Fiddle Tips from Darol Anger: Playing Backup

Fiddlers! Click here for more free sample lessons: bit.ly/2rpl7ku
Darol Anger (artistworks.com/darol-anger) gives you a great tip for playing backup fiddle with other musicians. You can learn all this and more online at ArtistWorks, plus get feedback on your playing from Darol Anger through our patented Video Exchange Learning® process. Click the link for more info and free sample lessons!

[@madisonbarnettviolin]

I have been classically trained with sheet music for 7 years... I am now playing in bluegrass band with some friends and I have never been more confused in my life. This video helped me so much, thank you!

[@ambrosiajam8008]

It’s crazy how simple the whole stereotype of ‘bluegrass around a campfire’ that we might be led to believe…., but it truly is a whole language of its own. with every bit of nuance as house jazz at the blue note for an example of comparison. It’s an amazing feeling to be part of it when everything gets together though!

[@AlamoCityCello]

Darol Anger is a great player and teacher. THANK YOU!!

[@andrewpeterson7254]

Thanks for all you add to the world!

[@Abc-qs8ir]

Wow Darol that sounds incredible

[@johnnyparker9928]

When jamming I always lightly practice my break until my turn. I know this is bad but it has become my security. Thanks for the tip.

[@Abc-qs8ir]

Any tips on playing fill ins, between melody lines ☺️

[@ambrosiajam8008]

I was drawn to Darol because of the chop but stuck around cuz of all the other stuff I learned about technique. His charm also reminds me of John Hartford in his banjo lessons, or even Phil Leah haha! I love bluegrass and free form jazz, and pretty much most music. I play a lot of instruments…However, I’ve been learning fiddle primarily for the purpose of arranging experimental acoustic versions of heavy metal and industrial music, such as nine inch nails or other bands that you certainly wouldn’t associate with bluegrass. Part of this was because of my love of ‘dawg music’ and Grisman’s unique fusions, and part of it is because I’ve seen Yonder Mountain cover The Misfits. So after that I realized anything is possible. But….Needless to say, there’s not a ton of info out there about learning how to do this. You might even say it could be a fool’s errand, since I don’t have a lot of folks in my geographic area in the scene who buy into my weird way of seeing things. That’s fine, I fully understand how weird it is, but the fiddle can translate to a wild synthesizer in more harmonic ways than almost any other acoustic instrument, not to mention it can draw out long notes in ways that you can’t with other acoustic instruments. And make real ‘noise’ hehe. Anyways, I hope you see this cuz I just wanted to show appreciation for how this was able to help me start making my vision into a reality.

[@HurricaneIrene07]

thanks!