Jack Tuttle’s Bluegrass Fiddle Collection

This is my most popular and most ambitious book. As a response to many requests through the years, I put this book together with a focus on the fiddling style used for bluegrass singing pieces, banjo and mandolin tunes, and a few of the fiddle tunes that are commonly played, but hard to find. There are 113 songs in this spiral-bound book, (see index below) but many of them have an easier and harder version, so all told, there are 150 solos. I have spent twenty years transcribing solos from the greatest players of the past and present, and have spent the last 9 months adding many more that I hadn't gotten to. Over half of the transcriptions are my own arrangements, often with an intermediate and an advanced version.

Many of these pieces are challenging, but all the require details are notated. Bowing is notated logically and fastidiously, with the bowing direction marks at the beginning of each measure. Of course, many will choose to just bow it their own way, and that's fine, but those who need to better understand and develop the bowing patterns of top bluegrass fiddlers can carefully follow these bowings. Left hand fingering is also notated in any instance where there might be a question.

Also included are 8 pages - one for each bluegrass key, of end licks. Each page has 8 licks that can be used for the last line of most standard bluegrass songs. A typical bluegrass song can be broken down into four lines of melody and often a fiddler will leave the melody on the last line and play a lick in its place. These end licks are to be used for this purpose. Half of the licks will fit over a I - V - I chord progression and the other half fit over a V - V - I. Since this chord progression is so common for the last line, these licks will work for the vast majority of songs.

For an idea of the quality of the transcriptions, you can download PDF samples on my transcription page.

By far the majority of these tunes and songs are from mainstream bluegrass jam repertoire. Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers repertoire are well represented. Here is the song index from the book - many of my arrangements have mp3 links. More will be added. The transcribed solos from recordings have audio files from the recordings. Some of them have been re-tuned to standard pitch.

Here is the Table of Contents. Click on the title for audio links.

Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow (1) - easier version, my arrangement, C
Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow (2) - harder version, my arrangement, C
Ashland Breakdown Kenny Baker, C this is from Kenny Baker plays Bill Monroe album.
Baby Blues Eyes easier version, my arrangement, F
Baby Blues Eyes harder version, my arrangement, F
Banjo Signal Mac Magaha with Reno and Smiley, G
Banks of the Ohio (1) easier version, my arrangements, D
Banks of the Ohio (2) harder version, my arrangements, D
Big Country as played by Ron Stewart, A
Big Mon my arrangement, very close to the original, A
Big Mon classic A part variation, my arrangement
Big Tilda as played by Stuart Duncan with Jim Mills, G
Bluegrass Breakdown - my arrangement, G
Blue Grass Stomp (1 and 2) my arrangements, D
Blue Moon of Kentucky - Chubby Wise with Bill Monroe kick-off in waltz, transposed to C
Blue Moon of Kentucky live version Kenny Baker with Bill Monroe (in 4/4)
Blue Ridge Cabin Home (1) easier version, my arrangement, Bb
Blue Ridge Cabin Home (2) harder version, my arrangement, Bb
Bury Me Beneath the Willow (1) easier version, my arrangement, G
Bury Me Beneath the Willow (2) harder version, my arrangement, G
Cabin in Caroline (1) my version, G
Cabin in Caroline (2) Jimmy Shumate with Flatt & Scruggs, G (pitch shifted)
Can't You Hear Me Calling? Chubby Wise with Bill Monroe, G
Clinch Mountain Backstep Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley, A
Cheyenne - Bobby Hicks, Gm and Bb, I've pieced together solos from his Texas Crapshooter album
Cumberland Gap (1) easier version, my arrangement, G
Cumberland Gap (2) harder version, my arrangement, G
Cora is Gone Bobby Hicks with the Bluegrass Album Band, D
Dark Hollow my arrangement, C
Daybreak in Dixie Stanley Brothers tune, my arrangement, A
Dear Old Dixie Benny Martin with Flatt & Scruggs, G (pitch shifted)
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (1) easier version, my arrangement, E
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (2) harder version, my arrangement, E
Dixie Hoedown my arrangement of jesse McReynolds fiddle tune, G
Dusty Miller Richard Greene with Bill Monroe, A
Earl's Breakdown Howdy Forrester with Flatt & Scruggs, G
East Virginia Blues (1) easier version, my arrangement, E
East Virginia Blues (2) harder version, my arrangement, E
Farewell Blues my arrangement, C
Fireball Mail (1) easier version, my arrangement, G
Fireball Mail (2) harder version, my arrangement, G
Foggy Mountain Special (1) easier version, my arrangement, G
Foggy Mountain Special (2) harder version, my arrangement, G
Foggy Mountain Top (1) easier version, my arrangement, A
Foggy Mountain Top (2) harder version, my arrangement, A
Foggy Mountain Breakdown Benny Sims with Flatt & Scruggs, G (pitch shifted)
Footprints in the Snow Chubby Wise, E
Footprint in the Snow Kenny Baker (chorus break) E
Gold Rush my arrangement, A
Gonna Paint the Town (1) my version
Gonna Paint the Town (2) Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley G
Gonna Settle Down Howdy Forrester with Flatt & Scruggs G (pitch shifted)
Gonna Settle Down Bobby Hicks with the Bluegrass Album Band, G
Ground Speed my arrangement
Goodbye Old Pal 1 Michael Cleveland, Bb
Goodbye Old Pal 2 Michael Cleveland, Bb
Head Over Heels in Love With You Benny Sims with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Head Over Heels in Love With You Bobby Hicks with the Bluegrass Album Band, G
Heavy Traffic Ahead (1) Chubby Wise
Heavy Traffic Ahead (2) Chubby Wise
Heavy Traffic Ahead (3) Stuart Duncan
Highway of Regret (1) easier version, my arrangement,, G
Highway of Regret (2) harder version, my arrangement, G
How Mountain Girls Can Love (1) - my version G
How Mountain Girls Can Love (2) James Price with Ralph Stanley, G
I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair - my arrangement, E
If I Should Wander Back Tonight Benny Martin with Flatt & Scruggs, G
I'll Fly Away (1) easier version, my arrangement, A
I'll Fly Away (2) harder version, my arrangement, A
I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky (1) - two versions, my arrangements, A
I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky (2)
I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home (1) - two versions, my arrangements, Bb
I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home (2)
In the Pines easier version, my arrangement, E
In the Pines harder version, my arrangement, E
Is it Too Late Now? my arrangement, D
Is it Too Late Now? Bobby Hicks with the Bluegrass Album Band, D
It Takes One to Know One easier version, my arrangement, A
It Takes One to Know One harder version, my arrangement, A
John Hardy Vassar Clements with Tony Rice, G
John Henry Eddie Stubbs with Johnson Mountain Boys, G
Katy Daley my version, B
Katy Daley Randy Howard with the Lonesome River Band, B
Kentucky Mandolin my arrangement, Gm
Let Me Love You One More Time James Price with Ralph Stanley, B
Little Annie my arrangement, A
Little Darling Pal of Mine my arrangement, G
Little Girl in Tennessee Benny Sims with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Little Maggie Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley, C
Little Maggie (1) simpler version in A, my arrangement
Little Maggie (2) harder version in A, my arrangement
Lonesome Moonlight Waltz - from Kenny Baker on Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Dm
Lonesome Road Blues Paul Warren with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Long Gone Stuart Duncan (Lonesome River Band recording), Bb
Love Me Darling Just Tonight my version, A
Love Me Darling Just Tonight Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley, A
Love Please Come Home my arrangement, B
Man of Constant Sorrow Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley, C
Molly and Tenbrooks my arrangement Bb
Molly and Tenbrooks Stuart Duncan Tribute To Bill Monroe, Bb
Mountain Dew (1) easier version, my arrangement in G
Mountain Dew (2) harder version, my arrangement in G
My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin' - my version B
My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin' Alison Krauss B
New Camptown Races my arrangement, Bb
Nine Pound Hammer Sam Bush with Tony Rice, A
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine James Price with Ralph Stanley, B
Ocean of Diamonds (1) easier version, my arrangement, F
Ocean of Diamonds(2) harder version, my arrangement, F
Old Home Place (1) easier version, my arrangement Bb
Old Home Place (2) harder version, my arrangement
Pig in a Pen Bobby Hicks with Ricky Skaggs, A
Pike County Breakdown Benny Sims with Flatt & Scruggs, A (pitch corrected)
Prayer Bells Of Heaven Michael Cleveland, Bb
Pretty Polly James Price with Ralph Stanley, C
Raw Hide my arrangement, C
Rebecca Stuart Duncan with Butch Baldasarri, B
Red Clay Halo Stuart Duncan with The Nashville Bluegrass Band, C
Riding on That Midnight Train Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley, G
Remington Ride my arrangement, G
Roanoke my arrangement, G
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms Bobby Hicks with Ricky Skaggs, B
Roll on Buddy (1) easier version, my arrangement, B
Roll on Buddy (2) harder version, my arrangement
Salty Dog (1) easier version, my arrangements, G
Salty Dog (2) harder version, my arrangement
Sally Ann Paul Warren with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Scotland my arrangement, A
Shenandoah Breakdown my arrangement, A
Short Life of Trouble Aubrey Haynie, G
Shouting on the Hills of Glory James Price with Ralph Stanley, A
Shuckin' the Corn my version, G
Shuckin' the Corn Paul Warren with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Someone Took My Place With You my version A
Someone Took My Place With You Benny Martin with Flatt & Scruggs, A
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong (1) easier version, my arrangement, D
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong (2) harder version, my arrangement
Theme Time Vernon Derrick with Jimmy Martin, A
Think of What You've Done my version C
Think of What You've Done Bobby Hicks with Ricky Skaggs, C
Toy Heart - from Bobby Hicks, C
Train 45 - my arrangement, B
Travelin' This Lonesome Road Cubby Wise with Bill Monroe, F
True Life Blues Laurie Lewis, C
Uncle Pen by Bobby Hicks, A
Walls of Time Stuart Duncan with Ricky Skaggs, B
We'll Meet Again Sweetheart my version A
We'll Meet Again Sweetheart Jimmy Shumate with Flatt & Scruggs, A
Wheel Hoss my arrangement, G
When the Golden Leaves Begin To Fall my arrangement, E
When You Go Walking After Midnight my version
When You Go Walking After Midnight Aubrey Haynie with The Lonesome River Band recording, B
White Dove (1) easier version, my arrangement, E
White Dove (2) harder version, my arrangementE
Why Did You Wander? my version G
Why Did You Wander? Benny Martin with Flatt & Scruggs, G
Will He Wait a Little Longer? Aubrey Haynie on The Stanley Gospel Tradition, A
Will You Be Satisfied That Way? Michael Cleveland, D
Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1) easier version, my arrangement, A
Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (2) harder version, my arrangementA
Worried Man Blues (1) easier version, my arrangementG
Worried Man Blues (2) harder version, my arrangementG