For a long time I didn’t think very much about picks. I’d grab whatever felt decent, play, and move on. That changed once I started practicing seriously. At some point it hit me: the pick is the tool that actually touches the strings more than anything else. My hands, my guitar, my posture. But the single piece of gear in constant contact with my hand is the pick. That realization pushed me to stop treating it like an afterthought. That’s how I ended up with three BlueChip TP48s. One lives on my house keys, one on my RV keys, and one tucked into the little watch pocket of my jeans. If a guitar is around, a BlueChip is never far away. Before BlueChip, I used every gauge of nylon Dunlop right through the Primetones. They’re genuinely good picks, especially if you’re on a budget, and I still recommend them to anyone who doesn't want to spend a small fortune on hi-tech polymers. But once I tried a BlueChip, I couldn’t go back. The feel is smoother, the attack is cleaner, and I just play with more confidence. For me, they're worth the money. If you’re thinking about one, a pro tip: if you can wait until the holidays, BlueChip often does free laser engraving at Christmas, and sometimes they’ll even throw in a small leather pouch and free shipping. The downside is that demand is intense right now. Between Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton making the TP-48 picks famous, custom orders are often delayed or paused entirely. One more wrinkle in my pick story. I do own a genuine tortoise shell pick, and I use it exclusively when I play these days. There is something subtly different about the feel that I genuinely love. But I want to be very clear about this: I did not buy it. I found it in an old guitar case at my former guitar shop and decided to put it to work rather than let it sit in a drawer. I'll use it until I lose it or it breaks. I’m firmly opposed to the modern trade in endangered tortoise shell. If you’re going to use one, make sure it is a documented antique and legally sourced. Please.

I’ve been thinking about this lately. My daughter asked me how many guitars I have. It was fun coming up with the answer. Some of us seem to be “one guitar people.” We find our instrument early on, learn it inside out, and ride with it for decades. Same neck, same sound, same feel... it's part of our identity. Other folks are more like a coffee menu. A dreadnought for bluegrass. A smaller body for late-night practice. Maybe a resonator when the mood gets swampy, or an electric for recording. Different tools for different jobs. I’m curious where you land. If you have a main one, what makes it the guitar for you? Tone, feel, history, or something else? If you have several, how do you think about their “roles” in your playing? No right answer here. Just good conversation for guitar people who also have real lives.

One of the best ways to grow as a bluegrass guitarist is to live with a single tune for a while. Not to master it. Just to get it into your hands, ears, and body. So let’s try something simple and consistent. Each Friday, we’ll put one fiddle tune in the center of the circle. The goal is not speed or flash. It’s familiarity. Knowing the melody well enough that your hands stop panicking and your timing starts to settle. Here’s how to use this thread in whatever way fits your life this week: • Share a tune you’re working on or want to work on • Ask a question about a tune that’s been giving you trouble • Post a recording, even a rough one • Or just say “I’m listening this week” and soak it in If you’re newer to fiddle tunes, don’t overthink it. A clean melody at a comfortable tempo is real progress. If you’ve been playing a long time, this is a chance to revisit fundamentals and feel. I’ll jump in with thoughts on melody, timing, and how I practice these tunes when time is limited. What fiddle tune has your attention right now? I've been hooked on Angeline the Baker.

This video will eventually live inside the Nine Pound Hammer course I’m building for the Classroom, but I wanted to share it with you all right away. In this session, we work through the tune in a very practical way: - A quick look at the song and why it shows up at almost every bluegrass jam - A full-speed performance so you can hear how it’s meant to feel - Then three play-along passes at increasing tempos, giving you space to practice timing, rhythm, and taking your own breaks The goal here isn’t perfection or speed. It’s learning how to stay in time, feel the form of the tune, and build confidence playing along with a steady groove. If you’re working on timing, flatpicking stamina, or just getting comfortable jumping into common jam tunes, this one’s for you. Try playing along at whatever tempo feels right, and feel free to share what stood out or where things started to feel shaky. That’s useful information.

I want to open up a conversation about gigging and busking. Not from a “making money” angle, but from a musical growth perspective. For a lot of us, public playing feels like a line we haven’t crossed yet. It can seem intimidating, inconvenient, or even unnecessary if your main goal is just to enjoy the music and play better at jams. Totally fair. But here’s what I’ve noticed, both personally and watching other players over the years:playing in public changes how you play in ways that practice alone never quite does. Gigging teaches: - How solid your time really is when nerves kick in - Whether your repertoire actually holds together without stopping - How well you can recover when something goes sideways Busking teaches: - How to start and finish tunes cleanly - How to project rhythm and melody without a band safety net - How to keep going when no one is clapping (or listening) Neither requires virtuosity. In fact, simple tunes played with good time tend to work better than fancy ones played nervously. I’m curious where everyone here stands: - Have you ever gigged or busked, even casually? - Does the idea excite you, scare you, or feel totally unnecessary? - What do you think playing in public might teach you that practicing at home doesn’t? No right answers. I’m less interested in outcomes and more interested in how you’re thinking about it right now.