New Lessons, Tunes, and Techniques for June 2025

Peghead Nation instructors release hours of new material for you to dig into this month!

By: Dan Gabel

June 3, 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 June 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” Dawg-Style: Grant explores Tony Rice’s guitar style on David “Dawg” Grisman’s rewrite of “Minor Swing.” After showing the basic tune and chords, he then digs into Rice’s approach to harmony, rhythmic feel, and chord voicings.

Irish Flatpicking Guitar with Flynn Cohen

Johnny’s Gone to the Ceilidh: Flynn teaches Paul Brady’s setting of this D-modal single reel with lots of pick triplets and “crans,” an ornament adapted from the uilleann pipes. An Irish ceilidh is a social gathering with live music and dancing.

Western Swing Guitar with Matt Munisteri

Cimarron: This Texas swing standard was written by country singer-songwriter Johnny Bond. Matt shows you the basic melody and chords and demonstrates how to embellish the tune with harmonies and various right-hand techniques.

MANDOLIN COURSES

Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist

Spirit of the South: A lovely three-part tune in the key of G by the late, great John Hartford, a prolific tunesmith and multi-instrumentalist. Sharon recently recorded the tune on Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Volume 2.

Weekly Mandolin Workout with Ethan Setiawan

Arpeggio Patterns from Tunes: Ethan bases his weekly workout patterns this month on arpeggio patterns derived from familiar fiddle tunes. You’ll learn to play the derived patterns starting on each degree of the tune’s scale.

Swing and Jazz Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

Love Is Here to Stay: Joe uses George and Ira Gershwin’s hit song “Love Is Here to Stay” as a matrix for introducing several useful building blocks for jazz soloing based on scales, arpeggios, and leading tones.

Monroe-Style Mandolin with Mike Compton

Columbus Stockade Blues: Jimmie Tarlton and Thomas Darby’s “Columbus Stockade Blues” was a staple of Bill Monroe’s repertory. Monroe’s solo on this bluesy and unusual version ranges from ethereal harmonics to biting blues licks.

Gypsy Jazz Mandolin Essentials with Aaron Weinstein

It’s Only a Paper Moon: With music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose, “It’s Only a Paper Moon” is a ubiquitous jazz standard. Aaron’s mandolin setting is in the key of G, but it’s also commonly played in C, F, and other keys.

Old-Time Mandolin with John Reischman

L&N Rag: This crooked, two-part tune is typical of the raggy, bluesy fiddle melodies collectively known as “C tunes.” John teaches the mandolin-friendly melody and demonstrates some interesting chords for accompanying the tune.

The Advancing Mandolinist with Joe K. Walsh

“All Around You” Sierra Hull Kickoff: Sturgill Simpson recorded a bluegrass version of his hit song featuring mandolin phenom Sierra Hull. Joe analyzes Hull’s kickoff, which is heavy on double-stops and phrases that can be used in other solos.

Chord Melody Mandolin with Aaron Weinstein

“Just You, Just Me” Etude: Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards had the first hit record with “Just You, Just Me” in 1929. Aaron’s etude is in the key of Bb, and the rhythmically propulsive arrangement works nicely as a solo as well as a standalone piece.

Bluegrass Mandolin Fingerboard Method with Sharon Gilchrist

I’ll Fly Away: This lesson shows you how to connect closed positions and open positions using the song “I’ll Fly Away” in the key of D. Sharon teaches solos in two octaves and how to bridge the two with scales and arpeggios.

Octave Mandolin with Joe K. Walsh

The Old Spinning Wheel: Tin Pan Alley composer Billy Hill’s “The Old Spinning Wheel” is a standard instrumental in bluegrass circles. Joe teaches the tune and chords in the key of D, and demonstrates many variations on the basic theme.

FIDDLE COURSES

Folk and Bluegrass Songs with Lauren Rioux

Keep on the Sunny Side: This song was first popularized by the Carter Family, who released their recording in 1928. You’ll learn the melody and solo ideas for both the verse and chorus of “Keep on the Sunny Side” in the keys of G and A.

Old-Time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky

Benton’s Dream: North Carolina old-time fiddler Benton Flippen (1920–2011) hailed from Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a hotbed of powerful old-time fiddle and banjo music. In this lesson, Bruce teaches “Benton’s Dream,” one of Flippen’s original tunes.

BANJO COURSES

Clawhammer Banjo with Evie Ladin

Kansas City Reel: This great old dance tune in the key of A is from Fiddlin’ Bob Larkin, who played it as a crooked tune. Evie teaches the “straight” version, which makes it a wonderful choice for square dances or clogging.

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.