Fiddling Bill - Posted - 05/22/2025:  05:48:10

If you could pick one or two examples of what a Bluegrass fiddler should sound like what would you pick?

SALLY GOODIN by Byron Berline when he was with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

MULESKINNER BLUES by Kenny Baker also with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

darolRanger - Posted - 08/01/2025:  10:26:37

Anything on any of the "Bluegrass Album Band" Rounder recordings, with fiddler Bobby Hicks!
Pretty much anything by or with Kenny Baker, and most of the Nashville Bluegrass Band recordings with Stuart Duncan.

farmerjones - Posted - 08/01/2025:  12:29:49

Album, Baker plays Monroe. Road to Columbus, track.
IMHO, I put that over Jerusalem Ridge.
Then pretty much everything on that album, in no particular order.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 08/02/2025:  07:19:35

For me it's got to be anything played by Stuart Duncan.

DougD - Posted - 08/02/2025:  08:06:59

Paul Warren played some great stuff with Flatt and Scruggs, a lot of it has an "old time" feel. There's even a video on YouTube of him playing Earl Scruggs' banjo, while Earl looks on approvingly:
youtu.be/JZKM_CCzFik?feature=shared

Edited by - DougD on 08/02/2025 08:11:07

pete_fiddle - Posted - 08/02/2025:  13:51:37

To me the epitome of subtlety and taste in backing fiddle with a tasteful break

Gentle on my mind

Ahh....

DougD - Posted - 08/02/2025:  14:31:34

Nice playing, but I wouldn't call that Bluegrass, even though the musicians can cetainly play it if they want. I'd call it folk music - can't even hear the banjo.
Someone mentioned Bobby Hicks - here he is early on, with a couple other good fiddlers, plus a little bonus of June Carter:
youtu.be/0guu847Hnd0?feature=shared

pete_fiddle - Posted - 08/02/2025:  14:41:15

Well i guess it ain't bluegrass then...

DougD - Posted - 08/02/2025:  15:11:35

Doesn't mean it isn't subtle or tasteful. I've heard lots of good fiddling that wasn't Bluegrass, often played by people who could also play that style. In older days it might be "country," but now more often called "Americana."
PS - Right now I'm listening to Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms on a repeat of "Mountain Stage," joined by Mike Bubb, bass and Shad Cobb, fiddle. No banjo, but their last song sounded like really good Bluegrass to me.

Edited by - DougD on 08/02/2025 15:22:06

pete_fiddle - Posted - 08/02/2025:  15:52:08

But still not Bluegrass then?..... Although it is on the bluegrass flat picking channel?



IMO Stuart Duncan can, and does play incredible "Bluegrass" fiddle..... i guess you can tell i am a fan...

DougD - Posted - 08/02/2025:  16:19:12

I'll just have to let you figure out what's lurgrass or not. Tonight they're playing a major league baseball game at the NASCAR track that would be within sight of our house if we weren't a little down a hill. At least 85,000 fans - everybody's yards are full of parked cars. They had a musical opening that included a fiddler, and even though a steady light rain is falling, I didn't hear him complaining about rosin or bow grip!
Jets are flying over for the National anthem - gotta go! Its on Fox tv over here, if you want to watch.
PS - I don't listen to much modern Bluegrass, but I'm sure Stuart Duncan is very good. I also don't control YouTube channels, but that clip might be there because of the players, who all play Bluegrass.