The irony of the non prestigious rhythm guitar is that
"it's all about the rhythm".

The accompaniment is the foundation of the ensemble.

If the foundation isn't right, nothing else stacked
on top of it can be right as well.

Conversely, a marginal soloist backed by a solid
rhythm section will always sound better than a
hot shot soloist backed by a poor rhythm section.

(Same thing in "rock"; there is no such thing as a
great band if the drummer and bass player don't cook.)

And now, I'll step off my soap box :-)

--Biggy

I agree with Nick. The guitar is the foundation for the trio. The guitar is necessary to carry the rhythm especially when there are more than two chords. The guitar can play them where the accordion can't. You can have accordion and guitar, fiddle and guitar and they will sound great together. Accordion and fiddle without the guitar and something major is missing. I can see where one would consider guitar a "thankless" position. I experienced the same thing when I played bass in a band. The singer and lead guitar usually got all the attention while I just stood in the back next to the drummer and pounded out the beat. Without the bass and drummer behind them, they are nothing. Try dancing to a lead guitar or a solo singer. It's not easy. Now try with a drummer or bass. You will quickly find out just how important the bass and drummer are. Same with the guitar. It is a very important part of Cajun music.

I'd have to disagree. Don't get me wrong now, guitar is awesome, but to say that with just an accordion and fiddle something is missing?

I have a house dance at my place in the fall and spring and trust me, just an accordion and fiddle gets em dancing just as much as any other combo, or all three.

I definitely know what you're saying though! If I was recording a front porch, minimalist kind of cd, It would for sure have guitar.

I love that quote!

But let me just add my 2 cents. As someone who plays both accordion and rhythm guitar in cajun music. The rhythm guitar is and should be a "thankless" position. Its not even remotely near the level of difficulty as it is to play accordion or fiddle which requires persistent practice to learn and improve upon. Not to mention the chord progressions in cajun music are very simple and basic. Rarely does the music move outside of the 1,4,5 chords and there are tons of great songs which use only two chords the entire time.

In the context of cajun music, quality rhythm guitar playing can be learned in a matter of months, while quality accordion and fiddle playing takes years.

No doubt there are better gigs for a good picker, but it's still an important component of the music.

With a little imagination, the job can be made more interesting. Case in point: Jon Bertrand's quirky stage presence certainly adds to the persona of the Pine Leaf Boys.