The Art of Versatility

Tim Stewart covers the techniques you need to play in any genre.

The ability to play in any genre and in any setting is an important aspect to being a well-rounded and in-demand guitar player. The most impressive guitar players in the world don’t just settle for knowing the basics. They’re comfortable playing slow blues or heavy metal, crunching rhythms or searing leads, and everything in between.

This course takes you through the nuts and bolts of a wide range of techniques that will have you savvy enough to play in a variety of genres and styles. You’ll learn how to incorporate octaves into your rhythm and lead playing, add chord embellishments, experiment with chord voicings and inversions, play in the pocket, target chord tones for soloing, and so much more. Tim Stewart, who is one of the most genre-bending and versatile guitar players around, will walk you through his unique approach to getting the most out of your guitar.

Learn the skills and techniques that will have you ready for any musical context. Learn more or start the course with membership

Course Details
25 Lessons
6 Hour+ Runtime
Tabs (gpx, pdf)
Playalong Tracks
HD+ Video
90 day guarantee
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Stream online, plus all other courses with membership.

The JamPlay Learning System

Like every JamPlay course, The Art of Versatility features world-class instruction and a dynamic learning system to help you succeed quickly.

It's not just videos, and not just downloads. You'll get:

  • Interactive tabs, notation, and fretboard
  • JamTracks for play along practice
  • Ask-a-teacher functionality
  • Speed up, slow down and loop the video
  • Bookmark exact moments in the lesson
  • Note-taking feature
  • 4k video with multiple camera angles
  • Track progress with the progress report
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Lessons

This is a full, 6+ hour course featuring 25 step-by-step lessons with full supplemental content.

4k & 1080p

Course filmed with 6 cameras and stream in awesome 4k video quality and downloadable in 1080p.

Interactive Tabs

Tabs powered by Soundslice, the powerful interactive tab software, working natively in your browser.

JamTracks

Download and play along with custom JamTracks to lock in the concepts. Own them for life.

Tabs & GPX

Download all tabs and notation in PDF and Guitar Pro formats. Download and own them for life!

Skills for All Genres

The core skills needed to play in any genre

  • Octaves in multiple settings
  • Triads and inversions
  • Rooted chord embellishment
  • Hone your lead and rhythm skills
  • Much more...

25 Play-Along JamTracks

Keep your skills sharpened with this versatile selection of tracks

  • Full spectrum of genres
  • 25 all original compositions
  • Full 5 minute tracks
  • Tracks created by Tim himself
  • Much more...

Advanced Skills

The skills used by the pros

  • Tremelo picking and right-hand independence
  • Targeting specific chord tones in soloing
  • Chord superimposition
  • Play in the Pocket Like a Pro
  • Much more...

Meet Tim Stewart

Tim Stewart is a lifelong guitarist, writer and producer. Currently, he is splitting time between Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and his own project for a band called "Knives". Tim has been playing, touring and performing for over 20 years, and recently performed at the half time show for the NFL Super Bowl in 2018.

His performing and writing credits include Lady Gaga, Rihanna, J-Lo, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Frank Ocean, Rodney Jerkins, Tricky Stewart, Miguel, Rita Ora, American Idol, Backstreet Boys, Infectious Grooves, and Tiziano Ferro. All told, Tim is a go-to mainstay in the R&B industry for his consistent approach, stage command, and knowledge of song composition, rhythm and adding to the mix.

The Art of Versatility

The Techniques You Need to Succeed

The path to being a pro is being a versatile player. Who better to show you the way than a master of that art: Tim Stewart. This course will show beginner and intermediate players alike that versatility is about a set of core skills that can be modified and used across many musical settings. Improve your lead and rhythm skills to allow you the freedom to play across genres, zeroing in on octave playing, chord inversions, pocket playing, targeting chord tones in your solos, and much more.

This course offers 25 lessons covering 6+ hours of material in step-by-step, digestible presentation.

Lessons in this Course
1

Introduction to 'The Art of Versatility'

Tim Stewart welcomes us to 'The Art of Versatility'!

6:31 Runtime

0.0 Difficulty

2

The Major Scale with Octaves

Let's get underway with one of the easiest techniques for adding some dynamic and flair to any note; octaves. In this first lesson of the course, Tim will cover how to play octaves in the major scale.

11:06 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
3

Playing Lead with Octaves in the Minor Scale

Since they are applicable to any single note, octaves can be applied to any scale. Here, Tim will now cover applying this technique to the Minor Scale.

