The fiddle tunes to learn first are the ones that get called at jams week after week and sit in the three main fiddle keys: A, D, and G. The twelve tunes below fit that test. Six of them have free sheet music on this site.
A fiddle tune is an instrumental with two short parts. Every instrument plays them, not only the fiddle. Guitar, banjo, mandolin, and Dobro players all take breaks on these tunes.
Fiddle tunes keep their keys
A singing song moves to the key that fits the singer. A fiddle tune does not move. Soldier’s Joy is in D wherever it gets called. Learn each tune in the key listed here. Read more in what keys bluegrass jams use.
Tunes in A
| Tune | Level | Sheet music |
|---|---|---|
| Boil Them Cabbage Down | Beginner | Free PDF |
| Old Joe Clark | Beginner | Free PDF |
| Cripple Creek | Beginner | |
| Cluck Old Hen | Beginner | Free PDF |
| Red Haired Boy | Next step |
Start with Boil Them Cabbage Down. Many fiddle teachers use it as a first tune, and both parts use the same chords.
Old Joe Clark uses a G chord in the key of A. Players call that chord the flat 7. It gives the tune its old sound. Red Haired Boy uses the same chord.
Cluck Old Hen has a darker, minor sound. It is short and easy to remember.
Tunes in D
| Tune | Level | Sheet music |
|---|---|---|
| Angeline the Baker | Beginner | Free PDF |
| Soldier’s Joy | Beginner | Free PDF |
| Liberty | Beginner | |
| Whiskey Before Breakfast | Beginner | |
| Arkansas Traveler | Next step |
Angeline the Baker uses two chords, D and G. Slow jams call it often.
Soldier’s Joy is one of the most played fiddle tunes there is. If you learn one tune in D, learn this one.
Liberty and Whiskey Before Breakfast come next. Both have clear melodies that are easy to hum.
Tunes in G
| Tune | Level |
|---|---|
| Blackberry Blossom | Next step |
Blackberry Blossom changes chords fast in the first part. Learn it after you have a few easier tunes down. It is called at jams so often that it earns a place on the list.
One tune in C
Back Up and Push is in C, and the song page has a free PDF. C is a less common fiddle key. This tune is a good way to start in that key.
How a fiddle tune goes in a jam
One player calls the tune and kicks it off. Everyone plays the tune together the first time through, or the leader plays it alone. Then breaks move around the circle. Each break is one full time through the tune. The leader calls “last time” near the end, and the group plays it once more together.
Each tune has an A part and a B part, and each part repeats. Read how fiddle tunes are built for the full layout.
You do not need to play every tune fast
Jam speed is quick. Learn each tune slow and clean first. In the circle, play backup when your turn for a break comes on a tune you do not have up to speed. Shake your head and the leader moves on. Then play the melody at low volume while others take breaks. That is good practice, and no one minds.
A plan for learning one tune a week
Day one: listen to three recordings of the tune. Hum the A part.
Day two: learn the A part by ear or from the sheet music. Read how to learn a fiddle tune by ear.
Day three: learn the B part.
Day four: play the whole tune slow with a metronome. A part twice, B part twice.
Day five: learn the chords, so you can play backup too.
Day six: play along with a recording at a slow speed.
Day seven: play it three times through with no stops.
In twelve weeks you will have all twelve tunes.
For classical violinists
These tunes sit in first position, and the notes are not hard. The new skills are the bowing, the rhythm, and playing from memory. Read how a classical violinist can join a bluegrass jam and fiddle vs violin.
Get the sheet music
The song pages for Boil Them Cabbage Down, Old Joe Clark, Cluck Old Hen, Angeline the Baker, Soldier’s Joy, and Back Up and Push show the notation and play the melody. Each page has a free printable PDF. For singing songs to go with these tunes, read easy bluegrass songs for your first jam.