I just attended a local Bluegrass festival, which also had a few "filler" acts that were solos, duos, etc. The dynamics of the various acts got me to wondering about the format of folk performances in general.

While there were some very talented pickers & singerrs doing solos, their musical output paled in comparison to the duos, trios, and quartets. .But, on the other end of the scale, a few of the quartets, or even five-piece groups seemed overblown -- a cluttery, clashy, somewhat unclear musical experience.

I have experienced or can guess some of the obvious pros & cons of playing with one, two, or three others, but I'd like to hear from others about their preferences for hearing, and for playing in duos, trios, or quartets. (I currently play in a quartet, but am looking at getting into another situation as a duo.)