Guilty pleasures

[Santiago]

Other than my nose (that's another string), I like pickin' old 1960 and 70s a.m. hits when no one's around. The other day my wife caught me playing Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun" in a moment of weakness. I did penance by playing "Rock Star" by Karen Carpenter for her -- her favorite song. That is a great song actually, but I don't know that I want my buddies to hear me. What guilty pleasures will you admit to (playing only please) when you think no one's listening?

[JEStanek]

If I only had a brain and a silly tune I made up myself. Really simple first position fiddle tune.

Jamie

[AlanN]

TV themes - Andy Griffiths, Gilligan's Island, MASH, old Shaeffer beer jingle, Never On Sunday

[Santiago]

Hey Jamie, I always play "If I Only Had a Brain" on my guitar. I fear you may have suggested a new bad habbit. I won't be able to resist trying it out on mando.:D

[Santiago]

AlanN: Try the odd couple theme too!

[arbarnhart]

For pentatonic scale practice, I sometimes play the theme from the Banana Splits Show...

[AlanN]

AlanN: Try the odd couple theme too!
Nah, Stiernberg beat me to it http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Ted Eschliman]

Christmas songs.
In July...

[John Flynn]

I can't help myself, I like to do the opening riff to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

[EdSherry]

I confess to playing what I call "Motown mandolin." And "Good Lovin'" is always a favorite way to waste time.

[mandocrucian]

What guilty pleasures will you admit to (playing only please) when you think no one's listening?
I don't feel "guilty" about anything I play or like; I got over that a long long time ago. And I don't care if someone is listening or not - I'll play whatever I feel like it, whether it is a Burt Bacharach number, Madonna's "Live To Tell", some garage band 'nugget', the theme from "The Great Escape" or "Topkapi" or whatever......

Years ago, there were records that I really dug that would get crummy or ho-hum reviews in Rollng Stone or other mags. That would insert some negative vibes into my head, but, that was before I figured out that my tastes in music were a whole lot better (and wider) than a lot of those people (non-musicians to boot) that were writing that stuff. (And other pickers too)

I remember when bluegrassers (including players) would almost automatically respond to any Irish/Scottish/English jig or reel (with the exceptions of "Red Haired Boy" and "Soldier's Joy" - which they thought were American tunes) with derision and Homer Simpsonesque imitations of the Lucky Charms leprechaun. I find the current turnabout rather "ironic", to say the least.

NH

[wsm]

I been playin some train songs:

Locomotive Breath ala Jethro Tull, Crazy Train by Ozzy and just for kicks Sabbath's Paranoid.

I was never a metal head but I am really enjoying putting my acoustic twist on these little diddys..

[Santiago]

Ed: "Good Lovin" is probably a real good workout for the chop chords.

[EdSherry]

Santiago -- I tend to play it with a "shuffle" groove that doesn't work too well with chop chords. I prefer ringing chords and a lot of double stops. But I surely do emphasize the back beat.

[Santiago]

I like to warm up by playing whatever comes into my head spontaneously. Typically I'll play a chord or a run, and it will suggest a song I've heard -- so I try to play whatever song it was that came to mind. Often it's hokey or corney, but those hooks are what makes a song stick to your memory. I'd rather have someone hear me when I'm playing a deeper level of music, but I get Mandocurician's point: If I'm enjoying the playing of it, it's all good. And, lot of corny musical thoughts suggest much better ideas. I've written four songs noodling off a known piece.

[ira]

kids tunes- happy and you know it, hokey pokey, etc...
not too guilty about it though.

[DryBones]

Wild Thing using 2 finger chords G-C-D http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[tree]

Whenever I put on new strings, I like to indulge myself on the tone of my Huss and Dalton 14-fret DS.

Both Sides Now, to the derision of my wife.

Grandfather Clock (my pitiful imitation of Tony Rice's gorgeous ringing tone, especially on the G string, from Tone Poems). Sometimes I like to just twist the pick a little, back up toward the bridge a bit and try to squeeze out the tone of the G string like TR does on that old 'bone.

Mother Nature's Son.

On mando, Under The Board Walk.

[Jason Kessler]

I'm with Niles: no guilty pleasures here. If I like it, I'll play it, alone or on stage. I like bluegrass, and have played in a couple of bluegrass bands. I've also played mando in several rock bands, and wound up performing Ramones, the Faces, and the Stones among others. Let the bluegrass police start writing up their tickets, I'll still park wherever I want. It's all Music, it's all good.

[Ken Waltham]

" I Will" by the Beatles. Works so well on mandolin.

[Rick Schmidlin]

Evergreen: some times I think Coltrane some times How The West Was Won. Of course then I play it in CINEARAMA http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Adam Tracksler]

a couple weeks ago at a jam we did a bunch of Spinal Tap tunes...it was fun and funny. we alsmost didnt make it through "Big Bottoms", we were all laughing so hard!

[mandopete]

Frankenstein by Edgar Winter

[Soupy1957]

The "Arkansas Traveler" (Lead) ...or "Whiskey Before Breakfast" (lead).
-Soupy1957
They warm up my fingers

[AlanN]

" I Will" by the Beatles. Works so well on mandolin.
Yes, Ken. That, and "Because"...well, just because http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[tree]

Love that cut (Because) on Anthology 3, where it is just the vocal tracks. Gorgeous harmonization, ethereal to hear it "a capella" because we're so familiar with the acompaniment that we (I do, anyway) tend to fill it in mentally. #The lads could sing, no doubt.

I bet the accompaniment IS fun on mando.

[johnsmusic]

"Is This Love" by Bob Marley is nice on the mando. Had to learn it for a wedding and end up picking it out quite often. Of course, "I Shot the Sheriff" by Marley works great too.

[keymandoplyr]

Mandopete where you find all those sound effects for Frankenstein ?? lol

[Strange1]

For me when I'm warming up it's "Rawhide". as fast as I can play it or, "My window faces the south"

Jack

[mounmon]

"Is This Love" by Bob Marley is nice on the mando"Johnsmusic

Just curious what key you play this in?

[johnsmusic]

F# minor I think it's the original key.

[caddy jim]

Misty...
and Mr. Bojangles...