The fiddlehub Store: Fiddle Tune Books

The Fiddler's Fakebook (Ed. David Brody)

There is nothing "fake" about this tune collection. First published in 1983, it has nearly 500 tunes, including American Old Time fiddle tunes, Irish fiddle tunes, and French-Canadian and Bluegrass fiddle tunes. If you're going to own only one tune book, it should be this one. Very authoritative. The tunes are in standard notation, and references to source recordings are provided, which is very cool. I have this book and I use it a lot. You can learn a tune from this book and be very confident that the version will fit right in at a jam or session. Chords are provided, and they sound good with the settings.

BTW, the book has a plastic comb type binding, so you can open it and put it up on a music stand and guess what? It stays there!

A few of the tunes in the book: Angeline The Baker, Arkansas Traveler, Flop-Eared Mule, Cherokee Shuffle, Midnight On The Water, Sail Away Ladies, Star of Munster. Some of the tunes are offered in two or three versions.

Click on the image to the right to order yours.

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100 Essential Irish Session Tunes (Ed. Dave Mallinson)

I've had this book since it came out in 1995, and I treasure it. I've used it as my main source for learning many of my favorite Irish fiddle tunes. The settings are in standard notation, and they are just excellent. They're in the right keys for fiddlers, and the arrangements are very "session friendly." You can learn a tune from this book, go to a session in the US or in Ireland, and launch into the tune without fear--Somebody (probably several people) at the session will know the tune, and your arrangement be pretty close to theirs. If you like guitar or piano accompaniment, chords are provided.

A few of the tunes in the book: The Earl's Chair, The Musical Priest, The Maid Behind The Bar, The Congress, The Star Of Munster, The Cup Of Tea.

The book has a really handy index of alternative titles, of which there are many in Irish music.

Click on the image to the right to order yours.

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100 Enduring Irish Session Tunes (Ed. Dave Mallinson)

This terrific book is a companion piece to the one listed above. It has more great session fiddle tunes that are commonly played in the US and Ireland, and in addition to 23 reels and 34 jigs that are not in the "essentials" book, it has 15 slides, 14 hornpipes, and a few marches, mazurkas, slip jigs and set pieces. I have owned this book, and used it, for many years; and everything about it meets the standard set by the "essentials" book. It too has an index of alternative titles. Chords are provided for accompaniment.

A few of the titles include: The Fermoy Lasses, The Mason's Apron, The Hag At The Churn, The Rambling Pitchfork, Dennis Murphy's Slide, The Rights Of Man, and Brian Boru's March.

Click on the image to the right to order yours.