Gregg Daigle Music

08/10/2026

Excited to be kicking off Guitar Fundamentals Part 2 tonight! With over 25 years experience teaching plucked string instruments, I've learned that the most direct path for a beginner, Intermediate, and even advanced player is to work on fundamentals. Tone, Timing, and learning how to get the most out of your hands by moving economically across or along the fingerboard are elements that players require at every level. I've found that beginners get better faster, intermediates find holes in their learning, and advanced players get back to things they forgot were important. I'm offering this class bot online and in person (DePere/Green Bay). It's actually fun to slow down and focus on sounding and feeling good!

Send a message to learn more

08/09/2026

I’m back.

Summer hit full tilt these past few weeks: Mile of Music, acoustic guitar and string band workshops, Gold Standard shows, rehearsals and performance with the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival students, a rooftop duo set with Troy Heinz, a show in Sister Bay with the 57’s, two nights camping in Bailey’s Harbor — and the official release of Gold Standard’s new album, Show Us What You Love!

Now school is starting back up, the chile crop is about to roll in, and here’s what’s on deck:

Sore Fingers Guitar Fundamentals starts Monday, August 10 at 5 PM Central. Online and in person. Right-hand dexterity, left-hand economy, strum patterns, repertoire, tone and timing. Contact me for details.

Music in Public Spaces launches Friday at New Artspace. Students from Gregg Daigle Music workshops will lead a circle of familiar folk songs, and the public is welcome to bring an instrument, sing along, listen, or just stop in and enjoy the music.

Got some fine shows lined up for the rest of August, too.

07/02/2026

GREGG DAIGLE MUSIC
JULY 2026 SHOWS

JULY 4 | Gold Standard
Paradise North Distillery · Green Bay · 5-8pm

JULY 9 | Troy Heinz & the 57s
Husby’s Garage · Sister Bay · 8-11pm

JULY 11 | Troy Heinz & the 57s
Hagemeister Park · Green Bay · 3-6pm

JULY 17 | The Gentlemen Grifters
Oconto Falls Beach · Concert Series · 6-9pm

JULY 19 | Gold Standard
Paperfest · Kimberly · 1:15-2:30pm

JULY 24 | Gregg Daigle & Kate Stenson
Mackinaws · Green Bay · 6-9pm

JULY 25 | Gold Standard
Art In The Park · Appleton · 12:15 - 1:15pm

JULY 26 | Gold Standard
Mile of Music Fellowship Service · 10-11:30am

JULY 26 | Gold Standard
Hagemeister Park, Green Bay · 2-5pm

Send a message to learn more

06/12/2026

Bluegrass Solos and Breaks Workshop
June 6 Recap**

Last week’s Bluegrass Solos class dug into one of the most important ideas in bluegrass improvisation:

The melody is the map.

We worked with “Two Dollar Bill” and practiced hearing the melody, humming it, finding it on our instruments, and then using that melody as the foundation for a solo. The goal was not to throw a bunch of licks at the song. The goal was to know where we were in the song at all times.
We looked at how much melody lives right inside simple triad shapes. In G, those open 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings give us a perfect little home base: fifth below, root, and third above. From there, we can start to hear the peaks and valleys of the melody instead of just running scales.

Then we added the things that make the guitar sound like bluegrass guitar: slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, ringing open strings, and a strong sense of where beat 1 lives.

-Bluegrass soloing starts with the melody.
-The chord shape gives you clues about where the melody lives.
-Pitch matching is a practice skill: hear the note, find the note, and notice whether the next note moves up or down.
-A good solo does not have to be fancy, but it does have to stay connected to the song.

We also started working toward the G-run / handoff idea — that strong little guitar move that sets up the next singer or soloist and says, “Here comes the downbeat.”

Great work from everyone in the room. The assignment is simple: pick one song, slow it down, sing it, find the melody, and let your instrument teach you where the solo wants to live.

Bluegrass solos are not built out of just anywhere. They hide in plain sight right in the song.

Saturdays in June at 1:30pm. Message me to save your seat!

06/10/2026

Talking Dorian with a student today. I've always felt that teaching the modes from the major scale misses the important fact that each of these modes exists on their own, independent of the major scale. Instead of playing C ionian, then D dorian, E Phrygian, etc, it would be more meaningful as an improviser to practice C ionian, C dorian, C Phrygian, etc. to see how these modes exist in their own space.

Here's what we came up with for Dorian:

Dorian is best understood as a minor sound with a raised 6th. The parent-major explanation can help you find the notes, but it should not be treated as the musical identity of the mode. D Dorian shares a pitch collection with C major, but it does not function as C major unless C is the tonal center.

