# Song and Tune Projects > Song and Tune Projects >  Competition Tunes

## messagemando

Brilliancy(see Sam Bush), blackberry, big mon(see Steffey), and washington square. 

Any faves for you?

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## Mandomax

Cotton Patch Rag, Leather Britches, El Cumbanchero, Russian Rag.

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## banjomanva

had a friend win 2nd place with Bill Cheatem at the Henry Reed Memorial Fiddlers Convention in Glen Lyn, VA last year. He came in 3rd this year with Ragtime Annie.

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## Pete Martin

There is not "one special tune" for contest playing. It doesn't matter what you play as much as HOW you play. Any tune played well scores well. 

Best of luck!!

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## mandopete

I actually beg to differ (beg, I say, beg...)

This really depends upon the context of the competition. If this is in the context of a bluegrass festival, I've found that the Bill Monroe tunes seem to score higher as they are very recognizable.

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## messagemando

here is brilliancy i recorded on my brother's computer a couple of weeks ago. it's a little rough, don't expect studio quality; i played it one time thru on lead and backup, no rehearsal or dubbing. some parts are completely improved. Does it have potential?? Whatcha think??
http://www.cockmanfamily.com/ben/brilliancy.mp3

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## Pete Martin

The first time I went to Winfield, the rules for the mandolin contest said any Bluegrass mandolin tune. #The winner (who was clearly better than any of the rest of us) played a solo classical piece and a great chord melody version of the jazz standard Out Of Nowhere. #

It helps to know not only the "rules" of each contest but also how they are "followed" by judges over the years. #

I have judged at the National Fiddler Contest in Wesier 3 times. #The rules there say "any tune played in oldtime fiddle fashion" is acceptable. #Once a person played a classical piece in the waltz category (wasn't a waltz either). #Everyone on the judging panel gave them zero points on that tune, as the rules were violated.

The main thing is play your best tunes as well as you can and remember, have fun!!

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## mandopete

> here is brilliancy i recorded on my brother's computer a couple of weeks ago. #it's a little rough, don't expect studio quality.


A little rough, are you kidding? #That sounds great!

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## Michael H Geimer

I listened to that this morning, and immediately started practicing my scales!!!

Sounds great to me. Good luck!

Edit: Great back-up playing, too! Very tasty rythmic feel.

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## Harrmob

It helps to look at the rules and scoring. If there is "originality" included in the scoring, it helps to play an original. Your arrangement of an obscure tune is not "original" in the eyes of some judges.

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## sjusk

I don´t want to sound like a sour old grumpy #### - but how can you compete in music?

No question there are better musicians than other, but referees that pull out scoreboards and stuff to make one fiddler/picker a better musician than others...well..I doubt it it is going to change anything about the true art of music.

(I WAS a grumpy old ####, I know - sorry!)

Søren

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## Bluegrasstjej

I agree with you completely, Sören!!

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## Pete Martin

Judging is very subjective, it is basically your opinion. You write down a score based on what you thought of other folks playing. Much like a skating judge at the Olympics.

Music competitions are not for everyone, if you don't like the idea of them, don't play in them. There are some people who like to compete. I used practcing for and playing in contests and talking to judges about how to sound better as a way to improve my playing.

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## mandoman15

what would be interesting is if they had a seperate category for improvisational skills, i for one would appreciate it because i can fake it like nobody's bussiness but my structured songs lack interest, for some reason my playing can sound a little dry on the trads...  i'm only 16 though so i have time...

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## messagemando

Competition is an awesome thing. #Thank God for fiddler's conventions. #I don't know how many friends I have made at these types of events. #The main reason the young pickers come to these things is to compete. #As you get older, you do grow out of it to a degree I guess. #Usually your older guys are more content to sit around and just pick it easy, but young guys need a way to 'flex' their musical muscles. #There's been many times when I beat someone and then the next month I see them elsewhere and they beat the socks off me! #It's not about judging one person better than another. #It's about how well you did that one day on that particular occasion. #For a young guy, it's about impressing an audience and feeling good about him/herself where they might not normally get the opportunity. #Competition is the driving force behind creating some awesome musicians like mark o'connor, sam bush, etc. #So yes, I would say competitions affects the quality of music in the long run. #Check out woodsongs.com under the archives page where mark o'connor put on a concert. #Also, check out Sammy's concert on here. #In both these concerts these guys talk about growing up around fiddler's conventions and COMPETING! # Competition has been prevelant in bluegrass/old tyme for the last 75-100 years. #IMHO music wouldn't be what it is today w/out it.

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## 250sc

petimar,

Was it Dave Peters who played the clasical piece and out of nowhere?

After hearing him play Out Of Nowhere I had to figure out how to play it too. Great changes and melody.

PS. I really like learning your arrangments in Mandolin Magazine.

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## Pete Martin

No it wasn't Dave, as I picked a bunch with him that week. I can't remember who the guy was, great player.

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## Jonathan Rudie

Good tips and advice on music competitions can be found in this article by Lucillee Reilly:

http://thedulcimerlady.com/comptips.htm

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## JGWoods

Contests are a funny thing.
I compete, but I'm never going to win, so why bother? well, It's a chance to get up in front of my peers and play a tune or two that says here's what I got, this is as good as I can do it. Sometimes folks applaud for what I played, soemtimes they applaud because I stopped playing, I don't really hear any of it becuae I am just so relieved from having finished- hopefully without ducking tomatos. Later I run into a few players who - knowing how well, or badly, I play- want to sit and jam for a while, and we are all on the same page. 

One thing for sure, the tunes I learn for a contest are really learned, played over and over, each note carefully chosen for emphasis and timing. They stick with me. If I enetered 1 contest a year for 40 years I'd have 40 solid tunes- that's pretty good. 

best,
jgwoods

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## luckylarue

My guess is the time put in practicing for a contest might be the best benefit. A great motivator for sure.

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## Markelberry

> here is brilliancy i recorded on my brother's computer a couple of weeks ago. #it's a little rough, don't expect studio quality; i played it one time thru on lead and backup, no rehearsal or dubbing. #some parts are completely improved. #Does it have potential?? Whatcha think??
> http://www.cockmanfamily.com/ben/brilliancy.mp3


Very nicely done! Have you ever been to Butch Baldassaris mandolin workshop? (deja-vu)? Markelberry

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## jmcgann

I see contests (although I retired from them in 1985) as an opportunity to work up killer arrangements (which allow you to practice like hell to improve your playing) for an audience (not the judges, but the crowd for whom you perform) who (mostly) understand and appreciate what you are doing. I never thought about "competing" in the athletic sense...Søren is 100% right. It's never about who is "better", it's all down to the subjective opinions of the judges, all of whom have bias and prejudice and rarely go "by the book".

(Caution) Treackly but true sentiment: If you compete with yourself and try to improve your musicianship, making an honest effort to improve every day, you are a winner, and good playing is your trophy, which is worth a lot more than the fake panelling and plastic on the real trophy (although winning instruments is pretty cool too!)

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