Whenever I am asked to participate in a "guitar workshop" at a festival, it inevitably turns out to be "Can you top this?" dueling guitar instrumentals. Most participants pick their flashiest guitar pieces, trying to outdo each other. Meanwhile, many (if not most) of the people who come to the workshop are hoping to pick up some easily accessible techniques to use while accompanying themselves. Maybe that's just the case in this country. (Hey, Martin, let's count this as another American thread..)

I'd like to hear from you folks about how you use guitar for accompaniment. Do you flat pick or finger pick, and if you can do both, what causes you to choose one style or the other for a particular song. Do you use open tunings for some songs, and if so, why? What about instrumental breaks? Do you take them? When you play guitar for accompaniment, do you try to carry harmony lines on the guitar, or just back yourself with patterns? Or, do you carry the melody line in your accompaniment? Do you commonly use bass runs to make the transition from one chord to another?

And, if you accompany yourself on more than one instrument, what is it that makes you choose guitar over banjo, or mandolin?

That should get this one started..

Jerry