Jack Tuttle’s Bluegrass Mandolin Primer

This book is a result of my developing a well thought-out lesson program for mandolin over the last twenty years of teaching. In this 96 page spiral-bound book, the material is laid out in a graduated fashion. There is an even mix of common fiddle tunes and bluegrass breaks to singing pieces. There are numerous transcriptions of Bill Monroe solos, but most arrangements are put together by me for teaching purposes. Also included are scales, arpeggios, pick exercises, chords diagrams, tag endings and a chordal position playing page. This book includes both standard music notation and tablature. For an idea of the quality of the transcriptions, you can download PDF samples on my transcription page.

Note: This is an update of my book previously titled: Jack Tuttle’s Mandolin Collection volume 1. For those looking for audio files for that edition, go here.

Here is the Table of Contents with audio file links

My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains simple melody break in the key of G
Boil Em Cabbage Down standard shuffle rhythm for working on pick direction
Soldier's Joy simple standard fiddle tune, D
Old Joe Clark simple standard fiddle tune, A
The Girl I Left Behind Me simple standard fiddle tune, G
Will the Circle Be Unbroken? simple break using repetitive note melody style, A
Arkansas Traveler standard fiddle tune, D
Air Mail Special on the Fly simple break in the key of A using repetitive note melody style
Shenandoah Waltz introduces tremolo on a slow waltz, D
Jaybird fiddle tune in D using some off-beat rhythm for working on pick direction
Bury Me Beneath The Willow melody break with slides, G
Squirrel Hunters trendy fiddle tune, D
I'll Fly Away melody break using common double stops
Liberty standard fiddle tune, key of D
Lonesome Road Blues melody break with slides, G
Swallowtail Jig not really bluegrass, but 6/8 (jig) fiddle tune, Em
It Takes One To Know One Jimmy Martin waltz with tremolo, A
Red-Haired Boy standard fiddle tune, A
Foggy Mountain Top repetitive notes with some off-beat movement, A
Clinch Mountain Backstep Ralph Stanley banjo tune, common jam piece that's crooked, A
Down the Road Flatt & Scruggs popular song, A
Cripple Creek standard fiddle tune, A
St. Anne's Reel standard fiddle tune with lots pf arpeggios, D
Long Journey Home common bluegrass song as played by David Grisman, G
Whiskey Before Breakfast standard fiddle tune, D
Cora is Gone another waltz, lots of tremolo, some double stops (two strings), D
Angeline the Baker standard fiddle tune, D
Blue Grass Stomp Bill Monroe mandolin tune using downpick style, D
Bill Cheatum standard fiddle tune, A
Hot Corn, Cold Corn Flatt & Scruggs popular song, G
Eighth of January standard fiddle tune, D
Tennessee Blues first mandolin tune Monroe ever wrote, A
Little Maggie standard bluegrass song, A
Turkey in the Straw a fiddle tune everyone has heard, G
Short Life of Trouble common fast(ish) waltz, G
Banks of the Ohio standard bluegrass song, D
Billy In the Lowground standard fiddle tune, C
Cherokee Shuffle standard fiddle tune, A
Fireball Mail song made popular by Earl Scruggs as a banjo tune, G
June Apple standard fiddle tune, A
Before I Met You fast waltz by Flatt & Scruggs with some off-beat movement, G
Salt Creek standard fiddle tune, A
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling common Flatt & Scruggs song, F
Forked Deer standard fiddle tune, D
Salty Dog (1) circle of 5ths song by Flatt & Scruggs, melody based, G
Salty Dog (2) alternative solo which uses more scale and less melody
Stoney Point standard fiddle tune, G
Blue Ridge Cabin Home Flatt & Scruggs classic, Bb
Summertime George Gershwin song frequently sung by Doc Watson, Gm
Blackberry Blossom standard fiddle tune using lots of 4th finger, G
Ragtime Annie standard fiddle tune, slightly swingy, D
Toy Heart close to Monroe's solo on this classic, E
Old Home Place popular song by the Dillards, Bb
Foggy Mountain Breakdown famous Earl Scruggs banjo tune
In the Pines common bluegrass waltz, lots of tremolo and double stops, E
Dusty Miller Monroe version of an old fiddle tune
Red Wing common tune, G
I'll Never Shed Another Tear Flatt & Scruggs standard, G
On and On Monroe classic using chordal position playing
Big Mon standard Monroe fiddle tune, A
Dark Hollow standard bluegrass song, solos are getting fancier now, C
Molly and Tenbrooks standard bluegrass song made popular by Bill Monroe, Bb
Little Darlin' Pal of Mine common song/tune played by Flatt & Scruggs, G
New Camptown Races very popular Frank Wakefield mandolin tune, Bb
Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow standard bluegrass song with lots of blues notes, C
Paddy On The Turnpike standard fiddle tune, G
Old Dangerfield bluesy Bill Monroe mandolin tune with three parts, A
I Wonder Where You Are Tonight common bluegrass song, E
Highway of Regret Stanley Brothers song with double stops and higher positions, G
Gold Rush Bill Monroe fiddle tune, A
Kentucky Mandolin Bill Monroe mandolin tune, Gm
Head Over Heels in Love With You from Flatt $ Scruggs repertoire with a more complicated solo, G
Wheel Hoss Bill Monroe fiddle classic, G
Rebecca Hershel Sizemore mandolin tune, common jam tune, B
Walls of Time Monroe/Rowan classic, C
Ocean of Diamonds Jimmy Martin waltz in F using double stops and tremolo
Love Please Come Home Reno and Smiley song played in a higher position, B
East Virginia Blues sophisticated solo on a standard bluegrass song, E
Closed Position Fill Licks
Major Scales Arpeggios
Pick Direction Exercises
Tag Endings
Chordal Position Playing
Open Chords Closed
Chords Song Index