Interview (Guitar Lesson)
What are you waiting for? Get your membership now!
Interview
Taught by Tony MacAlpine in Tony MacAlpine Master Course seriesLength: 22:46Difficulty: 0.0 of 5
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Tony MacAlpine Master Course
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsDig into the style and technique of one of the most accomplished and creative guitarists of his era! Ever a true clinician, Tony MacAlpine breaks down over 30 song passages from his extensive catalogue while offering pointed instruction on melodic development, composition, soloing, picking and legato techniques and more!
Lesson 1
Series Introduction
Get a taste of what to expect from Tony's Master Course.
Length: 3:39 Difficulty: 0.0 FREELesson 2
Interview
Sit back and relax before the mayhem begins! Tony talks about his career and music, and offers some solid advice for the aspiring musician in us all.
Length: 22:46 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
The Taker
Dive head first into Tony’s style with some signature string-skipping action. Tony’s string skipping technique is unmistakably recognizable and this short passage is a great place to start when working...
Length: 3:03 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Concrete Gardens Rhythm
The driving, staccato rhythm found in Concrete Gardens will make you feel like a superhero. Tony keeps things efficient with alternate picking, and crisp with the use of palm muting.
Length: 2:59 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Concrete Gardens Solo
Using a sequential idea repeated on different sets of strings, Tony shares another idea that requires not only some strategic picking, but also some key hammer-ons, in order to make it flow correctly.
Length: 2:52 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Concrete Gardens Clean
While the drums and rhythm guitar are driving like a freight train, Tony throws this clean, chorus laden tone over the top, creating a rich texture that he likes to refer to as “icing on the cake.”...
Length: 2:14 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Exhibitionist Blvd
This motif is sure to make your head spin. It goes up as it goes down, is highly syncopated, and is utilizing the dirty, low 7-string sound.
Length: 2:39 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Exhibitionist Blvd Chorus
Get ready to challenge both your brain and your fingers. This line requires quickly switching between finger patterns while maintaining a consistent picking pattern.
Length: 4:53 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Square Circles
Tony has a way of using rhythm and repetition along with complex harmony structures to create things that stick in your ears. There are some seriously weird harmonic ideas going on in this melody. In an...
Length: 3:17 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Square Circles - Opening Rhythm
Let’s rewind a bit and check out the opening rhythm to this fascinating piece. Combining multiple techniques, including muting and hammer-on’s, this line feeds off of and accentuates the bass and drum...
Length: 2:26 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Sierra Morena
When applying altered tonalities, you’re intentionally trying change what the normal flow of the music would be. In essence, you’re in one tonal space, but you’re borrowing notes from where the song...
Length: 3:09 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Dream Mechanism Part 1
Break away from terrifying guitar ideas in this segment with a simple, catchy melody that outlines the strongest notes in a basic chord progression. Tony plays a good ‘road-trip type’ groove with it,...
Length: 2:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Dream Mechanism Part 2
Tony first outlines the chord progression and explains how it inspired the solo he plays over a passage from his popular song “Dream Mechanism.” He drives home the point that, for him, some of the...
Length: 2:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Pyrokinesis Part 1
Upon first glance, this line looks and sounds like a raking or sweeping idea. Closer examination by Tony reveals that it can be more fluidly done with legato playing. These arpeggios are what tie the broader...
Length: 3:01 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Pyrokinesis Part 2
There’s a lot to unpack in this flurry of notes. You’ll be employing three-note-per-string sequencing, precision alternate picking and rapid position shifts. The position shifts actually create an...
Length: 2:14 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Pyrokinesis Part 3
You’ll get to stay in position, play in harmonic minor and utilize some punchy triplet ideas within an otherwise slower sequence. The rhythmic variance is challenging from a picking perspective and it...
Length: 2:36 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Poison Cookies Part 1
Tony breaks down a run from his song “Poison Cookies” that has garnered many questions since he introduced it on his album Concrete Gardens. It goes by so fast live and on the record, that it appears...
Length: 2:36 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Poison Cookies Part 2
Continuing with his glimpse into the song “Poison Cookies,” Tony looks at the build up to the solo section as an example of repeating rhythmic motifs that move from chord to chord over a progression....
