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Salt Creek

intermediate

Bill Monroe · Key of A · 4/4 time

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Tablature

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Key

A

Tempo

140 BPM

Speed

Fast

Tuning

Standard

About This Tune

A bluegrass instrumental standard that introduces cross-picking patterns and position shifting. A rite of passage for flatpickers moving beyond the basics.

History & Background

Attributed to Bill Monroe and popularized in the 1960s, Salt Creek is one of the most-played instrumentals at bluegrass jams and festivals. Its driving A-part melody and crosspicking B-part have become a benchmark for intermediate flatpickers. The tune draws from fiddle contest traditions and showcases the guitar as a lead instrument.

bluegrassinstrumentalcross-pickingjam standard

Practice Metronome

140
BPM

Salt Creek default: 140 BPM · Adjust tempo for practice

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Download the full tablature as a PDF — print it out or view on your tablet at the music stand.

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Quick Reference
Difficulty
intermediate
Key
A
Tempo
Fast (140 BPM)
Time Signature
4/4
Tuning
Standard