PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES ALL FESTIVAL COMPETITIONS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE – PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY VIDEO LINKS OR ENTER THE COMPETITION UNTIL THE NEXT COMPETITION HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED
All Live competition entrants must have purchased a full weekend pass ticket for the festival. Shortlisted guitarists must be present on Saturday of the event (to be announced) for the finals which will be judged by a festival representative and two live performance programme guitarists
Rules Governing the Fingerstyle Guitar Competition
The Fingerstyle Guitar Competition is open to anyone except those who are staff members or founding artists of Fretmonkey, are labeled artists of Candyrat Records, who are sponsors or partners of the festival, or are performing as a billed or paid musician at the Fingerstyle Collective Guitar Festival (Date to be Announced)
No purchase of any kind is necessary (apart from your online competition registration fee or 3-day festival ticket for the Live competition) to enter the competition. A purchase of a sponsors production ts will not improve your chances of winning!
SPONSORS: The Fingerstyle Collective Music Competition (the “Competition”) is sponsored by:Fretmonkey, Candyrat Records, Elixir Strings, G7TH CAPOS and others noted on the event website and is subject to the following terms and conditions.
ELIGIBILITY: An Entrant (Individual) must be sixteen (16) years of age or older at the time of entry, and possess a valid form of identification (no top age limit). An Entrant under the age of eighteen (18) shall require parental consent to participate due to international travel involved in prize winnings. Invalid or ineligible entries shall be excluded from consideration. By their submission of entry, Entrants warrant they are legally entitled and authorized to make such submission on their own behalf. In the event of a dispute as to the winner’s identity, entries will be deemed made by the holder of the email account associated with the entry. Void where prohibited by law or restricted. Subject to all applicable country and local laws and regulations. An Entrant may not be a Professional Musician signed to any major label with world-wide distribution.
The initial preliminary round judging will take place via YouTube/Vimeo video submission and all decisions are final. There is no right granted or opportunity to question or appeal the judging panels decision.
The LIVE competition will take place on the Saturday of the event date between 09.30am and 12.30pm in front of a public audience at the Fingerstyle Collective Guitar Festival and will be judged by a different panel of experts and/or renowned guitarists.
First, second, and third places prizes are announced on the day and on the festival website. Any supplementary non-cash prizes may be announced at a later date. Due to difficult and continuing worldwide shipping issues, we reserve the right to either deliver any prize within 3 months of the festival date or change for another instrument of similar quality and value in the unlikely event the instruments do not arrive in time for the actual festival.
IMPORTANT DATES:
TBC – deadline for application materials and video.
TBC – Notification of semi-finalists via email. Earlier applicants may receive a decision before this date.
TBC –
Competition performances and judging between 09.30am – 12.30pm
Live competition winner main stage performance
TBC – live performance competition 2nd & 3rd place winners main stage performances
TRAVEL & ARRIVAL:
Contestants are responsible for their own travel, hotel accommodations, and expenses for the LIVE competition taking place at the Fingerstyle Collective Guitar Festival
Contestants must be present at the venue half hour (at 09.00 AM) before the stated time of the competition 09:30 AM). Contestants will draw numbers to determine the order of performances.
INSTRUMENTS ALLOWED FOR VIDEO AND LIVE PERFORMANCE Contestants must bring their own guitar(s) for their performances and remain solely responsible for their instruments. Contestants may bring and use any 6-, 7-, or 12-string acoustic guitar. The only personal pieces of gear a competitor may use is their guitar, cable, pick, slide, and strap. Harp Guitars are permissible. Looping is not allowed.
TECHNICAL DETAILS FOR THE LIVE COMPETITION
- For acoustic guitars, amplification will be done through the use of a microphone or a direct hook-up (DI) to the console (available on site)
- Effects pedals should already be fastened and hooked up to a pedal board.
- Guitars must be tuned before going on stage, though retuning is allowed between selections.
HOW TO ENTER
- Please complete the relevant application form at the bottom of this page – please ensure you complete the right application form for Live or Online competition. We will then email you a link to pay the registration fee online (fee only payable for the online competition).
- Please submit your video by entering the URL within the application form. Should you experience any issues with completing the application form, please email admin@fingerstylefestival.com
REGISTRATION & FEES
- Please note that if you are selected to participate in the live Guitar Competition, you are required to purchase a festival ticket. You do not have to attend the entire festival to participate in the competition. You are only required to have a 3-day festival ticket and be present on the Saturday of the event and be available to perform on the live stage that night (if you are the 1st place winner) or Sunday lunchtime (if you are the 2nd place runner-up or 3rd place live competition winner)
PRELIMINARY ROUND MUSIC SELECTION
- For the LIVE competition, please submit a link to ONE video of contestant’s choice (can be live or static). The song/tune selection may be an original work or a cover arranged as an instrumental only.
