ArtistWorks Blog

It’s officially Cyber Monday, so you know what that means—our annual Cyber Week sale is on, and this year the savings are bigger than ever before! SAVE 50% on any 3, 6, or 12-month plan at ArtistWorks this Cyber Week, and start learning directly from a master musician today.

When first learning to play the violin or any other bowed stringed instrument, one of the most important skills to focus on and perfect, even before picking up the instrument itself, is a proper bow hold and grip. The effectiveness of your bowing technique and the quality of tone produced on your instrument are influenced enormously by the manner in which you grip the bow. Therefore, it’s critical to focus on developing good habits and proper bow-related techniques early on in your learning journey.

Our annual Black Friday sale is on! Start learning from a master musician this Black Friday and save 50%. Take advantage of one of our biggest sales of the year and access a guided path of hundreds of lesson videos and learning tools. Plus, connect directly with your instructor for personal feedback on your playing and progress!

We’re excited to announce that world-renowned flatpickers and ArtistWorks master guitar instructors, Bryan Sutton and Chris Eldridge, will be traveling to Sicily, Italy during the summer of 2024 to lead a four-day bluegrass guitar experience. Hosted in the beautiful city of Siracusa on the island of Ortigia off the coast of Sicily, the retreat will feature four days and four nights of immersive bluegrass guitar music and fun-filled Italian vacationing from August 12-16, 2024.

We’re excited to announce that world-renowned mandolinists and ArtistWorks master mandolin instructors, Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg, will once again be hosting their annual “Mandolin World Retreat” in Benicia, CA. This year, it will be over an extended, 3-day weekend from March 8-10, 2024.

On Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 11:30 am PT / 2:30 pm ET, ArtistWorks will be hosting a free virtual live-streamed event featuring all three of our world-renowned mandolin instructors: Mike Marshall, Sierra Hull, and Caterina Lichtenberg.

As you progress as a jazz musician, regardless of your instrument of choice, one of the most critical elements to begin implementing into your improvisation and rhythmic comping is the use of guide tones. Guide tones help lead the listener through the chord progression of the piece you’re playing, and their use also projects musical maturity and a deeper understanding of harmony.

Since beginning his professional music career at 18, Mike Marshall has become a pillar in the world of acoustic music. Not only is Mike an icon of the mandolin, but he’s also a master of the mandocello, violin, and guitar, a mentor to countless bluegrass, jazz, classical, and even Brazilian Choro artists, and an inspiration to innumerable musicians around the globe.