There is something about good ‘ole southern rock that gets to the heart of even us northern boys! I have always dug the rhythm sections of the great southern rock bands. When you really dig into it you see that a lot of the techniques come from bluesy based thinking as well. Heck, you don’t even need three guitars in your band for this lick!

There are a couple of ways to send your chordal playing down south in an instant. This is one way that you can get your southern kicks with ANY Major chord progression. Once you know this secret to embellishing your chords, you may find yourself playing these licks all the time...

>> Download Spicy Southern Chord Chops ...

I was a late starter in music, at 18 years of age. Like my late father, a jazz trombonist, I didn't begin composing until many years later. By that time I had played countless covers, arranged standards in all styles for solo guitar, and had religiously transcribed numerous players, and not just guitarists. What I didn't realize was that all those years studying and acquiring real-world knowledge was like putting deposits into a musical bank account, and when I finally was inspired to make some withdrawals and compose, the music just started pouring out.

Recently one of my good friends, a professional guitarist, complimented my compositional ability, lamenting that he wished that he had the talent to write original music. When I shared with him what I just shared with you, I convinced him to take a stab at composing. Well, in just the past few weeks he has written some great tunes, and it doesn't surprise me that the solos on his originals are among the best I've ever heard him play. There's no greater high in music than writing an original song, and I firmly believe that you play the best on your own tunes, because there is an internal connection unlike when you play someone else's music.

>> Hear and learn my first ever jazz composition, recorded almost 20 years ago...

It's quite rare to find a Bob Dylan song with an overtly blues structure and feel. This cut from "Blood On The Tracks" is one of those songs. I released a version of "Meet Me In The Morning" on a BMG tribute compilation album in 2003. The mp3 in this download is taken from that BMG CD which also includes a tasty acoustic slide part from my partner, Rick Payne.

Check out the picking part which uses an alternating bass movement executed with your thumb, while your fingers pick the topline in syncopation to the bass which occurs on the beat. This pattern and variations of it are a must for every acoustic fingerpicker. One great outcome of mastering this pattern is that it will allow you to play countless songs. All you need to know is the chord progression of said song and apply this pattern to it. "The Boxer", "Hotel California" and "Streets of London" are titles that immediately spring to mind. You may be surprised to see how many songs you can make this pattern work for. Have fun and keep up the pickin'.

>> Download Meet Me In The Morning ...

by Jamie Andreas

It has been said "virtuosity is in the mind". That is true. However, it is also true that virtuosity is in the body. In practice, we must know how to use the mind to train the body, as well as how to allow the body to train the mind.

We will look at a technique called "Coupling", which trains the fingers to perform simultaneous moves in the synchronized fashion necessary for complex guitar moves.

>> Download Coupling ...

We're still waitin' for someone to come along. Stevie Ray Vaughan was the last great blues guitar innovator, a guy who grabbed the collective consciousness of six-stringers and fans alike. He soaked up influences, put them in his own blender and produced an intoxicating style of his own. This 14-part lesson is a gem, covering SRV's Hendrixisms, his new takes on traditional blues lines, his jazzy inclinations. If you like to collect licks and work them into your arsenal, hearing a bunch of SRV marvels - slow and at tempo - is about as good as it gets.

>> Download the pick of the month ...

New York University will be holding a Summer Guitar Intensive from July 18th to August 4th. It will be three weeks of high octane guitar study featuring the Who's Who of New York Guitarists at an incredibly low tuition cost. Classes, Clinics, Ensembles, Private Lessons and many special events will highlight this three week program.

You can find out all the specifics at www.nyuguitar.com If you have always wanted a place to meet and study with serious guitarists then look no further. Director Bruce Arnold has formed some highly targeted courses for an in-depth look at scales and approach notes through his new series of books The New York Guitar Method. See www.muse-eek.com for book descriptions. Each year we will be adding new courses by many of the great guitarists in New York and from around the world.

Students will be staying right in the middle of Greenwich Village in a NYU Dorm overlooking beautiful and historic Washington Square Park. Nightlife includes over 30 music clubs within 5 blocks of your dorm room. You can sign up for the NYU meal plan or take in the 100's of incredible restaurants all around the school. You will also be a short cab or subway ride from all the great tourist attractions that New York City has to offer. Make this summer and every summer your chance to learn and develop connections in the greatest city for music in the world.

>> Check out the full course details...