Jack Tuttle’s Bluegrass Guitar Collection

This intermediate, spiral-bound book focuses on the guitar styles used for bluegrass singing pieces, as well as banjo, mandolin, and fiddle tunes. There are over one hundred transcriptions (see index below) in the book. Most of the transcriptions are my own arrangements and many of them were compiled for ten week guitar classes I have taught over the last few years. Many of the breaks for vocal pieces have two versions. Version 1 is a more basic approach that attempts to play a fairly melody oriented solo while retaining the essence of bluegrass guitar while version two is a more tricked out arrangement, using techniques common for the more advanced bluegrass players, such as up-the-neck soling, syncopations and advanced scales and rhythms. Unlike my previous books, due to space constraints, I have written the pieces in tablature only. Some examples of the book can be found in PDF form below. I have also included several pages of licks that can be used for the last line of common vocal pieces, in the typical bluegrass style of leaving the melody to play lick-oriented passages. Some of the end licks will fit over a I - V - I chord progression and the others fit over a V - V - I. Since this chord progression is so common for the last line, these licks will work for the majority of all songs. These are arranged in the three common soloing keys of G, C and D. There are a few examples of rhythm guitar playing, including the various common strum patterns that are used to end singing pieces as well as double tag endings for instrumentals. Many of these songs have an mp3s link below for help learning the solo. Here are a few samples pages: Can't You Hear Me Calling?: (1) and (2) Hold Whatcha Got: (1) and (2) Sophronie: lead and rhythm.

Table of Contents with audio file links. (missing audio files will be added soon). For those with the pre-Nov 2021 version, audio files from songs no longer in the new version are listed at the bottom of this page.

