TrueFire's Guitabulary: Recent Episodes
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Jonesing for a bigger bag of chops? Don't touch that dial ... tune in here for an eclectic series of TrueFire audio guitar lessons, with tab and notation, ranging across all styles, techniques and levels. WARNING! TrueFire podcasts may lead to excessive practice and grossly enlarged chops.
You don't normally associate Ricky Nelson songs with hard-hitting guitar breaks, but not so when James Burton was wielding the axe. Joe looks at several Burton breaks from Nelson sessions - 'Believe What You Say,' 'It's Late' and others -vibing his double-stops, cross-rhythms, off-the-beat accents and overall rippin' rockabilly feel. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U.
With rockabilly, guitarists often try to evoke a revved-up kinda big band sound. You can accomplish this with closed-voice chords. These require a lot of wide stretches, but your efforts will pay off with some truly smooth-sounding stuff that will also help you in chord-to-chord transitions. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U.
That unmistakable sound of rockabilly guitar may be rootsy, but it ain't easy. In this lesson, Arlen breaks some of the techniques down. Key to the style is playing bass and lead simultaneously, creating a 'two-guitar' effect. He explains how to keep a steady bass with the pick while fingering the lead notes. You don't need no ducktail 'do to dig this rockabilly vibe. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U.
Rockabilly, that mutant outgrowth of early rock 'n' roll and country, is still one of the most vibrant six-string sounds around. And learning these rockabilly licks will only enhance your more traditional playing. Arlen pitches Travis picking too, but gets an edgier attack by using a pick on the bass. You'll learn how to keep a clean separation between bass and lead notes. You'll pick up some timeless licks, and you'll infuse your twang with a little blues. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , TWANG U.
It's the daring rhythm guitarist who is willing to have a go at it without chords. You'll dial into some lean twang with Joe's lesson, which concentrates on single-note lines and double-stops, gussied up with heel muting, long sustained notes, volume swells, Western swing horn-style parts and lots more. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: Rhythm Guitar SWAT Camp, TWANG U, HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology .
This stellar lesson introduces you to the basic vocabulary of blues phrasing that came out of the pre-WWII Delta style via the legendary Muddy Waters. As Keith says, this stuff is easier to play than it is to read, so he walks you through it - the droning bass on the low E (with pick or thumb), the accompanying finger-picked high E, the gritty but simple lines taken from the basic blues scale. In short order, you can become your own down-home blues rhythm section, which will strengthen your work when you play with a group. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, Rhythm Guitar SWAT Camp, Blues Bash.
The queen of Delta blues guitar sits in and serves up a lesson on authentic country blues strumming. If you want to get next to the concepts laid down by Tommy Johnson, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Skip James, and Willie Brown, you'll find this lesson a watershed. Rory uses Tommy Johnson's classic "Big Road Blues" as a foundation for teaching a series of techniques: bass notes followed by one or two strums; strumming sixteenth notes; pounding (hitting your guitar top in conjunction with a strum) and snapping (pulling a string away from the fretboard for an enticing percussive effect). As a bonus, Rory ties it all together by playing her own version of "Big Road Blues." This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
Guitarists spend so much time sharpening their lead playing that they often forget how exciting it is to be an accompanist. Ironically, if you do build comping skills, you’ll have a head start on one of the most challenging lead-guitar styles of all: chord melody. The trick is to keep evolving by learning new approaches to harmony. For instance, try your hand at the hypnotic device known as pedal point. Learn to handle these wide grips, and you’ll have a hip new way to play! This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
So you may not be interested in becoming a flamenco master. It'd be a longshot even if you are. You can still factor in this exciting Spanish sound into your work. Tim takes a barre chord and enriches it by adding a Flat-9 with the fourth finger. Then he factors in some open strings for gypsy-style exotica. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Here are a couple "rules of thumb" from Jon Finn in how to most effectively use the blues scale - i.e. play the flatted 3rd before the major 3rd and the flatted 5th before the natural 5th. Don't make these absolutes, Jon insists, but rather use the rules as guidelines into the finer points of blues scale. Don't hesitate to let your ears come up with their own rules. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: 280 Killer GUITAR LICKS, BLUES U.
While other styles offer opportunities to surrender to the beat, in Memphis soul that's all that matters. In this two-part lesson, we'll dissect some classic soul grooves to see what makes them tick, and then try to grab some of that cosmic woo-woo for ourselves. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U.
