Tiny Moore (1920 to 1987) was an electric mandolin player, fiddler, and arranger from Texas. He played with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys from 1946 to 1950 and with Merle Haggard’s Strangers in the 1970s. In 1952 he had Paul Bigsby build him a five-string electric mandolin, and that instrument became his signature. He is the father of western swing mandolin.
Why Moore matters
Moore showed that the mandolin could play jazz over a dance band. He strung his electric mandolin with single strings instead of pairs, so it sounded like an electric guitar, and he played swing lines inspired by guitarist Charlie Christian. His Bigsby five-string added a low C string, which gave him a wider range than a guitar. Every mandolin player who has played swing, from Jethro Burns to Sam Bush, knows his records.
Life and career
Moore was born on May 12, 1920, in Hamilton County, Texas. His mother and grandfather taught him piano, fiddle, and guitar. He heard Leo Raley play one of the first electric mandolins and took up the instrument, playing a homemade electric built by a friend in Port Arthur. From 1937 he played in bands across the South, including a jazz trio in Mobile and a Cajun band in Louisiana. He served in the Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1945.
After the war he joined Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. In 1946 and 1947 he played electric mandolin and fiddle on the Tiffany Transcriptions and arranged the music. He played Gibson electric mandolins, an EM-125 and later an EM-150, with four single strings. In 1950 he left the touring band and settled in Sacramento, where he played with Bob’s brother Billy Jack Wills and commissioned his Bigsby five-string in 1952.
In 1961 he opened the Tiny Moore Music Center in Sacramento and taught mandolin, fiddle, and guitar. He wrote an instruction book, Mandolin Method. He recorded with Merle Haggard on the 1970 Bob Wills tribute album and played full time in Haggard’s Strangers from 1973 to 1976. He also played on Wills’s final recording in 1973. With Jethro Burns he made the twin mandolin album Back to Back. He died of a heart attack on stage in Jackpot, Nevada, on December 15, 1987.
Playing style
Moore played like a jazz guitarist on a smaller instrument. His lines were long, swinging, and built on chord tones, with blues bends and chromatic passing notes. The single-string setup gave his tone a clear, punchy attack, and the amplifier let him sustain notes and play soft when he wanted.
He also played fiddle and arranged for a big band, so he thought in horn lines and harmony parts.
Influences and legacy
Moore’s main influence was jazz guitarist Charlie Christian. He played beside Bob Wills, Billy Jack Wills, Eldon Shamblin, Vance Terry, and Merle Haggard.
His duet album with Jethro Burns, produced by David Grisman, brought his sound to a new generation of acoustic players. He taught dozens of guitarists in Sacramento.
Signature tunes and songs
Stumbling.
Essential recordings
Tiffany Transcriptions, with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (recorded 1946 to 1947) A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World, with Merle Haggard (1970) Tiny Moore Music (Kaleidoscope) Back to Back, with Jethro Burns (Kaleidoscope)
Awards and honors
Western Swing Society Hall of Fame (1982) Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame (1995) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, early influence, with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1999)
Watch and listen
Moore plays Stumbling on his electric mandolin. Listen for the jazz phrasing.
What to learn from Moore
Learn a simple swing tune, then play it as single notes with no tremolo. Aim for a clean, horn-like line and let the notes swing, long then short. If you have an electric mandolin, turn it down and play soft. Moore’s playing shows that swing comes from timing and note choice more than from speed.
Sources
Tiny Moore, Wikipedia Moore, Billy (Tiny), Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association
Related players
See the mandolin players hub and the mandolin guide. Moore recorded with Jethro Burns. Bob Wills led his best-known band. David Grisman produced their duet album.