AlBrown’s seven thousand, six hundred and nineteen comments

The popularity of specific tunes seems to ebb and flood over time. People play the heck out of them, get sick of them, stop playing them for years, and then someone says, "remember those old tunes we used to love?" and they start playing them again. Since... more…

Simple is better. Play the tune clearly and with feeling, and let the melody speak for itself. more…

If public venues keep falling through, take turns hosting the session in each other's kitchens. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. more…

Get a Clarke. Cheap, with a nice, chiffy sound. Not too piercing, so you blend better with others at the session. And when I was learning, I found it easier to transition between octaves on the Clarke. I've played a lot of whistles over the year, but keep... more…

Can't help you with sheet music, but yes, she is a mighty good fiddler. more…

As scary as some folks might find this thought, I suspect that drumming came first... more…

I just dip the mouthpiece in Listerine. more…

Never play a tune so fast in practice that you end up practicing making mistakes. Slow and steady wins the race. more…

All practice has value, as long as you start slowly and carefully enough that you don't practice mistakes. more…

Put your best foot forward, and play them your "party pieces," the tunes you know and play best. Even if they don't know them and join in, they will enjoy hearing someone playing the tunes they love. more…