Flattpicker - Posted - 05/02/2016:  15:44:59

Change the name and include other styles besides flatpicking. Think about traditional Bluegrass artists such as Lester Flatt, Carter Stanley, and Earl Scruggs. All of these guys played fingerstyle guitar in traditional Bluegrass bands. Why is it "Flatpicker Hangout" and not "Guitar Hangout"? Banjo Hangout and Fiddle hangout are not limited to one playing style, so why should this hangout site be limited to flatpicking? This is unfair discrimination. 

Edited by - Flattpicker on 05/02/2016 15:50:15

Texasbanjo - Posted - 05/03/2016:  05:07:06

I don't know why the name was chosen, but I think it was to differentiate between electric and acoustic type guitars.  Now, that's just my thoughts, could be wrong.

I presume that any type of acoustic guitar music would be more than welcome on here, whether flat pick or finger pick.   I do a bit of both, but not very good with fingerpicking a guitar, which is weird because I 3 finger pick banjo. Go figure.  I do pretty well on flatpicking but am really a rhythm guitar player more than anything else.  I figure rhythm guitar pickers are at a premium since everyone seems to want to either flatpick or fingerpick lead.

Dick Hauser - Posted - 05/03/2016:  07:20:28

TexasBanjo - I have met a lot more rhythm guitar players than people playing melody.  Playing tunes up to speed can be difficult and discourages lots of pickers.  I agree that most guitarists would like to pick melody, but not many seem to be successful.  They play a few tunes like "Wildwood Flower", but that is it.  

IMHO, quality rhythm guitar players can be very hard to find.  That is probably why competitive fiddlers have a regular rhythm guitar player.  At some fiddle competitions, I see a fiddler surrounded by up to 3 rhythm guitar players.  I play some fiddle, and would not want to hear more than one guitar playing rhythm.  The great Texas fiddler Johnny Gimble remarked that a fiddler can only be as good as their rhythm guitar player.  

When I played banjo, a banjo player in Kalamazoo MI would sometime play rhythm guitar for me.  He was an exceptional banjo player and a very good guitar player.  When I played banjo with him, everything was easier.  I suddenly became a better musician.  I play fiddle and guitar now, but back then I played banjo whenever possible.

Finally, I don't think the name of the website always describes the content.  Fiddle Hangout consists mainly of "Old Time" fiddlers.  There are members playing other styles, but they are the minority.  Some posts have mentioned having a separate forum for "old time" fiddlers.  It has been discussed but no action has been taken.  Activity in this website is very light.  I was surprised because there are more guitar players out there than other stringed instrument players.  I recently start playing guitar again, and this website provided quite a bit of useful information.

Edited by - Dick Hauser on 05/03/2016 07:30:16

Texasbanjo - Posted - 05/04/2016:  06:41:09

Regarding the name of the website:  it was chosen by the administrator, Eric Schlange, and he's the only one with the authority to do anything (or nothing) about it.  He reads the posts on here, so maybe he will read yours and comment about your question one way or another.  He runs his own company and takes care of all the Hangouts, so he's a very busy genteman.

Regarding rhythm guitar pickers, they are definitely at a premium around West Texas.  We have many "guitar pickers" who think they can play rhythm, but they really have no idea what they are doing.  That messes up jams.  I was taught by an excellent rhythm guitar picker and he taught me the usual boom, chuck, boom, chuck type rhythm and told me not to get fancy with it, just keep a good steady beat and if I wanted to add a Flatt run at the end of a musical phrase, that was okay, but keep it to a minimum.   I can usually pick a simple lead to just about any vocal that comes up.  I don't do well on fiddle tunes so I don't even try to get a break on those.  No reason to embarrass myself.

And, when it comes right down to it, I'd rather play banjo where I can take a break on just about anything that's played.  I'm slowing down a bit now so if the hot shots get so fast you can't hear the individual notes, I just bow out.

allanswinson - Posted - 05/05/2016:  05:07:52

I'm new here, but I'd like to give my two cents: Although the term "flatpicking" technically means using a pick (duh!), it has kind of become synonymous with playing bluegrass and traditional music. The other hangouts the OP mentioned, banjo and fiddle, obviously cater to that style of music as well. Please don't take this the wrong way, but changing the name of this group to "guitar hangout" is a terrible idea. Way too general, and you'd have metal players and classical players and jazz players, etc. coming here to discuss those things. But there are plenty of other places on the web where they can do that. I am here specifically because I know this forum is about the type of music that I love and work hard to improve at. To the forum creator/moderator: PLEASE don't change the name to "guitar hangout!"

