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Bill Cheatum mandolin tabs

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  • Tablatures

    Beginner

    Traditional

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      A
    • Tempo
      75 bpm
    • Tuning
      GDAE

    Bill Cheatum is another fun jam tune. It’s similar to Blackberry Blossom in that the chords go by very quickly in the B section.

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  • Intermediate

    Traditional

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      A
    • Tempo
      85 bpm
    • Tuning
      GDAE

    This is a great arrangement of Bill Cheatum for blending single lines in with double-stops.

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  • Advanced

    Traditional

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      A
    • Tempo
      110 bpm
    • Tuning
      GDAE

    The B section of this tune will challenge you with it’s many pull-offs. But once you get it down, it sounds so cool!

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More about Bill Cheatum

Bill Cheatum is known under many names, some include "Cheatum," "Cheat 'Em," "Old Bill Cheatum." This fiddle tune is common throughout the southern part of the country, which is where it found its origin. The name “Old Bill Cheatum”, was first heard in the Ozarks mountains and was compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph. It was published in 1954 by Randolph. The earliest recording of the tune was done by Texas fiddler Eck Robertson in 1922 and it was part of his “Brilliancy Medley”. Other versions includes “Cheat Em” by the Allen brothers and "Fiddlin' Arthur Smith" from Tennessee did his own rendition in 1940. “Bill Cheatum” has no doubt experienced a long bout of popularity and bluegrass and old-time music and is a staple at fiddler's conventions and jam sessions.