TrueFire's Guitabulary

Recently, our ongoing modal journey has drawn us into the land

of harmony. In the previous Back Track installment (Dorian Grooves, Sept.

’00 GP), we saw how notes from the Dorian mode can be combined to create Im,

IV, Vm, and bVII triads; we also discovered that progressions built from

these chords will support improvised Dorian lines. The trick is to play the

Dorian mode starting from the Im’s root. We’ve explored a similar

relationship between the Mixolydian mode and chords built from its notes

(Digging Modal Harmony, Aug. ’00 GP). In that lesson, we set up a

progression using Mixolydian’s native I, IV, Vm, and bVII triads and then

soloed over the chord sequence. Now it’s time to investigate Aeolian harmony.

This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD

compilations: BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.

Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (www.truefiretv.com/)

The queen of Delta blues guitar sits in and serves up a lesson on authentic country blues strumming. If you want to get next to the concepts laid down by Tommy Johnson, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Skip James, and Willie Brown, you'll find this lesson a watershed. Rory uses Tommy Johnson's classic "Big Road Blues" as a foundation for teaching a series of techniques: bass notes followed by one or two strums; strumming sixteenth notes; pounding (hitting your guitar top in conjunction with a strum) and snapping (pulling a string away from the fretboard for an enticing percussive effect). As a bonus, Rory ties it all together by playing her own version of "Big Road Blues." This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR: Anthology , BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.

Get more videos, notation and tab for this guitar lesson on TrueFire TV (www.truefire.com/tv)

If you can play a blues, funk, reggae, or swing-jazz shuffle, you’re familiar with 12/8 time. You may even understand the mechanics of 12/8 after all, it’s simply 4/4 time with three eighth-notes per downbeat instead of just two. But do you have 12/8 truly nailed? One way to find out and become more groove literate in the process is to learn the Agbekor bell pattern. This must-know African rhythm shows up everywhere, including Cuban and Caribbean music, and in western pop, funk, and jazz. Let Tom show you the way! This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: BLUES U, ACOUSTIC U.

From Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," to the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post, to Zappa to Rush, odd time signatures pop up occasionally in American music. In other lands, like Turkey or Armenia, they're quite common. Tim submits four distinctive picking patterns that will get you familiar with subdivisions of the beat in odd meter, and get your picking hand moving fluidly. Try 7/8, 9/8, 11/16 and 10/16, with cool chords and licks. (once you get comfortable with the picking, substitute your own changes. After awhile, these rhythms won't seem that odd at all. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U.

Since the early 60's fingerpicking has been synonymous with American folk music, the steelstring flat-top guitar, and the coffeehouse scene. But you don't have to be a folkie-or even play acoustic guitar-to benefit from pattern-based picking. There's plenty of opportunity to adapt fingerpicking's supple, rhythmic energy to contemporary music. The trick is to mate traditional picking-hand moves with modern voicings and timbres. In this two-part lesson, we'll do just that. This lesson includes Power Tab and is featured on the following CD compilations: ACOUSTIC U, TWANG U.

If you're an acoustic player, Chet is one of the godheads. In this beefy 10-part lesson, get into the legend's style of using the thumb to keep a steady bass line while letting the fingers take care of the melody and the rest of the accompaniment. "Work to get your thumb on automatic pilot", Chet encourages. Also, try out Chet's boom-chick style and dig his take on arpeggios.

Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1646 (log-in to access streaming audio and files)

Travis picking never grows old. It sounds as hip today as on '50s Elvis sides like "Mystery Train" and "That's Alright Mama." Steve's lesson is a 24-bar blues that includes four must-know Travis licks. Remember, the foundation for this technique is the strong, alternating quarter-note bass line, played with flatpicked downstrokes. This blues will get you into the finer points of the Travis picking thang. Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1189 (log-in to access streaming audio and files)

Travis picking, a thumb-and-finger style that changed the guitar world - is an essential technique. Playing country without it is like driving a pickup with three wheels. It starts with alternating bass fingerpicking - boom-chuck-boom-chuck - and factors in all sorts of other maneuvers. Through the years, Merle's thing has been built upon. Mark examines the development of the style. Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1889 (log-in to access streaming audio and files)

You can't really be bluesy without getting slurry and slide-y. That's where double-stops come in. They work great as chordal indicators, harmonized solos, turnarounds and more. In this lesson, Dave concentrates on double-stops in sixths. Ex. 3 lays out the absolutely crucial sliding 9th' lick from blues standards like 'Stormy Monday.' Dave tosses in a bonus jam at the end, incorporating Robert Johnson's signature dominant/diminished chord turnaround.

Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1062 (log-in to access streaming audio and files)

Okay, time to head out to the country. You don't become a C&W picker without mastering Travis picking, where your thumb plays a steady rhythmic bass, while your index and middle fingers play the melody notes on the high strings. Off-beat treble notes create a syncopation that lends the style its signature. Happy serves up a basic version of the traditional "My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains," and then gussies the tune up with some slides, hammers, pulls and, ultimately, twang. Tab, notation and Power Tab files available at http://truefire.com/list.html?store=audio_lessons&item=1681 (log-in to access streaming audio and files)