New Lessons for May 2025

New Tunes, Lessons, and Techniques from Peghead Nation instructors.

By: Dan Gabel

May 1, 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 May 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

Minor Swing: “Minor Swing” is a staple of jazz and swing jams. Grant teaches the classic 1937 setting by Django Reinhardt’s Quintette du Hot Club. He introduces the swing rhythm called “le pompe,” and offers a variety of possible chord substitutions.

Irish Flatpicking Guitar with Flynn Cohen

Dirty Linen: This two-part slip jig goes by many names, including “Paddy Be Aisy” and “Last Night’s Fun.” Flynn teaches the D modal/G major tune in second position, and shows you how to incorporate some characteristic right-hand ornaments.

Western Swing Guitar with Matt Munisteri

Black and White Rag: “Black and White Rag” was written in 1908 by the ragtime composer George Botsford, and western swing fiddlers began to play it in the 1930s. Matt’s version is based on Johnny Gimble’s swinging two-part version.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist

Piney Woods: This lovely fiddle tune in the key of A is commonly attributed to West Virginia fiddler Burl Hammons. Sharon plays this “crooked” tune as a haunting, moderately paced melody that she describes as ideal for playing as a solo piece.

Weekly Mandolin Workout with Ethan Setiawan

Melodic Devices: In this lesson you’ll learn a variety of melodic devices that can spice up a basic tune, including “enclosures” and “approach notes.” Ethan will show you how to apply these ideas to “Texas Gales,” a classic three-part C tune.

Swing and Jazz Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

“I’ll See You in My Dreams” Django Reinhardt Solo: Joe teaches the second half of Django Reinhardt’s brilliant 1939 solo on “I’ll See You in My Dreams;” and provides play-along tracks for the full, four-chorus solo.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

Big Ball in Brooklyn: Bill Monroe recorded “Big Ball in Brooklyn” during the same April 1962 sessions that produced the Bluegrass Special album. The break is based on one of Monroe’s favorite licks, a fiddle line from the instrumental “Roanoke.”

Gypsy Jazz Mandolin Essentials with Aaron Weinstein

Just You, Just Me: The 1929 musical Marianne featured the song “Just You, Just Me,” and Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards had the first hit record with the tune that same year. It’s been a jazz standard ever since. Aaron’s mandolin setting is in the key of Bb.

Old-Time Mandolin with John Reischman

“Arkansas Traveler” in GDAD Tuning: John offers an unusual setting of this jaunty chestnut, with the top E strings tuned down to D, putting the mandolin into GDAD tuning. The open drone strings are reminiscent of a mountain lap dulcimer.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

Bach Two-Part Invention No. 8: J.S. Bach wrote the Two-Part Inventions for piano. You’ll learn the right-hand part of this Invention on the mandolin. Noah Fishman plays the other part on the mandocello so you can practice with both parts.

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

Georgia on My Mind: Hoagy Carmichael’s 1930 hit was an instant jazz and pop standard. Aaron’s arrangement in the key of Bb features a relaxed, “elastic” approach to the rhythm, as well as chord voicings that emphasize melody notes.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Wandering Boy “Wandering Boy” is a song that was written in the 1880s and was later adapted by the Carter Family in 1927. Joe’s version is based on banjoist Lukas Pool’s version. The form is AABA, and you’ll learn to play it in two octaves.

FIDDLE COURSES

Folk and Bluegrass Songs with Lauren Rioux

Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Lauren continues her lesson and teaches you to play the song in the keys of G and C. Building on what you already know, you will play in the third position for the first time, and learn the tune in two octaves for each key.

Old-Time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky

Piney Ridge: This peppy breakdown in DDAD tuning comes from Kentucky fiddler William Hamilton (Bill) Stepp, a source for several other tunes in this course. The extra bar of 2/4 in the B part makes this a “crooked” tune.

BANJO COURSES

Clawhammer Banjo with Evie Ladin

John Brown’s Dream: Here’s a banjo setting for one of the Round Peak tunes in Bruce Molsky’s old-time fiddle course. “John Brown’s Dream” is a popular four-part tune in the key of A. The last part is basically the third part played in a lower octave.

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.