 | TFU 3.4 Lessons, News & Views
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Summertime Blues and Grooves
Crazy summer here at the Fire. Mimi Fox in the house shooting Jazz Anatomy. Then the Philly guitar show (boy, they love
jazz master Bob Conti there!) immediately followed by a few days in the studio with
David Hamburger shooting his New School Fingerstyle Blues.
Then off to Nashville for this year's phenom
Chet Atkins convention. Muriel's
All Star Guitar Night (unforgettable as always) and summer
NAMM the very next weekend. Oh yes, some very solid Chop Suey in the works for you.
The long anticipated Rock Solid launched in July. And oh so funky Jamsire blows up with Fingerstyle Funk. And now we bring summer to a bang of a close with Jeff Scheetz's Rock Tricks interactive video course.
Practice smart, play hard ...
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TFU 3.4 - CAGED PLUS
TFU students will be receiving TFU CD 3.4 within the week.
CAGED PLUS - Mastering the fingerboard is an enormous task that takes years of study. The biggest problem is that unlike the piano there are multiple locations for the same pitch.
The "CAGED" system is an efficient way to break a 12 fret (one octave) span of the fingerboard into five areas each of which have their own major chord form, arpeggio and major pentatonic scale form.
We will cover each of the five positions of the CAGED system and also the "EDCAG" system which applies to minor chords.
You'll also get to apply this information to static chord vamps and progressions to enhance your skills not only as a rhythm guitarist but also a soloist.
>> GPs September '05 Lessons
Conquering “Giant Steps” - Deconstructing one of the most revered and feared standards in jazz history
EZ Street - Counterpoint meets ornamentation
Lead Guitar 101 - Flipped bluesy sixths
How to Play Like...Ritchie Blackmore - Pick up his healthy dose of classical flair and Bach-approved minor melodicism
Reader’s Challenge: Chick Magnet - A cool blues turnaround in the key of G
Jazz Guru: Mike Stern - Comping “Giant Steps”
>>Chop Suey
Jamsire and TrueFire go way, way back. Over the years, we've collaborated on dozens of individual lessons and other funky stuff. This year we cajoled Jamsire into spending a few weeks laying down Fingerstyle Funk, a full-length course focused on "funking" up your fingerstyle technique. Here's a sneak peek at one of his lesson arrangements appropriately titled Godfather.
Jamsire says, "the key to understanding the essence of funk begins with James Brown and his guitarist - Jimmy Nolen. Sometimes history is the best source of inspiration. The idea of rhythm guitar always following the hi-hat is very important. That's evident in this piece. When you play the second section, notice how the chords parallel the bass drum against the hi-hat. Playing it in Eb shouldn't be hard! The idea in doing it this way is so you can transpose it to other keys.
>> Not yet enrolled in TFU?!
Jump on the bus and have some fun in the woodshed!
>> learn more about TFU ...
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Chasing The Chord
 When you hear someone playing really melodic what is the first thing you think of? Maybe they know a secret “melody” scale? Maybe they are just lucky? Those could be the answers, but it is more likely that they are just hip to the chord progressions that make their melodies stand out.
You can always play a lick that ends on the root of the tone center, or one that ends on the root of the chord you are playing over, that is seen in many blues riffs. But those methods sometimes become a bit predictable. So if you take a look at combining good note choices to create a “walking” type of feel to the melody, with picking notes from within the chords you are playing over that are not just the root – you have a recipe for a tasty lick!
>> Download Chasing The Chord...
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Beyond Blues Scales
I've always considered myself first and foremost a blues guitar player who happens to know something about playing jazz and other styles of music. My love and deep respect for the blues has served me very well, because players and listeners relate to the feeling in the music more than anything else. What I learned long ago is that if the blues element is missing, I get bored really fast, even if the music is mentally appealing and executed with technical virtuosity.
I know that I'm not alone, hence the popularity of blues-based rock and jazz guitarists, from Jimi Hendrix and SRV to Grant Green, George Benson, and Kenny Burrell. Although I don't spend much time discussing scales, preferring to dwell on licks and real world language, in this month's lesson we're going to take a look at the fundamental difference between the "just add water" minor pentatonic scale and the true blues scale. But much more important than that, I'll be sharing with you 8 essential tips that I consider critical for all aspiring guitarists with a genuine affinity for the blues. If you love the blues as much as I do, you won't want to miss it.
>> Download Blues Scales & Tips ...
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Ragtime Cakewalk
Cakewalk in Cockney parlance means an easy thing. "The Deptford Cakewalk" is
a relatively easy rag to play. It was written by AGW's Rick Payne about an area of London he once lived in and features on his CD, "Instrumentally Yours" (available on TrueFire).
The piece starts at the fifth fret using a classic, high, tight-sounding inversion of a C major chord. This fingerstyle workout also includes alternating bass technique, diminished chordal runs, single note lead lines and perfectly placed passing notes, not to mention neat chord melody movement.
"The Deptford Cakewalk" is superb fun to play and a great learning
experience in the art of power fingerpicking. I'm sure you'll find it a cakewalk!
>> Download Deptford Cakewalk ...
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Etude In Am: Mauro Giuliani by Jamie Andreas
One thing classical guitarists are fanatics about is discovering the easiest, most economical way to make every move. And, this kind of thinking can begin right in the beginning of our training.
As we study this piece, we will discover many "strategies" for both hands that simplify the playing process tremendously. I call this "optimizing the movement process."
>> Download Etude In Am ...
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Pick of the Month: Pete Townshend's Ripping Riffs by Andy Ellis
"I'm musically happiest when I feel like I’m driving everyone in the band to do good things," Pete Townshend told readers in the May ’72 GP. While he usually powered the Who with churning chordal work, Townshend can also riff with the best. Recorded on February 14, 1970, the Who’s stunning Live at Leeds (now available on CD, with eight previously unreleased songs) is full of explosive single-note lines that illustrate his riffing prowess. Here's some Townshend tricks, licks and picks!
>> Download the pick of the month...
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New 2 CD-ROM Video Course! Fingerstyle Funk
Fingerstyle Funk will completely morph your idea of what can be played with ten fingers and six strings. With your faithful guide Jamsire Ernoir (aka Ernie Jackson), you will learn how to create some insane grooves, layer chords over the groove, and play a melody over the top — and play it all at the same time.
Jamsire delivers more than a few jaw-droppers and knuckle-busters. Take your eyes off TrueFire’s multimedia player and you won’t believe it’s all coming from a single guitar. But more than that, Fingerstyle Funk will be a boon to your songwriting, your soloing, and your rhythm playing. You will learn to add groove and feel to your technique, to use fingerstyle in jam settings, and to create some great rhythmic textures.
> Full description and audio samples of Fingerstyle Funk ...
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Five Free Blues Lessons from TrueFire on BluesQuest.com
Our good blues buddy, Adam St. James just launched BluesQuest.com, which brings you blues festivals reports, society updates, guitar lessons, the latest album and tour news plus interviews from top blues artists as well as profiles on hot regional acts on the road and making their way to your local blues hangout. Current interviews include B.B. King, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Little Charlie, Tinsley Ellis and other top blues artists.
TrueFire is thrilled to support the project and provide BluesQuest with free blues lessons every month (five killer lessons up there at the moment, all free for the asking). They've also got a contest going on for anyone who subscribes to their mailing list. By the way, BluesQuest.com is updated daily – so you'll always have the latest news and information. All in all, a great resource for blues freaks like we.
> Check out Blues Quest ...
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