Martin Simpson shows a couple ways to go at a melody: First is linearly, playing several notes along a string; Or: crosspicking, granting each note it's own string whenever possible. The crosspicking lets you generate a wonderfully fluid, harp-like effect. He demonstrates with a line from the beautiful Irish tune "Garryowen." Neither is better than the other, but it's definitely good to have both in your arsenal. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Back in Adrian's early Liverpool days, he figured that a technique he must learn to help his chances at getting laid was to fingerpick (the guitar, that is). These days, fingerpicking is not as apt to help in sexual exploits, but it's certainly a laudable endeavor. Adrian issues three fingerpicking exercises that he worked at two hours a day for two straight weeks. Seems like a lot at first, but is it, really? No word on how much more he got laid. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Because lap slide players can angle their bars, they're able to play more intervals and harmony than bottleneck guitarists, who are forced to rely on parallel-to-the-fret slide techniques. But there is a way to expand your harmonic vocabulary when you play traditional bottleneck. Behind-the-slide fretting makes it possible to add rapid-fire interval shifts and altered chords to your bottleneck repertoire. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U, LICK-A-DAY: 365 Daily Doses, BLUES U.
Get fat. Fat sounds, that is - New Orleans-style. Keith delves into the Crescent City ballad style with its 12/8 triplet feel. Fig. 1 demonstrates how to double the rolling bass part; Fig. 2 shows off the 'chicks' that add staccato accents, and Fig. 3 combines the two. Finally, on Fig. 4, he adapts the triplet-heavy piano part to guitar, and he is, as Fats might say, walkin' to New Orleans. This lesson includes Power Tab and is included in the following CD compilations: BLUES U, Blues Bash.
B.B., one of the few bluesmen to establish himself as a household name, uses the He replaced Clapton in Mayall's Bluesbreakers. He was the six-string linchpin of the bluesy Fleetwood Mac. He played with American bluesmen Otis Spann and Eddie Boyd. He is an unsung guitar hero, this Mr. Green. He favored detail over heavy-handedness, finesse over brawn (although he could get mean at times). Check out 14 Green-isms in this two-part lesson. Note how he likes to arrive at a chord tone a bit early, thus not having to blast full volume on the downbeat. And other subtle stuff. You'll like it. Promise. This lesson is included in the following CD compilations: BLUES U.
B.B., one of the few bluesmen to establish himself as a household name, uses the Mixolydian mode (think of it as a major scale with a flat 7th) as a primary ingredient in his influential solo work. Magic things happen when you blend the Mixolydian with the minor pentatonic allowing you to shift between sweet and dark sounds. Dave demonstrates this mind-expanding concept through a B.B. solo. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, LICK-A-DAY: 365 Daily Doses
His majesty's regal style is examined in 11 hefty examples covering his inimitable vibrato, favored variation on the blues scale, powerful bends and overall sense of swing. Plenty of great lines and licks. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, 269 BLUES Licks You MUST Know
In Part 1 of this super vocabulary builder, Brad not only shows a collection of stone-classic blues phrases, he also provides clear, thorough explanations of the subtle technical details behind the licks. Great blues phrasing is all in the subtleties, and Brad takes you deep under the surface. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, 269 BLUES Licks You MUST Know
Get straight to the heart of Duane, checking out highlights from the classic ABB albums At Fillmore East and Eat a Peach. Andy Aledort gets into Duane's slide and conventional playing and, along with licks, he breaks down a few extended solo sections, so you can better understand the late legend's overall concept. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, LICK-A-DAY: 365 Daily Doses.
With his stinging, soulful solos and flawless pocket, Robben Ford has an uncanny knack for making complex music seem simple. Conversely, the guitarist can elevate a mundane one-chord vamp into something divine. Perhaps this is because Ford has successfully tackled so many genres. What has Ford learned from all of his musical adventures? “We’re all playing the same things,” he says. To prove that common threads abound in music, Ford will take a I-VI-II-V progression and show that whether it’s played with a doo-wop group’s simplicity or a bebop pianist’s extended chords and slick substitutions, the underlying vibe is the same—just one more universal phrase in the language of music. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: JAZZ U, BLUES U, TWANG U.
Phillips, a classical virtuoso, endeavors into the daunting world of counterpoint: the simultaneous sounding of two or more contrasting melodic lines. This lesson is an exercise in helping you get started. Learn each line separately, then slowly learn to play the lines together. Six-string counterpoint is not easy stuff, but if you have classical ambitions - or if you merely want a challenge - look this way. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: LICK-A-DAY: 365 Daily Doses, ACOUSTIC U.
Classical virtuoso Eliot Fisk divides the major scale by note value, rhythmic accent and tone, conquers weaknesses in attack, and leaves your right hand looking like Popeye. Well maybe that's an exaggeration, but only slightly. Fisk offers a range of insights into dynamics and sound production, tidbits about Bach, and some stellar playing in this engaging, informative Classical lesson. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Ben lays out a take-no-prisoners practice regimen that is virtually guaranteed to yield results. It's designed to help you master passages that are giving you trouble. It involves a lot of hard work, but hard work with a plan. Ben mixes up the regimen so that you steer clear of drudgery. He says that, even while practicing, keep in touch with the emotional content of the phrase. It will make practicing a more musical, and ultimately a more satisfying experience. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
The first time you play a C#dim7—such as the one in Ex. 1a—you may find yourself wondering why you’d ever need such a dissonant cluster of notes. Truth is, diminished 7s and other such strident grips are, ironically, incredibly useful for making progressions sound smoother. Plug that C#dim7 between C and Dm7 (Ex. 1b), and its jagged shape all but disappears—like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Get hip to its pungent sound; you’ll start hearing it everywhere —not just in jazz, but also in rock, soul, blues, and other genres. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: JAZZ U, ACOUSTIC U.
