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From RayT - "Some people think that their job makes them too important to retire.". In the case of the guy i mentioned,he was exactly that. A senior systems engineer with 50 years of experience....

I started playing with this tune and had some fun with it, decided to make a brief tutorial on how to play the song Green River by Creedance Clearwater Revival.

I have a lot of projects going on...

Both John Flynn and Tobin correctly state what introvert/extrovert personality aspects are. My company used to put a lot of stock in the Myers-Briggs personality types and sent us all to more than...

I've been in bands and ensemble groups. I've never been the leader of a touring group. What Danny Barnes describes in his attributes of the perfect sideman to me go over the top, beyond band...

Turmeric with black pepper work for me. I have arthritis at the base of my left thumb.
Stopped playing certain songs and chords about 10 years ago. I've been using turmeric mixed with black pepper...

Thanks for all the responses folks, and sorry I wasn't participating in the discussion -- I pretty much forgot that I posted this. I've now got a lot of listening ahead of me!

This thread brought...

I have tried composing melodies, and even taken some courses and workshops on composition, and I cannot create a tune that interests me, much less delights me as much as the tunes already out there....

I need me one of them there picks that don't get hot sos I could stop burning my fingers on them fast songs.

It's been a terrific decade interacting with the folks here at the Mandolin Cafe. Special thanks to Scott for giving me a platform to share my enthusiasm for some of the great NYC-based BG and...

1. Every piece of music was composed once by someone. Lots of tunes/songs that are "public domain" -- i.e., no longer under copyright -- get listed as "traditional" because [a] they're old, and [b]...

I agree it would be interesting to hear Mr. Dudenbostal's input. As stated earlier, Silverangels are built with EJ75 gauges in mind, and there's definitely a difference in how mine sounds and the...

A friend of mine & a fellow UK Cafe member used to use Thomastik strings on his Heiden "A" style when he first got it. To say that they were 'underpowered' would be a gross understatement,it was just...

Some luthiers (like Ken Ratcliff) build with EJ75's in mind from the bench. Meanwhile, some players find that overstringing a mandolin can actually choke the tone. In your position, I'd start by...

And that Eldon Shamblin guy on guitar.

Blues in G followed by Fat Boy Rag

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Some fiddling

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Here are 4 videos each containing a common bebop improvising phrase. The lick starts at 4:50 of each video. The first of each vid describes the scale and key each phrase comes from (key of F major,...

If you're playing in a jam or with a band, play to make the others sound better. (As everybody else should be doing) If you do this it makes no difference if you shred or play subtly...it'll sound...

Hello,

Just to share my experience of years of music.

In the begining I tried to play solos on the trumpet with lots of notes, pentatonic and blues scales played very fast, but without no...

I'm not a mandolin player (started out on bass, now play ukulele, some four-string theme going on here) but I've seen several musicians progress from intermediate to accomplished on various...

I found this piece of brilliance by Chris Thile. I love it. A good example of doing it all - keeping relevant to the tune, and going fast and furiously creative.

And making an old war horse...

I'd suggest, if OP wants to adopt a more "melodic" style, to learn some fiddle tunes -- just the melody -- and play them cleanly as possible. Then start improvising off the melody, perhaps playing...

Good point Jim. Starting out as a new player, many notes will occupy your time but melody based breaks inform your ear and your playing. I enjoy both style breaks but melody based breaks are my...

I don't even like to watch/listen to flashy pickers anymore. Give me some simple and melodic playing any day.

I haven't shared the journey as I am at best a mediocre improviser, and spontaneous real time composition in public is never something I look forward to. Especially when the melody itself is often so...

Jim,
I also consider myself to be an intermediate player and like you I prefer to hear the melody. I have a bit of arthritis in my hands, 30 years as a photographer developing prints does that to...

I agree, and post a few similar sentiments from the late great Thelonious Monk (sorry for the all caps):

"STOP PLAYING ALL THOSE WEIRD NOTES, PLAY THE MELODY!"

"WHAT YOU DON’T PLAY CAN BE MORE...