Articles by Bradley Laird

The Lemonade Camper - Also known as the poor man's teardrop camper. Flyin' solo to a bluegrass festival? Try what I did.

Are You Stopping Too Soon?- When practicing are you reaching that magical breakthrough point?

Free Music Apps- My talented 8 year old son wrote these cool apps to help you tune and play in time better. Have fun!

So You Just Got a Banjo?- This article is for the person who just unwrapped a banjo from under the Christmas tree or from a box brought by the UPS man. This will explain how to put the bridge on and how to tune up and play.

So You Just Got a Mandolin? - This article is for the person who just unwrapped a mandolin from under the Christmas tree or from a box brought by the UPS man. This will explain how to put the bridge on and how to tune up and play.

Is There Such A Thing As A FREE Lunch? - My personal confession of trying to learn a new instrument for free.

What The Roman Empire Has To Do With Learning A Musical Instrument - A quote from "The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire" that has implications for you learning to pick a mandolin or banjo or whatever. Allow me to explain...

Diamondback - A cool bluegrass mandolin tune I wrote, inspired by an 8 foot rattlesnake I encountered one day while cruising timber. Free tab and audio track.

How You Were Brainwashed - The sooner you admit it the sooner you'll start making real progress.

Learning By Committee - It is a mixed bag.

Get a free Premium Download mandolin lesson- It's a free sample of my longer video lessons. Get it. Why not?

Sally Gooden is a Good 'Un - Build your chops and mandolin lead playing with this old warhorse.

Are Your Hands Too Small - Struggling with those BIG mandolin chop chords? No need to...

Advice for the Discouraged - We all feel that way at times. Perhaps you need to think about things in a new way...

Shortcut for Learning to Play in All Keys - Learn these 4 keys and you are learning them all!

What's In Your Case? A Case Study - An analysis of the contents of my mandolin case and all of the strange stuff therein.

Pardon Me If I Quote Myself - That is a very good question, Grasshopper. I seemed to remember hearing that one before. Hmm.

10 Things Unique to a Banjo - And, how to turn your banjo into a high-dollar modern art piece.

A Table Needs at Least Three Legs - What is your musical K-A-E score?

Flatirons Mandolin 1985 Eye Candy - Beautiful historic documentation of the best mandolins born in Bozeman.

Anti-gravity Device for Mandolin? - That's a gadget worth looking at.

Plant or Don't Plant? - Should you be anchoring a finger on the soundboard when playing lead? Here's what I think...

To Learn, Teach! - How to take private lessons and get your money back every week!

Applying Leverage to Mandolin Barre Chords - My detailed photographic analysis of forming more efficient barre chords. It's just physics!

Thoughts on the Cave Man Diet - Devoid of musical content. Interesting if you ever thought about going paleo.

The Top Ten Bluegrass Jam Tunes - Bloograss Noobs can get ahead of the curve by learning the chords to these top 10 most played bluegrass tunes.

A Great Wayne Benson Mandolin Lick - How to play it on the mandolin.

Why Build a Banjo? - How I became interested in banjos and why you should make one for yourself and learn to play one.