Roger demonstrates a classic swing phrase using chromatics (half steps), first in single notes then harmonized in chords. You've heard it- now you'll know how to use it! This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: LICK-A-DAY: 365 Daily Doses, ACOUSTIC U.
In this "Lick of the Month" from Berklee instructor and noted author Charles Chapman, you'll learn an extremely useful technique: how to combine a walking bass line with chord punches to simulate a jazz rhythm section arrangement on the guitar. Bass players, drummers...who needs 'em anyway? This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U, JAZZ U.
Major and minor triads are the building blocks of harmony, with a simple, emotionally direct sound. Bob Stanton shows you how the argpeggios of these uncomplicated structures can be "summed" together with each other to create more complex melodic effects, including altered sounds. It's a great addition to your playing... This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
You know the cliche image of the idle-minded secretary who works on her nails to kill time. Well for classical guitarist, the idea of 'doing your nails' is a much more serious affair. You need to keep them smooth and in shape - and free of hooks or other imperfections - in order to make beautiful music with precision. Ben plays three lovely short pieces to demonstrate how they should sound if your nails are well kept. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
When Charles plays a chord-melody arrangement, people invariably ask, "How'd you do that?" Here, he shows you how. The staple is knowing how to rearrange standard chord voicings, moving notes up or down an octave to create different melodies and textures. Pretty soon you too could be hearing that satisfying refrain: "How'd you do that?" This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U, JAZZ U.
John Renbourn continues his exploration into 19th Century parlor guitar, which influenced blues and other rural styles. This time the song is Sebastopol,' later called 'Vastopol,' which was originally played in open-D tuning (D, A, D, F#, A, D). Renbourn's version is in open-E (E, B, E, G#, B, E) - no matter, the intervallic relationships are identical. As usual, the song has quaint charm and a bit of guts. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
1960, Henry Worrall wrote "Sebastopol," a parlor guitar tune that was enormously influential in folk playing, delta blues, country fingerpicking and other disciplines. The simple but fetching tune is in open D, which became a favorite among rural American players. The top-string slides foretell bottleneck playing. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Preston Reed's Showcase Solo "Fat Boy" will literally have you playing "over-the-top". Using left-hand multi-string taps, slaps, pulls, and slides along with right-hand whacks and whunk-dumps, you'll be a complete one man band with a percussion section right on your guitar. There's even an easy-to-read percussion key signature along with the music so ya can fit in yer hi-hats and kick drums. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , ACOUSTIC U.
You don't need a rack full of gear to generate amazing guitar textures. Just listen to Chet Akins. With his bare hands, the country boy from Tennessee created more fretboard magic than entire genres of guitarists.
This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U, ACOUSTIC U.
The ever-clever Adrian, an English fingerstyle wizard, takes us back to his early days in Brit C&W bands, where he got a lot of stuff wrong and stumbled into his own style. The examples cover what he calls "corny double-stops," a shuffle intro and a very hip ending tag. Let some of Adrian's originality rub off on you. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Elfin Brit Adrian Legg is one of the most inventive pickers on the planet. He sat with Joe Gore and described his methods, which is a mish-mash of Celtic, classical, and twang, buoyed by his fluency with banjo-picking style: fluid, three-note rolls, percussive frailing, and other techniques. By learning some of Legg's stuff, you can tap into the intuitiveness of his playing - which will ultimately give you a leg up. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Adrian Legg's column is a diatribe about the virtues of the acoustic guitar and the "macho materialism" of the electric. A basic eight-bar phrase accompanies the article. Play it on acoustic. If you don't have one, get one. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
There are two kinds of guitar players in the world: those who are fans of Adrian Legg and those who haven't heard him yet. This lesson offers a window into Adrian's inventive use of basslines, open strings and passing chords- you'll learn how to sound like a banjoist and bass player jamming with guitar accompaniment, all within your own six strings. Don't miss this one. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Adrian Legg's beautiful, harp-like arpeggios are featured in this example. Using a capo at the fifth fret and combining open strings with fretted notes, you'll learn how Adrian creates his shimmering arpeggios. Beautiful! This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: Acoustic U
Richard Gartner unveils a very cool and very player-friendly open tuning called "Dadgad" (D,A,D,G,A,D). It allows you to improvise via the use of pattern picking and using shapes. Richard's "Dadgad Bluerag" is a fun, in-your-face 16-bar song that employs all the versatility found in the tuning. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Accompanying his wife on a recent song, Celtic bluesman Martin Simpson needed to find the appropriate tuning. He ended up with the exotic B-Flat-sus2 (B-Flat, F, B-Flat, F, B-Flat, C). He serves up a helping of his solo from the song "Raglan Road," which will give you some jumping-off points for further explorations of your own into open tuning. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
