Vince sez:

Speed is part of the dynamic of the music -- any music, not just BG.

But this doesn't mean that you should play everything as fast as possible. Some tunes should be fast (Gray Eagle, Rawhide, Roanoke), some should be at a more "stately" tempo -- Gold Rush is a prime example; when you speed it up, it loses quite a bit of its charm.

Some tune sound completely different at various speeds: Seneca Square Dance is quite a sprightly tune, but when slowed down, it can become a very effective "air."

The tempi of songs depends mostly on the lyric content -- sing them at a speed that contributes to a particular meaning. Sittin' On Top Of The World, at speed, works -- but slowed down, it takes on a more "blues-y" attribute.

And, if you play everything at warp speed, you will create some real boredom in your audience. Just as you don't want to do an entire set in one key, you also don't want to do one at a single tempo.

Variety, spice, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joe Cline ( www.kilocyclekowboys.com ) Charlotte

Political correctness means always having to say you're sorry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~