New Lessons for December 2025

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

By: Dan Gabel

December 2, 2025

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 2025. Join us in any course and get your first month free. Just use promo code Learn25 at checkout!

GUITAR COURSES

Contemporary Flatpicking Guitar with Grant Gordy

Intro to Odd Time Signatures: In this lesson, Grant pushes you beyond your rhythmic comfort zone to get a feel for how to play in more complex time signatures such as 5/4 and 7/8, which are increasingly found in contemporary compositions.

Irish Flatpicking Guitar with Flynn Cohen

Free and Easy: Also known as “Mulqueen’s” or “Mulqueeny’s,” this session favorite is a 16-bar “single” reel in the key of D with a standard AABB format. Look online for great recordings by Kevin Burke, Buttons and Bows, and Martin Hayes.

Western Swing Guitar with Matt Munisteri

“Rubber Dolly” Junior Barnard Solo: From an archived recording by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, this song features a great solo by Junior Barnard, one of Matt’s favorite western swing guitarists. Matt takes a deep dive into Barnard’s rich solo.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Weekly Mandolin Workout with Ethan Setiawan

Tremolo: Tremolo is one of the defining techniques of the mandolin, and is essential to all sorts of mandolin music. This month, Ethan takes you on a tour of tremolo technique, and shows you how to apply it to a great Swedish waltz.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

Somebody Touched Me: Mike describes Monroe’s solo on this classic gospel track as “happy, playful energy with a light touch on the strings.” In this video, Mike walks you through the intro and complete solo.

Gypsy Jazz Mandolin Essentials with Aaron Weinstein

Moonglow: This enduring jazz and swing favorite has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the decades. Aaron teaches “Moonglow” in the key of Bb, but the progression starts on an Eb—the IV chord in this key.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

Norman and Nancy Here’s a lovely Sam Bush composition rooted in the American fiddle-tune tradition, but with a few subtle twists. The song is in the key of G, with a conventional AABB format. Note that the B part starts on the relative minor.

Bluegrass Mandolin Fingerboard Method with Sharon Gilchrist

Love of the Mountains: This great bluegrass standard is associated with guitarist/singer Larry Sparks, but it was composed by bassist Allen Mills. Sharon teaches a break for “Love in the Mountains” in the key B.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Saint Paul Revival: This contemplative Larry Siegel tune is in the key of D, with a standard AABB form. The B part starts on a V chord (A), and ends on the IV chord (G) without resolving. Joe teaches the melody in two octaves.

FIDDLE COURSES

Jazz Violin with Aaron Weinstein

Avalon: Aaron continues “putting it all together” using tools you’ve already explored with this solo for the jazz standard “Avalon.” You’ll learn to use arpeggios, blues, chord tones, and common tones with displaced rhythmic emphases.

Old-Time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky

Three-Way Hornpipe: Played as a reel, this punchy three-part tune is attributed to Tennessee fiddler John Sharp. The tune is in the key of A, and usually played in “Sawmill” tuning—AEAE—with the G string tuned up to A and D string tuned up to E.

BANJO COURSES

Clawhammer Banjo with Evie Ladin

Old Cumberland: This beautifully crooked tune in double-D tuning comes from multi-instrumentalist Pat Conte. Evie teaches two settings of this gem—one with all the notes and ornaments, and then a more streamlined version.

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.