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First, congratulations on finding some people who want to play together! That's the important first step for any club, jam, or session.

I think this is going to be your main challenge, but first...

We will be having our June meeting on Wednesday June 19.
If you would like to join us, participate or just sit in with us you are welcome.
Feel free to send me a Private Message for further...

Hung on a wall (guitars on stands). My basement is a dedicated music space and we have no children and only a cat for a pet. If we have a party, all instruments go in cases to avoid kids and...

I just picked one up. It needs new strings, and I am wondering what Seagull puts on, or what others use. I am thinking a light gauge, not my usual J74s.

I have had my mandolins on wall hangers for years. Never had one fall. The only thing they get is dusty sometimes. I cover the peg head/tuners with a hat. I play them less when stored in cases.
...

I live near Brockville and would be interested in more information on joining.
Thanks!
Rick

I’ve had one for three years and still play it quite often. It’s my favourite for casual living room picking or learning a new tune on. I find the tone quite warm and it’s comfortable to play. I...

I think you should learn all kinds of chord shapes and use them as you see fit - the only person who gets to decide what sounds good is....you. I alternate between open, 2 and 3 finger chords and...

-no you're not dense :)
Everyone here is learning, and because it’s a Global website in a sense, then lots of people do lots of things differently. It’s cool. I really like MandolinCafe.
Good luck!

To all interested,
We are exploring the possibility of starting a mandolin club or society in Ottawa Canada.
All are welcome to inquire. We plan to explore various genre based upon members wishes....

Thanks for the positive feedback Martin. I will certainly follow up with your suggestions. I know Alf!
I'll proceed with a couple of informal meetings with interested players and offer your...

Here's a cover I recorded with some friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-QgnYc6usM

For me, it's been a long journey to get to where I feel reasonably competent maneuvering about the fretboard, so my first piece of advice is "Give it some time". I've been going at it for 12+ years...

I think it requires humility on both parts. Seasoned players need to be compassionate and supportive of new players but new players need to learn to recognize their limits. It is important to try...

Ranald, you raise some good points here.



I agree that's a good format. Out here where I live in the wilds of the PNW, there are one or two sessions like that, but most are at a "fixed" skill...

Inspired by sbhikes and this thread, I headed down to the "Celtic Kitchen Party" this afternoon, only to find a group of confused people standing outside a locked pub. My sweetheart called the...

We'll agree to disagree then. :)

To my mind, there is no "one size fits all" rule for jams, where beginners should have automatic entitlement to participate. I believe advanced players have just...

I wouldn't make a snap judgement without knowing the circumstances and history of that jam. Like some of the higher-end Irish sessions in my area, this jam could have a history of people wandering in...

I’m lucky because there is a Slow Session close to me. Welcoming, play at a manageable pace and let me pick tunes that I know! I the least experienced there and someone’s always happy to shout out...

I think your last sentence describes what I would do

That's some really great encouragement there, sbhikes!

Still...

I'm only 6 months into my bluegrass mandolin learning journey, and even though I practice daily and I'm making good progress,...

My view is that in a jam I am absolutely not responsible for every darn note in the chord. There are guitars, banjos, dulcimers, who knows what, and among them all someone I am sure will be playing...

To all interested,
We are exploring the possibility of starting a mandolin orchestra in Ottawa Canada.
All are welcome to inquire.
Feel free to comment here or send a personal message to me.
We...

Hi!

https://youtu.be/mT2OSTlqi0s

My son is applying for a scholarship and asked me if I could post here for him. He has enrolled in a 5 week summer music program in Boston next year and is required to submit 3 videos and write an...