The fiddle is one of the main melody instruments in a bluegrass band – it is the one that is the most like the human voice, since it has no frets.  Half tones, quarter tones and even those in between are used as a near replica of what a singer would sing.  I learned to play fiddle by ear – by playing what I thought the singer would sing.  I tend to play close to the melody, restating it during my breaks, and only after the melody has been solidly established with the audience do I use improvisation to any degree. It’s the way Bill Monroe wanted me to play and it makes sense to me to do it that way.

Our class goals are to expose you to three types of fiddling – bluegrass backup and fill (i.e. playing behind a singer or singers), twin fiddling and maybe a standard tune or two if there’s time. We will also cover some intro’s and outro’s that will work with many tunes. I want you to learn to play your fiddle tastefully with the rest of the band.

You should bring an audio recording device of some type if you wish, along with extra tapes and batteries.  I will provide a workbook with some of my backup and fill licks, intro’s, outro’s and breaks notated.  The notation was not done by me, so I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but I think it’s pretty close.  I will also provide an audio CD at the back of the workbook for you to take home and practice with later. You can also download my “Elements of Good Fiddle Playing” free from my website – www.bobbyhicks.com. This will give you some detail as to what my philosophy of bluegrass fiddling is and how it should be learned.

Most of what I will be teaching will come from the Bluegrass Album Band Collection and from my Fiddle Patch album.  The class will be pretty fast paced, but I will spend time one-on-one with each of you during class. This class is designed for advanced players, with some experience playing in a bluegrass band or at least in jam sessions.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Augusta Heritage Bluegrass Week 2008!

Best regards,