First Fiddle Tunes Overview

What is a fiddle tune?

A fiddle tune, as the name implies, is a tune played on the fiddle...usually. It describes the traditional songs that were brought over by Scots-Irish settlers. These tunes morphed over the years and became associated with what is now known as mountain and old-time music. Many of these songs are intertwined with Bluegrass. Bill Monroe was hugely influenced by fiddle music and it’s one of the main components of bluegrass.  

Learning these tunes note for note like a fiddle plays will greatly increase your dexterity and give you vocabulary to use in bluegrass solos. Since the tunes are common at Bluegrass jams they are almost a must know when diving into this music.  

In this unit I’ll walk you through a basic fiddle tune, give you tips for efficient practice and effective performance, show a few of the major scales that fiddle tunes are based out of, and provide a workout within those scales to build strength, dexterity, and eventually speed.