Big Sandy River Bill Monroe fiddle tune, my arrangement, G
Chinquapin Hunting trendy fiddle tune, D
A Few Old Memories Hazel Dickens piece arranged for female voicing
Lonesome Fiddle Blues straight ahead arrangement of Vassar's tune in D minor
I'm Troubled, I'm Troubled (1) simpler version, D
I'm Troubled, I'm Troubled (2) more complex version, D
Big Country from Jimmy Martin repertoire, my arrangement G
Big Sciota old fiddle tune named after a river, my arrangement, G
Grey Owl trendy fiddle tune from Gary Harrison, D
Black Mountain Rag A my arrangement, the common fiddle key of A
Black Mountain Rag rhythm an example using syncopated bass runs
Black Mountain Rag C my arrangement for playing out of C position, like Doc Watson
Moonshiner Pete Rowan popularized this in bluegrass, my arrangement, D
Durham 's Reel my arrangement of old-time/bluegrass standard, A
Stoney Lonesome my arrangement of Monroe fiddle tune
Come Back to Me in My Dreams (1) Monroe waltz, simpler melody break, G
Come Back to Me in My Dreams (2) more complex, G
Ground Speed Scruggs banjo tune, G
Stepstone Carter Family song, my arrangement in C
Temperance Reel standard fiddle tune, G
Under the Double Eagle my arrangement in C and F
Red Prairie Dawn trendy fiddle tune. G
Daley's Reel one of the Bb BG fiddle tunes, G (capo 3)
Remington Ride Herb Remington tune brought over from Western Swing, G
Stoney Point fiddle tune with some Em, G
Cattle in the Cane standard fiddle tune in both A and Am,
Wrong Road Again (1) Joe Val brought this into bluegrass, simpler version, G
Wrong Road Again (2) more complex version
Boston Boy my arrangement with an alternate B part variation, C
Close By (1) Monroe song, simpler arrangement
Close By (2) more complex arrangement
Red Wing standard tune also played in Western Swing, G
Air Mail Special on the Fly (1) melody break, G
Air Mail Special on the Fly (2) fancier break as played by Molly Tuttle, G
New Camptown Races Frank Wakefield Bb mandolin tune, G
Little Annie (1) simpler version, voiced in G for female vocals (like Laurie Lewis) G
Little Annie (2) more advanced solo
Brown County Breakdown classic Monroe tune, D
Won't You Come and Sing For Me? Hazel Dickens my arrangement with lots of cross-picking
Wheel Hoss my arrangement of Monroe's fiddle tune
Southern Flavor Monroe mandolin tune, Em
Wildwood Flower crosspick version C
Done Gone another Bb fiddle tune with some minor chords, G (capo3)
Alabama Jubilee my arrangement of ragtime/bluegrass, C
Old Home Place (1) simpler melody solo
Old Home Place (2) more complex solo
Foggy Mountain Breakdown famous Scruggs banjo tune, G
Garfield's Blackberry Blossom cool old-time piece from Ed Haley, GRoanoke Monroe my arrangement
Hold Whatcha Got (1) Jimmy Martin repertoire, simpler version
Hold Whatcha Got (2) more complex version
Jerusalem Ridge classic Monroe/Baker four part fiddle tune, Am
I'll Never Love Another (1) Flatt & Scruggs, simpler, G
I'll Never Love Another (2) more complex, G
Pike County Breakdown my arrangement of Monroe's mandolin piece
Prayer Bells of Heaven (1) Jimmy Martin repertoire my simpler arrangement
Prayer Bells of Heaven (2) my more complex arrangement
Shenandoah Breakdown banjo tune from Monroe repertoire, G
Chalk Up Another One (1) simpler melody version, C
Chalk Up Another One (2) more complex, C
East Tennessee Blues my arrangement, C
Blue Night (1) simpler melody style arrangement, G
Blue Night (2) more complex arrangement, G
Leather Britches standard fiddle tune, G
Leather Britches A part variation, G
Bouquet in Heaven (1) Flatt & Scruggs waltz, simpler melody style, G
Bouquet in Heaven (2) fancier arrangement, G
Bouquet in Heaven rhythm demonstrates waltz rhythm playing
Flop Eared Mule based on the playing of David Grier, G
Cabin on a Mountain (1) Vern and Ray classic, my arrangement, G
Cabin on a Mountain (2) more complex arrangement, G
Can't You Hear Me Calling? (1) Monroe song, my simpler arrangement, G
Can't You Hear Me Calling? (2) my more complex arrangement, G
Dixie Hoedown Jesse McReynold's tune, G
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (1) Flatt & Scruggs, simpler version, D
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (2) more complex version, D
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke rhythm bluegrass rhythm example, D
Lonesome Moonlight Waltz Bill Monroe's waltz in F/D minor
Forty Years of Trouble (1) brought to mainstream by Danny Paisley, simpler version
Forty Years of Trouble (2) more complex version
Dear Old Dixie cool and common banjo tune seldom solo'd on guitar G
Ocean of Diamonds (1) Jimmy Martin repertoire simpler version, D
Ocean of Diamonds (2) much more complex, D
Road to Columbus common Monroe/Baker tune with some up the neck soloing, G
White Freightliner Blues one my daughter Molly has played a million times D
Love, Please Come Home (1) simpler melody version of popular Don Reno song, G
Love, Please Come Home (2) more complex, G
Old Dangerfield my arrangement of Bill Monroe mandolin tune, G
Walls of Time (1) Monroe/ Rowan my arrangement in D for female voiced solo
Walls of Time (2) more complex version, D
Theme Time Jimmy Martin repertoire banjo tune, G
Rawhide Monroe high speed mandolin tune arranged for high speed playing C
Will the Roses Bloom? as played by Tony Rice
When You Go Walking After Midnight (1) my melody version
When You Go Walking After Midnight (2) more complex, based on the playing of Kenny Smith
Florida Blues cool Arthur Smith fiddle tune, my arrangement, D
Cora is Gone (1) Flatt & Scruggs waltz, my arrangement, C
Cora is Gone (2) Tony Rice solo, C
Blue Grass Stomp Monroe mandolin tune, my arrangement, with second run-through up the neck, D
Heavy Traffic Ahead (1) Monroe 12 bar song, simpler version
Heavy Traffic Ahead (2) up-the-neck solo
Bluegrass Breakdown Monroe banjo classic
Nine Pound Hammer (1) melody statement, G
Nine Pound Hammer (2) lots of up-the-neck notes, G
Watson Blues Monroe named this for Doc Watson, E
Farewell Blues popular for hotshot bluegrass guitarists, C
End Licks in G: I V I
End Licks in G: V V I
End Licks in C: I V I
End Licks in C: V V I
End Licks in D: I V I
End Licks in D: V V I
G runs
C runs
D runs
Double Tag Endings rhythm

These songs are from the pre-Nov 2021 version of the book.
Connemara
Cousin Sally brown
Dubuque
East Tennessee Blues (Tim Stafford version)
Lost Indian
Ninety Degrees
Old Mother Flannigan
Six Feet Under the Ground (1)
Six Feet Under the Ground (2)
Sophronie
Sunnyside of the Mountain
Ways of the World