Bill Monroe didn’t just play bluegrass. He invented it. The mandolin chop, the high lonesome tenor, the driving rhythm — all of it traces back to Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys he led from 1938 until his death in 1996. His own songs make up the core of what every bluegrass jam still plays today, and the recordings he made of traditional numbers like “In the Pines” and “I Am a Pilgrim” became the versions everyone else learned from.

These thirteen are a good starting point if you’re working through Monroe’s catalog or building a jam repertoire. Most sit in G, A, or B, and a few of the slower ones reward a closer listen to his phrasing. Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and a short song history — use those to pick keys, learn the words, and hear how other pickers have handled the tune.