New Lessons, Tunes, and Techniques for December 2022

Great new lessons from the talented Peghead Nation instructors. Join us!

By: Dan Gabel

December 13, 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 December 2022. Join us in any course and get your first month free. Just use promo code Learn22 at checkout!

GUITAR COURSES

Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar with Doug Young

DADGAD in C: “When You Wish Upon a Star” Learn to play in the key of C in DADGAD in this lesson. You’ll also learn some jazz chords in the key of C and use them to play the song “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Bluegrass Guitar Fingerboard Mastery with Stash Wyslouch

Crosspicking “In the Pines” Stash shows you how to play a harmonized version of “In the Pines” with a crosspicking pattern. He plays the melody on the first beat of the measure and fills out the rest of the measure with crosspicking.

Maybelle Carter-Style Guitar with Cathy Fink – NEW COURSE!

Keep on the Sunny Side “Keep on the Sunny Side” is a Carter Family classic that has become a favorite in all styles of American roots music. You’ll learn a solo on the verse melody as well as Maybelle’s instrumental tag.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Bluegrass Mandolin Jam Favorites with Joe K. Walsh

Winder Slide The old-time fiddle tune “Winder Slide” is a beautiful, quirky melody in the key of D, with an extra measure at the end of the B part. Most people know it from fiddler Rayna Gellert’s version.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

Dark as the Night, Blue as the Day “Dark as the Night, Blue as the Day” was recorded at the same 1959 session as “Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone.” Monroe plays a memorable half solo on the bridge between two twin-fiddle solos.

Old-Time Mandolin with John Reischman

Christmas Eve “Christmas Eve” is a fiddle tune in the key of G that John learned from Mike Seeger. He also recorded it on the John Reischman and the Jaybirds album On a Winter’s Night.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

Slipstream “Slipstream” comes from Béla Fleck’s groundbreaking 1988 album Drive. It’s a fast bluegrass tune in 4/4 with some syncopated accents and a few measures of 3/4. You’ll learn the melody and Sam Bush’s solo from the album in this lesson.

Brazilian Choro Mandolin with Ian Coury

Noites Cariocas The Jacob do Bandolim tune “Noites Cariocas” is a traditional choro classic. If you play choro mandolin, you play it. There are many versions, but Ian teaches you the original version played by Jacob.

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

I Remember You The beautiful ballad “I Remember You” was written in 1941 by Victor Scherzinger and Johnny Mercer and was originally recorded by Jimmy Dorsey. It’s been recorded by numerous people, including the Beatles and Bjork.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Old Smitty Sarah Jarosz is best known for her songs, but the octave mandolinist also writes great instrumentals. “Old Smitty” is a driving, quirky tune from her album Follow Me Down.

BANJO COURSES

Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo with Wes Corbett

Goodbye Liza Jane “Goodbye Liza Jane” is a classic fiddle tune and festival jam session favorite. Wes’s arrangement combines single-string and melodic style.

Old-Time Banjo with Bruce Molsky

John Brown’s Dream “John Brown’s Dream” is a classic fiddle and banjo tune. Bruce recorded it as a solo banjo tune on his album Soon Be Time. It’s a three-part tune in the key of A but in an unusual tuning: aAAC#E.

FIDDLE COURSES

Beginning Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle with Chad Manning

Goodbye Liza Jane “Goodbye Liza Jane” is a fiddle jam session favorite popular in old-time, bluegrass, traditional jazz, and western swing circles. Chad teaches you a basic version and some elaborate variations on the A part.

Beginning Celtic Fiddle with Emerald Rae

The Atholl Highlanders “The Atholl Highlanders” is a Scottish pipe march that is often played as a jig, which is how you’ll learn it in this lesson. It’s in the key of A and has four parts, but there’s a lot of repetition, so it’s not too daunting.

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.