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Ten New JamTracks

The JamTrack Player has just been updated with ten new tracks courtesy of David Wallimann. This update includes the following:

Cafe Locrian
This pro rock inspired track uses the mysterious Locrian sale.

Choosing Sides
Make sure you listen to the groove of this track and phrase accordingly. Try blending your licks with what the bass and drums are playing.

Dipping Your Toes
Try blending minor pentatonic ideas with the full Aeolian scale. Keep your licks simple and melodic.

EF Disco
Experiment with simple groovy licks and phrase with licks that really stick to the drums and bass groove.

For Liso
This melodic epic ballad is a great way to develop melodic ideas while getting comfortable with the sound of the scale you use.

Moving Target
Try hearing the licks you play before actually paying them on your instrument.

The Best Kept Secret in Pop Music
This mellow track will inspire you new melodic ideas. You can use the A natural minor scale throughout the track.

The Murder of Anonymous
This rocking track in G minor will inspire you new blues rock licks. Try also using a minor pentatonic scale in G.

White Key Bruise
This simple minor groove inspired by a typical blues chord progression should help you develop new minor pentatonic ideas.

You Don't Say
Anticipate the sound of every note you play and force yourself to play all over the fretboard.

These tracks, and a boatload of others, can be found in the JamTrack Player.

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• 1 Comment
• Sep 3rd, 2010 @ 6:21 PM EDT
• Posted by jbooth

Lisa Pursell: Single String Technique

Lisa covers some single string technique, and with this there will be a few demonstrations on proper strumming technique.

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• 2 Comments
• Sep 3rd, 2010 @ 4:59 PM EDT
• Posted by Tyler.Rugh

Brendan Burns: Interval Workout Chapter Ten

Brendan is back with another lesson in his Interval Workout series. In lesson 10, Brendan brings us back to wide spaced intervals and demonstrates the major sixths.

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 3rd, 2010 @ 4:57 PM EDT
• Posted by Jason.Mounce

James Malone Artist Series: Right Hand Technique

Arsis frontman, James Malone, returns with the third lesson in his Artist series and this one is on his right hand technique. Towards the end I asked him about playing with tension and he was able to shed some light on the matter.

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• 6 Comments
• Sep 3rd, 2010 @ 4:06 PM EDT
• Posted by AaronMiller

Article - Fine Tuning the Sacred Machine Part 3 - Vibrato

If there is one aspect of singing that manages to vex nearly every singer at some point, it is vibrato. If your singing voice sounds like the undulating call of monkeys fighting for territory, worry not, Mark Lincoln is here to help. In this article, the 3rd in his "Fine Tuning the Sacred Machine" articles, he talks about vibrato and gives choice hints and tips which will help true success be achieved.

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• 4 Comments
• Sep 2nd, 2010 @ 6:14 PM EDT
• Posted by jbooth

Brendan Burns: Interval Workout Chapter Eight

Nearing the end of his interval workout series, Brendan returns to demonstrate the minor seconds. As with the major seconds, the minor second intervals are also primarily played on the same string.

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 2nd, 2010 @ 4:12 PM EDT
• Posted by Jason.Mounce

Five New JamTracks

Nick Kellie has just furnished our JamTrack Player with five original new tracks. This update features the following:

Funk Heaven
The chord progression for this backing track is as follows - D7, G7, C7, Eb7 (4 bars on each chord). Each of these chords are from different keys so I prefer to play a different scale for each chord. The scales would be Mixolydian from each root of the chord. Alternatively, you can play the minor pentatonic for each chord.

Modern Blues in G
This chord progression is a twist on a normal blues progression, but you can still play a regular blues scale over it. This one is a lot of fun to play over.

Minor Modulation
The chord progression for this backing track is Dm9, Gm9, F9, Ebm9 (4 bars on each chord). We can use D Aeolian for the first 2 chords, then we need to use F mixolydian on the F9 and Eb dorian over the Ebm9 chord.

Gypsy Chords - Funk Style
This backing track is based on a gypsy jazz style chord progression (think Django Reinhardt) but I made it in funk style for a cool twist!

Modal Pop
The chord progression for this backing track is Fmaj7, Em7, D, Am9. All these chords are from the key of C major so its possible to play the C major scale over all the chords. However, as the chord progression revolves around the Fmaj7, I prefer to see the scale from an "F" perspective, making it an F lydian mode (4th mode) of the C major scale.

These JamTracks and the rest of our massive collection can be found in the JamTrack Player.

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 2nd, 2010 @ 11:57 AM EDT
• Posted by jbooth

Brendan Burns: Interval Workout Chapter Seven

Brendan Burns returns with another interval workout lesson. In chapter seven of his workout series, Brendan demonstrates the major second intervals. This is the first interval that is truly played on the same string.

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 1st, 2010 @ 4:54 PM EDT
• Posted by Jason.Mounce

Steve Eulberg: O'Keefe's Slide Part 3, The Final Ornaments

Steve completes the song O'Keefe's Slide by demonstrating the final ornaments. These, in addition to what you have learned in the previous 2 lessons, will leave you with better knowledge on how to accomplish hammer on and pull off additions in a Celtic style song.

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 1st, 2010 @ 4:48 PM EDT
• Posted by Tyler.Rugh

Three New JamTracks

The JamTrack Player has just been updated with three new JamTracks courtesy of Steve Eulberg. This update includes the following:

Sandy Boys Jam
Old-Time jams often begin in the key of D and then after several rounds move to songs in the key of G, but the pinnacle of the session are the tunes in the key of A.

Sandy Boys is one these fun ones. The first part is in the Mixolydian Mode (Use A Mixolyian), the B part is more normal.

This tune is provided in two speeds: Learning Tempo (186 bpm) and Hot Jam Tempo (240 bpm).

Swallowtail Jig
The Swallowtail Jig is a traditional Irish single jig in the Dorian Mode. In this case only two chords are needed: i and bVII (Em and D).

I’m giving you three different speeds for this tune:

The Beginner version is at 115 bpm (8th note gets the beat in 6/8 time) and includes a click track.

The Medium version is at 144 bpm.

The Session Tempo version is at 180 bpm.

Irish music is melody focused, so I’m including the melody for you to learn and practice. However, if you wish to have a fun exploration of soloing in jig rhythm, the E Dorian scale is a good to use to play with this track, as would the E Pentatonic Minor.

Southwind
Southwind is an Irish waltz, normally played in the key of F. I've recorded it here in the jam-friendly key of D.

Practicing your Waltz rhythm you'll play ONE 2 3, emphasizing the downbeat on ONE. (Another way of saying this is OOM pah pah, or BOOM chuck chuck).

The solo Guitar and solo Mandolin on this track are playing the melody and "playing with" the melody, to give some ideas of runs and fills for playing this traditional tune.

If you want to play this in the key of F, just capo at the 3rd fret and play everything as written--it will sound like it is in F.

The JamTrack Player now features over 330 backing tracks, so head on over and get rockin'!

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• 0 Comments
• Sep 1st, 2010 @ 3:44 PM EDT
• Posted by jbooth