Tracing the Heartline of America’s Fiddle Tunes

I grew up hearing the sound of the fiddle long before I ever held one. Those early tunes — passed around porches, family gatherings, and dance halls — were more than melodies; they were stories. Each had its own journey, shaped by the hands that played it and the places it traveled.

Over the years, I started to wonder where those tunes really came from — who wrote them, who changed them, and how they managed to find their way into every corner of American life. That curiosity grew into something much larger: The Fiddle Canon Project.

This project is a personal exploration of the lineage behind the music — a way of honoring the players, the regions, and the history that gave each tune its life. It’s not about collecting songs; it’s about understanding how they became what we know today.

Inside the Canon, I’ve been documenting the paths of traditional fiddle tunes — their roots in old-time, bluegrass, Texas contest, and swing traditions — and the subtle currents of rhythm and feel that tie them to the broader story of American music. Some names you’ll recognize, others have almost vanished, but every one of them helped build the music we still play and love.

It’s a living project — always growing, always open to new discoveries. Every time I find a tune’s deeper story or an unexpected connection between players, it adds another line to the map.

For me, this isn’t about making an archive or a textbook. It’s about preserving a language that’s been spoken through music for generations. If the fiddle could talk — these are the stories it would tell.

You can follow along at brianarrowood.org as the Canon continues to take shape — through recordings, notes, and tune histories that reflect the people and places that made this music what it is.

To learn more or share your own connection to a tune, reach out anytime at info@brianarrowood.com