New Lessons and Courses Released for January 2022

By: Dan Gabel

January 2, 2022

Peghead Nation instructors have released hours of new instruction in their courses, and here are the tunes and lessons we’ve just published for January 2022. Join us in any course and get your first month free. Just use promo code Learn22 at checkout!

GUITAR COURSES

Roots of Jazz Guitar with Matt Munisteri

Up a Lazy River, Part 1: Two-Beat Accompaniment In the first part of this two-part lesson, Matt uses the early jazz standard “Up a Lazy River” to talk about the two-beat accompaniment style, which was a favorite of guitarists Eddie Lang, Nick Lucas, and others.

Irish Backup Guitar with Flynn Cohen

The Rocks of Bawn Flynn shows you how to backup a song in waltz time, using the traditional song “The Rocks of Bawn.” You’ll learn the song in the key of D, in dropped-D tuning, using chord voicings you’ve used before.

Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar with Doug Young

Rose in the Heather Doug uses the Irish jig “Rose in the Heather” to illustrate another approach to playing scales in DADGAD tuning.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Bluegrass Mandolin Jam Favorites with Joe K. Walsh

Foggy Mountain Special Earl Scruggs’ banjo tune “Foggy Mountain Special” is popular among all bluegrass instrumentalists. Joe shows you Earl’s version of the melody, with a few adaptations to make it work better on the mandolin.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

I’ve Found a Hiding Place “I’ve Found a Hiding Place” was recorded by Bill Monroe in May, 1958, with just Edd Mayfield on guitar. Monroe’s solo is on a clipped version of the chorus form and is mostly played out of chop chord positions.

Old-Time Mandolin with John Reischman – NEW COURSE!

In his new course, John teaches you to play old-time fiddle tunes and song melodies, with advice on picking technique and playing old-time rhythm on the mandolin.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

“Every Time You Say Goodbye” Adam Steffey Solo The opening track from Alison Krauss’s influential Every Time You Say Goodbye album opens with an immaculately crafted mandolin solo by Adam Steffey, which you’ll learn in this lesson.

Melodic Mandolin Tunes with John Reischman

E.M.D. The leadoff track on the debut David Grisman Quintet recording in 1977, “E.M.D.” was originally written for the film Eat My Dust. It’s a fast, exciting tune in the key of E minor and has become a jam session favorite.

Irish Mandolin with Marla Fibish

The Banks of Lough Gowna The jig “The Banks of Lough Gowna” works well in a set with two other jigs you’ve already learned: “The Hawthorn Hedge” and “The Lilting Banshee.”

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

On the Sunny Side of the Street The jazz standard “On the Sunny Side of the Street” was written in 1930. On the mandolin, it starts with a big leap: from the third fret G note on the E string to an E7 chord at the 12th fret.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

John Hardy The traditional folk song “John Hardy” is a jam session standard in the bluegrass world, and there are innumerable versions. Joe shows you an introspective version that comes from Danny Barnes and Bill Frisell.

BANJO COURSES

Bluegrass Banjo with Bill Evans

Sonny Osborne’s “Sunny Side of the Mountain” In this lesson, you’ll learn two solos to the bluegrass standard “Sunny Side of the Mountain” that were recorded by the great banjoist Sonny Osborne.

Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo with Wes Corbett

Whistling Rufus “Whistling Rufus” is one of Wes’s favorite fiddle tunes. His arrangement includes a lot of melodic style, along with some roll-based passages and a snippet of single string.

Old-Time Banjo with Bruce Molsky

The Coo-Coo Bird “The Coo-Coo Bird” comes from Clarence (“Tom”) Ashley, and was included on Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music. Ashley sang it in the key of A, but Bruce sings it in G and tunes the banjo to G modal tuning (gDGCD).

FIDDLE COURSES

Old-Time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky

Crockett’s Honeymoon “Crockett’s Honeymoon” comes from Crockett’s Kentucky Mountaineers, who made some recordings in the 1930s. It’s a straight-ahead dance tune in the key of G and it likely comes from the Irish “Honeymoon Reel.”

Beginning Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle with Chad Manning

Scotland “Scotland” is a three-part fiddle tune in the key of A written by Bill Monroe. It has a simple melody played mostly on the A and E strings, and it can be played with A or E drones to imitate the Scottish bagpipes.

Beginning Celtic Fiddle with Emerald Rae – NEW COURSE!

In Beginning Celtic Fiddle with Emerald Rae, you’ll learn to play the fiddle from scratch using traditional Scottish and Irish melodies. Emerald starts at the very beginning, showing you how to hold the fiddle and bow and breaking down essential techniques for both hands. She then moves into teaching easy versions of popular Celtic tunes and songs, building your skills as you go.

PLAY-ALONG RHYTHM TRACKS – Available to all subscribers. Guitar accompaniment video, downloadable audio, and chord charts for popular bluegrass, old-time, and roots tunes and songs.