Instruments
The classic bluegrass band is built around five acoustic instruments: banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. Each has its own voice and role.
Al Cherny
Al Cherny (1932 to 1989).
Alex Hargreaves
Grand National Champion in 2007 and Grand Master champion in 2009.
Alex Kusturok
Métis fiddler carrying his mother Patti's tradition forward.
Alison Krauss
The most famous fiddler alive.
Amy Alvey
California-raised, classically trained fiddler who found old-time music at Berklee, where she studied with Matt Glaser, Darol Anger, and Bruce Molsky.
Andrew Small
Multi-instrumentalist from Floyd County, Virginia who won the Clifftop fiddle contest in 2025, the same year his string band the New Floyd County Ramblers took first in the traditional band contest.
Andy DeJarlis
Andy DeJarlis (1914 to 1975).
April Verch
The 1997 Canadian Grand Masters champion.
Art Stamper
Art Stamper (1933 to 2005).
Art Wooten
Art Wooten.
Ashley MacIsaac
Cape Breton fiddler who took the tradition to the pop charts.
Aubrey Haynie
A-list Nashville session fiddler whose playing appears on hundreds of bluegrass and country records.
Aynsley Porchak
The 2017 Canadian Grand Masters champion and 2015 Grand Master Fiddler champion in Nashville, another rare cross-border winner.
Barbara Lamb
Weiser junior division standout who went on to Asleep at the Wheel and Ranch Romance.
Becky Buller
Songwriter, bandleader, and the 2016 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year.
Ben Plotnick
Canadian-born, Nashville-based fiddler with the Fretless and the duo Oliver the Crow.
Benny Martin
Benny Martin (1928 to 2001).
Benny Thomasson
Benny Thomasson (1909 to 1984).
Blaine Sprouse
Kenny Baker protégé who fiddled for Jim and Jesse and the Osborne Brothers.
Bluegrass banjo
Mastering the bluegrass banjo is a journey filled with rich history and captivating melodies. This unique instrument, known for its twangy resonance and fast-pa…
Bluegrass bass
The bass is the rhythmic backbone of any string band. And bluegrass bass is no different - this vital instrument keeps everyone together as a tune chugs along. …
Bluegrass fiddle
The fiddle gives bluegrass its high lonesome voice. Bluegrass fiddling blends bluesy tones, old-time bowing patterns, and bold improvisation. This guide covers …
Bluegrass guitar
Mastering the bluegrass guitar can feel like a steep mountain to climb. When it's time to take your strumming skills up a notch, the bluegrass guitar can be a c…
Bluegrass instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass)
There are five traditional bluegrass instruments in a bluegrass band. They are all acoustic string instruments: - guitar - bass - fiddle - mandolin - banjo In a…
Bluegrass mandolin
Mastering the bluegrass mandolin is an adventure filled with high notes and string melodies. The journey, however, can be daunting for beginners and even season…
Bob Wills
Bob Wills (1905 to 1975).
Bobby Hicks
Bobby Hicks (1933 to 2024).
Brittany Haas
Old-time rooted fiddler with Crooked Still and Hawktail, now with Punch Brothers.
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Two-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year (2021 and 2022), known for her work with Molly Tuttle's Golden Highway and her solo records.
Bruce Molsky
The leading old-time fiddler of his generation, carrying Appalachian source repertoire to world stages.
Buddy MacMaster
Buddy MacMaster (1924 to 2014).
Buddy Spicher
Nashville A-team fiddler on thousands of sessions since the 1950s and a National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductee.
Byron Berline
Byron Berline (1944 to 2021).
Calvin Vollrath
Alberta fiddler and composer of more than 600 tunes, honored by the Canadian Grand Masters and chosen to play at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies.
Casey Driessen
Chop-style innovator who expanded the fiddle's rhythmic role.
Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels (1936 to 2020).
Christian Sedelmyer
Fiddler with the Jerry Douglas Band and 10 String Symphony.
Chubby Wise
Chubby Wise (1915 to 1996).
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (1924 to 2005).
Clark Kessinger
Clark Kessinger (1896 to 1975).
Claude "Fiddler" Williams
Claude 'Fiddler' Williams (1908 to 2004).
Clayton McMichen
Clayton McMichen (1900 to 1970).
Contest breakdowns: the required fast tune
What counts as a breakdown (hoedown) in a fiddle contest, what judges listen for, and the most common contest breakdowns from Sally Goodin to Bill Cheatham.
Contest waltzes: the required slow tune
What counts as a waltz in a fiddle contest, why the slow tune decides more contests than the fast one, and the most common contest waltzes.
Curly Ray Cline
Curly Ray Cline (1923 to 1997).
Dale Potter
Dale Potter (1929 to 1996).
Daniel Gervais
Two-time Canadian Grand Masters champion (2011 and 2016).
