{"items": [{"author": "Lex", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111102660583646544610", "anchor": "gp-1443475280501", "service": "gp", "text": "The number one rule is to seek out jams and start joining in. You can play basically nothing at first; nobody will mind. It's much more motivating to play with other people, and you'll get a lot of free lessons just by being around other musicians. I wish I had done that 10-20 years sooner, instead of endlessly working on classical pieces in empty rooms.\n
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\nAside from that, yeah, learning chords is the easiest way in. Almost every band will welcome another player to vamp some chords, on guitar or piano or anything.\n
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\nIn particular on guitar, it can be helpful to learn the alternating bass style--the same style used for bluegrass rhythm. If you find yourself in a band with no bass player, it can really flesh out the music to play a sort of high bass line on the guitar.\n
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\nOn the other hand, if you \ndo\n have a bass player, then I lean toward ignoring that previous advice, and trying very hard to stay out of the way of the bass line. Among other things, it's just a fuller musical experience if you trust your band mates and try to contribute something that's not already part of the mix.\n
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\nWhile chordal rhythm is the easiest and most common way to get into contra music, it's not the only one. If you get bored with it, or else just want something else to do, flatpicking also fits in really well in a contra band. There's nothing really wrong with joining the above-mentioned jams and learning tunes by ear the same way that the fiddlers and mandolin players do. Initial progress will be much slower, though. Also, some groups will not welcome it. It seems small-minded to me, given what guitar gets used for in the larger musical world, but it's best not to peeve off your playmates.", "timestamp": 1443475280}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1443476059024", "service": "gp", "text": "@Lex\n\u00a0\"If you find yourself in a band with no bass player, it can really flesh out the music to play a sort of high bass line on the guitar.\"\n
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\nOr you could switch to bass, which isn't that hard to get started on and adds a lot.\n
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\n\"flatpicking also fits in really well in a contra band\"\n
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\nThe main downside to flatpicking is that it's really hard to get the melody up to contra dance speeds on something as big as a guitar. \u00a0That's why I like my mandolin!", "timestamp": 1443476059}]}