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Well I still have not been able to schedule time to join the bluegrass jam down at the local coffee shop. But working on learning chords and progressions. Now as I listen more intently to recordings I realize very few fiddles are used in the Melody. Of course that's all I have ever learned. Are there any exercises or resources to help how to play harmony or is it just a matter of spending time playing with other musicians?
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@Ripton the recordings...are they of the actual jam you are planning on attending? Or recordings of other groups?
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Recordings: Bands, YouTube music, Pandora, Sirius etc.
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I don't know the answer, but your question is excellent.
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Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
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This girl does a complete series on playing backup, it's in depth and covers everything you need, this is the first I the series,they are all on her YouTube channel
Cant beat a sunny day
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@Ripton -
Like your observations about playing melody. I notice more people playing the melody at jams in the Nordic Countries. Don't think that means you can't chime in with parts of a tune - if you know it. (does it - @ABitRusty ?)
Keep in mind I have only been an observer... so I can only mention what I would try.
I think the first thing might be to find out what is usually played at the sessions you want to go to - become familiar with the tunes. Helps to be able to anticipate how a tune progresses, or else just completely listen the first time a tune is played through.
Most use I, IV, V progressions (from what I've read). So, it does help if you can identify the key it's in (ask), otherwise - listen to the others playing the chords, you could start by picking a note you hear in them, try droning (in rhythm) with it, knowing different shuffles can come in handy.
VIOLA might come in real handy, because you could probably get away with playing the melody in a lower octave, or at least (I think) low chord notes would be appreciated.
You can always chop in rhythm - that's safe.
I think it's hard to try to do much improv along with a tune unless you know it well. Others here will have to attest to how regularly tunes are played, but you are better off asking those 'regulars' at your Bluegrass jam (what to expect).
Mike Parsons has the 'Bluegrass With Friends' YT site - great videos for fiddle chords & changing keys, etc... Of course many others have great YT videos & tips for jamming on fiddle, too.
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@Ripton
aside from picking a night and just going, this would be your best route video wise i feel. The more simple you keep things the better if its your first time jamming. I would be cautious about trying to play harmony to someone else taking a lead. kind of a no no in a jam setting unless you know for sure people are ok with it.
theres fills you could do after a singer finishes different phrases, but if youve never done it live with strangers...well I would be nervous already and thats just unneeded extra pressure and spotlight on myself.
That dvd simulates a bluegrass type jam in that every instrument takes a 'break' and plays the melody while others play backing. At some point all of them keep playing melody and they let the viewer take play a break. He also covers what to do when not taking a break and playing lead. overs how to chord and that kind of stuff. I think there are a couple or maybe 3 dvd's. Pete Wernick Method
Its also slow so that helps. And the songs are more simple. If you search online there is a whole network of instructors that have workshops using this method. Some are over a weekend..some meet once a night for a few weeks..that kind of thing.
Even if you dont take your instrument, going would be the best route. Just make audio recordings after clearing its ok with them
For something I think takes even more pressure off and is similar, look for an old time jam. Everyone plays the melody. guitars even banjos may play backing. That style is more MY cup of tea. Irish uses same format..melody is played by all
And theres good nights and bad. If you go try not to set expectations of yourself or anyone else.. evryone else has off nights too. Give it a few times to decide if youve picked the right group, unless people qre juat unwelcoming.
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@Ripton I posted at the below link about a book of basic tunes that lists backup parts. The book I listed was celtic tunes, but there’s an edition of for old time tunes as well – and they have versions for viola.
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/s.....p/#p133590
I think they're helpful to get the basic idea/visual of it.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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awesome points, thanks all. I will take some time to look into these resources.
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This is great, and very timely.
I have gone to my summer place in Colorado, where I play in old time jam every week. It’s a good group of people, many playing their second or third instruments, so I fit in pretty well. However, they play lots of tunes that I do not know.
Like many jams, there is no predefined program of tunes that will be played. We just go around the circle and each player suggests a tune. So I’m often trying to catch up with the group on an unfamiliar tune-- not a bad thing, but challenging.
It’s unrealistic to think that I could learn all of the possible tunes ahead of time, so my strategy is to play backup as a means of catching on to the tune. Playing the chords can get me into the main flow of the tune, and sometimes I’m getting close to the melody by the time the tune ends and we move on to another tune.
My immediate challenge is to improve my backup skills. I know from mandolin where the I-IV-V notes are in the usual fiddle keys, so now it’s mostly about bowing and bowing patterns. I have seen some relevant YouTube tutorials and I’ll check out the links above. This will be interesting!
Strabo
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@Strabo -
That's wonderful!
Hope you'll give us an idea of what tunes are played as you run across them!
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@Strabo -
How did playing in Colorado this Summer go?
Did you pick up any new tips or tricks for playing harmony that you'd like to share?
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Good question: What have I learned?
I’m hardly qualified to offer advice to other fiddlers, but I am finding that...
- Playing backup/accompaniment is an essential and important skill. I’ll probably always be around tunes that are unfamiliar to me so I need to have a way to participate. It is easy to think of fiddle as a lead instrument and my natural tendency is to pick up the fiddle and play melody, but maybe that’s only half the story...
- It is OK to just listen before jumping in -- actually very helpful. Miles Davis said, “When you don’t know what to play, play nothing."
- I can play quietly while I try to catch up with the tune. I know that I’ll hit some wrong notes in the process, so there’s no reason to distract everyone else with my initial goofs.
- I find it helpful to focus first on what I think of as the “landing notes”. Those are the notes at the end of a phrase or the most outstanding notes in a phrase. Those notes are almost always part of the I, IV, V chords and they often have relatively long duration. They also occur frequently throughout a tune so -- if nothing else -- I could simply emphasize the landing notes as the tune rolls along. Double stops help.
- Many fiddle tunes seem to have distinctive phrases, often a series of notes that lead to landing notes -- the “hooks” that stick in your mind. Once I have the landing notes under my fingers, the hooks seem to come naturally.
- Chopping is a good way to support the tune. It’s not far from the guitar players who play chords, but chopping is more percussive and therefore helpful to the tune. I find chopping on fiddle requires more of my attention than on mandolin, so it’s probably a good idea to practice, even if it is boring.
And chopping on fiddle is an art in itself. I have seen videos of fiddlers who can get all kinds of tones and rhythms out of the chop. The bow may be our greatest challenge, but it offers amazing potentials!
- If I focus too exclusively on my notes, intonation etc, I can fall out of the rhythm. This is not good, not good at all. Keeping time is more important than good or bad notes. Another Miles Davis quote: “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing."
Thanks for asking the question, Emily. You made me stop and think!
Strabo
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