A waltz has three beats in each bar. Count it “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3,” with the weight on beat 1. Most bluegrass songs have a two-beat feel, so a waltz changes what every instrument plays. The rhythm pattern is boom, chuck, chuck.
How to tell a song is a waltz
The person who calls the song often says so: “This one is a waltz in D.” Some say “it’s in three” or “three-four time.”
If nobody says it, listen to the kick-off and count. If “1, 2, 3” fits and “1, 2” does not, it is a waltz.
Guitar
Play a bass note on beat 1. Strum the chord on beat 2 and on beat 3. That is boom, chuck, chuck.
In the first bar of a chord, use the root as the bass note. In the next bar of the same chord, use the fifth. For a G chord, that is the low G string note in one bar and the open D string in the next.
Keep the two strums light and even. Beat 1 carries the weight.
A bass run into a new chord takes the place of the two strums. Play three walking notes, one on each beat, and land on the root of the new chord on beat 1. Read how to play guitar rhythm in a bluegrass jam.
Bass
Play one note per bar, on beat 1. Use the root in one bar and the fifth in the next. Let the note ring a little longer than in a fast song.
On a slow waltz, some bass players add a soft note on beat 3 that leads into the next bar. Keep beat 1 the strongest. Read how to play bass in a bluegrass jam.
Mandolin
Rest on beat 1. Chop on beats 2 and 3. The two chops match the guitar’s two strums.
A waltz leaves room for tremolo. Tremolo is fast, even picking that makes one note sound long. Play soft tremolo notes behind the singer in place of the chop for part of the song. Read how to play the mandolin chop in a bluegrass jam.
Banjo
A three-finger roll has to fit six eighth notes into each bar. One simple pattern is thumb, index, middle, thumb, index, middle across the bar. Play it soft.
Another choice is to pinch the chord on beats 2 and 3, like the mandolin chop. On a slow waltz, many banjo players play little or nothing behind the singer. Read how to play banjo backup in a bluegrass jam.
Fiddle
Play long, smooth bows behind the singer. One bow per bar works well: a full bar on a down bow, and the next bar on an up bow. Use two-note harmonies at low volume.
For a break, play the melody with long notes and slides into the main notes. A waltz is the place for a little vibrato. Read how to play fiddle backup in a bluegrass jam.
Dobro
Long slides and held notes suit a waltz. Slide into the chord on beat 1 and let it ring through the bar. Read how to play Dobro backup in a bluegrass jam.
Kicking off a waltz
Count the waltz in before you start. Say “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3” at the speed you want. Two bars of counting gives the circle the feel.
Many waltz melodies start with pickup notes before the first full bar. If your kick-off has pickup notes, count one full bar and then come in. Read how to kick off a song in a bluegrass jam.
Speed
A waltz can be slow or medium. The most common mistake is rushing. The space after beat 1 feels long, and players fill it too soon. Count in your head and let beats 2 and 3 take their full time.
Ending a waltz
Most waltzes end with a slowdown on the last line. The leader slows the last few bars, and the circle holds the final 1 chord. Watch the leader. Guitar players strum the last chord once and let it ring. Read how to end a song in a bluegrass jam.
Waltzes on this site
Ashokan Farewell is a slow fiddle waltz in D. Jay Ungar wrote it in 1982.
Blue Moon of Kentucky began as a waltz. Bill Monroe wrote it and recorded it in three-four time in the 1940s. Many bands now play the first part as a waltz and then switch to a fast two-beat feel. If you call it in a jam, tell the circle which way you plan to play it.
Many fiddle contests require a waltz in each round. Read contest waltzes: the required slow tune.
Practice at home
Set a metronome to a slow speed and count three clicks per bar. Play boom, chuck, chuck on one chord for two minutes.
Then play a 1, 4, 5 pattern: four bars of the 1 chord, four of the 4, four of the 5, and four of the 1.
Last, play along with a recording of a waltz and keep your weight on beat 1.