Cherokee Shuffle

“Cherokee Shuffle” is a traditional fiddle tune that was derived from a song recorded in the 1930s by Tommy Magness called “Lonesome Indian”. Nashville session fiddler Tommy Jackson has been credited with transforming Magness’ “Lonesome Indian” into “Cherokee Shuffle”. This tune has been recorded by several artists over the years and it has become one of the most popular flatpicking pieces for guitarists at bluegrass jams.

This song is usually played in the key of A by placing a capo on the 2nd fret and using key of G chords. You might hear different variations of this tune at a bluegrass jam, but we’ll tab out one of the most common chord progressions below.