Bluegrass is a very strenuous genre of music. Well, at least it is for the guitar player. Don't believe me?
Bass players only play on beat 1 and 3. If they are showing off, they'll walk the bass, playing one, two, three, four. Simple.
Mandolin players only play on beat 2 and 4. Then they take a nice solo with fancy tremolo and staccato, but then commence to only playing half the time. Simple.
Banjo players only move their three fingers (actually, two fingers and a thumb, says Earl Scruggs). No sweating or muscle soreness occurs as a result. Simple.
Fiddle players barely play unless they're taking a solo, or playing over the lead vocal (but if you're Curly Ray Cline, then you are always hard at work). Orange Blossom Special is the only time they might be involved in manual labor. Simple.
But the guitarist!
The poor soul doesn't get to pick and choose the beats he plays. Alas, guitarists play every stankin good beat. Ever ask a bluegrass guitarist to count to ten? It sounds like: "A one e and a two e and a..."
If it was just a matter of beats, there would be no real complaints (and no fun in blogging about it). The beat must have drive. Guitarists must pound out a bluegrass rhythm with every ounce of their soul! If they are lucky, they get to take a brief solo (called a "break" in bluegrass speak to make guitarists feel better), but then, back to that driving rhythm! Bluegrass guitarists everywhere sweat on stage. If there were a bluegrass festival in Antarctica, you can bet your Blue Chip Pick that the guitarist will be the only one with sweat pouring off their face!
That's why not everyone can be the guitar player. It takes a special (and heat-resistant) breed. Guitarists like me have to be tough. We have to be resilient. We also have to put ice water in our contract rider...
