How to Play Bluegrass on a Violin

Violins are also referred to as "fiddles" in relation to bluegrass music.

The violin is commonly associated with classical music, but it can also be used as a vital part in bluegrass music. Generally, when using a violin to play bluegrass, it is referred to as a fiddle. Learning a few basic techniques that go into bluegrass playing can give you a good grounding in how to play bluegrass-style music on your violin.

Instructions

1. Ensure your violin is tuned correctly. The violin or fiddle strings are normally tuned G, D, A and E from left to right, if you're looking from the standard playing position. Use an online tuner to check that your strings are in tune.

2. Learn to perform slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs. These "legato" techniques are often used in bluegrass music, and can be added into many pieces for additional flair. Legato means "smooth," and the techniques that fall under this definition are ways of performing a smooth transition between notes. To perform a slide, fret and play one note, and as it is sounding out, move your fretting hand up or down to change the pitch. Slides can be performed with one finger. Hammer-ons and pull-offs need multiple fingers, and accomplish essentially the same thing. Play a note and then alter the note by fretting another farther up the neck to play a hammer-on, and pull the higher note off again to perform a pull-off.

3. Learn to use double-notes. In bluegrass fiddle, it is common to double up the note you are playing on another string. For example, if you are playing an A note on the open string, you can double up the voicing by also playing an A note on the E string. This is commonly done in bluegrass music. See Resources for more information on finding specific notes on your violin. Playing double-notes together is referred to as double-stopping.

4. Learn about different bowing patterns. Bluegrass fiddle players use patterns such as the saw-stroke, the Nashville Shuffle, the Georgia Bow and the Orange Blossom Special. The saw-stroke is simply changing direction for each note. The Nashville Shuffle is using one long stroke followed by two alternate strokes. The Georgia Bow is a way of playing three notes with two upstrokes and one down-stroke. The Orange Blossom Special is a syncopated style, where you play each quarter note with a separate bow stroke.

5. Practice bluegrass pieces. After you've learned the various techniques used in bluegrass playing, you can learn songs and licks in bluegrass style. "Cripple Creek" is a classic bluegrass piece that you can learn if you're new to the style. See Resources for the sheet music.

References

• Traditional Music: Basic Instrumental Techniques for the Bluegrass Instruments ("Fiddle" 3/4 down page)
• Online Lessons Videos: Bluegrass Fiddle: Salt Creek

Resources

• Learn Bluegrass: Learn to Play Bluegrass Fiddle
• Get Tuned: Online Violin Tuner
• Rob the Fiddler: Bluegrass Fiddle Songs
• Folk of the Wood: Fiddle Lessons: Intermediate Melody "Dixie" Key of D