When you are playing bluesy rock stuff, the Dorian scale is one of the modes that keeps jumping out and wanting to tickle your ear. The reason for this is that while it is a minor scale, (it has a b3rd in it), it also has the natural 6th in there, and that can give it a bit of a major sound. So what does this have to do with the blues? Many times in a blues rock progression we can jump between the minor pentatonic scale and the major pentatonic scale, and the Dorian mode sort of straddles the fence between these two allowing us to play modally while still hinting at the major/minor pentatonic switch.

>> Download and Rock On ...

The most popular and easiest way to improvise a blues or jazz solo is to use a "key-oriented" approach. For instance, over a standard I-IV-V blues in the key of C, you would simply use the C blues scale, or licks based in that scale. This is a very effective way to improvise, but there are harmonic limits due to the fact that you only have five or six scale tones available. Jazz guitarists, on the other hand, also use a second method, one based on the chords themselves. This is often called "change-running" or playing "over the changes." This alternative really opens the door to greater harmonic possibilities, and a complete improviser is one who knows how to spontaneously use either approach. This lesson will provide you with some great licks plus insight into the changes approach.

>> Download Money Blues Solo ...

Fishing Blues is a real complete piece of authentic and sweet ragtime for you to play. Most ragtime pieces are in C and the difficulty here comes when you have to play an F chord at the nut, or more specifically the bass F (first fret on the low E string). If you have vice-like strength, you may be able to barre the F chord, but a lot of players hook their thumb over to fret the low F, while their fingers hold the chord on the higher strings. One way or another, if you want to play ragtime well you will have to get this aspect of your playing sorted out. Take it slow and easy at first, have patience, persevere and you will succeed. The base and melody lines are really moving about, so the trick, as with all pieces of fingerstyle, is to become familiar with the chord changes and pay close attention to your left hand fingering.

>> Download Go Fishing ...

When most players think of 12-string guitar, they envision the jangly sound of Roger McGuinn or the complexity of finger picking master Leo Kottke. Well, let’s change all of that – right now!

>> Download Groove Hard ...

Acoustic Guitar Magazine writes that they "hesitate to refer to Tommy Emmanuel simply as a guitar player, because he is unquestionably one of the most gifted artists of our time."

Tommy Emmanuel has become a household name in his native homeland of Australia. His music and his life have become part of legend. Through hard work and endless tours, he has earned a success unequalled by any instrumental artist ever in Australia. Tommy's Only CD (Favored Nations Acoustic) displays a dizzying array of harmonic effects, off-hand ornamentation, hammer-ons and pull-offs, and just about anything else you can do on an acoustic guitar. But while it's the technique that amazes, it's the songs that keep drawing you back with their intricate melodic invention.

>> Pick up Endless Road ...

Most of here at TrueFire use Pro Tools both in the studio and at home for our own personal work. Only problem is the learning curve. That's why we freaked when we discovered www.protoolsvideos.com, a new online training system for Pro Tools users for both Mac and PC platforms. You pay for monthly access to the training videos they host at their site and can stop anytime you like. We gave them a shout and asked if they would give TrueFire members a deal if they were interested and they happily complied and even put together a special deal for TrueFire members. Good people over there. Have a look-see ...

> Check out special deal for TrueFire members ...