New Course! Norman Blake–Style Guitar with Greg Schochet

Learn to play guitar in the style of the legendary Norman Blake, with a systematic approach to his flatpicking technique, syncopated strumming, harmonized melody lines, and unique embellishments.

By: Dan Gabel

May 5, 2026

Norman Blake’s guitar style is legendary and influential to generations of guitarists in bluegrass, old-time, and other styles. We’re very happy to announce a brand new course in his style, taught by a new-to-Peghead-Nation instructor who is well-versed in the nuances of Norman. Please join us in Norman Blake–Style Guitar with Greg Schochet, now available for a monthly or annual subscription! Use promo code GregLand to get your first month free.

In this new Peghead Nation Course, you’ll learn to play guitar in the style of legendary multi-instrumentalist Norman Blake. Steeped in the tradition of Maybelle Carter, Blake’s highly personal flatpicking style combines complex picking and strumming patterns with harmonized melody lines, syncopation, and fretting-hand embellishments. And Greg will be adding new lessons every month, so your library of Norman tunes and techniques will continue to build as you get more comfortable with the style.

Subscribe to Norman Blake–Style Guitar with Greg Schochet

Norman Blake’s unique flatpicking, mandolin playing, fiddling, and dobro work have graced landmark albums such as Will the Circle Be Unbroken and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, as well as dozens of albums under his own name, in collaboration with Nancy Blake, Tony Rice, John Hartford, and as a studio artist with Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and many more. Steeped in the tradition of Mother Maybelle Carter and her seminal “Carter scratch,” Blake developed a highly personal flatpicking guitar style that combines complex picking and strumming patterns, melded with harmonized melody lines and nuanced fretting-hand embellishments. In this Peghead Nation course, guitarist and instructor Greg Schochet breaks it all down in a systematic way so you can emulate Blake’s rolling, fluid playing. The course includes lessons on how to play many of Norman Blake’s best-loved songs and instrumentals, like “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane,” “Church Street Blues,” “Billy Gray,” “Randall Collins,” and many more, all with detailed notation/tab. The high-quality video with multiple camera angles lets you see closeups of both hands in action, and the helpful Play-Along Tracks with each lesson are great tools that help you master what you’ve learned.

Subscribe to Norman Blake–Style Guitar with Greg Schochet

Greg Schochet Bio

Winner of the 2021 Rockygrass Flatpick guitar contest, Greg Schochet is a full-time performer, teacher, and producer in Boulder, Colorado. Equally adept on guitar and mandolin, he is fluent in all manner of acoustic and electric styles, specializing in bluegrass, swing, and country. He has performed at major venues like A Prairie Home Companion, Red Rocks, Strawberry Music Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, Rockygrass, and New Orleans Jazz Fest, as well as countless performing arts centers, clubs, bars, rodeos, and flatbed trucks. Greg is a veteran instructor at many of the country’s premier camps, including the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Rockygrass Academy, Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp, Thompson Guitar Camp, California Coast Music Camp, and Colorado Roots Music Camp.

Join us in Norman Blake–Style Guitar with Greg Schochet! Use promo code GregLand to get your first month free.