Daniel Lapp
British Columbia fiddler, teacher, and institution builder honored by the Canadian Grand Masters association.
Danita Rast Hartz
Three-time Grand National Champion and three-time Grand Master champion from the Rast fiddling family of Idaho.
Darol Anger
New acoustic music pioneer with the David Grisman Quintet and Turtle Island String Quartet.
Deanie Richardson
Two-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year (2020 and 2024) and the fiddle engine of Sister Sadie.
Dennis Ludiker
Multi-title contest fiddler of the same family, now an Austin mainstay with Asleep at the Wheel session and touring credits.
Dick Barrett
Dick Barrett (1932 to 2022, commonly cited).
Doc Roberts
Doc Roberts (1897 to 1978).
Don Messer
Don Messer (1909 to 1973).
Donnell Leahy
Leader of the family band Leahy and one of Ontario's most electrifying players.
Doug Kershaw
The Ragin' Cajun of Louisiana Man fame.
Eck Robertson
Eck Robertson (1887 to 1975).
Ed Haley
Ed Haley (1885 to 1951).
Eleanor Townsend
Eleanor Townsend.
Émile Benoît
Rufus Guinchard (1899 to 1990) and Émile Benoît (1913 to 1992).
Erynn Marshall
Canadian-born old-time fiddler who lives in Galax, Virginia.
Ethan Harty
Three-time Canadian Grand Masters champion (2019, 2022, and 2024) from Alberta.
Fiddle contests: the written rules, the unwritten rules, and the jargon
How fiddle contests work. Divisions, rounds, judging criteria, contest jargon, tune strategy, and the major contests from Weiser to the Canadian Grand Masters.
Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (1898 to 1971).
Fiddlin' John Carson
Fiddlin' John Carson (1868 to 1949).
Fletcher Bright
Fletcher Bright (1931 to 2017).
Gabe Witcher
Founding Punch Brothers fiddler with a California contest-kid background.
Gid Tanner
Gid Tanner (1885 to 1960).
Gordon Stobbe
Nova Scotia fiddle educator and broadcaster honored by the Canadian Grand Masters association.
Gordon Terry
Gordon Terry (1931 to 2006).
Graham Townsend
Graham Townsend (1942 to 1998).
Herman Johnson
Herman Johnson (1922 to 2013).
Howdy Forrester
Howdy Forrester (1922 to 1987).
J.P. Fraley
J.P.
Jana Jae
Buck Owens's Buckaroos and Hee Haw fiddler, and a National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductee.
Jason Carter
Fiddler for the Del McCoury Band since the early 1990s and a multi-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year.
Jay Ungar
Composer of Ashokan Farewell and a National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductee.
Jean Carignan
Jean Carignan (1916 to 1988).
Jeff Cook
Jeff Cook (1949 to 2022).
Jenee Fleenor
Bluegrass-rooted fiddler who became the first woman named CMA Musician of the Year in 2019.
Jesse Maw
North Carolina fiddler and the 2025 Grand Master Fiddler champion.
Jim Shumate
Jim Shumate (1921 to 2013).
Joe Spivey
Joe Spivey is listed with Kenny Sears as part of the fiddle section of Nashville's Time Jumpers and as a Grand Ole Opry staff band veteran.
Joe Venuti
Joe Venuti (1903 to 1978).
John Arcand
The Master of the Métis Fiddle, Order of Canada member, and founder of his own long-running fiddle festival in Saskatchewan.
John Showman
Toronto fiddler who won the Clifftop fiddle contest in 2011, the first foreign-born man to take it.
Johnny Gimble
Johnny Gimble (1926 to 2015).
Johnny Warren
Fiddler for the Earls of Leicester and son of Flatt and Scruggs fiddler Paul Warren.
Karrnnel Sawitsky
The most decorated competition fiddler in Saskatchewan's history, raised touring in the Sawitsky Family Fiddlers.
Katrina Nicolayeff
The dominant Weiser fiddler of the 2010s and beyond.
Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker (1926 to 2011).
Kenny Sears
Kenny Sears is listed with Joe Spivey as part of the fiddle section of Nashville's Time Jumpers and as a Grand Ole Opry staff band veteran.
Kimber Ludiker
Two-time Grand National Champion (2009 and 2010) and founding fiddler of the bluegrass band Della Mae.
King Ganam
King Ganam (1914 to 1994, commonly cited).
Laurie Lewis
Veteran West Coast bluegrass bandleader, singer, and fiddler with a contest background.
Louis Franklin
Louis Franklin.
Louis Schryer
Four-time Canadian Grand Masters champion, the most titles in the contest's history.
Luke Bulla
Won the Grand National Championship in 1996 as a teenager.
Luke Price
Five-time Grand National Champion from Oregon (2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, and 2023).
Mack Magaha
Mack Magaha (1929 to 2003).
