 His father worked for his father worked for Pratt-Whitney.Initially, he studied the banjo (classic 5-string and tenor) and Mandolin with Walter K. Bauer (1954–1958), then the lute with Joseph Iadone (1958–1961) and mandoline with Martha Blackman - he also played the cello.As a lutenist, Tyler performed and recorded with New York Pro Musica, with whom he first recorded.