GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 203 Curtis Jones Interview Curtis Jones is a supremely diverse musician and a world-class acoustic guitarist. Down to earth, humble and amazingly gifted. I know you will enjoy meeting my friend Curtis Jones. If you want your mind blown, go see him play live. His interview is another in my series to try to convince the l…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 202 Jim "Duck" Adkins Interview Duck is many things: musician, banjo player, singer, band leader, teacher. He has been playing and entertaining crowds for fifty years and is a well-known figure in the Atlanta and N. Georgia area. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with this one-of-a-kind bluegrass personality. T…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 201 Harps Jackson Interview Everything you ever wanted to know about the harmonica brought to you by a guy who truly can play the thing. He has played in blues, gospel, country, rock and bluegrass settings and he is always tasteful and skilled. You can't say that for a lot of folks who get up on stage and blow through s…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 200 Merry Christmas I just came in the from the yard throwing the baseball back and forth with Jackson and my wife is in the house making Christmas cookies. When I finish this episode I plan to sit down and watch "The Christmas Story" with the family. In this episode I talk about creating a digitized version of my Flati…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 199 Uncle Rico's Time Machine Put the handle between your legs. Set the date on the dial. Don't forget to put the crystal in the clamp. Tell Kip to throw the switch. You will be instantly transported to another time and place. In this case, Motorhead's Bar and Grill on a Thursday night in McDonough, Georgia. Take notes.…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 198 A Major Award & The Ed Davis Method In this episode I discuss an award my son received for his music composition "Run Away" and how we can learn from that. You can download his award winning composition for free right here in my online store. (In the episode I mistakenly said that his song was on his EP "Beacon". Wr…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 197 Chatty Light Interview Recently I was asked to be a guest on the Chatty Light Podcast. I thought you might enjoy hearing it. Thank you, Colton, Alex and crew! It was fun. And for my son Jackson's Christmas fund, don't forget: Christmas Times a Coming!. All you mandolin players need Jackson's eBook Christmas Songs Fo…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 196 Mushrooms and Metronomes This nice cool evening I simply held the recorder in my hand and talked about how you can focus and get good at one thing and it will carry over into lots of other things you have not even tried. I also talk a bit about my mushroom project and other oddities. Enjoy the show! And for my boy J…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 195 An Early Morning Rant One of the things in life that I cherish is to rise early, to get up before the chickens, watch the stars and think about life. This morning I got up, jotted down a few notes on a brown paper sack, and hit record. My intended subject was "Ten Ways To Play Better Bluegrass" but, as usual, I wand…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 194 David Mathis of Gallagher Guitar Gallagher guitars, made in Tennessee, were first brought to the attention of guitar players when the legendary Doc Watson chose a D-50 Gallagher in the late 1960's. David has taken of the reins to keep the Gallagher legacy alive and you too can still get your hands on one! Here is a …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 193 They Said It Couldn't Be Done Bill Monroe only made one minor mistake in the creation of Blue Grass music. That is the trying, and later elimination, of the accordion in his ensemble. Well, if you listen all the way to end of this podcast, you will hear some of the greatest music ever put on wax. Had Bill met Domini…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 192 Harmony Harmony is the interaction between two or more different tones or pitches. Bluegrass music is nothing without harmony. (So is humanity by the way.) In this episode I walk you through a short course in bluegrass harmony singing. How do you figure out what note to sing? I'll try to help. In the course of this …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 191 Host a Jam Over the years I have been to lots of jam sessions and have organized and hosted quite few too. If you are starved for bluegrass pickin' I will explain how you "take the bull by the horns" and host your own jam session. It can be a "one time only event" or it may turn into a regular, recurring session. Ei…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 190 Matt Hutchinson Interview Here's a guy who loves bluegrass. So much that he is willing to create a podcast so you have someone to pick with! What's not to love? In this episode I strike up a conversation with Matt to learn about his Bluegrass Jam Along podcast and find out how a guy in the UK became interested in bl…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 189 Life Is Good In this episode I talk about how you can dive in to your solo, play like dog squeeze, feel totally humiliated and still get a round of applause. It's one of the hidden benefits of playing live. (They aren't usually paying that much attention!) Before I get to that, I talk about a big storm, the first po…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 188 A Man's Entitled To His Opinion 200 episodes and over 100,000 downloads. Not bad! This short episode is just to let you know I am still kicking. I have taken a little, well deserved break from the GTR Podcast and in this episode I fill you in a bit. I have completed work on the F5 mandolin which I have been building…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 187 Beach Balls & Train Wrecks In this episode I talk a bit about the "Beach Ball Effect", I get interrupted by a friendly sales call, give you a short garden update, and then dig in to