Big Mon, Marcel Ardans (Intermediate)

Big Mon is a fiddle tune that Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys improvised one night while playing a dance. The exact origins and details beyond that are unknown, the band worked up the tune and recorded it in the late 50’s. The B part is always a little messy to this one, it has a very clear A part but the B part is generally improvisation city. I’ve done my best to stay within the lines and not over paint while making this arrangement!

(Intermediate guitar tabs include an ornamented version of the melody, chord markings above, and more often than not, a kick-off and a tag. Where the beginning guitar tabs had quarter notes expect there to now be a steady stream of eighth notes! These tabs, though more difficult than the beginning tabs, do not stray far from the melody like the advanced guitar tabs. Intermediate tabs without a bluegrass kick-off or tag generally come from other traditions such as Irish Fiddle Music (Frank’s Reel) or Spanish Folk Songs (La Borrachita).)