New Lessons for February 2023

Great new tunes, techniques, and lessons from Peghead Nation instructors.

By: Dan Gabel

February 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 February 2023. 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

Paddy Fahy’s Reel #3 In the last lesson, you learned the G minor tune “Paddy Fahy’s Jig #1” in DGDGAD tuning. In this lesson, Doug shows you how to play in G major in DGDGAD tuning, with “Paddy Fahy’s Reel #3.”

Bluegrass Guitar Fingerboard Mastery with Stash Wyslouch

Introducing Non-Diatonic Triads Stash shows you the non-diatonic chord progression for the Louvin Brothers song “I Love You the Best of All,” which includes II, III, and VI major chords, and shows you how to voice-lead triads through the progression.

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

My Dixie Darling Maybelle’s playing on “My Dixie Darling” has a nice bounce because she played the melody with a flatpick. Cathy teaches it to you with a flatpick, but she also shows you how to get a flatpick-like sound with a thumbpick and index finger.

MANDOLIN COURSES

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

Katy Bar the Door The old-time dance tune “Katy Bar the Door” comes from Carroll County, Virginia, banjo player Roscoe Parrish. John learned it from Greg Spatz, who plays fiddle in John’s band John Reischman and the Jaybirds.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

The Eighth of February John Reischman’s tune “The Eighth of February” is a fast fiddle tune in the key of A. The first part is pretty much a constant stream of eighth notes, while the B part is more rhythmic and syncopated.

Brazilian Choro Mandolin with Ian Coury

Ornamentation, Embellishment, and Picking Ian uses a piece of the Jacob do Bandolim tune “Doce de Coco” to demonstrate Brazilian choro ornamentation, embellishing a melody, and phrasing as well as his picking technique.

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

Crazy Rhythm The 32-bar swing tune “Crazy Rhythm” was written in 1928 for the Broadway musical Here’s Howe and became a swing and big band standard, with numerous recordings.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Niblo’s Tired Lion “Niblo’s Tired Lion” is a fun, groovy tune that comes from mandolinist Andrew Marlin. It’s a three-part tune in the key of G, and the third part is a bit tricky. It’s 11 bars long and has accents in unusual places.

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

Knut Ramlet’s Hambo Bruce shows you a tune from Norway, quite a departure from the other tunes you’ve been learning. “Knut Ramlet’s Hambo” comes from Hardanger fiddler Anon Egeland, and Bruce plays it in double D tuning.

FIDDLE COURSES

Western Swing Fiddle with Chad Manning

Right or Wrong “Right or Wrong” is a 1920’s jazz ballad that was recorded by a lot of early jazz bands and was later picked up by Bob Wills, who made it a western swing classic. There are many great versions, including versions by Bob Wills and Milton Brown. Country star George Strait’s recording of “Right or Wrong” includes a solo by Johnny Gimble, which you’ll learn in this lesson.