Introduction

The guitar has a multi-faceted role in the team sport that is bluegrass music. It furnishes a harmonic context for the melody, whether sung or played on another instrument; it provides rhythmic support for the soloist; and it contributes its unique voice as a solo instrument.

These various and demanding roles require many different skills from the player, but have some common characteristics that are the basis of all good music.

• The accompanist has to listen well in order to frame the singer in a background of appropriate dynamic and harmonic colour.
• The player providing rhythmic support needs to keep good time so that the soloist has confidence that regular guideposts will appear in the musical landscape.
• The soloist combines these qualities in a musical statement that honours the unique melodic and rhythmic values of the song.

These musical ideas come from the head, are felt in the heart, and are expressed through the hands.

Being In Tune

Your guitar can’t sound its best if it is not in tune. A good instrument is designed and built to enhance the notes of the scale, based on a 440hz 'A'.

The unpicked strings resonate sympathetically as you play, and thereby reinforce the notes that you are selecting. Strings that are off pitch will generate “beats” – nodal, out-of- phase vibrations that will dampen the overall sound of your instrument.

Since playing bluegrass guitar means spending a lot of time in the G position, I tune my guitar accordingly.

• I tune the G and D strings to a tuner, then tune the B string to sound a perfect fifth to the G when held at the third fret.
• The high E string, when held at the third fret, needs to be in unison with the octave harmonic of the G string.
• The A string is tuned from the C on the B string.
• The low E string is tuned at the third fret to be an octave below the G string.

The Fretting Hand

You need to finger the notes properly in order to stay in tune as you play. Fingers placed midway between the frets stretch the string down to the finger board and make the note sharp. Placing the fingertip on the back of the fret keeps you in tune. It will also minimize the distance that the string has to move and the amount of pressure need to articulate a clear note.

The same principle applies to the placement of the capo. Pulling all the strings down to the fingerboard makes the entire guitar sharp, whereas snugging it down on the back of the fret maintains the tuning.

The Picking Hand

The vibrating string that drives your guitar’s soundboard is brought to life by your picking hand.

From the elbow, then through the wrist in a lateral direction, the correctly used pick charges the strings with this powerful movement of your whole lower arm.

This power is delivered through the pick – one that is thick enough to give a solid, full tone and smooth-surfaced enough to prevent the nasty overtones that create a brittle or harsh sound.

Try as many picks as necessary to find the one that makes you sound your best. Many players modify their picks, using sandpaper and superfine steel wool to polish off the casting flash around the edges.

Like many other players, I find that the rounded corner of a traditionally shaped pick gives me a smooth, warm tone along with the ability to play faster.

I hold the pick in a firm but relaxed grip, with very little pick protruding from between my thumb and the inside corner of my curled index finger. With the pick held perpendicular to the sound board and parallel with the strings, I push the pick straight across, “through” the string towards the next one.

Pushing the string down towards the fingerboard will make it buzz, and plucking it upwards makes a thin, weak sound.

Rhythm

In addition to giving a beautiful sound (and really, what is music if not beautiful sound?), swinging from the elbow provides a mechanism to balance your timing during the very different movements required for the basic “boom-chick” rhythm pattern.

The single bass note needs to sound for the same length of time as the “brrring” of the strum across the rest of the chord, and the pendulum effect provided by your arm can really help to keep those two beats even.

The basic goal of all musicians is to be able to play with a clear rhythm and a strong feel for the groove.

Flatpicking

When flatpicking, pick direction is a key ingredient. Discipline here will enable you to play steady streams of eighth notes smoothly and with power.

Continuous down, up, down, up picking creates the infectious rhythmic pulse that attracts us to this style of music.

Soloing

In order to solo effectively, your technique must be guided by musical sensibility. Your ears are your best allies. Remember that the melody is what distinguishes one song from another. Bluegrass tunes and songs can be similar, so the subtle differences are very important.

• If a song makes extensive use of the major third, then your solo should be based on the major scale.
• If the tune is modal or bluesy, you need to use pentatonic scale notes to maintain the harmonic feel of the song.

The key to becoming a good musician is learning to listen closely and critically.

• Listen to the people that you are playing with to learn the important characteristics of the tune.
• Listen to yourself to hear that you are in tune, in time, and playing at an appropriate volume.
• Listen to the overall sound of the ensemble to ensure that you are making a positive addition to the song.

Hear it, feel it, and play it.