Wondering what a wild shoat is? I was too! A shoat is a young piglet that has been weaned. “Wild Shoat” is a lively Alabama fiddle tune from Mack Blalock that was later popularized by James Bryan. True to its name, the melody has a bouncing, energetic character with syncopated rhythms that give it a playful quality — perfect for a tune named after a young pig! If you’re looking to learn this tune, playing along with James Bryan’s recording on YouTube is an excellent way to start.

Mack Blalock lived from 1914 to 1987. He was from Mentone, Alabama, and was a fiddler who influenced contemporary fiddler James Bryan, a neighbor in the Lookout Mountain region. Mack learned many tunes from family members, including his uncle Joe Blalock (born 1854) and his aunt Annie Blalock of Lookout Mountain, as well as uncles Alfred and Henry Blalock. The talent for fiddling in the Blalock family was generational — the Blalock families brought fiddles with them to Alabama in 1813.