Native American fiddle tunes, style?

February 18, 2026, 5:26 AM · Wesley, maybe you know these?

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kXlYSh_1mNK2F1I578rdXx5M1Ys5pxDOk&si=_RSrbZgFuGUghucl

Edited: February 18, 2026, 9:27 AM · Having listened to these dance tunes I can't help feeling that the European influence is very strong, and I'm asking myself how much of the music is truly 'native'. Perhaps there are other Nations between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico in whose music there is a more evident pre-Columbian strand? This is not to say that I didn't like the dances: if there is a book I'd consider getting it, and I also enjoyed the lead fiddler's phrasing and vibrato.

Edited: February 18, 2026, 6:01 PM · There really is not any such thing as “Native American Fiddle Styles” as the fiddle was not a native American instrument.

There are not a lot of pre-European-contact, tribe-specific notated melodies, but there are beautiful native American melodies that were played on traditional flutes that were transcribed in the 20th century. Do a search on “Native American Flute Songbook” and you will find quite a few collections including some free pdfs.

Be aware that these may not be “traditional” in the sense that they may have been stylized by the transcriber or may be modern compositions based on interpreted melodies.

February 18, 2026, 10:23 AM · Native American music does still survive in places (e.g. the Amazonian basin) but not tunes that you'd want to fiddle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ap2NYnwryQ

February 18, 2026, 10:35 AM · I am guessing. But, similar to George Huhn I don't believe fiddle was a Native American instrument. When I have heard or been places where people were playing Native American instruments it was primarily flutes and drums. However, someone I know frequently listens to modern Native American artists and occasionally I will hear a cello or violin. I have never asked for who he is listening to.

I think you would need to search for the specific nation (tribe.) For example I did a quick search for music of the Lakota Sioux. Various pieces, artists and projects came up.

Did a quick, dive into google. This came up: *Adaptation: Some tribes, particularly in the Southwest, have historically incorporated, adapted, and reinterpreted non-native instruments like fiddles,, Apache fiddles and guitars.*

And it did also say *Native American music varies significantly by region, tribe, and purpose, with differences in vocal tension, pitch, instrumentation, and rhythm reflecting unique cultural identities.*

February 18, 2026, 1:39 PM · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9tis_fiddle

The Metis tradition is about as close as one can get to a 19th c or before First Nations fiddling style, still infected with European influences, but nonetheless credible. Nokosee Fields is Cherokee and plays from that perspective, and she is a great fiddler and a very nice person. She might be one to ask your question of.

February 18, 2026, 8:08 PM · This is really cool. I was just listening to a recording by Jon Anderson, a song called Seminole Wind, about the First Nation tribes in Florida, USA. There’s a beautiful fiddle lead in it.

February 19, 2026, 3:05 AM · @Steve Jones Your link was very interesting, as are many of the others on this thread. I was not happy, however, with the inclusion of a map at the end, which showed a large chunk of Guyana as part of Venezuela. If a subtext of the video was to show people peacefully living and practising their own culture, why did it finish with a threat against other people who are presumably doing the same?

February 19, 2026, 3:16 AM · Richard - You'll have to ask editor Carlos Rodriguez Arrieche. I wonder if these people know or care which nation they belong to?

February 19, 2026, 8:55 PM · At least in the desert Southwest, none of the native tribal music that I’m aware of involves any stringed instruments. Of course, modern musicians including Native Americans have fused all sorts of styles into “world” music, but this seems artist-specific rather than cultural. Maybe look into the Santa Fe music scene.