9:53 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

4

Using Octaves in Your Rhythm Playing

Let's move beyond only using octaves in a scale scenario. In this lesson, Tim will discuss how to use the octaves technique in your rhythm playing.

12:04 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

5

Arpeggiating in Octaves

Closing out our discussion on octaves, Tim will now show us how to apply the technique to arpeggios.

8:51 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

6

Reharmonizing the Power Chord

The Power Chord, or fifth, can be a building block to creating some truly exotic chord tones. Here, Tim will cover techniques for reharmonizing any power chord.

16:33 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

7

Adding Extensions to the Power Chord

Let's dive a little deeper into altered power chords, with extensions. In this lesson, Tim will cover some of his favorite extensions with some of his go-to chord extensions.

12:33 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

8

Voicings

"There's more than one way to play a chord..." In this lesson, Tim will use a typical two-chord major progression to highlight different locations for the same chords, and how using those alternate locations can create different voicings for each iteration.

16:38 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

9

Voicings Part 2 - Minor Chords

Let's continue our work on voicings. Here, Tim will stick with the same two-chord progression method as before, but this time utilizing a minor progression.

16:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

10

Triads and Inversions

Ok, now it's time to shift gears and discuss a couple of the most versatile tools used by guitar players of all genres; triads and inversions.

10:42 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

11

Triads and Inversions: Part 2

Continuing with triads and inversions, these tools can also be used in conjunction with other techniques such as a pedal tone or even chugging downstrokes in certain scenarios.

17:05 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

12

Triads and Inversions: Part 3

All right, let's close out our section on triads and inversions by combining the skills we've learned into a single musical composition.

17:15 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

13

Embellishment: Part 1

There are a number of embellishment tools within reach of any major or minor chord. In this lesson, Tim will dive into his favorite techniques for embellishing the major and minor chords in multiple positions.

24:13 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

14

Embellishment: Part 2

Ok, now let's take some of the embellishment skills that we've learned and apply them to a Major to Minor 7th progression.

14:54 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

15

Playing in the Pocket: Part 1

'In the pocket' - We've all heard the term before, but what does playing in the pocket actually entail? Here, Tim will cover what playing in the pocket means to him and some skills that he regularly uses to stay in the zone.

23:48 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

View this Lesson
16

Playing in the Pocket: Part 2

Sometimes 'playing in the pocket' can mean performing in a supporting role in order to create an even larger pocket with a band. This can require the guitar player to pick and choose their spots, often playing in the open spaces. In this next lesson, Tim will share some of his favorite techniques used to accomplish this skill.

13:13 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

17

Using Thirds

Another valuable skill that can be used across multiple genres is thirds. In this lesson, Tim will break down his use of thirds in a major and minor setting.

19:26 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

18

Using Thirds and 2-Note Figures

In this lesson, Tim will continue his use of Thirds but will compliment and combine them with other 2-note figures in the higher register in order to create a unique tonal tapestry.

19:57 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

19

Open Strings

Some of the most useful tools that we can use are already 'built-in' to the guitar, such as open strings. Here, Tim will discuss how many chords and notes can be played in multiple areas of the guitar by utilizing the open strings to create certain colors of tone.

12:47 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

20

Right Hand Focus: Part 1

Time to move on to one of the most important skills used in versatile playing, picking. In this lesson, Tim will provide a high-speed, yet accurate exercise - with the purpose of increasing the speed and accuracy of the right hand.

13:36 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

21

Right Hand Focus Part 2 - Tremolo Picking

Continuing our focus on the right-hand, Tim will now discuss tremolo picking and its application in order to better hone our right-hand technique.

16:46 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

22

Swells

Now let's dive into one of the coolest, most impactful skills that we can add to our toolbox of versatility; swells.

18:11 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

23

Targeting Chord Tones in Solos: Part 1

Targeting the chord tones of a progression is one of the best methods we can use to stay on the same page with a band or composition during a solo. In this lesson, Tim will highlight his use of this technique and how to bridge the chords of the progression during a solo.

11:56 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

24

Targeting Chord Tones in Solos: Part 2

Continuing with the targeting of our chord tones, Tim will now expand on this technique by highlighting specific notes within a progression that can help further bridge the gap between chords during a solo.

17:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

25

Superimposing Chords Over a Pedal Tone

Ok, let's close out the series with another very useful tool that can be used across multiple genres to create truly unique tones that can even replicate the sound of two guitars playing simultaneously.

12:21 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty