CELTIC Connections is with us once again, the city's yearly bid to relight the fires of traditional music. And with the arrival of the 16th annual event comes a musical challenge.

CELTIC Connections is with us once again, the city's yearly bid to relight the fires of traditional music. And with the arrival of the 16th annual event comes a musical challenge.

"As showbiz writer you should embrace the values of traditional folk music," said the Evening Times features editor, grinning.

"Celtic Connections is running beginners classes in lots of instruments. Why don't you go off and learn to play one, show others it can be done.?"

"Mmm. Such as?"

"Such as the ukulele."

"No chance. Too George Formby. Whenever I walk past the Sports Desk they'll break out in a chorus of When I'm Cleaning Windows."

"What about banjo. You look like a banjo player."

"Don't think so. Too Deliverance. I can't hear a banjo without thinking about hillbillies, canoe trips, crossbows and moonshine."

Now, it may appear as though I was rigidly against the idea of pulling on the Fair Isle jumper, growing facial hair and sticking one finger in my ear, figuratively speaking.

But that's not the case. I did once spend a lot of Sunday nights at St Margaret's Folk Club in Johnstone.

Okay, my main reason for going was the attractions of Pauline O'Donnell, but I did discover the delights of people such as the late Danny Kyle, who lends his name to the free nightly Open Stage at the Concert Hall, and Hamish Imlach.

Then I remembered I actually own a mandolin, a present from my pal who bought if for me after I said I loved the mandolin solo in Rod Stewart's Maggie May.

But that was two years ago and it's only been out of its case once, put back quickly when I realised I couldn't tune the thing.

"Okay, mandolin it is. I'll get called Captain Correlli for a couple of weeks, but so be it."

Two days later Ian Steel, secretary of the Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association has fixed me up with Graham Thomson, a 20-year-old who is one of the UK's mandolin masters, a three times winner of the Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Federation Competition.

Ian's association began taking the mandolin into primary schools back in 1999, and an appearance at Kirktonholme Primary School in East Kilbride unearthed Graham.

"Like most kids I had no idea what a mandolin was," says Graham, the youngest mandolin tutor in Britain and the RSAMD's first mandolin student.

"But I was bored at the time and I thought I would have a go. And amazingly, I loved it."

And it shows. He has magic fingers. But can he teach a middle-aged dog new tricks? In an hour."

Graham begins with the basics; how to hold the eight-string instrument, how to angle the wrist, keep the fingers close, how to place the fingers on the strings, pick the strings, how to achieve the tremolo sound that we associate with Italian restaurants and Wall's Cornetto ads.

That takes about five minutes, then it's down to playing a tune. He plays Scottish kids song Coulter's Candy, and then shows me how to play it. It seems easy. But it's not.

The amazing thing is no matter how many times I hit a bum note, Graham is still encouraging, empathetic and supportive. Like Cheryl Cole but without the great legs.

And after about 15 minutes I think I've actually got cracked it.

"You're doing really well," says Graham. "I've had students who are much, much worse than you."

And I know he means well with that comment. And I know this because his personal tutoring classes are more popular than Rihanna. And the mandolin itself is growing in popularity.

The mandolin open day at the Concert Hall on Sunday was sold out. And the first teaching class is headed that way too.

"We will offer places to 60 people, but we could take in at least a hundred," says Ian Steel. "We're limited to 60 because that's how many mandolins we can lay our hands on."

Meanwhile, I moved on from Coulter's Candy. Ally bally and me were so intimate by now people were beginning to talk. And in any case, the two blokes fixing the lights in the hall reckoned I was good enough to move on. Or perhaps they'd simply had enough.

"Let me show you some chords," said Graham.

And that was the fun part, the idea of playing joined up notes which means if you can master a few you can give the impression you can actually play the instrument (which was once the second most popular in Britain in the 19th century, after the piano).

And once I'd mastered G, C and D the world was my oyster. I played rhythm while Graham ran up and down the fretboard.

It was wonderful. I'm a mandolin player. Okay, at beginner level.

But Graham doesn't stop there. He teaches me the mandolin solo in Maggie May and a few guitar riffs such as Smoke on the Water.

I can now completely understand why the mandolin in Scotland in enjoying a renaissance, why there is even a mandolin orchestra.

And now I'm going home to practise.

Wonder if the old Fair Isle jumper is still in the cupboard?

• Mandolin For Beginners, January 24 at 11am at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Call 0141 353 8000 to book.