Minor scale. Raised 6th. Exists on its own, independent of C major. That's how I want to approach it.

06/09/2026

Weekly Wisdom from our Sore Fingers Guitar Fundamentals Workshop:

The right note is the note you play in time.

Never sacrifice the groove to chase that note you just missed. It's gone, trust me.

Week two of our six week Guitar Fundamentals Workshop is in the books. Great job, pickers!

Send a message to learn more

06/05/2026

from a lesson today

“Counting is a hard sell because it’s not fun. But what is fun is playing in time.”

06/05/2026

A quick update on my Saturday Bluegrass Workshops:

I've decided to make these drop-in workshops rather than requiring a four-week commitment. My goal is to make it easier for people to participate, even if they can't make every week.

Saturdays in June (6, 13, 20, 27)

Bluegrass Harmony Singing 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Learn how bluegrass harmony actually works. We'll explore lead, tenor, and baritone parts, finding harmony by ear, holding your own vocal line, and the specific sounds that make bluegrass harmony unique.

Bluegrass Breaks & Solos 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Ever had someone point at you in a jam and say, "Take one"?
This workshop focuses on the practical skills needed to build simple, effective breaks from melody and chord tones. We'll work on ear training, triads, melody notes, and learning how to find your way through a solo without relying entirely on memorized licks.

$40 per workshop

107 S. Broadway De Pere, WI

Space is limited, so if you'd like to attend, send me a message and I'll reserve your seat.

Whether you're looking to strengthen your singing, gain confidence taking breaks, or simply connect with other bluegrass musicians, I'd love to have you join us.

05/30/2026

Guitar Players,

I've got a couple spots left in my six-week Sore Fingers Guitar Fundamentals course starting Monday.

This class is for struggling beginners who want to get their feet on the right path, but it's also for players who have been playing for years and sometimes wonder:

"Am I missing something?"

Many guitar players collect information over time—chords, scales, songs, YouTube lessons, exercises—but never quite connect the dots. Other players develop habits that work well enough to get by, but may be limiting their progress.

This course isn't about dumping more information on you.

It's about helping you understand what you already know, identifying a few important gaps, and building practical skills you can use immediately.

We'll work on:

• Fretting-hand technique
• Pick technique and tone production
• Rhythm and timing
• Chord changes
• Bass movement and accompaniment
• Finding notes on the guitar
• Understanding why things work the way they do

Most importantly, we'll connect technique to actual music.

Every class includes technical exercises, musical exercises, and practical ways to practice so you can continue improving long after the course ends.

The goal isn't to learn everything.

The goal is to become a more confident, independent guitar player who knows what to work on next.

Mondays beginning June 1
Hybrid (in-person or online)
Limited enrollment

Message me if you'd like more information or would like to reserve a spot.

05/28/2026

Hey folks — Gregg Daigle here.

I just got back from teaching at the 16th annual Ghost Ranch Bluegrass Camp in Northern New Mexico, where I spent the week teaching guitar, ensemble playing, and bluegrass harmony singing with students from around the country.

I’m excited to bring some of that workshop energy back to Northeast Wisconsin this June with two small-group bluegrass workshops here in De Pere.

These are limited to just 6 participants each so we can really work together in a focused, supportive environment.

BLUEGRASS HARMONY SINGING
Saturdays in June
12noon-1pm
In-person only

Ever sit at a jam and hear people lock into those big bluegrass choruses and think:
“How are they finding those parts?”

This workshop is designed to help answer that question.

We’ll work on:
• Finding harmony parts
• Singing lead while hearing harmony around you
• Learning tenor, baritone, and melody roles
• Singing with confidence in a small-group setting
• Understanding how bluegrass harmony actually works in real jam situations

We’ll use songs like:
• I’ll Fly Away
• Two Dollar Bill
• My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains

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BLUEGRASS SOLOING WORKSHOP
Saturdays in June
1:30-2:30pm

Ever get to a jam, somebody points at you for a solo break… and suddenly everything disappears from your fingers?

This class is designed specifically for that moment.

We’ll work on:
• How to confidently start a solo
• Simple ways to hear and find melody notes
• Timing and phrasing
• Ending your solo cleanly with classic bluegrass tags and G runs
• Using triads and chord shapes to unlock melody notes across the neck

This is not a fiddle tune improvisation class.
We’ll focus on practical bluegrass song soloing using tunes like:
• I’ll Fly Away
• Two Dollar Bill
• My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains

Participants are also welcome to bring in songs they’re currently working on.

These are small, focused workshops designed to help people become more confident playing and singing with others.

Message me directly for details or to reserve a spot.