Wolfman - Posted - 05/05/2016:  06:03:10

I wholeheartedly agree with Allan Swinsons opinion. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Keep this site at Bluegrass only!

Flattpicker - Posted - 05/05/2016:  14:12:15

Ok. Do you have any room for those of us who play traditional, Bluegrass guitar without a flatpick?

Edited by - Flattpicker on 05/05/2016 14:18:04

Wolfman - Posted - 05/05/2016:  14:41:58

As far as I can see this "Bluegrass Guitar Forum" doesn't discriminate against those who don't flatpick, it's just a bluegrass guitar site pure and simple, all styles are welcomed and respected. Let's move on

Jim Yates - Posted - 05/05/2016:  16:04:12

Hey Wolfman, I'd rather not be restricted to only bluegrass.  I'd like some Texas fiddle backup, Canadiana/Americana, old time string band, jug band. . .  Bluegrass is cool, but I'd go nuts if that was all I could play.  A lot of the folks here are interested in genres that utilise acoustic guitar that don't fall under the strictly "bluegrass" heading.  I'm thinking of Norman Blake, Robin and Linda Williams, The New Lost City Ramblers, Doc Watson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Jerry Jeff Walker.  None of these performers are really bluegrass, (although all may have played some tunes that might be considered "bluegrassy") but all have fans who belong to this group.

Since the Banjo Hangout, The Dobro Hangout, The Fiddle Hangout and the Mandolin Hangout don't restrict members to only bluegrass, let's not do that to the guitar pickers.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 05/06/2016:  04:54:26

I don't see any restrictions as to genre of music in the rules, so I presume any ACOUSTIC guitar music is more than welcome to join in. I still think the idea of the name was so we wouldn't have lots of electric guitar pickers coming in.  Nothing wrong with electric guitars, but it's a different sound entirely than what the acoustic pickers, whether flatpicking or fingerpicking do.

I haven't checked out the tabs, but I'd be willing to bet there are some fingerpicking tabs along with the flatpicking ones.

Flattpicker - Posted - 05/06/2016:  10:51:30

Right. That's exactly the point I was trying to make. The other sites don't have these restrictions.  

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jim Yates

 

Hey Wolfman, I'd rather not be restricted to only bluegrass.  I'd like some Texas fiddle backup, Canadiana/Americana, old time string band, jug band. . .  Bluegrass is cool, but I'd go nuts if that was all I could play.  A lot of the folks here are interested in genres that utilise acoustic guitar that don't fall under the strictly "bluegrass" heading.  I'm thinking of Norman Blake, Robin and Linda Williams, The New Lost City Ramblers, Doc Watson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Jerry Jeff Walker.  None of these performers are really bluegrass, (although all may have played some tunes that might be considered "bluegrassy") but all have fans who belong to this group.

Since the Banjo Hangout, The Dobro Hangout, The Fiddle Hangout and the Mandolin Hangout don't restrict members to only bluegrass, let's not do that to the guitar pickers.

---

Edited by - Flattpicker on 05/06/2016 10:55:36

Jim Yates - Posted - 05/06/2016:  18:56:59

Perhaps Acoustic Guitar Hangout?

Wolfman - Posted - 05/07/2016:  04:57:59

Good morning all,
I think it might help us if the administrator of this site would offer his opinion on this subject.
What are your thoughts Eric?

GalenB - Posted - 05/07/2016:  06:50:47

Flatpicking is a hard style to describe to those who aren't familiar with it. I don't think its strictly genre related, as there's plenty of Grier/Rice/Watson, examples of tunes that aren't Bluegrass or Old Time, including pop or jazz. And aside from the techniques that make it unique, there's the emphasis on the instrument/wood/strings/picks/tone that isn't seen in other acoustic styles.

This site is all but dead, as is the Flatpick-l and the Flatpickers group on facebook. There's just a lot of sites available to guitarists, and flatpickers, like the UMFG, Collings, Acoustic Guitar, even TDPRI that all have areas for flatpickers.

I doubt changing the name is going to increase the activity ina way that is focused on the styles, techniques, and topics of interest to flatpickers. It would likely become like every other guitar site with people posting videos singing and strumming along with a midi track of their favorite Beatles tune using a plywood guitar and a Dunlop .25mm pick and too many discussions about effects units and loopers.

Not that I have any problem with anybody doing what they want, but I've always enjoyed this site's focus, no matter how limited the activity has been.