To play alternating bass lines, you need to commit certain fingers to sustaining bass notes, while leaving other fingers free to fret melody notes. This typically involves unorthodox fingerings. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
How'd you like to learn a song that paved the way for blues and country slide playing? In an earlier lesson, John looked at Josh White's version of "John Henry," which relied on finger slides. Puckett's rendition calls upon a slide and is more a guitar solo. Bottom line: This one's fun to play. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
The blues can be traced to many things - slave chants, chain gangs and such - but you don't hear much about the influence of late 19th Century parlor guitar. John establishes the connection with 'Country Fool,' a tune written by Bo Carter, who had a major impact on the Delta blues players. The country-blues piece is in altered tuning and is based on the chord progression from 'Spanish Fandango'. The rolling, finger-picked style has real charm. It's a great song to add to your solo steel-string repertoire. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Bill has adapted a bottleneck muting technique to standard playing. It'll enhance your fingerpicking articulation and dynamics and help get rid of unwanted notes. Essentially, each of the top four strings is played and muted with its own finger. Start slow, build up to speed. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: 280 Killer GUITAR LICKS, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Bob Brozman is master of bottleneck slide guitar and various open tunings for the blues. Here's a primer for all of us that are ready to incorporate slide technique into our repertoire. Tunings, tone, technique and five exercises are included in this detailed lesson. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Like all great blues players, John Mooney derives mojo from his fingers, not his gear. Mooney can fill a hall with soulful slide sounds, whether he’s fronting a band with a Strat cranked through a Super Reverb, or doing a solo set on an unmiked National resonator. Here, Mooney shares some cool slide tips and hot riffs. But before you get started, Mooney has a simple way to avoid the common problem of slide slippage. “I superglue a piece of cork to the inside of my slide so it stops halfway up my pinky and stays there,” says Mooney. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U, TWANG U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Chris Whitley is a heck of a blues player, but he isn't what you would call a traditionalist. Jeff McErlain shows you one of Chris' more "twisted" blues pieces, played on open-tuned Dobro. Chris describes it as "Bukka White meets Thelonius Monk"...need we say more? This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Customizing turnarounds is what makes them your own, and you can never have enough nifty ones. In this lesson, Mark issues a couple of "must know" variations on a classic blues move. Transpose 'em to other keys and stick with the fretted notes - skip the open strings - so you can move freely up and down the neck. Then tweak 'em to your heart's content. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Enter the brave and bluesy world of laptop slide guitar. David sticks to high G tuning (GBDGBD, low to high), which allows him to play in the guitar-friendly keys of E, A, and D. Here he issues six licks, with feels that range from greasy blues to garage rock. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
In this two-part lesson, we'll explore open D and acquaint ourselves with it fascinating sounds. So grab a tuner and a guitar , put yourself in an open frame of mind , and get ready for some sonic stimulation. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U, BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
So you thought bluegrass was hokum for hicks. Try this tricky staple, known as the (Lester) Flatt run or G-run. Rogers also extends it up an octave to make a longer lick, partially inverts it and throws in a bluesy variation. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
In this lesson, we’ll take the primary 8-bar themes from several Celtic fiddle tunes, arrange them for guitar, and use the results to polish our flatpicking chops, timing, and tone. The themes have been rigged for maximum sonic vibe not playing comfort so they’re tricky in places. Within a line, for instance, we’ll play the same note in different locations to facilitate a slur. Or we’ll create harp-like cascades by alternating fretted notes and open strings. In short, we’ll search for fingerings that challenge our dexterity while adding mojo to the melodies. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Let's say your relatively new to flatpicking guitar, but you wanna get musical, wanna start learning some relatively simple songs. Given a choice, do you want to work on a tune that's corny or hip? Dumb question, I know. "Flop-Eared Mule" is a traditional pickin' tune that's very hip, indeed - with a nice melodic sweep that's full of dynamics. Cool thing is: The song sounds almost as good in the slower "learning" mode as it does in a faster tempo. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Step up and learn one of the most powerful, least-used and exotic accompaniment licks known to guitarists. This basic bass/strum/bass/strum move is so fundamental to good accompaniment that a lot of players overlook it. Dan's lesson gives you plenty of insider tips on how to best play the basics and add variations. He also throws in a segment on how to play slow. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: Rhythm Guitar SWAT Camp, ACOUSTIC U, HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology .
