New Lessons for November 2023

New lessons, tunes, and techniques from Peghead Nation instructors!

By: Dan Gabel

November 2, 2023

Peghead Nation instructors have released hours of new instruction in their courses, and here are the tunes and lessons we’ve just published for November 2023. Join us in any course and get your first month free. Just use promo code Learn23 at checkout!

GUITAR COURSES

Bluegrass Guitar Fingerboard Mastery with Stash Wyslouch

Position 2A Arpeggios In this lesson, you’ll learn C major seven and C dominant seven arpeggios using pattern 2A, as well as G major seven and G dominant seven arpeggios in pattern 2A.

Maybelle Carter-Style Guitar with Cathy Fink

Cannonball Blues “Cannonball Blues” is a fingerstyle showcase for Maybelle Carter. She plays fingerstyle with her thumb and index finger but if you’re used to fingerpicking with your middle and/or ring fingers, you can do it that way as well.

Irish Flatpicking Guitar with Flynn Cohen

Elizabeth Kelly’s Delight “Elizabeth Kelly’s Delight” is a slip jig in A minor (or D modal). Flynn was influenced by Paddy Glackin and Micheál Ó Domhnaill’s recording and there’s also a great Lúnasa recording of it.

Western Swing Guitar with Matt Munisteri

We’re happy to announce the latest Peghead Nation course, Western Swing Guitar, taught by the great Matt Munisteri. In this course, you’ll learn to play the classic western swing rhythm style pioneered by Eldon Shamblin, as well as “twin guitar” solos from Bob Wills’s guitarists and the soloing styles of greats like Junior Bernard, Jimmy Wyble, and others.

The extensive lessons in Western Swing Guitar include transcriptions of Shamblin’s groundbreaking chordal work, as well as transcriptions of twin guitar solos from songs like “Roly Poly,” “Bob Wills Special,” and “I Hear You Talking.” You’ll learn Western swing classics from Bob Wills, Leon McAuliffe, and others, with arrangements of classic songs like “Faded Love,” “Panhandle Rag,” “Right or Wrong,” and more. Matt will add new lessons to the course each month, and all lessons include detailed notation and Play-Along Track videos and audio downloads so you can play along with Matt.

Panhandle Rag “Panhandle Rag” is one of western swing’s most popular instrumentals. Matt shows you Eldon Shamblin’s accompaniment as well as an arrangement of the melody with some double-stop ideas borrowed from steel guitar playing.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Swing and Jazz Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Learn to play swing and jazz melodies and classic solos from jazz legends like Lester Young, Miles Davis, and Django Reinhardt, as well as swing mandolinists like Tiny Moore and Jethro Burns. For each song, you’ll learn the melody and a solo, along with tips on technique, phrasing, and improvisation.

You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To The Cole Porter standard “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” is one of Joe’s favorites. You’ll learn the melody and chords, as well as a Chet Baker solo that comes from the Jim Hall record Concierto.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

Lonesome Road Blues Bill Monroe recorded “Lonesome Road Blues” in 1960, and his solo includes some of his classic “slidy” licks.

Old-Time Mandolin with John Reischman

Sandy Boys The A modal tune “Sandy Boys” comes from the Hammonds Family of West Virginia, but there are many versions. John learned it from bluegrass fiddler Greg Spatz, so his version has a bit of a bluegrass flavor.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

Swing 51 Tony Rice’s tune “Swing 51” appeared on the first David Grisman Quintet album. The melody lays out well on the mandolin, and it has some unusual transitions between sections as well as an unusual chord progression.

Brazilian Choro Mandolin with Ian Coury

Carioquinha “Carioquinha” is another great choro standard written by Waldyr Azevedo. “Carioquinha” means “little carioca,” and a carioca is someone born in Rio de Janeiro.

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

Easter Parade “Easter Parade” was written by Irving Berlin for the 1933 musical As Thousands Cheer. Aaron’s arrangement is in the key of Bb and uses a variety of his usual chord melody approaches.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Estrellita “Estrellita” (“little star”) was written by Mexican composer Manuel Ponce. Joe shows you the melody and how to fill it out with double stops inspired by fiddler Bobby Hicks’s version.

BANJO COURSES

Old-Time Banjo with Bruce Molsky

Sourwood Mountain Bruce’s version of the square dance tune “Sourwood Mountain” comes from the playing of Glen Smith, who recorded it on a fretless banjo in eBEBE tuning, which puts it in the key of E.

FIDDLE COURSES

Western Swing Fiddle with Chad Manning

Blues For Dixie “Blues for Dixie” is another classic Cindy Walker song. Bob Wills recorded it in 1947 and there have been many other great recordings. You’ll learn the melody as well as a Johnny Gimble solo from a live Asleep at the Wheel performance. Chad also gives you ideas for soloing on the circle-of-fifths progressions in “Blues for Dixie.”

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.