the topic of Train Wrecks and how they may be avoided. Have fun! Talk to ya next week. ------------------------------------- If you lik…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 186 Edumacation Are Fun! In this show I respond to a couple of emails I received and discuss education and how we learn. Have fun and I trust you take this "in the spirit in which it is intended." In the episode I referenced this episode with the Self-Analysis Worksheet PDF: http://www.bradleylaird.com/podcast/episode-3…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 185 Cancel This! All I am saying is listen and make up your own minds. Cancel me if you must. Or, stick with me and the bluegrass way. Enough already! I have heard so much sub-par bluegrass singing over the years--not from the pros like IIIrd Tyme Out and Doyle Lawson--but just in general. Some pretty lame singing is of…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 184 The Art of Quitting I have spent much airtime here discussing the starting of things. Jams, bands, lessons, etc. But there comes a time in the natural curve of things that we must give it up and say "I quit!" When and how do you do this? And why? I hope you enjoy this early morning sermon and I hope that when or if …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 183 First, Tune That Thang! After a wandering diatribe I eventually get to the topic of the day and discuss tuning. Real solid tuning! I talk about how to get an instrument in tune so it will withstand a severe beating and stay in tune. I talk about beats and the importance of clean unisons. I talk about string segments…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 182 That Ain't Bluegrass In today's episode I discuss that most difficult topic of deciding just what is and what is not bluegrass. After a bit about what I think IS bluegrass, I take the easier route and play for you ten samples of what I think IS NOT bluegrass. Enjoy! For all of you bass players or wannabee bass playe…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 181 Bob Knysz Interview This episode will introduce you to one of the movers and shakers in the mandolin world. Bob Knysz is an accomplished bluegrass musician and is also a founder of the Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra. We discuss his introduction to the mandolin, his experiences in the Chicago area, taking lessons from th…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 180 Tony Williamson Interview Join me on this wide-ranging conversation with Tony Williamson. We discuss mandolin world addiction, mandolin family instruments, Bill Monroe and the "power pose", Union Grove, overalls, the Bluegrass Alliance, Grisman's porch, Harry Sparks, how a mandolin brought a man back from near death…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 179 Megan Chowning Interview I always enjoy swapping stories and notes with other teachers. But this is no ordinary teacher! In this episode you will meet champion fiddler, professional musician and teacher Megan Chowning. It is a long winding conversation with something for players of all levels and all instruments. A …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 178 The Bluegrass Way of Life After a bit of talk about starting seeds for the garden and an Amateur Radio event, I bring you Heather's (see episode 177) response to my advice regarding my Personal Feedback Solution. The String Changing Exercise I speak of is available free over on my Patreon page. Here is a link: https…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 177 Personal Feedback Teaching yourself via online lessons, books and videos can be incomplete without the feedback from a teacher. In this episode I demonstrate my Personal Feedback Solution with Heather, a beginning mandolin student. Heather was kind enough to allow us all to be a "fly on the wall" for this session. I…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 176 In The Press Room I am taking a bit of a break from bluegrass in this post-Christmas week. This week I present the second episode of my "other" podcast, never released, just to help you fill your time. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas! The episode also features a big discount on: --------------------------------…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 175 In A Giving Mood In the spirit of Christmas I am in a giving mood. I have a hoard of freebies and discounts that I am tossing from my sleigh. I also discuss a super cool little Pick Pocket sent to me by Steven Mead, a listener to the show. Help me give away $1,000,000 worth of video lessons! I even grew a Santa bear…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 174 Make Something This episode is meant to encourage you to try your hand at making something. Something that can be fun and useful to your bluegrass picking! I present 16 ideas to get your wheels turning. The episode also features a 20% discount on two products if you act before Dec. 17, 2020: ------------------------…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 173 The Mike Bub Interview Mike Bub, familiar to bluegrass fans for his long stint with The Del McCoury Band, sat down for a marathon chat about how he got started, gigging in the Nashville scene, gear talk about the bass, amps, mics, monitors, and before we knew it we had clocked nearly two hours! Mike has a a great se…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 172 The Andy Leftwich Interview I had the honor and pleasure of a nice long conversation with Andy Leftwich and I know you will enjoy hearing it. Andy earned his "creds" by playing for over 15 years with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. That is no small feat and one he should be rightly proud of. Andy is a humble guy …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 171 Ranger Brad's Crystal Ball The advantage of doing a lot of teaching is that the teacher gets to observe many, many students. I have learned a lot from my students. In this episode I share some of what I have learned and I present you my theory, and an interesting method, to predict just how far you may go in your mu…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 