Jeff Burke Clinic Wednesday 2/23/11 (6-7:20PM) at the St. Louis Folk School in Maplewood, MO.

Dunlop Strings and the Folk School of St. Louis is putting on a workshop that will present essential theories, tips, techniques & tricks that every mandolin player from beginner to advanced should know. Hosted by the Jeff Burke, half of the bluegrass duet Jeff + Vida. He’ll be focusing primarily on Bluegrass mandolin, but exploring ideas that will extend to all styles, the workshop will explore:

• Ways to improve and expand both your back up and lead playing on Mandolin and how they are linked. – discovering different ways to find and play chords and closed positions on Mandolin that will open up new scale opportunities and allow you to find easy ways to play back up, scales, licks leads in any key.

• Learn a “fretboard roadmap” to allow you to continue to explore new ideas for years to come.

• Learn a number of great licks and tricks to add to your toolbox and improve your playing and jamming ability.

The workshop will also address essential practice techniques, music theories and tips that every player should know in order to get the most out of their practice time and improve their playing at an accelerated pace. We will also, jam, laugh, and have fun… promise!

The best part is that all students receive free samples of Dunlop Acoustic Mandolin strings and picks.

For more info visit the St. Louis Folk School site.

Dunlop Strings player Jeff Burke had been a professional musician for the last ten years touring and performing all over the US and the world as part of the group Jeff & Vida. He has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Yonder Mountain Stringband’s Harvest Music Festival, The Rainforset World Music Festival in Borneo and this year will be performing at Merlefest in North Carolina. During his last 5 years in Nashville, TN Jeff has spent time with some of Nashville’s greatest mandolin players studying and learning new ways of playing and looking at the mandolin.