Progessions:
Bluegrass Guitar
Learn bluegrass guitar in this 4 month course!
So you’ve got the basic skills down on acoustic guitar. Ever wanted to be able to comfortably play bluegrass like Tony Rice, Doc Watson, or Billy Strings? Want to expand your repertoire, play guitar in a band, or even record music?
This 4-month intensive bluegrass guitar course teaches beginner/intermediate acoustic guitarists how to comfortably play in bluegrass styles. You’ll work with an expert instructor in a small cohort to reach your personalized goals, both online and in-person at Swallow Hill Music.
Registration has closed for the Winter/Spring 2025 course – sign up for our email newsletter to learn when the next course is announced!
Progessions:
Bluegrass Guitar
Learn bluegrass guitar in this 4 month course!
So you’ve got the basic skills down on acoustic guitar. Ever wanted to be able to comfortably play bluegrass like Tony Rice, Doc Watson, or Billy Strings? Want to expand your repertoire, play guitar in a band, or even record music?
This 4-month intensive bluegrass guitar course teaches beginner/intermediate acoustic guitarists how to comfortably play in bluegrass styles. You’ll work with an expert instructor in a small cohort to reach your personalized goals, both online and in-person at Swallow Hill Music.
Registration has closed for the Winter/Spring 2025 course – sign up for our email newsletter to learn when the next course is announced!
“This course was a great way to strengthen my fundamentals, build a repertoire, and play with others in front of an audience. It was inspiring and included valuable resources I’ll use for years. I have many more tools as a player now and I’m more excited to play than ever!”
How Does Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar Work?
This isn’t just any bluegrass guitar course. It’s designed to give you not just theoretical knowledge but practical experience of the fundamentals of bluegrass guitar beyond just a self-paced series of online tutorials.
You can expect:
- 30+ class sessions with your cohort of just 2-5 other students, taught on Tuesdays (online via Zoom) and Thursdays (in-person at Swallow Hill Music), both at 8 pm MT
- Additional individual sessions with your expert instructor, Martin Gilmore, for personalized help
- Monthly in-person performance opportunities with your fellow students
You’ll be challenged without being overwhelmed to make sure you reach your goals.
Here’s what sets Progressions apart from other courses:
Individual Attention
This isn’t just a series of lectures – with only 2-5 other students, you’ll get specific feedback on your playing, curated practice plans, and personalized one-on-one help from your instructor to learn bluegrass guitar like no other course can offer.
Consistency & Accountability
For many guitarists, the biggest barrier to learning bluegrass is prioritizing your time to just sit down and practice! With twice-weekly class meetings and personalized practice plans, you’ll build up the consistency of learning new songs and techniques to make your new skills second nature.
Performance Opportunities
Learning techniques is only half the battle – actually performing songs is a whole ‘nother ball game! Few other bluegrass guitar courses give you the opportunity to learn how to give live performances of songs, so you can leave with polished renditions ready for the stage or studio.
Theory, Ensemble, and Jam Skills
There’s much more to bluegrass guitar than just learning flatpicking. You’ll learn crucial musicianship tools that will last a lifetime like:
- Grooving, keeping time, and phrasing
- Theory, the musical alphabet, and chord voicings
- How to play well with others in a band and/or jam session
- Ear training, thought organizing, and reacting to your audience
Meet Your Bluegrass Guitar Instructor
Martin Gilmore has a multi-decade, world-spanning career performing and teaching bluegrass.
As a folk guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Martin has shared the stage with members of The Infamous Stringdusters and opened two shows for Stephen Stills and Judy Collins. He was a founding member of the award-winning bluegrass band Long Road Home, and vintage Honky-Tonk band The Semaphores.
He has taught Bluegrass and Folk guitar at Swallow Hill Music for over 12 years and at the University of Northern Colorado since 2017, in addition to teaching through his private studio.
How Much Does This Course Cost?
Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar is an investment in your future guitar talents that costs $1,840 for the full 4-month curriculum, which is paid in installments of $435/month after a refundable $100 application deposit.
Swallow Hill Music Members get $100 off!
Since those 4 months include 30+ class meetings, individual sessions with Martin, and monthly performances, the cost breakdown looks something like this:
…which comes out to less per hour than many private guitar teachers!
*A application fee is also due at the time of applying, which will be applied to the total course tuition*
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I know if Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar is a good fit for me?
Progressions is for beginner/intermediate guitarists looking to become advanced bluegrass acoustic players. (Interested in electric guitar? Check out Progressions: Electric Guitar.)
There is an application and interview process to make sure this program makes sense for you. We’ll also have a live online info session coming up soon.
Applicants will need:
- To have mastery of basic open chords
- Confidence in rhythm and ability to play on time
- To play with a flat pick
- To submit a recording (voice memo, audio or video) of a performance of a complete song for the application process
If any of these sound like you, you’ll likely be a good fit for Progressions:
- Beginning guitarists with basic chord knowledge
- Aspiring gigging, recording, and or teaching musicians looking to record, release, and perform music
- Guitarists looking to start or join bands
- Singer/songwriters
How skilled should I be on guitar to take this course?
Guitarists should have both time and experience with their instrument and be able to play independently without direct supervision. Students join Progressions as intermediate players, meaning, they should either have 2+ years of experience or at a minimum, know basic chords, barre chords and a scale.
How does the application and interview process work?
The application is set up so the instructor can prepare for the interview with the student. The interview is used to assess the skills a student has and if a particular cohort is the right fit for them. In the interview, students will be asked to demonstrate their skill level through playing in a one-on-one setting with their instructor.
I'm new to online classes - what should I expect? Is there any computer/video equipment I will need to learn bluegrass guitar online?
Students will need a computer, tablet or device with camera and microphone capabilities. Students will need sufficient internet connection for smooth programming. A consistent internet upload speed of 5.7 Mbps or more is recommended. Conduct a speed test for your connection at www.speedtest.net (and consider testing during the proposed time of your lessons or class). Using an ethernet cable, plugged from your router to your computer, provides a more stable connection.
Is there a sample class I can take before applying?
to get in touch with our music school staff and arrange this.