Bradley Laird's Grass Talk Radio - Bluegrass

GrassTalkRadio.com Bonus Episode 05   Bluegrass Bass Learning System - In this bonus episode I announce the completion of a project 40 years in the making.   It can help you if you want to learn to be a better bass player or it can help that lousy bass player you suffer with. Do yourself a favor and point that dude or dudette to my course.   Read all about it on my own website here. Or, if you wan...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 111 The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men   Mankind, along with many other creatures, is a planner. But often these plans go awry just like the poor mouse in Robert Burns' poem. How can you devise, tweak and implement plans which actually work and bring about positive results?   Plans do work! They can also fail miserably. Come along for this discussion of "plan versus n...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 110 Let's Get Picky - The pick. That's where it starts. You can have a hundred grand tied up in a glorious instrument but if your pick is crummy, or if you use it in a crummy way, you might as well be playing that $99 Amazon deal-of-the day instrument.   Conversely, you could be starting out with that $99 special and take a little care with pick choice–find one that re...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 109 Don't Do Like I Did - When I got home from the jam session last night I had one of those forehead slapping, Homer Simpson "Doh!" moments. I hope you enjoy this little short episode describing something you should never do at a gig or a jam session.   The number of listeners to this podcast has risen over the last months (which is a great thing) but the donations, p...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 108 Listener Questions - By request, I begin this episode by telling the story of how I helped rob a bank! After that I clear my email inbox and answer some listener questions and comments. I decided to do this "on air" because you might have the same question. It's sort of a "kill two birds with one stone" effort. I think you will learn a few things and enjoy hearing...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 107 Gold Nuggets - Sometimes, if you back up and take a second look at things, you will discover some gold nuggets which you missed in your headlong rush the first time! In this episode I explain my "how to ace college" method, guaranteed to bring you up at least 2 letter grades, and the value of note taking and how to challenge your mind. That is a very important topi...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 106 In and Out - You are either on the outside looking in or the inside looking out. Learning how to earn access to the musical circles is key to growth and personal satisfaction. In this episode I discuss the concept of "being in" and how to get "in". I conclude this episode with some sure-fire ways to be "out!" too. Enjoy the show. If you enjoy the show you can suppo...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 105 How To Pick With Grisman - Would your wildest dreams come true if you could sit and jam with David Grisman for hours on end? Or maybe Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Garcia, or any of your musical heros? You'd be surprised at how easily this can be done. And guess what? You will become a better player at the same time. I also give a quick update on the progress of the A...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 104 Homebrewing a Jam Session - If you can only get lousy bread at the store, you should learn to make your own! If the local grocery store only sells crummy rot gut beer, you learn to make your own. If the jam sessions you attend do not suit you, you start your own jam session. Yes. I said you. Don't sit around hoping someone else will take the initiative. Just do it...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 103 Build Something - Plenty of people in the bluegrass realm eventually try their hand at making an instrument. In this episode I discuss my own history of home-made instruments and offer up some tips and encouragement in the hope that you might try it too. If you enjoy the show you can support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradl...

GrassTalkRadio.com Bonus Episode 04 Human Compressors - In this short bonus episode I talk a bit more about audio compressors and make an analogy regarding human behavior. If you enjoy the show you can support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird . For additional goodies, be sure to scope out the show notes here: http://www.bradleylaird.com/podcast/bonu...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 102 Audio Jargon - There are a lot of terms that get thrown about when describing audio. The terms have pretty specific meanings. Are you using the word echo when you really mean reverb? Have you heard the term "compression"? Do you know what it means? If you are a beginner you may think this stuff is not important, but the first time you ever step on a stage – at an o...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 101 Keith Billik of the Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast - This episode is a conversation with a fellow podcaster. We talk about why we do this nutty thing called podcasting, how we got started, and plans for the future. The banjo is an important part of the bluegrass equation and Keith is doing a good job of creating informative and entertaining banjo-centric content. If you...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 100 Buddy Ashmore Interview - The friendships you make in bluegrass are often more important than the music you make. I met Buddy within a few months of starting to play bluegrass and we have knocked around the bluegrass scene for over 40 years. For this 100th episode I decided to call him and just shoot the breeze for a while. Enjoy. If you enjoy the show you can suppor...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 099 Counting Off - If it doesn't bother you that the first 15 seconds of every song your group plays sounds like dog squeeze, don't listen to this episode. However, if you do care, consider the importance of the art of "counting off" songs and listen to this episode. If you enjoy the show you can support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.co...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 098 Year End Wrap Up - A new year is a good time to stop and think about what was accomplished over the last 12 months. It's also a good time to become pensive regarding the future.  After a bit of that I turn to a listener question about deciding who will sing lead in your band. Like many questions... it all depends! If you enjoy the show you can support what I am doing...

GrassTalkRadio.com Bonus Episode 03 Tech Tips - I try not to spend too much time talking about my own site and my own products. My wife has several times listened to a show and said "Brad, that was good but you never mentioned your website address." She's right. Sometimes I do forget. In this episode I am going to give you a "walking tour" of my site, through the labyrinth of secret passages, hall...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 097 The Master Class Story - It is amazing how the entire course of one's life can be altered by one seemingly small event or decision. This is the story of how I was convinced by a student to write my first book. What a can of worms he opened! But, alas. He was right! In addition to sharing the back story of how I got started producing instructional books and videos, I...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 096 10 Good Gadgets - If you hang around picking bluegrass long enough you will eventually be on stage with a band. You may be giggin' a lot or just once in a while. Either way, you are going to experience being part of a "self-contained entertainment" situation. That's the kind of gig where you carry your own sound and lights. It's kinda like back when Bill was carrying...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 095 Common Mistakes - This episode is a discussion of things which I've seen students do that I think hinder their progress. How many of these things are you guilty of? And don't forget--Christmas times a'coming! Learn some Christmas tunes on that mandolin with Jackson's Christmas Songs For Mandolin eBook . If you enjoy the show you can support what I am doing by visitin...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 094 Polishing Vocals - Roll up your sleeves, put some elbow grease into your singing, and the results will astonish you! This episode continues the thread of the importance of good singing in bluegrass. The basics of finding harmony parts was discussed in Episode #93 and today I dig into ways to polish and hone your vocals. Correct notes, accurate harmonizing, and matchi...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 093 Bluegrass Vocal Stacks - What is the best way to move up a rung or two on the ladder of greatness? Improve your singing--in particular your bluegrass harmony singing. In this episode I run through the basics of devising and understanding bluegrass trio singing. Lead, tenor and baritone. I also discuss the three ways to stack bluegrass harmonies: standard trio, high l...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 092 Non-Musical Skills - It's not all about the music. Yes, good musical skills are important but there are a lot of other handy skills which can propel your music forward. How are your soldering skills? Know how to jump start a car? Do you gripe and belly-ache a lot?  And don't forget--Christmas times a'coming! Learn some Christmas tunes on that mandolin with Jackson's...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 091 Just Say Yo! - I love irony. Irony is: "a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result." That is exactly, to a tee, what I describe in this episode. Bluegrass. Strictly clean and decent. Yeah, right. Have a great week. I still have a lot of downed trees to deal with. If you enjoy the show you can s...

GrassTalkRadio.com Episode 090 My Life As A Stripper - In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael I quickly put together this episode giving you a taste of what it's like to be forced to camp out. To fill out the promised full length episode I include a test episode from a possible future podcast series. The only sorta-kinda bluegrass content in this episode is me talking about making a new fretboard f...