I didn't know that this was an issue until recently. I was at a popular bluegrass event. I heard not only bluegrass being played but oldtimey, fiddletunes, swing, country, celtic, jazz, singer/songwriters and even what I consider folk music being played there. Even some of the headliners at the event held workshops about songwriting and performed their own material in such a way that did not strike me as being bluegrass at all. This gave me some ease as I don't possess, musically speaking, what seems to be a prerequisite in most bluegrass, that ability to solo at great speed.

I also don't approach what intruments I do play in the same way as they seem to command I do in order to be a part of their circle. About the closest thing I can do to join in is play some bottleneck slide solos. I use my homemade resonator which is a cross between a Dobro and a National, I call it a Nobro. It is tuned in a different form but still a version of open G and though it has a square neck I play it as a round neck, and not lap style. That's how I set the guitar up to play when I made it. I get strange looks from some, right from the start, when I approach to join in one of their jams.

I can sing and lead a song or even add some vocal harmonies. I can also add some harmonica solos but I've noticed that harmonica is not widely accepted unless you can play solos like the devil and keep up with their fastest Celtic stuff or fiddletunes. I can't, but what I do does serve my purposes and in my opinion does sounds nice on a few things that they play.

I can really bust up a jam when I approach them with my washboard, the one instrument on which I can keep up when speed is a factor. It is visually very stimulating and looks like something Spike Jones might play. I think that shocks most bluegrass players. Before I even get an opportunity to play they figure I'm gonna make way too much of a disturbance in their formula approach to playing. Actually, quite the opposite is true. I've learned, after scrubbin on the darned ol' thing that more is often less when it comes to percussion and that subtlety is a good thing. Still there's that visual factor some find uncomfortable and tend to shy away from. Most don't consider washboard, especially one with as many crazy additions as mine has, as being an acceptable bluegrass instrument. I'll admit that I do enjoy exploring some of the zanier aspects of what I've added to my ol' Maytag but only where and when it's appropriate.

Another instrument that I can add to those rare slow numbers that bluegrass musicians are sometimes known to play is the musical saw. The saw has the capability to flow beautifully and harmonize well within many types of music, just not that speedy stuff that bluegrassers are so fond of playing. I can solo with it or play back up softly. It has a very vocal quality to it and blends easily with vocals when those complex bluegrass harmonies are being showcased but again, it's a saw and just the site of it seems to make grassers shrink away. I don't know if they're fearfull I'll scratch their precious instruments (saws are the natural enemy of all wood products you know) but they all move away from me, or quickly change tempo beyond my capabilty to follow on the razor sharp handtool when they notice I've joined their jam. I can only play so fast with my saw before I start losing body parts. Fortunately, most do grow back. It's the ones that don't that I worry about.

So, my point is, what's a saw bendin', washboard scubbin', harmonica huffin', bottleneck slidin' guy to do? Hmmmm, invent a new genre?