Learning to Play Bluegrass Fiddle
Learning a new instrument can be a daunting task for many, especially when playing a stringed instrument. These instruments require a great deal of physical control and finesse, especially in the player’s wrists and fingers. The fiddle is one of the most popular stringed instruments and is often confused with the classical violin. While the two are very similar in construction, the playing style is quite different. Many fiddle techniques are not used in classical music, where the violin plays the main role. The fiddle is played in the country, bluegrass, folk, rock, and jazz genres.
The fiddle is the smallest of the string family (which includes other popular instruments like the cello, double bass, and guitar). Unlike the guitar, the fiddle has no frets under the strings on the neck of the instrument. The instrument is typically played by drawing the bow over the strings with the right hand, while the left hand creates various pitches by pushing down the strings. The player must learn to guide their left-hand fingers in the exact position to play each note in tune. This is often the most difficult aspect of learning the fiddle, and players must practice a great deal to develop this level of accuracy and muscle memory.
Many fiddle teachers instruct beginning students to primarily use their ears, especially in the bluegrass genre. Players are directed to listen to recordings of top fiddle players and watch them play live, if possible. Bluegrass music is often used for dancing, and many players ornament different songs’ unique melodies with distinctive flair. Teachers may direct students to develop ear training by listening to the teacher play several notes and then having the student play it back in a call-and-response exercise. This helps players learn melodies and entire songs by ear, which aids in understanding style and performing well in live shows.
When it comes to the bluegrass style, the downstroke of the bow is especially important. The downstroke occurs when the handle of the bow, known as the “frog,” is drawn down toward the floor by the right hand. There are several bowing techniques, including a circular motion, a figure eight pattern, and bouncing the bow off of the string. Fiddlers must also master a difficult bowing technique known as the double-stop, which involves playing two notes at once. This requires precise motion in the left hand to play the correct notes, as well as excellent timing of the bow with the right hand.
Since bluegrass can be an improvisatory genre, fiddlers must be versatile in their ability to play as a soloist or in an accompaniment role with other instruments in the group. The fiddle does not always carry the melody, especially if a singer is featured with the band. Fiddlers must learn to play harmonies above or below the singer, and tactfully play at the correct level to avoid drowning out the soloist.
Darol Anger, a bluegrass fiddler and professor at Berklee College of Music, suggests beginners learn to play improvised melodies in the jazz and blues genres before tackling bluegrass. He believes many melodies and improvisational skills rely on content from blues scales and harmonies, so a player must be adept in this genre as well. To start the listening process, a few well-known bluegrass tunes include Whiskey Before Breakfast, St. Anne’s Reel, and Blackberry Blossom.
