Gregg Daigle Music

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

————————————

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.

05/25/2026

Remember those 'What I Did On Summer Vacation' assignments? Well, this is "What we did at Ghost Ranch Bluegrass Camp Guitar Workshop.' Oh, yeah. This is only Day One.

Want to join the fun? Posts on Patreon and Sign Up for Next Year!

Ghost Ranch Guitar Workshop: Day One May 14, 2026 by Gregg Daigle's Music and Curiosities on Patreon. Join Gregg Daigle's Music and Curiosities's community for exclusive content and updates.

04/25/2026

Check out what we did in 'Don't Panic Banjo Club' this morning.

Don’t Panic Banjo Club -April 25, 2026 by Gregg Daigle's Music and Curiosities on Patreon. Join Gregg Daigle's Music and Curiosities's community for exclusive content and updates.

04/23/2026

Campfire this week was all about building songs together.
We worked through a great mix of tunes:
Amazing Grace
Paradise
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Four Strong Winds
Wild Rover
Midnight Special
King of the Road
Girl from the North Country

What we’re doing in Campfire is more than just learning chords. We’re learning how to make music with other people.
A lot of players come in with the same frustration:
They can play a little on their own… but when it’s time to play with others, things get shaky.
-The timing slips.
-The changes feel rushed.
-The song gets away from them.
-They’re not always sure when to come in, what version people are playing, or how to recover if they get lost.

That’s exactly the kind of stuff we work on.

At Campfire, we build confidence by playing real songs in a real circle — listening, strumming, singing, leaving space, finding the groove, and learning how to stay with the music even when it isn’t perfect.

If you’ve been wanting a place where you can:
-get more comfortable playing with others
-strengthen your rhythm and chord changes
-sing and strum through great American folk songs
-and feel more at home in a musical community

Campfire was built for that.
Because music should be played with and for other people.
Message me if you want to join us.

04/17/2026

Our Campfire Session was a good one this week.

We worked on hearing the shape of songs, not just surviving the chord changes.

“I’ll Fly Away” gave us a clear 1-4-5 framework, then we moved it into a new key and started pulling melody right out of the triad. We also spent time on passing solos, feeling half measures, and hearing how songs like “Deep River Blues” can still make sense even when the harmony gets a little spicier.

Songs we picked on:
“I’ll Fly Away”
“Puff the Magic Dragon”
“Deep River Blues”
“Streets of London”

Little by little, Campfire is becoming more than a sing-through. It’s becoming a shared repertoire, a training ground for listening, leading, and playing with other people.

Music should be played with-and for-other people.

Message me if you'd like to join our next session. Monday, April 20 @ 4:30pm in DePere.