General Contest Information

(scroll down for rules)

Our Purpose

The Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest is held annually to help perpetuate the fiddling culture and history of pioneer America; to help develop a more genuine audience appreciation, understanding and participation; to preserve the old-time fiddling tunes; to develop and encourage jam sessions and contests; to permanently record and display the history, relics and mementos of the art of old-time fiddling; and to acknowledge the present-day fiddlers who are helping to preserve these traditional expressions. We are a NOTFA certified contest.

Contest Categories and Eligibility

  • Small Fry: 8 years & under

  • Junior-Junior: 9 - 12 years

  • Junior: 13 - 17 years

  • Young Adult: 18 - 36 years

  • Adult: 18 - 36 years

  • Senior: 60 - 69 years

  • Senior-Senior: 70+ years young

  • Champion: all ages

  • Junior Picking: 17 years & under

  • Adult Picking: 18+ years

Watching

This contest is free to watch! We have recently changed our rules, and the time limits allow for audience clapping between tunes, please show your appreciation to our contestants! However, while they are actively playing, please limit noise and distractions.

Judging

Three (3)-accomplished fiddlers will judge each contestant. Judges’ scores will be tabulated, and cuts will be made based on cumulative scores. A play order will be posted as soon as possible before each round. Judging will be open.

Stopwatch

Stopwatch will be used to enable strict enforcement of the designated time limits. See below for specific times.

Registration

Entry form must be completed, and a non-refundable entry fee paid before becoming an official contestant of the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest. If you end up not making it, please know your entry fee is a much-appreciated donation!

You may register no less than 10 minutes before the start of your division’s first round. However, you will be added to the bottom of the line-up.

Upon signing the contestant registration form, all commercial recording, photo and video rights are reserved and shall become the property of the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest.

We encourage accompanists to pre-register (free). Accompanists wanting an accompanist badge must register. If you are registered as a contestant, you do not need to register as an accompanist; however, you will not get the extra ribbon.

Playing on Stage

Initial order of appearance for the first round of play will be randomly selected and posted in several areas.  A play order will be posted as soon as possible before each round. First round registration close 15 minutes before division start time, and then the lineup is posted as quickly as possible. Contestants should remain in the practice room or close proximity and be ready to play when called.

Stage dress code: Proper stage dress for all rounds shall be appropriate and in good taste. We reserve the right to ask you not to go on stage if you are dressed inappropriately or clothing contains offensive words or graphics.

**Any contestant who harasses or threatens a judge or NWR Staff will be automatically eliminated for the current AND the following year’s contest.

Number of Rounds per Division

CHAMPION: 3 Rounds

ALL PICKING: 2 Rounds

SENIOR: 2 Rounds

SENIOR-SENIOR: 2 Rounds

ADULT: 2 Rounds

YOUNG ADULT: 2 Rounds

JUNIOR: 3 Rounds

JUNIOR-JUNIOR: 2 Rounds

SMALL FRY: 2 Rounds


Contest Rules

General Rules

(recently modified rules will be highlighted)

Three judges will be used with cumulative scoring.

  1. Contestants at each appearance must play a (1) hoedown, (2) waltz, and (3) a tune of choice (a tune other than a hoedown or waltz)—in that order.

  2. If a division has more than 15 registered contests, each contestant will play only two tunes: anything other than a waltz, and a waltz. (e.g. fast tune and then slow tune) the purpose of this is to keep the contest on-time and reduce the chances of staying too late on Sunday, so that attendees can drive home if traveling.

  3. No contestant shall play a tune more than once during the contest. If they do, the contestant will receive zero for that tune.

  4. To allow for audience participation/clapping after each tune, contestants will have exactly five minutes to play their rounds.
    Championship Division will have 6 minutes for all rounds, with the same penalty as below.

  5. There is NO grace period. Therefore, 1 point for each second after will be deducted. (e.g. 5:04 would lose 4 points) Penalty will be posted on next lineup or score sheet.

  6. NWR Fiddle Contest uses open judging.

  7. Judging criteria on individual tunes will include but is not limited to Old-time Fiddling Style, Danceability, Rhythm and Timing, Intonation, and Tone Quality.

  8. Scores will be cumulative.

  9. Points will be deducted for any violation of the rules.

  10. All divisions are allowed up to three accompanists and one bass player. If an unwanted accompanist comes on stage, the contestant may stop and ask the person to leave. The contestant may start over with no penalty on time or from the judges.

  11. If a fiddle/guitar string breaks on stage, the contestant will have the option to continue or stop at that point. If the tune is completed it will be judged as played. If the contestant stops play, due to a broken string, they will be allowed to begin with that tune and complete their round without penalty.

  12. A tie occurring in the top 5 of any division will be broken by the two contestants agreeing on one type of tune (hoe down, waltz, choice). Playing order will be randomized. However, if 3 or more contestants are tied in a round, judges will verbally decide the ranking order, and whether or not 2 contestants should still perform a tie-breaker.

  13. Contact microphones and amplified instruments will not be permitted during any competition.

  14. No trick or fancy fiddling allowed during the contesting appearances.

  15. No cross-tuning on stage.

  16. No sheet music shall be allowed on stage.

  17. Please, silence your phones before going on stage.

  18. Any contestant winning three consecutive years in the championship division must either judge the following year’s contest or sit out that year. Any contestant winning three consecutive years in their division (besides champion) will be asked to move to the champion division, next age group up, or sit out that year.

  19. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the contest committee, any contestant/accompanist winning a trophy or money must appear on stage to receive their awards or the awards will be forfeited, and placement will be adjusted accordingly. Accompanists’ awards (scored by number of times on stage during Saturday and Sunday) will be awarded Sunday after the contest.

  20. Accompanists are NOT required to register to receive an award. However, we do encourage all accompanists to register (free) and get a badge so you can be identified.

  21. Any protest(s)must be submitted in writing to the Contest Chairman and signed by not less than three contestants of the contest within three hours of protest occurrence.

  22. Although we do our best to prevent it, if a tabulation error occurs, the Contest Committee will do everything we can to remedy the situation and be fair to all parties involved.

  23. All decisions of the Judges and of the Contest Committee will be final.

  24. NWR Fiddle Contest, and its board, reserve the right to ask anyone attending the contest to leave.

  25. By attending/entering this contest, you acknowledge that photographs will be taken and used for promotional purposes and that you may end up in these photographs. If this is an issue, please contact the contest chair directly.

Picking Contest Rules

*All general contest rules apply, with the following modifications:

  1. The contestant may compete with only one instrument (other than a fiddle) for both tunes.

  2. Each contestant must play two tunes with a distinguishable melody (a fast tune and a slow tune) in both the preliminary and final rounds. A "slow tune" needs to be obviously slow, but does not have to be a waltz. *Capos are allowed.

  3. Contestants may play with or without accompaniment. Accompanists may not play the melody of the tune.

  4. In each round, there will be a strict 4-minute time limit to play both tunes, after which 10 points will be deducted for every 10 seconds.

  5. After the preliminary round, scores will be tabulated. The top five scores will move into the finals, regardless of the instrument played.

  6. Score will be cumulative from all rounds.

  7. In the event of a tie, each contestant will play one tune of his/her selection that he/she has not played in any previous picking contest rounds. However, if 3 or more contestants are tied in a round, judges will verbally decide the ranking order, and whether or not 2 contestants should still perform a tie-breaker.

  8. The decision of the judges is final.