Handmade at Home - A Virtual Workshops Series

"Building a Bluegrass Solo" with Tristan Scroggins

Learn how to play like the pros! In this class, we’ll examine how to build an interesting, melodic solo for a bluegrass song (songs with words). We will focus on one classic recording of a bluegrass song and examine the vocal, fiddle, and mandolin interpretation, building a solo using parts of each. By taking the melody and adding embellishments, phrasing, and double stops, we can create a solo that sounds interesting while keeping the spirit of the song.

The son of a National Banjo Champion, Tristan Scroggins was surrounded with bluegrass traditions from birth. Having performed everywhere from rural bluegrass festivals to the Grand Ole Opry, Tristan has a unique and expansive perspective on bluegrass music. He was awarded the Instrumentalist of the Year Momentum Award at age 22 by the International Bluegrass Music Association [IBMA], in 2019 he received the Freshgrass Mandolin Award, in 2020 he was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for his participation in the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Vol. 1, and in 2021 was awarded the IBMA's Writer of the Year award.

With more than a decade of experience as a teacher and workshop instructor, Tristan has gained a reputation for his logically laid out curriculum, generous resources, and relaxed, encouraging presence. Tristan has developed a curriculum that emphasizes inspiration and practice techniques which allow students to overcome their personal musical hurdles.

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Building a Bluegrass Solo with Tristan Scroggins (Mandolin)