Hi there, after 45 odd years playing classical, I’ve recently found Bluegrass and love it! 2 years later, I feel that I’m only just scraping the surface of techniques required and still very much sound like a violinist trying to play bluegrass. Can you give me any tips please? I do belong to a group but am the only ‘fiddler’ amongst them.
Hi Sandra, I hear that a lot from folks moving form one genre to another but I really think you’re on the right track by having a group to play with and loving your new musical direction. I think passion guides the heart in seeking musical choices so as long as you’re enjoying it and it gets better you can achieve your goals. One thing that helps all folks in your situation is to try to play by ear as much as possible. If you’re using notes then once you learn it take the notes away. Try to forget there is only one way to play it and allow yourself, especially with your background knowing the instrument, to let yourself explore and you might find some interesting freedom in your playing. Another useful idea is to try to play a lot of the classic Oldtime Fiddle tunes and you will begin to hear some great licks and phrases that can be added to for bluegrass breaks. On Fiddlevideo Casey is going to add a Bluegrass instructor so stay tuned it could get even more exciting than it already is here with the great instructor lineup that is here. For some inspiration try learning a few of Casey’s more difficult tunes as he is one heck of a bluegrass player. Thanks for chiming in on the FiddleVideo Forum. Best Wishes Roland White Forum Moderator
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