From: r.capik@worldnet.att.net   
      
   carlbaron wrote:   
      
   > Arthur Marshall wrote:   
   > > Can anyone give me a rough breakdown of the diffErence between old time   
   > > and bluegrass?   
   > > It all seems a bit blurred, and as a newcomer to the field I'm struggling.   
   >   
   > It seems simple to me. In bluegrass, you're dealing with people doing   
   > solos and improvising and the rest of the musicians are backing them up.   
   > In oldtime, the fiddle, banjo, and sometimes mandolin are all playing   
   > the melody and are backed up mainly by bass and guitar; no one is   
   > soloing. Also, while in old time all fiddlers may not be playing the   
   > exactly the same notes, they all working at the same melody. Some times   
   > fiddles and/or mandolins may play a harmony.   
   > Carl   
      
   I tend to agree with Carl's generalizations. To add some of my perspective,   
   it is my understanding that the term old time related to the general category   
   of early string band music and encompassed a wide variety of styles.   
   Because old time encompasses many regional styles it is hard to pin   
   down specifics, and this can lead to confusion.   
      
   Old time [string band] music evolved before there was mass media and   
   thus there were many different regional interpretations.   
      
   Bluegrass, on the other hand, is a specific style that evolved from old   
   time roots with a bit of a fugue/jazz structure of solos playing off each   
   other. It also evolved at a time when mass media [records, radio, etc.]   
   was evolving, allowing a more homogeneous style to evolve.   
      
   ...anyway, that's my 2 cents.   
      
      
   Later...   
      
   Ron Capik   
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