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Here's an intro to Doc's style, which involves explosive flatpicking-speed with taste-on acoustic guitar. Whether folk standards or reworked fiddle tunes, Watson's sound is always exhilarating, always musical. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: TWANG U, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Dan serves up two beautiful traditional guitar tunes that you can play slow and steady: "Soldier's Joy" and "Wildwood Flower," which has been the starting point for generations of flat-pickers. The tunes are fairly easy to play, but you can make them consummately musical with careful study and attention to detail. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
OK, so what's with the math? Dobro master David Hamburger breaks it all down for you in this Bluegrass-flavored lesson. Two six note phrases plus a four note phrase equals a two bar lick...got it? This simple formula lies at the heart of a surprising number of classic licks. So put down your calculator, pick up your guitar, and start figuring out what it's all going to add to your playing. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U, Twang U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
If a Nashville studio ace - a guy who's played on albums by Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, the Judds and others - gave you inside tip on how to play effective session acoustic guitar, would you listen? Well, then, listen. Casstevens stresses the percussive attack and the "high, ringing stuff," and trying to break the constant Travis-style mold. To put these ideas into motion, here's a twangin' I-IV-V,16-bar sequence. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com)
Here, Dan encourages you to break free of other guitarist's arrangements and approach a song with originality in mind. He submits a handful of different arrangements of "Sally Goodin'" to get you started, then gives you a method: learn the complete melody (the best source is fiddler players who play it straight), get a thorough knowledge of the tune and then set out on your own. A most rewarding adventure. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com/)
Recently, our ongoing modal journey has drawn us into the land of harmony. In the previous Back Track installment (Dorian Grooves, Sept. ’00 GP), we saw how notes from the Dorian mode can be combined to create Im, IV, Vm, and bVII triads; we also discovered that progressions built from these chords will support improvised Dorian lines. The trick is to play the Dorian mode starting from the Im’s root. We’ve explored a similar relationship between the Mixolydian mode and chords built from its notes (Digging Modal Harmony, Aug. ’00 GP). In that lesson, we set up a progression using Mixolydian’s native I, IV, Vm, and bVII triads and then soloed over the chord sequence. Now it’s time to investigate Aeolian harmony. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (http://truefiretv.com/)
The queen of Delta blues guitar sits in and serves up a lesson on authentic country blues strumming. If you want to get next to the concepts laid down by Tommy Johnson, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Skip James, and Willie Brown, you'll find this lesson a watershed. Rory uses Tommy Johnson's classic "Big Road Blues" as a foundation for teaching a series of techniques: bass notes followed by one or two strums; strumming sixteenth notes; pounding (hitting your guitar top in conjunction with a strum) and snapping (pulling a string away from the fretboard for an enticing percussive effect). As a bonus, Rory ties it all together by playing her own version of "Big Road Blues." This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
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If you can play a blues, funk, reggae, or swing-jazz shuffle, you’re familiar with 12/8 time. You may even understand the mechanics of 12/8 after all, it’s simply 4/4 time with three eighth-notes per downbeat instead of just two. But do you have 12/8 truly nailed? One way to find out and become more groove literate in the process is to learn the Agbekor bell pattern. This must-know African rhythm shows up everywhere, including Cuban and Caribbean music, and in western pop, funk, and jazz. Let Tom show you the way! This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.
From Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," to the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post, to Zappa to Rush, odd time signatures pop up occasionally in American music. In other lands, like Turkey or Armenia, they're quite common. Tim submits four distinctive picking patterns that will get you familiar with subdivisions of the beat in odd meter, and get your picking hand moving fluidly. Try 7/8, 9/8, 11/16 and 10/16, with cool chords and licks. (once you get comfortable with the picking, substitute your own changes. After awhile, these rhythms won't seem that odd at all. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.
Since the early 60's fingerpicking has been synonymous with American folk music, the steelstring flat-top guitar, and the coffeehouse scene. But you don't have to be a folkie-or even play acoustic guitar-to benefit from pattern-based picking. There's plenty of opportunity to adapt fingerpicking's supple, rhythmic energy to contemporary music. The trick is to mate traditional picking-hand moves with modern voicings and timbres. In this two-part lesson, we'll do just that. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U, TWANG U.
If you're an acoustic player, Chet is one of the godheads. In this beefy 10-part lesson, get into the legend's style of using the thumb to keep a steady bass line while letting the fingers take care of the melody and the rest of the accompaniment. "Work to get your thumb on automatic pilot", Chet encourages. Also, try out Chet's boom-chick style and dig his take on arpeggios.
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Travis picking never grows old. It sounds as hip today as on '50s Elvis sides like "Mystery Train" and "That's Alright Mama." Steve's lesson is a 24-bar blues that includes four must-know Travis licks. Remember, the foundation for this technique is the strong, alternating quarter-note bass line, played with flatpicked downstrokes. This blues will get you into the finer points of the Travis picking thang.
