Originally Posted By: Matcham
J&B, ha! Yes I only use the best for my banjo pickers. I took a leaf from your book and comped the solos here - you're right it's the way to go.

Knowing you're authentic bluegrass I was wondering what you might make of the drums. I wanted to 'punk up' the sound.


If on the 2 and 4 the band has a strong mandolin chop and a banjo player who can do muted "clucks" when the mandolin is soloing then drums don't IMO bring much to the group since the snare will lay on top of the mandolin and banjo rhythm. But there is no banjo rhythm of that style - they are all 16th based. Flatt & Scruggs who rarely used a mandolin substituted an extra rhythm guitar player who played a strong sock rhythm. Notable BG bands experimented with drums/percussion off and on through the years. I think the most successful is the current line up of The Steep Canyon Rangers. They use a canjon most of the time and the player fills in here and there and never steps on the traditional rhythm. Janice has played one on a couple of our projects. I think more bluegrass bands will find them useful. Pardon the ramble!

Bud

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