A foundation of solid technique leads to years of great playing and musical enjoyment no matter your instrument of choice. To help build that critical foundation and grow your skills, we’ve partnered with a few members of our world-renowned bluegrass faculty—including Bryan Sutton, Tony Trischka, Mike Marshall, Sierra Hull, Noam Pikelny, and Darol Anger—to bring you a series of FREE bundled lessons designed specifically to teach you an essential skill that you can put to practice in the context of a tune immediately.

Each bundle includes a multi-part lesson video covering an important technique or skill that you'll apply to a tune—plus a backing track and printable study material—all delivered right to your email inbox. We'll also follow up with even more free sample lessons when you sign up now so that you can continue your progress and keep up your momentum. Everything you need to take your playing to the next level!

Click here to access your FREE “Technique Builder!”

TRY A FREE “TECHNIQUE BUILDER” FOR ANY OF THE INSTRUMENTS LISTED BELOW:

ACOUSTIC BLUEGRASS GUITAR WITH BRYAN SUTTON:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online acoustic guitar lesson video breaking down walking and alternating bass techniques over a boom-chuck style rhythm
• 2 play-along backing tracks allowing you to put those techniques to use in a version of the classic bluegrass tune, "Dark Hollow"
• A printable PDF of the tablature

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN WITH SIERRA HULL:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online mandolin lesson video teaching a basic tremolo technique
• 2 play-along backing tracks allowing you to incorporate the technique into an arrangement of the classic bluegrass tune, "Lonesome Moonlight Waltz"
• A printable PDF of the tablature

BLUEGRASS BANJO WITH TONY TRISCHKA:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online banjo lesson video teaching the basic banjo hammer-on technique along with a practice exercise using the alternating thumb roll
• A play-along backing track allowing you to practice your new skills in an arrangement of the classic bluegrass tune, "Shady Grove"
• A printable PDF of the tablature

FIDDLE WITH DAROL ANGER:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online fiddle lesson video teaching the blues scale on the fiddle and how it's applied in the bluegrass style
• 3 play-along backing tracks allowing you to practice using the scale in the context of the tune, "Blues on Gravel"
• A printable PDF of the notation

BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN WITH MIKE MARSHALL:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online mandolin lesson video teaching the basics of alternate picking and Mike's unique "pick stroke theory"
• A play-along backing track of the classic tune, "Whiskey Before Breakfast," over which to practice these techniques
• A printable PDF of the tablature

BLUEGRASS BANJO & BEYOND WITH NOAM PIKELNY:

What's Included:

• A multi-part online banjo lesson video teaching the banjo backward roll pattern and exercises to work it up to tempo
• 4 play-along backing tracks allowing you to incorporate the technique into Noam's arrangement of the classic tune, "You Are My Sunshine" in the key of C
• A printable PDF of the tablature

Access your FREE “Technique Builder” here!

MEET OUR MASTER BLUEGRASS FACULTY:

BRYAN SUTTON:

Bryan Sutton is arguably the best flatpick guitarist since the late great Doc Watson. During his eclectic career, he has appeared as a leading session guitarist on albums from Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks, Rhonda Vincent, and more. He has also played in the legendary bluegrass bands Kentucky Thunder and Hot Rize. Bryan picked up the guitar from his dad at the age of 8 and won his first Grammy award in 2007. He's received IBMA's ‘Guitarist of the Year' ten times. Bryan joined the ArtistWorks family in 2011, bring his online guitar lessons to students around the globe.

SIERRA HULL:

Sierra Hull has accomplished more as a singer, songwriter, and performer in the last 25 years than many musicians do in a lifetime. Recognized three years in a row as the IBMA “Mandolin Player of the Year,” she received a Grammy nomination for her album Weighted Mind when she was just 26. Since her early childhood, Sierra has collaborated with iconic artists like Alison Krauss, Béla Fleck, Garth Brooks, Sturgill Simpson, and more. As such, Sierra has drawn from decades of performance experience to create a comprehensive course of online mandolin lessons designed to teach players of all levels how to play modern bluegrass and has been teaching at ArtistWorks since Summer 2021.

TONY TRISCHKA:
For nearly 40 years, Tony Trischka has been an inspiration for countless bluegrass and acoustic musicians. Tony made his recording debut with the band Country Cooking in 1971. Since then, he's recorded numerous solo albums, collaborated with artists like Peter Rowan and Stacy Phillips, and produced Steve Martin's Grammy-nominated album Rare Bird Alert. His 2004 album Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular also received a Grammy nomination and multiple IBMA awards. He has continued to push boundaries as one of the world's top banjo players, lending his expertise as music director for the documentary "Give Me the Banjo.” Tony has taught online banjo lessons at ArtistWorks since 2009, building a global learning community around his Video Exchange library.

DAROL ANGER:

For over 40 years, Darol Anger has played on and produced scores of important recordings, and is a noted composer. Darol helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his founding of pathbreaking ensembles such as Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, and The Duo. A MacDowell and UCross Fellow, he is a featured soloist on several recordings and motion picture soundtracks. Darol is also committed to string education and helped found the String Resource Board for the International Jazz Educators Association. Since 2011, Darol has extended his love of music education by offering online fiddle lessons at ArtistWorks. 

MIKE MARSHALL:

For more than 35 years, Mike Marshall has set a new standard for American acoustic music, with a breadth of talent that spans mandolin, guitar, violin, and mandocello. At age 19, he left his native Florida to pursue music, eventually joining the David Grisman Quintet in the Bay Area. Since those early days, Mike's historic career has spanned hundreds of recordings and taken him on tour around the globe. He has also received numerous credits as a composer, producer, and featured musician. You can hear his iconic mandolin playing on the theme for NPR's 'Car Talk', as well as the San Francisco-based radio show 'Forum' on KQED Radio. Mike has been a member of our since 2011, and, today, he and his wife Caterina Lichtenberg both teach online mandolin lessons at ArtistWorks.

NOAM PIKELNY:

Noam Pikelny has emerged as the preeminent banjoist of his generation. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as the “pros’ top banjo picker,” Noam is a founding member of Punch Brothers, a string ensemble which The Boston Globe calls “a virtuosic revelation” and The New Yorker describes as “wide-ranging and restlessly imaginative.” In September of 2010, Pikelny was awarded the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Noam's 2013 recording, Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, was described by the New York Times as "a token of reverence, a feat of translation and a show of dominion”. The album is widely considered a landmark recording in acoustic music and was named “Album of the Year” at the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. Noam is a two-time International Bluegrass Music Association ‘Banjo Player of the Year’ and in 2019, Noam, along with his fellow Punch Brothers, was awarded the "Best Folk Album" Grammy® for their release, All Ashore. Noam makes his home in Nashville, TN, and has been teaching online banjo lessons at ArtistWorks since Spring, 2020.