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Travis picking, a thumb-and-finger style that changed the guitar world - is an essential technique. Playing country without it is like driving a pickup with three wheels. It starts with alternating bass fingerpicking - boom-chuck-boom-chuck - and factors in all sorts of other maneuvers. Through the years, Merle's thing has been built upon. Mark examines the development of the style.
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You can't really be bluesy without getting slurry and slide-y. That's where double-stops come in. They work great as chordal indicators, harmonized solos, turnarounds and more. In this lesson, Dave concentrates on double-stops in sixths. Ex. 3 lays out the absolutely crucial sliding 9th' lick from blues standards like 'Stormy Monday.' Dave tosses in a bonus jam at the end, incorporating Robert Johnson's signature dominant/diminished chord turnaround.
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Okay, time to head out to the country. You don't become a C&W picker without mastering Travis picking, where your thumb plays a steady rhythmic bass, while your index and middle fingers play the melody notes on the high strings. Off-beat treble notes create a syncopation that lends the style its signature. Happy serves up a basic version of the traditional "My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains," and then gussies the tune up with some slides, hammers, pulls and, ultimately, twang.
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From secret uses of the pentatonic scale to bluegrass, bebop blues, free jazz, and chord melody, Jimmy Herring—with a heaping helping of Southern hospitality—is about to share with you several inspiring musical examples. Hopefully, they’ll take your soloing as well as your entire concept of improvisation to new dimensions.
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EVH opens the article by fessin' up about how much he stole, note for note, from Eric Clapton. Here's your chance to rip off Edward. This lesson runs you through blues progression, hammer-ons, pull-offs. slides, bends and a few of Ed's key licks, harmonics and tapping.
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Proto-metalist Blackmore, who bridged the gap between blues-drenched rockers of the '60s and the lightning-fingered shredders of today. His band, Deep Purple, helped pioneer the heavy power chord thing. This 13-part lesson gives you some keen insights on how to temper the shred a tad and still play in the hard-rock zone.
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A master of many blues styles, Duke Robillard garners particular acclaim for his jump and swing playing. When he recently performed at a San Francisco music festival, Andy Ellis seized the opportunity to take a lesson in uptown blues. Robillard's music is full of jazzy turnarounds and sneaky substitutions, so he was asked to explain how he transforms a typical I-IV-V, 12-bar progression into something with more harmonic pizzazz.
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You can trace rockabilly back to Merle Travis. In themid ’50s, when rockabilly pioneers such as Scotty Moore, Paul Burlison, Cliff Gallup, Joe Maphis, and Carl Perkins hot-rodded the basic Travis fingerpicking pattern, all hell broke loose. Thanks to the Stray Cats, rockabilly made a resurgence in the early ’80s.The riffs, chords, turnarounds, and endings in this lesson will give you a firm grasp of rockabilly basics.. Practice diligently, and before you know it, you’ll be ready to rock the joint all night long.
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Most guitarists recognize the E minor pentatonic scale - and with good reason. After all, it is the world’s most popular launching pad for rock solos and blues leads in the key of E. More advanced players know that the same notes also spell the G major pentatonic scale — G being the relative major of E minor. But if you take this scale and “fill in the blanks” with passing tones you’ll open up a world of melodic possibility. And without ever stepping out of this twelfth position “box,” you’ll have access to some of the most swingin’ guitar lines ever — namely, those played by the great Wes Montgomery.
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More than 60 years after its recording, Blind Blake’s rambunctious Diddie Wa Diddie, a double-entendre ragtime blues, still stands as a fingerpicking classic. Blake's musical vocabulary is prodigious, and his improvisational flair has seldom been matched. Each of the tune's stanzas features a distinctively different accompaniment, and each of the three instrumental breaks is a minor masterpiece in itself.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1701 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Is there anything more seductively rootsy than metallic slide musings on a glimmering National steel guitar? In this two-part lesson, Brozman, one of the foremost authorities on the instrument, takes you on an exciting journey that demystifies a lot of slide techniques.
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Eric Johnson has a deep bag but this lesson concentrates on his aggressive combinations of single-note and chords, which, he says, adds a "potent yin-yang tension". Plenty of yin and yang in this 19-example lesson.
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Before you dig in, a quick announcement ...
We just launched a new video podcast on iTunes that we call Guitar Sherpa. We've already stoked it up with some of our favorite vids including this performance of Billie's Bounce from young Swedish jazz master Andreas Oberg.
You can check out Guitar Sherpa on iTunes at: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=289090432
Yes, we'll keep these audio podcast coming as well and there's tons more on its way to your earbud. Now dig this performance ...
Practice smart, play hard!
