Issue :: August 2009
Chop Suey :: Practice, Learn &  Play at TrueFire
TrueFire TV: August Happenings - See it now!

 

As the summer starts its wind down here in August, we've got lots of new and cool for you to jump all over if you're so inclined.

First off, take five and watch the In The Pocket video for a quick rundown. Then peruse the features below for the scoop on new courses, free video guitar lessons, hot promotions and other  happenings here at the Fire.

Practice Smart. Play hard.

TrueFire Buzz Spotlight Features Artist Features

TOP 5 PICKS
 

Slow Blues Power
335 Blues

Vamps & Jams

Flying Solo

Blues Alchemy

NEW RELEASES


Slow Blues Power

Arranging Key of D

Funk Fission

Flying Solo

Ultimate Stick


NOW ON DVD

Jump Blues

Dirt Road Blues

Jazz Anatomy

Big Twang

Blues Alchemy

Vamps, Jams & Improv

COURSE BLOGS
 

CAGED Blog

Vertical Blog

Songwriters Blog

Funk Fission Blog

GOOD NEWS
 

2009 Student Plans...

Night Classes...

String Skipping...

EAR EXAM II


Peel your eyes and ears because Ear Exam II is about to kick off
and this time around those eyes and ears might win you a brand new Boulder Creek Solitaire Series ECR1-B guitar or one of 25 other killer prizes.

>> Learn more ...

 
Andy Aledort's Slow Blues PowerBlues Power: Video Lessons
Focusing on slow blues soloing and improvisation with valuable insight and theory.

Mimi Fox's Flying SoloFlying Solo: Video Lessons
Covering technical and creative approaches to mastering solo guitar, chord melody and improvisation.

Soave 2008Soave 2008: Performances
Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, Massimo Varini, Monte Montgomery and more top cats in Italy!

Amazing Performances by Michael ChapdelaineCool: Michael Chapdelaine
Redefining the modern acoustic guitar with award winning virtuosity!

Play Like a King on GP2
5 Free TrueFire Video Lessons featured in the July edition of GP2. Learn to play like Duane Allman, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Freddie King and T-Bone Walker with Andy Aledort from his Kings of Blues and Rock Series.




GP2 is a new, online and free publication from Guitar Player mag. The July edition features Art of Noise - 21 Distortion Pedals Tested! Get it now.
>> June issue also live...




It is with great pride that after all these years of ordering, stocking, stacking, shipping and otherwise mishandling several thousand TrueFire tee-shirts a year, we have fired ourselves. Job opening now filled by better men and women than we when it comes to serving your TrueFire apparel needs. Head over to TrueFire Threads for a peek at the new digs powered by the cool folks at Spreadshirt.

KARMA SURCHARGE! We add only one dollar to the cost of these products and we give that dollar, along with a matching dollar from us, to help put instruments in the hands of disadvantaged kids and keep music in the classroom. Ignited we stand!

>> Drop in the new store...

NEW Fire Sales Trick
Starting this week, we'll be selecting several of our most popular courses and put them up on the Fire Sale page at a BIG discount (and we mean really big, bigger than you've ever seen big, sick big!). Here's the trick ...

We'll be doing this several times a week for the next several weeks, featuring several courses each week but only putting one up at a time.

The selected course will be featured at that price for only ONE HOUR during the day. So, you MUST checkout during that 60 minutes!

These special Fire Sales will be announced only on Twitter, Facebook and the Forum.

NEW! Slow Blues Power
Andy Aledort covers a diverse range of soloing styles and techniques
within the context of eight different key centers (E, F, G, A, Bb, C and D). Each key center series of lessons features different forms, feels and progressions. Performances and detailed breakdowns are also included and cover requisite techniques, solo development, improvisation and application of "blues guitar" theory.

The soloing examples demo a wide spectrum of both right- and left-hand articulation techniques, phrasing concepts and the stylistic signatures of Albert King, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, and Freddie King, to the blues/rock virtuosos such as Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

ALERT! Just 5 days left for TrueFire members and students to save big bucks and pick it up at special member pricing.

>> Full description & videos...


Deep in the 1970’s, a gang of raucous musical rebels blasted their way out of Delaware with a half ton of blues-rock dynamite and a kiloton of rock and roll attitude. Looking back, it’s no surprise that some thirty years later George Thorogood and the Destroyers are still leaving craters everywhere they go with their brash, high energy, slide fueled brand of blues rock. The unmistakable growl of Thorogood’s vocals combined with jarring riffs and swaggering hooks spawned the anthem of a generation (Bad to the Bone) and a chain of gold albums that continues to sparkle to this day.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers are unleashing their latest offering of high explosive blues rock in 2009’s release, The Dirty Dozen. Featuring 6 new studio cuts as well as fan favorites and rarities, the album promises fans and newcomers a hearty dose of Thorogood’s unique brand of incendiary blues rock symphonics.

>> Thorogood on TrueFire TV...

New TrueFire Catalogger!
Punch in your preferred style, then select one or more curricular attributes, press "FIND" and we'll list all of the courses that meet your criteria. Sweet!

>> Check out the Catalogger...

NEW COURSE! Muriel Anderson's Fingerstyle Essentials: Key of D

Arranging in the Key of D is the first in a series of Fingerstyle Essentials from the very accomplished fingerstyle performer, composer and arranger. Over the course of this series Muriel will guide you through a series of examinations covering the arranging, composing, technical and creative attributes of fingerstyle guitar.

“This first course is a great first step (and second step!) to making beautiful and compelling arrangements on acoustic guitar. The key of D is one of my favorite keys to compose and arrange in. I'll be presenting several of my "tricks" to help you make beautiful arrangements for any number of songs in the key of D. Some of them will fall under your fingers so easily that you'll likely be able to arrange tunes on the fly.

>> Full description and video samples...