Length: 2:53 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Poison Cookies Part 3
Tony examines the chorus outro into the run from his song “Poison Cookies.” When this passage is played live, it is played with multiple guitar players. Tony discusses the keys to locking in with other...
Length: 2:55 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Poison Cookies Rhythm
This catchy line is sure to have you coming back for more. Built off of the open B string, the straightforward rhythm and melodic movement just feel good under your fingers. The string skipping and speed...
Length: 2:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Confessions of a Medieval Monument
With lines like this, many guitar players default to sweep picking. Tony asserts that in this case, these arpeggios really need to be approached with alternate picking in order to get the proper note separation....
Length: 3:05 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Epic Part 1
Get a crash course in melodic development using what Tony calls a “mini ballad” or a song within a song. The idea is that you create a melodic phrase that stands apart from the rest of the song and...
Length: 3:50 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Epic Part 2
Whole tone scales are notoriously difficult to apply. Tony shares a great example of incorporating this scale in his tune “Epic” by emphasising other, more melodic notes not included in the whole tone...
Length: 1:58 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Epic Rhythm
The title of this track says it all. The long ringing tones of this rhythmic line are nothing short of epic. While this piece is relatively easy, some of the muting could present a challenge. The harmonies...
Length: 3:20 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Epic Clean
Tony uses neighbor tones in this lick to create a smooth, vocal-like line.
Length: 3:36 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Napolean's Puppet Part 1
Tony teaches portions of the rhythm section from Napolean's Puppet.
Length: 2:28 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Napolean's Puppet Part 2
Taking parts from Napolean's Puppet, Tony teaches a line that utilizes the whammy bar.
Length: 3:29 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Napolean's Puppet Part 3
Tony teaches a legato line taken from Napolean's Puppet.
Length: 2:07 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Napolean's Puppet Part 4
Tony teaches part four from Napolean's Puppet. This one will require a good level of dexterity and knowledge of alternate picking to accomplish.
Length: 1:39 Difficulty: 4.5 Members Only
King's Rhapsody Line 1
Tony teaches the solo from King's Rhapsody which encompasses multiple lines simultaneously.
Length: 3:38 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
King's Rhapsody Line 2
Tony teaches Line 2 of the King's Rhapsody solo which encompasses an ensemble like sound.
Length: 2:22 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
King's Rhapsody Line 3
Tony uses an octave based melody in lesson 32 to teach the third line of the King's Rhapsody Solo.
Length: 2:44 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Concert and Q&A
Tony MacAlpine puts on a live concert and then answers your questions. Come see amazing live performances of his songs, and hear his distilled wisdom. Tony truly is one of the best guitar players in history.
Length: 1:49 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Mike Dawes
Free LessonSeries Details
Miche Fambro
Miche introduces several new chord concepts that add color and excitement to any progression.
Free LessonSeries Details
David Isaacs
JamPlay welcomes David Isaacs to our teacher roster. With his first lesson Dave explains his approach to playing guitar with...
Free LessonSeries Details
Steve Eulberg
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Free LessonSeries Details
Phil Keaggy
Welcome to the Phil Keaggy Master Course! In this series introduction, Phil shows and tells us what we can expect from this...
Free LessonSeries Details
Alan Skowron
Alan shares his background in teaching and sets the direction for his beginning bass series with simple ideas and musical...
Free LessonSeries Details
Erik Mongrain
Erik expounds on the many possibilities of open tunings and the new harmonics that you can use in them. He explains what...
Free LessonSeries Details
Randall Williams
In this lesson Randall introduces the partial capo (using a short-cut capo by Kyser) and talks about how it can make the...
Free LessonSeries Details
Trace Bundy
Trace Bundy talks about the different ways you can use multiple capos to enhance your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsElectric Guitar Lesson Samples
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Steve Smyth
JamPlay sits down with veteran fret grinder Steve Smyth of Forbidden and The EssenEss Project. He talks about how he got...
Free LessonSeries Details
Danny Morris
Hone in on your right hand and focus on getting in the groove. You'll only play one note during this lesson, but it'll be...
Free LessonSeries Details
Jane Miller
Jane Miller talks about chord solos in part one of this fascinating mini-series.
