New Lessons… Your Holiday Wishes Come True at WorkshopLive
WorkshopLive is excited to announce our newest teacher, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Robert Lee Castleman. Mr. Castleman, with the assistance of Greg Horne, will guide you note-for-note through every part of his award-winning song “Like Red on a Rose” (Recorded by Country artist Alan Jackson), taught in two intermediate guitar lessons. You’ve got to check out Castleman’s unique playing approach and eclectic songwriting chops. Read more...

Learn Your Favorite Holiday Songs Today… Free!
With the holidays right around the corner, the glorious sounds of music will soon fill the hearts of people all over the world. In the spirit of giving, WorkshopLive has set up a special free website you can visit to learn how to play your favorite holiday songs. Keyboard and guitar lessons of classics like “The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” “Deck the Halls,” and many others are taught by our expert teachers. Visit WorkshopLive.com/holiday today for free, and let WorkshopLive put a song in your heart, as our holiday gift to you.

National Guitar Workshop… Playing the Blues in Downtown Austin
As the National Guitar Workshop celebrates its 25th Anniversary, we are also celebrating our 11th season in Austin, Texas. We’re excited to announce that this year’s program will be held at St. Edward’s University, located on South Congress Avenue in the heart of Austin. Campus director, Jason Shadrick, is thrilled about the new campus. “St. Edward’s University will be an exciting change for us with great facilities, easy access to downtown, and a great opportunity for our students to experience all Austin has to offer.” Read more...

DayJams Announces NEW Chicago North Location!
In response to repeated requests from customers, DayJams is adding a second Chicago campus! Read more...

Dear Reader,

Since this is your last installment of Tuned In before the New Year, it’s our chance to wish you a happy holiday season and a wonderfully musical New Year’s Eve.

Santa came early to WorkshopLive this year and, before absconding with all the cookies, left a bundle of special lessons under the Hanukkah bush. We met Robert Lee Castleman at the first season of the National Guitar Workshop back in 1984, where he showed up as a student. Back then he was just RL, but he had already written “Restless,” which has since been recorded by Alison Krauss to critical and popular acclaim (Grammy, Best Vocal Performance). Obviously, we recognized his special talent right away.

Nowadays, RL is one of the top songwriters in Nashville, having penned Grammy-winning songs such as “The Lucky One” (Best Country Song, Alison Krauss and Union Station, New Favorite). Most recently, “Like Red on a Rose,” recorded by Alan Jackson, was nominated for Best Country Song, and RL, with the help of National Guitar Workshop and WorkshopLive teacher Greg Horne, has created two lessons on how to play the song.

We’re thrilled to be able to bring you these lessons, and we have lots more up our sleeves. Check ‘em out!

Have a wonderful holiday celebration!

Ho Ho Ho!

An Introduction to the Clave: Jeff Peretz Excerpt
Are you interested in world music or rhythm? In this edition of the Theory Corner, we’re going to look at an excerpt from Jeff Peretz’s book from the Guitar Atlas Series, Guitar Atlas: Cuba, available through Alfred Publishing. In the excerpt, Jeff will introduce the clave, discussing its history, its role in Cuban music, and how it is counted. Peretz’s step-by-step approach, in conjunction with an abundance of clear explanations and simple diagrams make this book a great addition to any guitarist’s collection. Read on...

If you have an interest in exploring rhythms from different cultures, the clave should not be overlooked. This Afro-Cuban rhythm has influenced many modern styles of music. In this issue's installment of Licks and Tricks, we'll give an example of this rhythm with a short tune based on the 3/2 clave (complete with parts for guitar, keyboard, bass and drums). To learn more about the clave, check out the Theory Corner and read an excerpt from Jeff Peretz's book, Guitar Atlas: Cuba, available through Alfred Publishing. Read more...

Like Red on a Rose. Hear how the songwriter, Robert Lee Castleman, sings this Grammy-nominated song.

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