- The length of any video for both live/online competitions must be a minimum of two minutes but not exceed five (5) minutes. Only one submission is allowed.
VIDEO CONTENT INSTRUCTIONS
- While we advise all contestants to create the best quality entry possible, both regarding the audio and the video, it need not be at a professional-level production value.
- Please do not submit a video with product placements or other commercial intent. No foul language or offensive gestures.
- The candidate must provide a link to their video submission on the application form – e.g. either Youtube/Vimeo or if this is not possible, then a dropbox download to admin@fingerstylefestival.com. For more information on posting videos, we recommend exploring the “Help” section found on the YouTube.com homepage or your video platform of choice.
- The candidate’s video must have the artists’ name in the title.
VIDEO SUBMISSION DATES & TIMES:
The deadline for applications is to be announced, at 11:59 PM (Midnight GMT)
PRELIMINARY (VIDEO) ROUND JUDGING:
All contestants will be judged in the preliminary round by a panel of credible judges who work for Fretmonkey, Candyrat Records, Daylight Music Productions UK or one of the festivals sponsors. The judges decisions are final and no opportunity for questions or appeals will be permitted. Live competition Semi-finalists will be notified and invited to participate in the live competition.
NOTIFICATION:
Notification to all live competition semi-finalists will consist of an email to the address listed on the application form, as well as posted online no later than 4 weeks prior to the event. Early submissions may receive early decisions. By entering this competition, you agree that the notification methods stated herein are sufficient to give you notice in the event that you are chosen to advance. If any semi-finalist fails to respond by agreeing via email to participate in the next level of the competition within seven (7) days of notification, then that candidate forfeits their right to participate further in this competition. Any runners-up will be notified via email within two (2) business days of the day that any candidate fails to respond or declines the invitation to compete in the next level of competition. If a semi-finalist declines the invitation to compete, then the candidate who received the next-highest final score in the video submission will be invited to compete.
LIVE REQUIREMENTS/RULES:
- Up to twelve contestants are selected to compete in the live festival competition. Contestants MUST HAVE REGISTERED ONLINE for the guitar competition and be notified that they have been shortlisted to compete at the live guitar competition. Contestants must also purchase a Fingerstyle Guitar Festival Ticket. If selected to participate in the live festival competition, you must present your festival ticket at the time of drawing performance slots.
- When arriving on stage, the contestant is requested not to talk into any mic or to the audience until asked b y the panel lead to introduce themselves and each tune they are performing as either a cover or original tune. Contestants should be prepared to play up to a total of four instrumental numbers. Two numbers will be played in the first round of competition and the other two in the final round should the contestant be selected as a finalist (up to 5 finalists will be chosen). CONTESTANT MAY PLAY ANY STYLE OF MUSIC. Contestants may use thumb and finger picks. Contestants may bring and use any 6-, 7-, or 12-string acoustic guitar with steel or nylon strings are allowed. The only personal pieces of gear a candidate may use is their guitar, cable, slide, and strap. Harp Guitars are permissible. Pedal effects and looping are not allowed. Special tunings will be allowed. However, the contestant will NOT be allowed to take two instruments on stage. Recommended playing time is approximately three minutes per tune, although competitors will not be disqualified or penalized for going slightly over. Any style of capos may be used. Contestants must be present at the contest stage at 09.00 AM to draw for order of appearance and receive final instructions. Winners will be announced immediately and will receive their awards after the contest.
- A MEDLEY OF TUNES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. In an effort to judge the contest objectively and equally, the following criteria will be considered by the judges and assigned point value in each area.
JUDGES SCORING:
- Scoring 1. ARRANGEMENT (40 points) – Contestant’s version of the tune selected. Difficulty and originality will be considered.Scoring 2. EXECUTION, TUNING (40 points) – Fingering, picking and dynamics will be considered.
- Scoring 3. SHOW VALUE (10 points) – Would the music resonate with an audience (appeal)? Contribute to the genre of fingerstyle guitar?
- Scoring 4. OVERALL IMPRESSION (10 points) – Is it innovative? Progressive? Modern? Well executed? (In other words…Does it stand out in some way?)
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- Any candidate who fails to abide by the Fingerstyle Collective Guitar Competition Rules & Regulations may be disqualified.
- Any application form found to contain false or inaccurate information may result in the candidate’s disqualification.
- The Organiser reserves the exclusive right to record, photograph, or disseminate in any manner whatsoever.
- Participation in the Fingerstyle Collective Guitar Competition implies the full and clear adherence to these rules, the waiver of all rights and recourse in respect of the submission procedures, their results and the awarding of prizes, and in respect of any physical or material damage sustained by the candidate either during the performances or when traveling to said performances.
- International competitors will be provided with an official letter of invitation for respective UK entry..