bluegrass

New Fiddle Lesson on Chop Rhythms

Mon, 05/01/2017 - 2:43pm

Written by ArtistWorks

Darol has put together a great new 4-part fiddle lesson all about using the chop in your rhythm playing. He goes into the different principles of how to define chop patterns, teaching a variety of variations. He also shows you how to come up with your own patterns! For you visual learners there's a pdf with a ton of great patterns to get you started with the lesson too, so be sure to look for that. Find it in the Intermediate section of the Learn area or just click here!

Bluegrass Guitar: "Walking" Bass Between Chords

Wed, 04/26/2017 - 2:26pm

Written by ArtistWorks

Topics: bluegrass, bryan sutton, guitar

bluegrass guitar: walking bass

Some of the most famous bluegrass tunes consist of catchy licks that connect common chords together. These transitions are often referred to as ‘walking’ between the chords, or ‘walk ups’ and ‘walk downs,’ since they sound like you are stepping up or down to the next chord in the progression. This technique connects the two chords in a rhythmic pattern and usually goes in one direction.

So what's the secret? Lucky for us, we have Bryan Sutton's excellent lesson on the topic to help guide us on the art of walking bass.

ArtistWorks Students Release Album

Thu, 04/13/2017 - 3:34pm

Written by ArtistWorks

Topics: banjo, bluegrass, mandolin

lonesome days bluegrass band

Learning at ArtistWorks can take your playing to a new level, and 'The Lonesome Days' are a great example. In between lessons and Video Exchanges, mandolin and banjo students Jonny Miller and Todd Lilienthal (pictured above), have been tearing up the bluegrass scene with their band The Lonesome Days, notably placing 2nd in the 2015 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition and 1st place at the 2016 UllrGrass festival.

We caught up with their man on mandolin, Jonny Miller, to learn more about the situation. As it turns they've just released their first studio album, which they funded on Kickstarter. You can check it out here.

Darol Anger Teaches 15 Iconic Bluegrass Fiddle Solos

Fri, 04/07/2017 - 4:10pm

Written by DarolAnger

Topics: bluegrass, darol anger, fiddle

Bluegrass music was built upon historic performances by the creators of the style: Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Vassar Clements, Chubby Wise, Benny Martin, and many others. We study those performances to master the style. And in Bluegrass music, as in Bebop, Rock, and many other genres, quoting a performance from the original recording is considered not only a good idea, it’s a badge of knowledge and belonging, and a way of connecting the past with the present. Knowing these genre-defining solos can help you develop subtle and nuanced musical commentaries on the original solo, and help you create your own accurate, original take on the entire style.

We've been releasing one solo a week and now they're finally all up there, it's a fiddle fest!

Now Available: