The short version: the weather has not been cooperating. My “studio” is still the garage, and it turns out shooting detailed flatpicking lessons in an unheated space is less romantic than it sounds. Cold fingers and bluegrass timing do not get along. That said, I haven’t gone anywhere. Bluegrass Guitar Dads is still very much about the same core ideas: Real tunes. Solid time. Good feel. Steady progress inside a full life. If you’re new here, welcome. This is a fundamentals-first space for busy people who care about the music but don’t have unlimited hours to practice. No guilt. No gatekeeping. No grind culture. Just consistent improvement. If you’ve been here a while, I’d love a quick check-in: • What are you working on right now? • What’s feeling stronger? • What’s still giving you trouble? As the weather warms up (or I finally insulate the garage), I’ll be back to recording regularly. In the meantime, the conversation and the music keep moving because of you all. Glad you’re here. Let’s keep picking.

Welcome to Bluegrass Guitar Dads. Glad you’re here. To get things rolling (and help me shape useful content for the group), please take a minute to introduce yourself in the comments below: 1. Instrument(s) What are you playing these days? 2. One bluegrass player you love Could be a legend or a current inspiration. 3. What you want to improve right now Timing, rhythm, flatpicking, backup, repertoire, confidence, etc. This doesn’t need to be polished, just honest. We’re all balancing music, work, and family, and this is a supportive space to keep the music moving. Looking forward to picking with you. Trevor

Hey everyone! I’m excited to announce that our newest module, The History of Bluegrass, is now officially live in the Classroom! If you’ve ever wondered how we got from Bill Monroe’s high lonesome sound to the surgical precision of Tony Rice or the "chamber-grass" of the Punch Brothers, this course is for you. We’re moving beyond just licks and tabs to look at the why and how behind the music we love. Let me know what songs we should dig into together first!

We’ve all been there... starting out with a $15 trigger capo that lives on the headstock. But as we get deeper into the bluegrass sound, we start chasing that perfect tuning stability and tone. I’ve run the gamut from Shubb to Paige, and I eventually fell down the rabbit hole of custom Elliott capos (I’ll admit it: the Billy Strings influence is real). Where are you on your capo journey? - Are you a 'set it and forget it' Shubb fan? - Do you prefer the Paige/Elliott style that stays behind the nut? - Or are you still rocking the Kyser you bought in 1998? Post a photo of your 'daily driver' below!"

For a long time I didn’t think very much about picks. I’d grab whatever felt decent, play, and move on. That changed once I started practicing seriously. At some point it hit me: the pick is the tool that actually touches the strings more than anything else. My hands, my guitar, my posture. But the single piece of gear in constant contact with my hand is the pick. That realization pushed me to stop treating it like an afterthought. That’s how I ended up with three BlueChip TP48s. One lives on my house keys, one on my RV keys, and one tucked into the little watch pocket of my jeans. If a guitar is around, a BlueChip is never far away. Before BlueChip, I used every gauge of nylon Dunlop right through the Primetones. They’re genuinely good picks, especially if you’re on a budget, and I still recommend them to anyone who doesn't want to spend a small fortune on hi-tech polymers. But once I tried a BlueChip, I couldn’t go back. The feel is smoother, the attack is cleaner, and I just play with more confidence. For me, they're worth the money. If you’re thinking about one, a pro tip: if you can wait until the holidays, BlueChip often does free laser engraving at Christmas, and sometimes they’ll even throw in a small leather pouch and free shipping. The downside is that demand is intense right now. Between Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton making the TP-48 picks famous, custom orders are often delayed or paused entirely. One more wrinkle in my pick story. I do own a genuine tortoise shell pick, and I use it exclusively when I play these days. There is something subtly different about the feel that I genuinely love. But I want to be very clear about this: I did not buy it. I found it in an old guitar case at my former guitar shop and decided to put it to work rather than let it sit in a drawer. I'll use it until I lose it or it breaks. I’m firmly opposed to the modern trade in endangered tortoise shell. If you’re going to use one, make sure it is a documented antique and legally sourced. Please.