Maddie Denton
Tennessee fiddler.
Major Franklin
Major Franklin (1904 to 1987, commonly cited).
Mark O'Connor
The most decorated contest fiddler of the modern era.
Mark Sullivan
Three-time Canadian Grand Masters champion.
Matthew Hartz
Two-time Grand National Champion and three-time Grand Master champion.
Megan Lynch Chowning
Multi-time contest champion, in-demand judge, and one of the most influential fiddle teachers in the country.
Melvin Wine
Melvin Wine (1909 to 2003).
Mia Orosco
Texas fiddler.
Michael Cleveland
The most awarded fiddler in IBMA history, with 12 Fiddle Player of the Year titles.
Mike Barnett
Fiddler known for his work with Ricky Skaggs's Kentucky Thunder.
Natalie MacMaster
Cape Breton's international star, Order of Canada member, and JUNO winner.
Ned Landry
Ned Landry (1921 to 2018).
Norman Solomon
Norman Solomon.
Oliver Schroer
Oliver Schroer (1956 to 2008).
Orville Burns
Orville Burns.
Papa John Creach
Papa John Creach (1917 to 1994).
Patrick M'Gonigle
Victoria-raised, Nashville-based fiddler who founded Boston's Lonely Heartstring Band and has produced and toured with Bella White.
Patrick McAvinue
The 2017 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year.
Patti Kusturok
Three-time Canadian Grand Masters champion and the leading voice of Manitoba's Métis fiddle tradition.
Paul Warren
Paul Warren (1918 to 1978).
Pierre Schryer
The first Canadian Grand Masters champion (1990) and a renowned Ontario fiddler from the famous Schryer triplets.
Randy Howard
Randy Howard (1960 to 1999).
Ridge Roberts
The 2024 Grand National Champion from Granbury, Texas, and a two-time Grand Master Fiddler champion (2019 and 2024).
Ron Stewart
IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year winner and a rare multi-instrumentalist who has held fiddle and banjo chairs in top bands, including the Seldom Scene.
Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff (1903 to 1992).
Rufus Guinchard
Rufus Guinchard (1899 to 1990) and Émile Benoît (1913 to 1992).
Rufus Thibodeaux
Rufus Thibodeaux (1934 to 2005).
Sam Bush
Won the Weiser junior division three times as a teenager before founding New Grass Revival and becoming the father of newgrass mandolin.
Sara Watkins
Nickel Creek fiddler who came up through the Southern California bluegrass scene.
Scott Woods
Two-time Canadian Grand Masters champion with a record 12 top-three finishes, now a touring show fiddler.
Scotty Stoneman
Scotty Stoneman (1932 to 1973).
Shad Cobb
Nashville session and touring fiddler across bluegrass and country.
Shane Cook
Three-time Canadian Grand Masters champion from Ontario, and the 1999 Grand National Champion at Weiser.
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli (1908 to 1997).
Stuart Duncan
The first-call bluegrass session fiddler of the last three decades.
Tashina Clarridge
Grand National Champion in 2005.
Tatiana Hargreaves
Acclaimed younger fiddler working the seam between old-time and bluegrass, including duo work with banjoist Allison de Groot.
Terry Morris
Terry Morris (died 1997, commonly cited).
Tex Logan
Tex Logan (1927 to 2015).
The big list of fiddle players: champions, judges, and legends
A big organized list of notable fiddle players. Contest champions, bluegrass fiddlers, Canadian fiddlers, judges, and the departed legends who built the tradition.
Tommy Jackson
Tommy Jackson (1926 to 1979).
Tommy Jarrell
Tommy Jarrell (1901 to 1985).
Tommy Magness
Tommy Magness (1916 to 1972).
Tony Ludiker
Five-time Grand National Champion from Spokane and patriarch of the Ludiker contest family.
Trent Freeman
Vancouver Island fiddler and a founding member of the Fretless, the Juno-winning Canadian quartet of two fiddles, viola, and cello that rebuilt fiddle tunes as string quartet music.
Tristan Clarridge
Five-time Grand National Champion and three-time Grand Master champion who then carried contest chops into progressive string band music with Crooked Still.
Trustin Baker
Missouri fiddler.
Tune of choice: the wildcard round in fiddle contests
What qualifies as a tune of choice in a fiddle contest, the two schools of thought on picking one, and the most common picks from 12th Street Rag to East Tennessee Blues.
Uncle Jimmy Thompson
Uncle Jimmy Thompson (1848 to 1931).
Vassar Clements
Vassar Clements (1928 to 2005).
Vernon Solomon
Vernon Solomon.
Violet Hensley
The Whittling Fiddler of the Arkansas Ozarks, still fiddling and making fiddles past her 109th birthday.
Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Winston 'Scotty' Fitzgerald (1914 to 1987).
Woody Paul
King of the Cowboy Fiddlers with Riders in the Sky.