Peghead Nation

Peghead Nation The online home of roots music instruction, gear, and news.

With Peghead Nation’s subscription-based e-learning courses, musicians learn to play their favorite instruments with some of the best teachers in the roots music community. They also stay up-to-date with the latest happenings and news from the roots music world with our video demonstrations of new instruments and gear, reviews of great new albums and videos, backstage conversations with touring mu

sicians, thought-provoking and humorous columnists, and much more. Peghead Nation’s founders are Dan Gabel (Executive Producer), Scott Nygaard (Editor), and Teja Gerken (Producer), and each are passionate musicians who have deep experience in the world of acoustic music instruction, journalism, and business. They bring their expertise to Peghead Nation at a time when online learning is bigger than ever and roots music is enjoying another surge in popularity – a perfect opportunity to bring more “Pegheads” into the fold, teaching them to play and helping them enjoy their instruments.

08/25/2026

In his latest Western Swing Guitar lesson on Peghead Nation, Matt Munisteri shows how to play "Billy Goat Rag." You’ll learn a great two-chorus solo from Wilson “Lefty” Perkins that epitomizes western-swing guitar playing at its best. Matt shows you both choruses in the key of B♭ and offers some tips on fi*****ng key phrases. Join Matt for this lesson and new material each month!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/western-swing-guitar

08/24/2026

In this Beginning Dobro lesson on Peghead Nation, Mike Witcher shows how to play the Carter Family classic “Wildwood Flower,” a popular guitar instrumental and jam session favorite, in the key of C in two octaves. Join Mike for this lesson and more great tips and tunes for beginning dobro players!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/beginning-dobro

08/24/2026

We had a great time on a 6-day rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho with Far and Away Adventures earlier this month. Peghead Nation President Dan Gabel brought along a carbon fiber A-style mandolin from KLŌS Guitars for the trip, and it turned out to be the perfect musical companion for a journey that threw temperatures both hot and cold, some arid conditions, moves to new campsites each day, and, you know, water moving through the river canyon! Here’s a report from the river, and some sights and sounds from the trek. Thanks to KLŌS and to Far and Away Adventures!
Video from Dan Gabel and Melanie Haiken

08/23/2026

In his latest Gypsy Jazz Mandolin lesson on Peghead Nation, Aaron Weinstein shows how to play "I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me." The great jazz violinist Eddie South recorded a eloquent mid-tempo version of this standard with Django Reinhardt in 1937. The song has an AABA form and Aaron’s arrangement is in the key of C. Join Aaron for this lesson and new material each month!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/gypsy-jazz-mandolin-essentials

08/21/2026

In her latest Clawhammer Banjo lesson on Peghead Nation, Evie Ladin / Band teaches "Fiddler’s Dram." This jaunty tune in the key of A is short, crooked, and easy to play. The A part is just six bars long and the B part is eight bars, and neither is repeated. The tune goes by a dozen different names, but it’s a lot of fun whatever you call it. Join Evie for this lesson and new material each month!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/clawhammer-banjo

08/20/2026

In this Beginning Celtic Fiddle lessson on Peghead Nation, Emerald Rae shows how to play the Scottish pipe tune, “Scarce o’ Tatties,” a fun jig in the key of A. After you learn it, you’ll put it together in a set with “The Atholl Highlanders” and “The Stool of Repentance,” which Emerald also teaches in her course. Check it out!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/beginning-celtic-fiddle

08/20/2026

Taylor Guitars new Gold Label 810e is a square-shouldered dreadnought that fuses one of the company’s most iconic models with its latest construction techniques. Check out our full-length demo at www.pegheadnation.com!

08/18/2026

In his latest Monroe-Style Mandolin lesson, Mike Compton - Mandolinist shows how to play "Let Me Rest at the End of My Journey." Monroe himself never played a mandolin solo on this number in the studio or onstage, but Mike’s solo has period-correct stylistic flourishes including typical tremolo sections, triplets, slides, and blues notes. Join Mike for this lesson and new material each month!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/monroe-style-mandolin

08/17/2026

In his latest Contemporary Flatpicking Guitar lesson on Peghead Nation, Grant Gordy introduces the art of connecting chords by treating individual notes as continuous melodic lines. Using arpeggios in the key of C, he shows you a composed etude to play over the classic turnaround sequence for “Beaumont Rag.” Join Grant for this lesson and new material each month!
https://www.pegheadnation.com/string-school/courses/contemporary-flatpicking-guitar

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94901

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