Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar is a four-month immersive learning experience where beginning guitar players learn to become more intermediate musicians. Students will focus on the acoustic guitar and playing bluegrass music and its subgenres with an emphasis on serving the song. Students will join a small cohort that will meet multiple times a week and over 30 times throughout the program, covering such topics as:

Reading charts, tabs, notation
Counting, grooving, keeping time
Theory, the Musical Alphabet, Scales, Chords, Voicings
Ensemble skills, ear training, thought organizing and reacting to your environment, band and audience.
Jam skills
Rhythm guitar training: alternating bass strum, phrasing
Carter, Travis, Bluegrass, Fingerstyle-Blues, Fiddle Tunes and Western Swing
Study the works of Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and Billy Strings

Comprehensive measures will be taken by the instructor to see that the personal, professional, and artistic goals of the students are being met with regular instructor access as well as collaboration with guest instructors and industry professionals.

Students will be challenged, but not overwhelmed. This program was designed for students to receive personalized help from the teacher at multiple weekly junctures. Curated practice plans will be built for each individual students’ advancement.

Monthly performance opportunities as well as a release of a finished product demonstrating writing, recording, and teaching are part of Progressions.

The Fall 2026 Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar Cohort, with Martin Gilmore, is limited to 8 students. A minimum of 3 students is needed to run a cohort. The deadline to register is Thursday, August 27th 2026.

This cohort of Progressions meets online on Tuesdays and in-person at Swallow Hill on Thursdays from 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM MST. Possible students may include (but are not limited to):

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

Pre-requisites:

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 registration process

Pricing:

Progressions tuition is $1,855, including a $15 School Support Fee. Students may register with a refundable deposit of $100 due at the time of registration. An additional $438.75 for the first month of the program will be charged on 9/5/2026, $438.75 for the second month will be charged on 10/5/2026, $438.75 for the third month on 11/5/2026, and the final $438.75 will be charged on 12/5/2026. Swallow Hill Members receive $100 off of their tuition cost. Swallow Hill Members receive $100 off of their tuition cost.

Info Session / Q&A:

Martin and School Administrators will host a free, online information session about the Progressions: Songwriting and Bluegrass Guitar programs on Tuesday, August 18th from 7pm - 8pm MT on Zoom.

The Zoom link to join for the Information session is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81489788317?pwd=bNS6it6VTbAVJRZcZOVtNIUXD19h3F.1

Meeting ID: 851 8474 2758
Passcode: 315066

Bluegrass Guitar Primer Workshop:

Students can get a taste of Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar in this workshop with Martin on Thursday, August 13th.

Help us get in tune by registering early!
To support our teachers and better accommodate the needs of our classes, we ask that students register at least 48 hours in advance of the class, lesson, and/or workshop.

Cost includes $15 School support fee. Learn more about that fee here.

Martin Gilmore

GUITAR, MANDOLIN, SONGWRITING

Martin is a bluegrass musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and music educator based in Denver, Colorado. He is a founding member of the bluegrass band Long Road Home, an acclaimed solo performer, and band leader for The Martin Gilmore Trio.

He has performed all over the United States, as well as in Europe and Africa. He is also a highly respected music educator, teaching at the University of Denver Enrichment Program, his own private studio, and right here at Swallow Hill Music. In 2017, he joined the faculty at the University of Northern Colorado teaching folk and bluegrass guitar.

To add this class to your cart, please login to an existing account or create a new account.

Requirements: Min Age : 16yr

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Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar

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