TOPIC: JUST LIKE A CHORUS LINE!

After about 2 years of taking the Wednesday night Bluegrass Class I have come to the conclusion that our "circle" or "group performances" are just like a chorus line. The director doesn't want the dancer that kicks the highest, rather the dancers that can dance with everyone else and not standout....after all, he's got his "lead" for that. When we play in our groups...the back up is supposed to be just that....a back up without fancy anything...(or so I think)... the person with the lead is the one that should "shine". I know I've been guilty of the first...specially when I've learned a new strum....but I was "reprimanded" for that and learned my lesson. It is very "confusing" and "disruptive" and sort of "selfish" to the lead player when they hear a run or something other than the back up strum...this too I learned through experience. Not being very confident in what I'm doing with the new songs, if I hear a run from someone in the group then I think I've left something out or have lost my place and then you know what happens....I do lose my place...anyway...just food for thought...

I think it is true for large groups that everyone doing their thing is a bit chaotic. However................part of the purpose is to practice backup when you might play the same song with a smaller group. If you listen to recordings it is common for the banjo to play a rift in the sections where the singer would take a break. It is often common to not vamp all the time and to play some rolls, rifts etc.

So, I agree that it sounds best with 20 people playing to keep the backup simple and rhythmic but I still like to practice my backup as if it was a small group to help the learning process.

I can loose my place even with a simple back up going on. I practice alone so I get easily distracted while playing in a group. As a backup player, I think it helps that there are others playing backup also. I think my job as a lead player it to learn how to play what I need or want to play and be comfortable doing it, reguardless of what the backup section is playing. My main issue is that I am not comfortable taking the lead even though I have practiced it to death. I guess that
I'm more comfortable playing backup because when I make a mistake, only the person next to me can tell.

Brilind, I think that your doing the "little practicing" is allright....my point is with 2 instruments that are the same....as in 2 guitars. I count on the guitar for the timing and tempo etc. so when the guitar goes off doing something else/fancy....instead of giving me the "back up" I need...it throws me. I'm sure with time, as I get experience this wont affect me....I'm speaking as a "newbie"...!

I agree, keep it simple but don't limit your playing to oversimplifying everything. Depending on the lead, when changing chords I like to occasionally use a walk into or out of a given section. Of coarse it mustn't interfere with the melody so be tasteful with 'em. I have a tendency to walk-n-run a lot in class because I'm practicing what works and what doesn't but 1 or 2 trys and I got it. Sometimes it helps to walk into or out of a chord change to keep the rythmn going when needed or say... someone forgets their lead a walk here or there helps. Until I consider myself a decent guitarist, you'll find me embelishing my rythmn using walks in the name of practice but I'll respect the correctness of FM's standards and keep the strum simple.

I try to play the back up chords exactly the way fretmentor has them printed. But I must keep reminding myself, don't play to loud and stay in the beat of the others.