From: mitchelldickson@bellsouth.net   
      
   > "DavidM"  wrote in message   
   > news:497f822d$1@news.orcon.net.nz...   
   > > Hi y'all,   
   > >   
   > > After years of appreciating most forms of music except country, I've had   
   > > a very late-in-life awakening and have switched on to country in a big   
   > > way, especially the roots genres like bluegrass, gospel, Americana,   
   folk.   
   > >   
   > > So much so I'm now wanting to trade in my old nylon-string classical   
   > > guitar for a steel-string acoustic, or even a round-neck dobro, and put   
   > > together a bluegrass band.   
   > >   
   > > I'm writing to ask if anyone can point me in the right direction for   
   > > getting up to speed with the whole bluegrass genre - getting lists of   
   the   
   > > most important bluegrass standards, plus their chord charts and lyrics,   
   > > and preferably also some free MP3 downloads (noting that pre-1950s music   
   > > is now public domain outside the USA).   
   > >   
   > > One thing that's really pulling me to bluegrass is the lush vocal   
   > > harmonies. That's something I'm really itching to learn, especially how   
   > > to hear a melody then improvise a tenor or baritone harmony on the fly.   
   > >   
   > > So, thanks in advance for any useful pointers, web links, advice etc.   
   > >   
   > > Cheers   
   > > David   
      
   David,  Do not confuse bluegrass with something as simple to play as country   
   or rock.  The minimum, let me repeat the minimum hours an average to good   
   bluegrass picker has involved in his instrument is 10,000 hours!  For a pro   
   you can tripple that!  I asked Chuck Nation (fiddle, mandolin and guitarist   
   in the Bluegrass Alliance) once how long it took to get to his level.  He   
   said he started about 8 years old and played 5 to 7 hours a day, 7 days a   
   week until he was 21.  Before you trade your classical, be sure you know   
   what your asking for :)   
      
   Mitch   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)