One of my first visits here was to ask (not entirely facetiously) "Can I learn to play like Doc Watson"?

Some people said "no", others said "why do you WANT to"? and the majority offered invaluable tips on how to play BETTER than I did at the time. Well I DO now. A LOT better actually. I've followed every "tech tips" thread that my schedule allowed, and did a fair bit of that "investing" that brother Fielding touts so highly, consequently I've acquired quite a bit of a musical library of the great (but not famous) players. I bought a good instrument, I've practiced scales (thanks mTed), checked websites (thanks Justa P) and even managed to see Norman Blake in concert. But I've got one question left. Can some people simply not play fast, no matter how much they practice?

I can play Doc's Beaumont Rag cleanly at a medium tempo, but when I try to play at his speed, it all falls apart. Do some of these "speed demons" simply have a natural ability to play fast? I don't mean "tasteless", I mean playing a fiddle tune at the same speed the fiddlers do.

marty