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I have a mandolin made by Peter Coombe in December 2000. When I bought it (maybe 15 years ago), I emailed Peter and he told me the woods he'd used. I'm almost positive that he said it had an unusual...

Thanks for posting! How to play jigs (or anything else) is always an interesting topic to discuss, but I enjoy the discussion more if there are examples to listen to also.

You're going pretty fast...

DUDDUD just felt natural for me - I think it that it works that way for some people, just as for others a more free approach seems natural. I'm self-taught and never worked on picking patterns, but...

I forgot to point out that in the short clip I included, I play the first part of the Humours of Glendart (twice) using DUDDUD, and then play the first part again attempting as best I can to use...

You started playing in June 2020 - you're sounding great for six months playing! Cheers.

Here's an attempt to illustrate the difference between DUDDUD and DUDUDU.

It's NOT a fair example, as I use DUDDUD mostly for jigs and therefore I'm better at playing that way. But I think it does...

Sessions! Just playing in a session will be great, but aside from the enjoyment of playing music with others there's the additional random element:
- Going to sessions where you don't know anyone...

Certainly wouldn't suggest my practice is a model for everybody, but on tenor banjo (similar scale length) I find that I use mandolin fingering unless:
- The tune requires notes on first fret (e.g....

Good luck with it. I find myself that above 105-110 bpm, I pretty much have to use forearm movement. And, like you, I have to drop the number of ornaments at the higher speeds too. Let us know how it...

I do recognize that many great players play with only wrist motion, but there are some great players who don't. Why don't they? I don't know but I do think it's possible that not everyone can play...

Everybody's different so for me... you only need to feel that this mandolin is sufficient to satisfy the criteria you had when you started looking. And I've had quite a few instruments over the years...

I'm very interested to hear of this approach. I've been experimenting with it, and while I find the sequence more difficult than D-U-U, I can see how it might be possible to play much faster and more...

Nice jig! Very close relation to the jig Father O'Flynn (also I think called The Top of The Cork Road).

A video of an online set I did for the Irish Pastoral Center, an organization in San Francisco. There are quite a few songs/tunes but if you go to YouTube and watch it there, the first post gives...

Hi Folks,

Just thought I'd let you know in case any of you might be interested. I'm playing for an hour on Zoom this Sunday at 4pm PST (midnight in Ireland, sorry!). I'll be playing mandolin and...

Interesting, thanks for doing it. I listened to the whole thing twice, once over speakers, and once with earbuds. I think I can hear what you mean with the Gilchrist's high end. Listening on the...

Never Too Late by John Holt. Not sure when it was published, but I'm guessing seventies. No mandolin content, but it's a great book about an adult beginner taking up cello (after a brief dalliance...

Lovely, and really nice how you've played it.

I certainly don't think my technique is as good as it could be, but in the interests of providing another perspective, here's more or less how it works for me.
For fast tempo, say above 110bpm, I...

Yes, exactly. The original book had a floppy record with some of the tunes/songs played on it. But it seems to me that some might be useful to have more recordings/videos of other tunes/songs tabbed...

Thanks for the responses.

I was not planning it as a money-making scheme and also not planning to include the tab - I think the latter would clearly be breaking copyright. I just thought I'd like...

Hello all,

I've been thinking of setting myself the task of uploading regular video/audio of mandolin-related content. One idea I had was to learn then record the tabbed out songs in the Bluegrass...

I'd agree with this. Though I'd maybe not describe one as a "must" for standing up playing, it's when I would consider using it. Sitting down, I feel there's no advantage.

Nice playing, Shawn. I play Gold Rush, but after hearing your version I think I'll revise my version and try to get some of your touches into it!

After learning some guitar and playing here and there but mostly solo, I found that I really wanted to play more with other musicians. I wanted to play Irish tunes (not solo), and play behind other...