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I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but there's an old Stanley Brothers recording of East Virginia, where Ralph sets aside his banjo, and plays mandolin with fingerpicks. It's worth hearing.

I busk in my downtime.

I busk at some Ren Faires and similar events. In those cases, I'm already booked as an entertainer; I don't just walk in and start playing. I mostly play fiddle, but sometimes mandolin or octave...

It tends to be singles or change, with some fives. Occasionally, a bigger bill. One time, I got a bunch of $6 tips: parent and child would walk up, the kid would drop in a one, and then the parent...

Vassar also plays a flatpicked break on Paddy On The Turnpike from the Crossing The Catskills album.

I've tried it; I sound terrible, but Vassar did it well.

Somebody at work gave me the info about that show. I said, "I'm trying to stay clean and sober on that."

I stopped going to those long ago because I always brought something home.

Soldier's Joy is originally a British Isles tune, supposedly about payday. Another name for the tune is King's Head -- gold coins had the king's profile on them.

I should clarify. I was the only one not pugged in, and I was drowned out. The problem may have been the house sound system ( or sound man), because we haven't had this problem before. The sound man...

After a recent situation where I was the only one not plugged in, I'm thinking it may be time to look at pickups. With this band I'm using a Flatiron Army-Navy style mandola, also a dreadnought...

I play a few tunes fingerstyle on my OM, plus I use it under my singing on some things. I use a flatpick more often, though.

I play a lot of Ren faires, so mine is often called a lute. I usually reply that it's closer to a cittern.

At one event, I saw guy walking in early that morning with an odd-shaped case. When I...

I love to hear a well-played J-harp! Then again, I collect the twangy things.

I have a mandolin that I tend to keep in some cross-tuning or other -- currently it's back in standard because my son had a very fleeting interest in taking up mandolin. I haven't gotten around to...

Kitchen Musician has a small collection titled something like Medieval & Renaissance Faque Book. I've learned some good tunes from there. I've also drawn some good tunes from Cantiga's book.

What...

Talk to the audience. I've seen plenty of groups who could play well, but in between numbers sounded like, "Ummm, hi, we're the String Band Boys. OK, uhhhh, we're gonna play Old Joe Clark. OK."

Wild Horses at Stony Point

As far as I know, the Mandolin Society/Mandolindy is no longer active.

South side Indy here.

Some that I play:

French -- Bransle de Chevaux (Horse's Bransle), Bouree de Mouton, Bransle l'Officiale (the melody of Ding Dong Merrily On High)
English -- Black Nag, Hole In The Wall, Parson's...

I took lessons for a couple of years as a kid. I never got very good; I was always clueless what to do with the left hand, and I never really learned to read bass clef.

But forty years later, I'm...

Mostly old-time, in various tunings. I'm wondering about trying CGDA again, and learning contest style back-up, but that hasn't happened yet.

At Ren faires, I tend to play a lot of English Country Dance tunes, some French Country Dance tunes, and a mish-mash of other things. I've heard plenty of groups that get by at these playing Irish...

What sort of music are you looking to play? I have trouble getting to any, but there are bluegrass jams, Irish sessions, a floating old-time session, a folk and dulcimer club that has some jamming at...

I wonder, with the fiddle soundpost, if it would have much sustain. I'm tempted to drive up there and check it out, but my wife would want me to leave my wallet at home.

Yes, on that Crossing The Catskills album, it specifically says in the liner notes that Vassar is using a flatpick.