Columbia Gorge Fiddle Contest

In addition to the General Contest Rules, the following rules apply specifically to the Fiddle Division:

Entry blank must be completed and entry fee paid before participation. A division is closed ½ hour before a division begins and/or posting the order the contestants play.

Fiddle Committee officials will randomly select numbers for all contestants for order of appearance. Contestant order will be posted one half hour before the division begins and the contestant must be ready to play when called.

During each contest round, contestants must first play a hoedown, then a waltz, then a tune of choice, other than a hoedown or a waltz. All three tunes will be judged. Any danceable folk tune played in old time fiddle style is acceptable. No tune shall be played more than once during all appearances of a contestant. The same tune played in different keys will not be considered two separate tunes. The top five contestants in each fiddle category will play in the finals. Total playing time for three tunes is four minutes. There is a 10 second grace period. Ten points will be deducted for every thirty (30) seconds or portion thereof over four minutes.

If there is a tie for 5th place after the preliminary round, the contestants in the top four positions and the contestants in the tie will all compete in the final round. In the event of a tie involving prize money, the tied contestants shall play a hoedown. If there is a tie and a tied contestant is not immediately available for a playoff, the contestant ready to play shall be declared the winner of the tie. Only those ties which involve prize money shall be played off.

Contestants may play without accompaniment or with a maximum of three accompanists, no more than two of which may be 6-string guitars.

No trick or fancy fiddling is allowed during regular contest appearances. There shall be no cross-tuning on stage. If you wish to play a cross-tuned fiddle then all 3 tunes in that round must be played in that tuning.

Any contestant winning three consecutive years in the Open Division may not compete in any regular fiddle division at the Columbia Gorge Fiddle Championship for one year.

Any contestant winning three consecutive years in the Senior, Adult, Young Adult or Junior Divisions automatically moves into the Open Division the following year. Any Junior Junior or Small Fry winning three consecutive years will move into the next higher age division or may choose to enter the Open division the next year.

Judging will be based on the following, for a total of 100 points possible for each tune:

Danceability and Rhythm	25 points
Production of tone	25 points
Intonation of notes	25 points
Difficulty	25 points

10.

All scores are cumulative from the preliminary round into the finals. Points will be deducted or disqualification may occur for violation of the contest rules.

11.

Contestants may only enter one regular fiddle division.