McErlain shows you one of Chris's more twisted blues pieces, played on open-tuned Dobro. Chris describes it as Bukka White meets Thelonius Monk. Need we say more?
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=2042 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Burrell's funky comping powers many of the best late 50s and 60s beatnik-jazz records. Andy Ellis helps you summon this late-night mood by using the comping moves in this rhythm figure. Played at faster tempos and with a tighter feel, the lower line is the foundation for '50s rock and and much of '60s soul and honky tonk.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=2398 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
It's an amazing sight. Armed exclusively with a twangy 6-string resonator-an instrument most audience members associate with the likes of Son House and accompanied by a pumping drums-and-bass rhythm section, the lanky, tattooed, 6'2" Eric Sardinas delivers a fast-paced set of adrenaline-drenched blues. But because Sardinas cranks through a Rivera half-stack and displays a penchant for crunchy, feedback-laced tones, his wicked solos evoke Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman, even as they pay homage to Charley Patton and Elmore James. An hour before show time, the soft-spoken Sardinas sat with GP, sharing his techniques and demonstrating the slide riffs he used on his latest album, Black Pearls. Produced and mixed by the legendary Eddie Kramer, the disc is packed with taut grooves and snarling resonator tones.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=5632 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
She's not only an enchanting singer and superb songwriter, but Joni Mitchell is also an outstanding player and master of open tunings. This lesson from Andy Ellis, explores her penchant for open tunings, and details how she uses these tunings to spur inspirations for songs including how she developed the classic riff for "Big Yellow Taxi" out of open D.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1222 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Few guitarists become so strongly identified with a genre of music as John Lee Hooker and his timeless boogie. Hooker laid down his share of classics, such as "Boogie Chillen" (a.k.a. "Boogie Chillun"), "I'm in the Mood," and "Boom Boom," and inspired a host of musicians to elaborate on his insistent, hypnotic themes. ZZ Top ("La Grange"), one-hit wonder Norman Greenbaum ("Spirit in the Sky"), Booker T. & the MG's ("Green Onions"), Stevie Wonder ("Higher Ground"), and even Steely Dan ("Black Friday") are among those who paid homage to Hooker by reworking his swampy riffage. Andy Ellis guides your Hooker tour.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=6203 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Even metal icons like Metallica's Kirk Hammett go searching for the roots. This lesson deals with his recent interest in the blues and how using blues style can add emotional heft to your hard-rock solos. Instead of just shredding through modes and scales, Hammett is interested in phrasing and bends. Fig. 1 is a cool blues-rock lick that you can master and include in metal solos. One among several. 3120, Achtung Baby!, (The Sound & The Fury/Kirk Hammett). When you're a rocker and you get up in front of people, there ain't a thing wrong with doing handstands. Show off, babe. Jimmy Brown demonstrates three of Hammett's favorite ways to put the achtung' in his solos: killer bends, repeated speed licks and other ways to get the crowd's attention away from their beer and on you.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1776 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
When most guitarists think of the Allman Brothers Band, the image usually held in their minds is that of the late, great slide master Duane Allman. While Duane was a peerless icon of the electric blues, his counterpart in the Allmans' potent twin-guitar assault, Dickey Betts, was equally responsible for the group's innovative sound. Betts injected the band with a healthy dose of jazz and country, and was the major architect of the Allmans' extended in-concert improvisational forays. Protracted instrumentals such as "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Jessica" showcase Betts' stellar mastery of theme and variation.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=6327 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Want to be a better player? Of course we all do. That's why we practice. So why does it seem like all that practice time isn't paying off? It could be because you're not practicing the right stuff. Guitarists tend to associate the term chops with playing fast. And while technical proficiency is definitely part of the equation, there's a lot more to chops than just burning through scales. To really grab a listener's attention you've got to play with confidence and conviction. You need accuracy, dexterity, and a solid sense of time. The good news is that if you strive for all these things, the speed will come.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1600 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
He's one of the most under-heralded geniuses of the jazz guitar. After cutting his teeth on the NYC bebop scene of the late '40s, and building a rep with vibraphonist Red Norvo, Farlow receded from jazz life to live in a shore town in New Jersey. Pete Wagula's lesson examines the titan's style, with a predilection for chord melody, but an astonishing facility for single-note runs and double stops. Farlow, renowned for his big hands, will test your stretching capabilities. Overall, an invaluable look at one of the all-time greats.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1339 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Rockabilly is a kissin' cousin of Jazz, with twangy tone and playful techniques disguising an often very sophisticated harmonic and melodic structure. Jim Campilongo lays out some of that tricky stuff-arpeggios, altered tones and substitute chords- in clear detail, giving you enough ideas to fuel your playing for weeks to come.