Good morning

[Rick Schmidlin]

Good morningh I'm off to meetiing after my wake up coffeee. Then to a map conferance on the UBC campus.Later I will go but cat food. And this even relax with a gal and catch a movie on TV. This morning I will play a half hour of songs before going out. I may sneak back this afternoon for some study and this evening get another hour in. How does you mandolin fit into your day http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

PS yesterday I was to bizzy to play alot:(

[Ken Olmstead]

I am resting a bit from playing a little too much the last couple days but I will get about an hour of light playing in this afternoon. This morning I am preparing to sell a guitar and some other items on ebay. As well as another guitar on craig's list with a eye on buying an oval hole! I will go for a long walk and if there is time... fit some studying in! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Mr. Loar]

Whenever the mood hits me; morning, noon, or night.

[John Flynn]

When I'm getting ready to play out, whether for church, a jam or an actual performance, that gets me really fired up and I make lots of time for playing. I seem to have the instrument in my hands a lot. Then it's everything else that I have to make time for. When I'm not gearing up for something, it's more casual. I just play for relaxation and enjoyment. I have never really found that balance of "practice versus playing" and playing a consistent amount every day, even though I know I should.

[Greg H.]

I'm a nighttime player most of the time. During the day there's usually too much going on (at least until after dinner). Either I've got work to do, or my son has his 120 watt guitar amp cranked and he's working on some Metalicca tune (my mandolins are loud but. . . . .), or my daughter is practicing piano or. . . . . After 9:00, however, I can usually disappear into the music room and my own time. Practice is playing and vice versa for me so if I'm learning something new or playing stuff I know it's all practice for me.

Weekends of course are much more flexible.

[lmartnla]

I was on my way out to do chores, but the mandolin was lying right there so I picked it up to try to play a tune (woodchopper) I had been playing from tablature last night. #It needed tuning but i was only gonna be a minute, but I didn't hit the tune the first time through, and had to noodle around awhile to get it, then I had to play it through right and it reminded me of another tune (Oklahoma Redbird-thanks to Jim Richter) so I played it, but then decided I needed some pinky work and started in on President Garfield and after just a few minutes I got yelled at and had to rush to get the errands done before lunch. These are the times when I really learn the tunes, when I step away and do them on my own, so it's worth getting yelled at.--lou

[Mark Sullivan]

Last night I "practiced" for about a half an hour. Tonight I may play from 1 to 2 hours with a guitarist at an open mic in a storefront mission to the homeless, depending if anyone else shows up to play. Saturday I may play another couple of songs with the same guitarist at another open mic at "The Stable" coffee house in Chelmsford, Mass. Sunday night about a half an hour to 45 min with a different guitarist at the storefront mission [livingwaterslowell.org]. Thats about twice as much as I usually get to play. But what fun!!

[Jason Holmes]

I was on my way out to do chores, but the mandolin was lying right there so I picked it up to try to play a tune...
Funny how that happens. I was about to leave for work yesterday when I got to thinking about how my intonation was noticeably off the night before on my main mandolin. This didn't sit well with me, leaving it in such a state, so I sat down and adjusted and got my intonation all in order. Then I went to work. Priorities...

As for playing time, I'm a night-time player for the most part. There's just too much going on in the daylight hours.

[F5GRun]

I love to pick some tunes out on my front stairs (huge and aluminum) as soon as I get home from work. Its a great way to get lost in music and totally forget about work and other responsibilities. Usually have some passer bys stop and listen, sometime it will turn into an all night jam session. Sometimes it only last for one beer. I cant wait for 4:30pm!!!!!!

[Windflite]

never at dusk.

[acousticcowboy]

I carry my mando almost everywhere. I even take it to work. I work in an engineering office. I often play during my lunch in an empty room somewhere. Even when I don't have time to play, I like to get it out of the case just to hold it and wipe it down. Once home I pick it up every chance I get, but set aside 1 to 2 hours a night for serious practice. Plus I'm in two bands so I get to play it at those rehearsals every week as well. I never dreamed I could ever be so taken by this little instrument!

[Alex Orr]

I'm mostly a morning picker. I play for an hour or so before heading to the office.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I do my best to get the day to fit in around my Mandolin playing. Get the chores done & then it's all free for some serious pickin'. Being retired has it's benefits as well as it's
downside,
Saska http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[B. T. Walker]

The best time for playing uninterrupted is when I let the dog out for his "walkies", most often between 3 and 4 a.m. I'm usually up for an hour, and you've occasionally seen posts from me at that time when I wasn't playing mando. It's quiet, and I'm not disturbing anyone but the cucarachas out in the workshop. That's when I hear the other songs that fit progressions. Also a good time on Sundays to play along with "Blues Before Sunrise" out of Chicago, when I've heard several Johnny Young recordings.

[Mike Snyder]

I'm a respiratory therapist in a small hospital. I usually haul my mando into work in the hope that I'll have some time to play along with the jukebox feature at B****Hangout. Great old-time clawhammer/fiddle tunes, and a lot of them. Work definitely comes first, but sometimes it's slow and I can work on Temperance Reel. Or listen to Brilliancy and wonder "how the heck?" My department is pretty isolated, so I don't bother anybody, and my boss is okay with it. A hospital can go nuts in about 3 seconds, so I'm always ready to put the G down and run. Got a few fiddle tunes under my belt this way.

[Jim]

Coffee first and some light reading and then ,on my days off, my second cup o joe and a Mandolin ( or Guitar or Flute ) either in my studio or on the front porch to play for the Llamas. As for work days , I'm the weekend x-ray tech in a small hospital and play in the back room when there's time. The CEO said it's against the rules but everyone else likes it and they don't tell on me.