170 The Rob Ickes Interview In this episode I share a recorded chat that I had with the masterful dobro player and musician Rob Ickes. We go from how a kid in California got into the dobro all the way to playing with... well, rather than spoil it for you... you will just have to listen to the episode. Here are links to …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 169 The Life Blood of Bluegrass This episode is a discussion of a topic near and dear to my heart. I am talking about jam sessions! Not taking anything away from the pros and the heroes; I just want to remind you that there are more of us than there are of them. We need them and they need us. I hope this episode encoura…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 168 Mandolin Super Heroes This episode is an introduction to the great mandolin players. This episode took a while to formulate since, quite frankly, there are so many very good mandolinists. I couldn't possibly include every mandolin player "of note" so I decided to focus on the people who influenced me strongly. I hop…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 167 Report From The Barn In this episode I talk about a recent jam session, two new mandolin video lessons in my store (Stealing Jazz Licks 1 and Stealing Jazz Licks 2), my son Jackson's new 6 song EP "Beacon" which you can get for free, and then I discuss the value of doing the same old thing over and over and over. Th…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 166 Rattles, Buzzes & Twangs It happens to everybody! You are blissfully playing along and suddenly (or slowly) your instrument begins to sound like crap! Buzzing, rattles, twangs, tinny sound! What the H.E. double hockey sticks is going on? Listen to this episode where I walk you through the myriad of possible causes f…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 165 "Jason" Meets The Inquisitor In this episode you will meet "Jason" (boo hiss!) who has been accused of multiple infractions against civil society and, in particular, reckless destruction of the good character of untold numbers of bluegrass musicians. As the self-appointed inquisitor, I brought the guilty, I mean "th…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 164 Western Red Interview Think you don't like country music? Well, considering what I hear on "country" radio today, I tend to agree. But, if you dig back just a bit you will find that bluegrass is country music! Today I present something a little different. It has long been my contention that bluegrass, honky-tonk, we…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Special Episode 2 Special Episode - Jam Tracks 3 This short episode is to announce the release of new material on my site. As promised, I have completed Bluegrass Jam Tracks #3. It is a collection of 68 MP3 tracks covering 10 songs/tunes at multiple tempos. I had a number of requests from folks who have collection #1 and #2 ask…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 163 The Dobro Pioneers Bill Monroe said that a Dobro sounds like an old tin bucket! That's one thing Bill and I disagree on. I think he was just sore because Lester and Earl left him, dropped the mandolin and added Josh Graves. (In later years, Bill and Josh were good friends and I think the tin bucket comment was dropp…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 162 Dog Days of Summer The dog days of summer are upon us. In this episode I catch you up on the bluegrass happenings around the Kingdom of Lairdonia and tell you a little story from my first real job. Then I get to the heart of the episode: "Lessons From The Dawg". Not him. Real dogs! You'd be surprised what you can le…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 161 Lizzy Long Interview Today I had a chance to catch up with Lizzy Long and discuss how she learned to play, what it's like to play with Little Roy Lewis, her new album on Vine Records "Dreaming Again", and her stories of time spent with Earl and Louise Scruggs. Be sure to scope out her new album here: https://117grou…

This episode describes the Treasure Hunt. Find a gold coin by digging around on www.bradleylaird.com and get a massive discount off any instructional material in the store. Listen to the episode, find a gold coin on my site, and cash in with an insanely huge discount before July 31, 2020. Happy hunting!…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 160 Make Hay While The Sun Shines Today, for perhaps the first time I really get into grass! Real grass--the kind my donkeys eat-- and talk about hay making, baling and why you will not be able to play your bass fiddle for two days due to sore hands if you spend the day totin' hay bales by the string! This episode also …

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 159 Tab Vs Standard, Et Al Today, after the usual introductory baloney, I discuss the merits of tablature versus standard notation. Then I take the topic further by discussing 3 more ways to learn to play music. I hope you enjoy the episode. Have fun! In today's episode I also talked about a cool page on the internet yo…

Today's episode is a mish-mash of thoughts running through my head. First I talk a bit about the garden and the rural roots of bluegrass--and bugs! Then, I tell you about a real life "Little Girl and The Dreadful Snake" tale and how those reptiles which have been attacking my chickens and their eggs. After that I chill out and read you another list…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 157 Chord Progressions In this episode I talk about chords, chord progressions and jam tracks. Having an understanding of the "Chords By The Numbers" idea can be very useful both in backup and lead playing. Ride along as I do my best to explain. Links to the various resources I discuss in the episode are listed on the s…

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 156 Survival Strategies In this episode we hear an audio submission from a fellow listener. Then, I share 8 ways I have attempted to stay sane in this time of no picking, no festivals, no shows and very little fun! I also discuss my downloadable book "The Mandolin Song Book". If you listen to the show you will learn how…