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1571 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Chances are good that when Jimi Hendrix was playing timeless blues intros like the one presented in Ex. 1-which is similar to the opening notes of Red House - he wasn't consciously thinking, I'm now fretting the interval of a major sixth for two beats and then moving it down a half-step. But like great blues players before and after him, Hendrix used intervals of major or minor sixths all the time because these grips- when played with passion and conviction-have a mesmerizing, open sound. While Ex. 1 may be one of the most popular sounds in the history of the blues, an equally tasty but less common example of a blues-inflected sixth is shown in Ex. 2. Hendrix sometimes played this lick when approaching the IV chord of a slow 12-bar blues in G. This lick gets its savory flavor from the minor sixth that occurs between E and C, just before C slides down to Bb. To ensure this meaty maneuver has a huge emotional impact, play it not just with your fingers, but also with your heart-as well as a warm, biting tone and a lyrical vibrato. major and minor sixths was because he absolutely killed the notes with his pick. Learn these and three other blues sixths licks in this ear-opening lesson from Jude Gold.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=4792 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Another one of Andy Ellis' six-string history lessons, this 24-parter looks at slide playing from myriad angles, from Blind Willie Johnson's pocket-knife lick from 1927 to Jeff Beck's violin-like line on Beck's Bolero to Bonnie Raitt's thick-toned finesse. This two-part lesson hits the big names - Duane Allman, Cooder, Clapton, Walsh, Page- along with forefathers like Son House, Elmore James, Tampa Red and Robert Nighthawk. This stuff'll keep you busy for months. And if you haven't started sliding yet, this lesson is a perfect entry point.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1164 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Another one of Andy Ellis' six-string history lessons, this 24-parter looks at slide playing from myriad angles, from Blind Willie Johnson's pocket-knife lick from 1927 to Jeff Beck's violin-like line on Beck's Bolero to Bonnie Raitt's thick-toned finesse. This two-part lesson hits the big names - Duane Allman, Cooder, Clapton, Walsh, Page- along with forefathers like Son House, Elmore James, Tampa Red and Robert Nighthawk. This stuff'll keep you busy for months. And if you haven't started sliding yet, this lesson is a perfect entry point.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1163 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Although he has known fame as a rock star, Eric Clapton has always remained planted in the blues. Here, Andy Ellis examines nine prime Clapton-isms, from a typical Bluesbreakers turnaround to the slippery bite of his Cream stuff to the stinging roots feel of his work with Derek and the Dominoes. Besides picking the pocket of one of the all-time greats, this lesson will help you add melodic interest to the blues scale.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1655 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Many guitarists know how to play barre chords, yet few tap into all of the magic a 1st-finger barre can offer. Great players often use the 1st finger like a mobile capo, holding down two or more strings while the other three fingers create riffs and chords. Shane Theriot teaches you Star Barre examples from Keith Richards, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Allan Holdsworth.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=4128 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Keith Wyatt explores the Memphis sound from the axe of Steve Cropper, who was the guitarist for Booker T and the MGs. First, he fleshes out the rhythm part of the classic Green Onions' by adapting the keyboard counter melody to go along with the bass line. Then, on Fig. 2, it's time for nasty, grits-and-gravy funk, working a bass line with syncopated chord figures. Relax your right arm, Keith encourages, and go for the pure soul.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1847 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
With his stinging, soulful solos and flawless pocket, Robben Ford has an uncanny knack for making complex music seem simple. Conversely, the guitarist can elevate a mundane one-chord vamp into something divine. Perhaps this is because Ford has successfully tackled so many genres. What has Ford learned from all of his musical adventures? We're all playing the same things, he explains to our instructor for the day, Jude Gold. To prove that common threads abound in music, Ford will take a I-VI-II-V progression and show that whether it's played with a doo-wop group's simplicity or a bebop pianist's extended chords and slick substitutions, the underlying vibe is the same-just one more universal phrase in the language of music.
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=4002 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
Revered as one of the best firebrand lead guitarists to ever strap on a Strat, Hendrix was also an innovative rhythm guitarist. Joe examines Jimi's chordal sensibilities, the likes of which you hear on quieter tunes like Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand," Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland and others. Hendrix took the standardized rhythm guitar language of R&B and mutated it into weird, wondrous new shapes. This lush, beautiful stuff from Joe Gore will spice up your ballad playing and color up your rhythm chops!
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1696 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).
There's one fistful of notes that never gets old, it's the blues scale. Once it finds its way into the hands of a young, inspired guitarist, it typically stays there for a lifetime. Though the blues scale is timeless, many players yearn for ways to import new melodic colors into their blues-based solos. The simplest way to do this is to change one note of the blues scale, resulting in a soulful sound you may have heard in the playing of Hollywood Fats, Duke Robillard, Charlie Christian, and Larry Carlton-a sound often referred to as the voodoo blues scale. Steve Trovato serves up a little voodoo here!
Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=4862 (log-in to access streaming audio and files).