Bill Cheatham // Bluegrass Mandolin Lesson // Melody with Variations
Mar 21, 2023In this video, I will show you how to play the old-time fiddle tune "Bill Cheatham" on the mandolin. This fiddle tune is a very common jam tune, and you will find it in bluegrass, old-time, and Irish music sessions.
It appears with some different spelling for the name; I've seen Bill Cheatem and Bill Cheatum. It's primarily played in A-major, and that's how I present it here.
I will demonstrate a couple of ways to make easy variations for it, focusing on the pickup line.
I will also show you how to play the melody on the octave mandolin, using different fingerings.
Here I'm playing the tune with my friend Lena Jonsson who is an amazing fiddle player from Sweden.
In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:
- Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
- Backing and play-a-long tracks (MP3)
- How-to-play-instructions
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