From: carp4154@nospambellsouth.net   
      
   What a great discussion.  As a non-picking listener - this is great and what   
   I would love to read more of on this group.   
      
   Thank you,   
   Shelley   
      
   "Vince"  wrote in message   
   news:fc8Qf.181032$WH.161865@dukeread01...   
   > Mitch,   
   >   
   > Thanks for participating! While I agree that the ideal bluegrass band   
   > should have a fiddle, I'm not so sure it should be the lead instrument. In   
   > fact, I lean toward having the guitar as the lead instrument, the bass as   
   > the foundation (the bass is really in SO much control, if you think about   
   > it), and all other instruments being secondary. I've heard good bluegrass   
   > without fiddle, banjo, or mandolin (that is, with any two of those three   
   > present, but the third missing). But without a bass, it lacks substance.   
   > Without guitar, it lacks direction. Just my opinion. I'll even go for two   
   > guitars, if one is a really strong rhythm player, as you described, and   
   > the other is a really hot flat picker. If I had to choose just one, I'd   
   > take the rhythm guitarist.   
   > Interestingly, after reading your comment, I tried to figure out who leads   
   > our band. I decided it is whomever is singing lead on a particular song.   
   > So, an arguement could be made for the lead vocalist being the actual   
   > leader of the band.   
   > Others...your comments are welcome. Jump in. Don't be shy!   
   > Vince   
   >   
   > Mitch Dickson wrote:   
   >   
   >>Well that is easy Vince although this is gonna fire up a lot of off   
   >>pickers   
   >>out there :)  You need a fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass.  The   
   >>band   
   >>should be built around the fiddle, NOT THE BANJO!  The banjo should be   
   >>considered a secondary instrument like the mandolin.  The guitar should be   
   >>played like Charlie Waller or Lester Flatt or Jimmy Martin.  Until you can   
   >>play rhythm like one of these 3, you cannot play bluegrass guitar!!!! All   
   >>references to guitar lead should be abandoned with the exception of Earl   
   >>Scruggs fingerpicking on Carter style spiratuals until you master rhythm!   
   >>   
   >>Would you like a demonstration?  Just drop in "The Bluegrass Album", it   
   >>becomes real evident real quick :)  Even with Crowe and Lawson and Rice,   
   >>these masters know exactly how it is suppose to sound!  Notice how Bobby   
   >>Hicks rules the roost?  That my friend is the way it is suppose to be   
   >>done.   
   >>   
   >>Mitch   
   >>"Vince"  wrote in message   
   >>news:vwQOf.179223$WH.52572@dukeread01...   
   >>   
   >>>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   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >>   
      
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