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I like Power Tab better for mando-centric stuff and Anvil Studio for writing "bigger" pieces. Both are free.

To me, none is sadder than C minor. This site has some interesting opinions on the characteristics of all the keys, major and minor.

I tried putting the pad of my thumb on the back of the neck for a while. I developed some serious playing problems that way - just playing half-decent was tough, and the tension in my thumb was...

Having a cruddy memory, I can sometimes forget what beat I'm on when I count "trip-a-let" rather than 1-trip-let 2-trip-let etc.

I don't waste my time or money on the chain stores around here.. never have anything I care to buy as far as music goes. Can't even find half-decent punk rock at the Hot Topic for crying out loud.
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Lightnbrassy, those are also known as pouchettes. Unfortunately, a style of handbag goes by the same name, so Louis Vuitton tends to overwhelm search results when trying to find information on them....

Jean, one way you can tell is by the chord progression. If it's based on the major key, it will usually have the ol' I-IV-V (G-C-D in G) prominent, especially at the end. A song in minor will work...

I only have two, but they wreck the havoc of six; I'm lucky enough to have an office/music room that keeps my mandos safe from hairballs and fighting kitties.

Too much of a hassle for me to groom them, though I've been pretty lucky lately and they haven't been peeling off (eww).

I'm probably not half the musician you are, but I could never do a thing on the guitar either; plodding through chords was fun for a little, but I only stayed with it for nine months or so before...

Probably not all that helpful, but I think "Rose Division" is one of the coolest tunes in there.

Anti Flag - "For Blood and Empire." I bet that's a popular one here.

Tuition got me too - could've bought a few old Gibsons with this semester's expenses http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I'm a flat-broke factory worker/college student and my Rogue and Kentucky 250s have kept me going since high school. They're not even close to Mid-Mos, but they open up a lot of possibilites I...

I live in central PA (Amish country) and there are hardly any mando pickers I know of. It's a pretty woeful place for just about all the arts; not so much for family businesses...

Audacity is a favorite of mine, it can take a little work to get tracks synched properly but it's powerful and free.

What Eugene said.

I'm in pretty much the same boat as you, Vermonter. I'm trying not to use open strings that much, but of course you'll still want to use them if you need a longer ringing tone.
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Hey, that's not a bad idea! My wife's been using stuff called Foam-tastic for some projects of hers; it comes in sheets and is about as thick as leather. I think I'll ask her to make something like...

I've been grappling with this a lot lately. Like Alex, my left thumb tends to tense up when I'm not paying attention; I make a point of looking out for this while practicing and seeing if I can't...

If you know some theory, you could try looking at counterpoint for some ways to play smoothly, rather than percussively, behind a melody.

As far as the rhythm of your notes goes, it's not a bad...

College or no college, I think everyone should know what it's like to be poor and on your own, at least for a little while; you learn very quickly how to survive, prioritize, and enjoy yourself...

Hey, my birthday's this Friday so I won't mind if Scott's gift comes a little late http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

I tune mine down a whole step unless I'm going to be playing with others (a rarity). It's a bit easier to play and sounds a lot better on my little pacrim.

I've been at it for just over two years now, though I haven't been playing as much lately as I should.

Maine Michael, I couldn't agree more. The suggestion that people who enjoy the songs on this disc (myself included) are incapable of thinking for themselves is annoying, to say the least. And for...