Free LessonSeries Details
Andy Whitehead
Join Andy as he takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarists of all time: Eddie Van Halen. In the...
Free LessonSeries Details
Tosin Abasi
Tosin explains some of the intricacies of the 8 string guitar such as his personal setup and approach to playing.
Free LessonSeries Details
DJ Phillips
Learn a handful of new blues techniques while learning to play Stevie Ray Vaughn's "The House Is Rockin'".
Free LessonSeries Details
John Shannon
Meet John Shannon and his approach to rhythm guitar. John discusses why he put this lesson series together and what his...
Free LessonSeries Details
Lauren Passarelli
Lauren Passarelli offers up her wisdom on purchasing a guitar. She also includes information regarding proper setup and care....
Free LessonSeries Details
Mark Brennan
Mark Brennan teaches this classic rock song by Jethro Tull. Released on the album of the same name in 1971, this song features...
Free LessonSeries DetailsJoin over 507546 guitarists who have learned how to play in weeks... not years!
Signup today to enjoy access to our entire database of video lessons, along with our exclusive set of learning tools and features.
Unlimited Lesson Viewing
A JamPlay membership gives you access to every lesson, from every teacher on our staff. Additionally, there is no restriction on how many times you watch a lesson. Watch as many times as you need.Live Lessons
Exclusive only to JamPlay, we currently broadcast 8-10 hours of steaming lesson services directly to you! Enjoy the benefits of in-person instructors and the conveniences of our community.Interactive Community
Create your own profile, manage your friends list, and contact users with your own JamPlay Mailbox. JamPlay also features live chat with teachers and members, and an active Forum.Chord Library
Each chord in our library contains a full chart, related tablature, and a photograph of how the chord is played. A comprehensive learning resource for any guitarist.Scale Library
Our software allows you to document your progress for any lesson, including notes and percent of the lesson completed. This gives you the ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.Custom Chord Sheets
At JamPlay, not only can you reference our Chord Library, but you can also select any variety of chords you need to work on, and generate your own printable chord sheet.Backing Tracks
Jam-along backing tracks give the guitarist a platform for improvising and soloing. Our backing tracks provide a wide variety of tracks from different genres of music, and serves as a great learning tool.Interactive Games
We have teachers covering beginner lessons, rock, classic rock, jazz, bluegrass, fingerstyle, slack key and more. Learn how to play the guitar from experienced players, in a casual environment.Beginners Welcome.. and Up
Unlike a lot of guitar websites and DVDs, we start our Beginner Lessons at the VERY start of the learning process, as if you just picked up a guitar for the first time.Our teaching is structured for all players.Take a minute to compare JamPlay to other traditional and new methods of learning guitar. Our estimates for "In-Person" lessons below are based on a weekly face-to-face lesson for $40 per hour.
 |
||||
| Price Per Lesson | < $0.01 | $4 - $5 | $30 - $50 | Free |
| Money Back Guarantee | Sometimes | n/a | ||
| Number of Instructors | 125 | 1 – 3 | 1 | Zillions |
| Interaction with Instructors | Daily Webcam Sessions | Weekly | ||
| Professional Instructors | Luck of the Draw | Luck of the Draw | ||
| New Lessons | Daily | Weekly | Minutely | |
| Structured Lessons | ||||
| Learn Any Style | Sorta | |||
| Track Progress | ||||
| HD Video | - | Sometimes | ||
| Multiple Camera Angles | Sometimes | - | Sometimes | |
| Accurate Tabs | Maybe | Maybe | ||
| Scale/Chord Libraries | ||||
| Custom JamTracks | ||||
| Interactive Games | ||||
| Community | ||||
| Learn in Sweatpants | Socially Unacceptable | |||
| Gasoline Needed | $0.00 | $0.00 | ~$4 / gallon! | $0.00 |
Mike H.
"I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar!"
I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
Greg J.
"With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace"
I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
Bill
"I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students."
I am commenting here to tell you and everyone at JamPlay that I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students. I truly enjoy learning to play the guitar on JamPlay.com. Yes, I said the words, ""enjoy learning."" It is by far the best deal for the money.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.