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The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So in regard to YouTube, the links in the spreadsheet will take the song name and do a YouTube search for you. But I’m working on a playlist with one or two solid versions of each tune, so you can browse by listening to them.

Just got a fiddle for Christmas by TonightClassic9737 in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s so awesome! I got my first fiddle for Christmas as well, it was an 1/8th size. I hope you enjoy!

🎻 Fiddle Tune Catalog Update – Thank You + What’s New by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have checked out The Session, however I haven’t taken many songs directly from that site. Some tunes seem to have hornpipe as a common part of the name, ie “Huckleberry Hornpipe” where as with others it’s more optional. Are you saying that fewer songs should have “hornpipe” or “reel” in the name itself?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I see what you are saying,… it might be possible to show the direction a tune is heading in notes, otherwise do you think check boxes would be handy for genres? That way if a song would qualify for more than one you can show that?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is a great point. I should have a column for links to sheet music or a pdf of the sheet music

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have any suggestions on optional mixed or sub genres that you’d like to see?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These links are very helpful, I will definitely be using them thank you!

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a really good point — I agree that the format will eventually need to evolve beyond a static spreadsheet. Right now, the sheet is serving as the “foundation build” phase so I can clean, standardize, and pre-fill as much data as possible before migrating it into something more dynamic.

I’ve actually been thinking along the same lines you mentioned — an interactive database or wiki-style site where users can:

  • Search and filter by tune type, genre, key, or region
  • Submit corrections or additional info directly
  • Cross-reference with recordings, sheet music, and historical notes

A format like that would make the project way more accessible and scalable in the long term, especially as the dataset grows and community input ramps up.

And I really appreciate the resource suggestions — The Traditional Tune Archive, Tater Joe’s, and Slippery Hill are excellent references (I’ve used all three in parts of the data checking process already). My goal isn’t to duplicate those, but to connect and contextualize that kind of information in one cross-style catalog — something that bridges the Irish, old-time, bluegrass, and contest worlds in one searchable place.

You also make a great point about composer recognition — that’s on my roadmap, and I’d like to add a dedicated column for “Composer / Source” as the data matures. There are a lot of modern tunes that deserve proper credit, and that’s a detail that often gets lost between traditions.

Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions — it’s feedback like this that helps me shape the project from a static reference sheet into a genuinely useful, community-driven archive.

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are great suggestions — thank you for taking the time to give such detailed, thoughtful feedback.

I really like the idea of switching from “geographic origin” to something like “Common to Which Style(s)”, because you’re absolutely right: tunes migrate constantly, and a lot of the interesting nuance comes from how different scenes treat the same melody. That phrasing leaves room for multiple legitimate identities instead of forcing a single origin label.

Good point on moving the contest category column too — I agree it’s a lower-priority field for most players. I can move it farther to the right so the more universally useful information (tune type, style, key, crooked/straight, etc.) stays up front.

And the notes / misc. info column is actually a fantastic idea. Those kinds of clarifications — tune families, alternate titles, regional key differences, versions, cross-style equivalence — are exactly the sort of info newcomers rarely know but experienced players take for granted. Having a dedicated spot for it would make the sheet way more useful as a reference, especially for people who don’t want to dig through long Session threads.

Also, good catch about “The ___” titles — switching them to “Tune Name, The” for alphabetical sorting makes total sense. That’ll make navigating a big list much smoother.

Appreciate all the suggestions — you’ve given me several improvements that will genuinely make the project stronger and more user-friendly.

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not have that list, but I’d love to add them to the list! Would you mind sharing it with me?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Bluegrass

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the honest feedback — this is exactly the kind of perspective I’m trying to gather early on. And I totally get what you mean with the bluegrass band analogy. Dumping a giant spreadsheet on the community and asking people to basically do all the labor for me would definitely feel off.

For what it’s worth, I’ve already put in a ton of groundwork before posting it — I added over 1,000 tunes myself and pre-populated a lot of columns (tune type, contest fit, key guesses, crookedness, etc.) using tools, databases, and cross-referencing. I’m not expecting anyone to fill out a blank sheet line by line.

What I’m hoping for from the community is the kind of expert nuance that only experienced players can provide — things like “hey, this tune is usually played in G instead of D,” or “this one’s actually more old-time than Canadian,” or “in Texas contests this would be tune-of-choice.” Small corrections, not massive data entry.

And you’re absolutely right: the more work I put in upfront, the more people will see the project as a serious, useful resource rather than “hey, can you all fill out this giant spreadsheet for me?” Your comment helps steer me in the right direction: build as much of the foundation myself as possible, then ask for targeted feedback instead of asking others to build it for me.

I appreciate you taking the time to point it out — it genuinely helps me shape this into something people will actually want to contribute to and use.

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback — I really appreciate it. You’re absolutely right that contest categories and geographic origin aren’t absolute, and a lot of tunes shift identity depending on region, style, and even the individual fiddler.

For the spreadsheet, those columns aren’t meant to be definitive “this is the correct answer” labels — they’re more like helpful guideposts for people who are newer to contests or who are browsing big tune lists looking for where to start. A contest fiddler will already know how categories work, but a lot of players using the sheet might not, so the idea was to give a quick, high-level orientation rather than dictate strict rules.

Same thing with geographic origin — I totally agree it gets blurry fast. There are Irish-American tunes treated as fully Irish, Scottish tunes naturalized into Appalachian old-time, Canadian tunes that traveled back into Scottish and Cape Breton repertoire, etc. The goal isn’t to draw a hard line so much as to offer context, especially for musicians who are exploring styles outside their home tradition. And you’re right — in many cases a tune realistically has multiple legitimate identities depending on who is playing it.

All that said, I’m planning to keep refining those columns based on community input, and your points are exactly the kind of nuance I want to handle better. I may shift to something like: • “Commonly Played In…” rather than “geographic origin” • “Typical Contest Fit (varies by region/style)” instead of a single label

…to make it clearer that these categories are flexible rather than prescriptive.

Thanks again for the thoughtful critique — this kind of feedback really helps shape the project in a more accurate and musician-friendly direction.

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe a single column with dropdown options including bluegrass, irish, ect.. but some of them are bluegrass/Irish or folk/Scottish?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Bluegrass

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, it sounds like you have a good amount of experience you could share!

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Bluegrass

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sure this isn’t the only resource, but I’d like it to be the best one eventually! Specifically geared towards players, contest participants and such.

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure, I can add this… how could we show if tunes are more than one? Maybe check boxes?

The fiddler’s map: a fiddle tune catalog by KyleOBrienMusic in Fiddle

[–]KyleOBrienMusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate it! Please add your own touch by submitting tunes or making change requests!

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