From: v_abadie@cox.net   
      
   OK...here's a question to generate some genuine BLUEGRASS DISCUSSION.   
   What instruments do you consider to be essential to a bluegrass band?   
      
   Having asked the question, I'll tell you a little bit about my band.   
   It's a 5 piece outfit.   
   1. I play banjo most of the time. There are a few songs on which I play   
   guitar, and I can play mandolin a little, but I've successfully gotten   
   my band to let me play banjo on the one song I originally played mando   
   on. I sing lead on about 1/3 of the songs.   
   2. Our guitar player is a woman who plays mainly rhythm with lots of   
   "G-runs" thrown in. She doesn't play much lead or any fast flat pick   
   breaks, but she adds an excellent foundation to our songs. She sings   
   lead on about 1/3 of our songs. She switches to washboard or autoharp on   
   some songs (mostly when I play guitar, but not entirely).   
   3. Our Dobro player plays guitar on some songs, but he mostly plays   
   Dobro (probably the best in Baton Rouge) and sings lead on about 1/3 of   
   the songs.   
   4. Our mandolin player plays guitar on a few songs. He has a great voice   
   but, so far, won't sing. Grrrrrrrr.   
   5. Our bass player plays bass. He can play some mandolin, guitar or   
   banjo, but in performance situations, he plays bass. He either doesn't   
   sing or hasn't revealed this talent to the rest of us, yet.   
      
   We play some traditional bluegrass, but we're not opposed to   
   "bluegrassing" other music. We will add things like "Knocking on   
   Heaven's Door", old Hank, Sr. or Merle Haggard, or even some Beatles   
   music done in bluegrass style from time to time.   
      
   So, tell me. What do YOU consider to be the elements of a bluegrass band?   
      
   Vince   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)