Thanks for some of the info about the banjo. The Obray Ramsey article I read was in the Banjo Newsletter.

Mark was speaking about the role of different instruments in a bluegrass group and I was wondering about the development of the guitar as a solo instrument. Do you think Doc Watson was an innovator of flatpick solos? Who are some of the early bluegrass style guitarist?

Also I put my the version my group plays of "Shady Grove" (in two keys simultaneously- G and Em) on my website. We are an amateur group but we have fun playing. Click here I've also started putting some bluegrass and related lyrics on my site. Hope y'all can use them.

I'd like some comments on whether (three-finger style) banjo playing defines old-time and bluegrass.

Richie-