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Rhys Jones' Starry Crown that Jim mentioned is a great record. Another of Rhy's classics is the album "Bulldog" with really strong stuff. A long-time admirer of his and a great source of tunes.

A...

I also have the big book of 'cello chords, and wreded's one-page is a very nice quick-reference addition. I, however, do hit a lot of open low notes, especially the open C whenever possible, and hit...

Thanks to Mark, Ranald and Foldedpath for their replies. There's a lot to be uncovered here, and will be fun to explore.

As far as the session thing goes, I'm not disagreeing that there's a place...

"It'd have to be an exceptionally good one (IMO). Not meaning to be argumentative or anything, but I'd be skeptical that the average classical string quartet would be able to bring a fiddle tune to...

I think there are a few too many generalizations going on here. Bluegrass has gone from performance music to social-picking music. A year or so ago, there was a thread here asking about who went to...

The basic problem with labels is this: if you want them to be strictly applied, you'll choke off your favorite style of music. If you allow some leeway in verbiage, your favorite genre will expand....

I posted this link before somewhere, but here's an article from almost 12 years ago talking about the same sort of new-meets-old, but this was nearer to the beginning of the alternative things, when...

But isn't the intent of music we're discussing non-intellectual? Old time certainly was low country (as in worker, farmer, folks of "low intellect" as per the mill owners, plantation owners, bankers,...

A superb suggestion for another snowed-in day. And Ronald, I especially appreciate your point of view on that subject. That's what makes the P.E.I. music so interesting to me; it's impossible to tell...

The good thing about threads like this is they give you something to do if you're stuck in yet another nor'easter. Outside of that..

I was going to use the old "Old-time is meant for playing in...

I didn't think there was anything partisan about it. He was simply trying, pretty effectively, to differentiate the two. I do see what his main premise is, though, and that's to avoid lumping forms...

Hmmm. Not sure the three things you discuss are exclusive to bluegrass, enough to consider them defining characteristics. Recording affected all forms of music, flat-picked guitar predated bluegrass,...

Thanks for this. Going to live music is more than just listening to music, it's about building a whole community, if even for the duration of the performance. In concert series, it's an ongoing...

I have a couple that I share with kids or fiends who just want to bang away and see what mandolins are all about. They sound fine, work well (needed some tiny adjustments) but on the whole, 200...

Yup! Now we're into overlap with the other thread on the placebo effect of the name on the headstock of an instrument. I think we can safely say, based on all this, is that if you play the bathroom...

Yeah, I didn't explain myself very well.. However, to be technically correct, the mandolin doesn't change it's sound regardless of distance or room. It sounds exactly what it sounds like, and can...

That the tone was a function of the top, and not the back and sides.

That was the one purchase I regret. The yacht, not so much.

On a more serious note (which has the potential to ruin the thread, I know) I actually really like listening to Hillary Hahn's and Hauischka's improvisational recording. Hauschka is an experimental...

I've come around on this. The fact that tis is actually available on Amazon is fantastic. Why, 50 years ago we had to go into studio, record, press 45's, pay some dj to get them on the air, talk the...

Tom makes a great point, but I think I agree with JL277z here. I rarely see anyone interested in musician's instruments in over 20 years of presenting shows. Not one commented on Mike Marshall's two...

Eh, I don't think anyone got their nose that out of joint. It's a fun conversation with no end game, which is just fine. There are lots of folks here who get interested in a topic like this, get into...

The one thing to remember regarding an instrument's shortcomings is that once you get to a level, you can use any instrument's qualities to your advantage. Art Tatum,the phenomenal jazz player, used...

The only thing I'll disagree with here is that I don't believe new players lack an "ear". You're born with that. What you lack are the confidence in your skills to really dig in, pick with different...

That's a great point, about changing the looks. In Britain, during the old track races, it was illegal for a bicycle builder to put decals identifying his company's work, so they brought forth many...