From: AM@highwire.net   
      
   "gramps99"  wrote in message   
   news:641me.2395$8g.271@news01.roc.ny...   
   > Here's a snippit of some bluegrass jam rules I saw published here about 4   
   > years ago:Instruments   
   >   
   > The basic bluegrass instruments are guitar, mandolin, 5-string banjo,   
   > fiddle and bass. All of the instruments are acoustic, with the possible   
   > exception of the bass. If the electric bass is used, it should be adjusted   
   > to the level and tonal quality of an acoustic bass. Other instruments   
   > which sometime show up in jam sessions are: Dobro, which is widely   
   > accepted and may be considered almost a standard bluegrass instrument.   
   > Harmonica, which is sometimes loved, sometimes tolerated and sometimes   
   > hated. Autoharp, which may be too quiet to be effective in a full fledged   
   > jam session Mountain dulcimer, which is often accepted but has even more   
   > of a volume problem than the autoharp.  Hammered dulcimer, which often   
   > plays "specialty tunes".  Accordion, which is sometimes included but often   
   > scorned (even though it was a part of one of the early versions of Bill   
   > Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys) By and large, electric instruments and   
   > drums are out.   
   >   
   > The Structure of a Bluegrass Song   
   >   
   > Bluegrass songs are typically divided into a series of breaks, verses, and   
   > choruses. A typical bluegrass song might be structured as follows:   
   > (1) An initial Break (often call the Kickoff), (2) Verse, (3) Chorus, (4)   
   > Break, (5) Verse, (6) Chorus, (7) Break, (8) Verse, (9) Chorus, (10)   
   > Break, (11) Chorus   
   >   
   > In each of the individual units, there is a lead activity and a backup   
   > activity. In a break, usually one of the individual instruments takes the   
   > lead while the rest of the instruments back him (or her) up. In the verse,   
   > usually there is one lead singer. In the chorus, there are usually one,   
   > two, three or four singers singing one, two, three of four part harmony.   
   > In both the verse and the chorus, there is instrumental backup   
   > music. The most important rule in bluegrass jamming is IF YOU ARE   
   > NOT LEADING, YOUR JOB IS TO DO BACKUP IN SUCH A   
   > WAY AS TO MAKE THE LEAD SOUND AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.   
   > A point often missed by novices is that backup in a jam!   
      
   Well, that is very clearly delineated, but the problem with the last point   
   you make is that "what makes the lead sound as good as possible" is an   
   intrinsically subjective thing.  Those of us who have more of our musical   
   background elsewhere, will almost certainly make different choices than   
   someone with a more exclusively bluegrass background, but when we are   
   *playing* together, it may behoove us to simply experience the music as   
   whatever it turns out to be, rather than always imposing some preconceived   
   constriction on the process.   
      
   It may be important that he have a good time and enjoy each other's company   
   than to always have everything confined to a strictly conventional box.  We   
   might all unexpectedly, collectively discover some new blend of   
   elements - - - that becomes the NEXT major chapter in the history of music,   
   and we will all have our heads "busted," rather than simply "bustin' heads."   
      
   AM   
   --   
   ***************************************************   
   "Oneness is not achieved through conformity or subordination, but   
   through the full expression of everyone's unique piece of the puzzle."   
     --AM, the Synthesist   
   ***************************************************   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)