Joe Sites is a 10 time National Fiddle Champion and former Idaho State Accompaniment champion. He is a luthier, fiddler and guitar accompanist. He has been restoring stringed instruments for over 30 years. He studied Texas style fiddle with Benny Thomasson and Dick Barrett. He and his wife Jacie owned and operated Sites Violin Shop in Eastern Idaho for over 20 years. Several of their students have become National, Grand Master fiddle champions, orchestra teachers or professional musicians.
Bluegrass and Western Swing Guitar
Join us for a fun and engaging week of guitar accompaniment designed specifically for accompanying fiddlers! Whether you’re accompanying Western Swing, Bluegrass, or contest-style fiddle, this class will teach you how to play the perfect rhythm and create rich chord progressions to support any fiddler. You’ll dive into the distinctive rhythms and chord progressions needed for Western Swing, practice fast-paced, dynamic accompaniment for Bluegrass and contest-style fiddling. Along the way, you’ll learn how to support performance pieces with solid, guitar rhythm and techniques. With daily sessions, plenty of practice time with fiddlers, and personalized feedback, you’ll leave this class as a more confident and creative guitarist, ready to complement any fiddler with style and flair!
