Bluesjamtracks Site Update and Guthrie Govan special Download edition of ‘Erotic Cakes’

Bluesjamtracks have had a little site spruce up with some cool added sections to the Website.

First off Jan Cyrka has uploaded his Hoodlum Corner lessons, which I fondly recall many years ago from Guitarist Magazine, covering a myriad of topics.

In addition there is now a new ‘Album Downloads’ section which has Mr Cyrka’s fine solo albums for sale as well as a Special Download edition of ‘Erotic Cakes’ by Guthrie Govan which features:

Brought to you in conjunction with Cornford Records, this official download-only version of Erotic Cakes contains two folders - the original album (in 192k mp3 format) plus the bonus material.

The bonus folder contains the following:

Exclusive ‘live in the studio’ version of Fives in mp3 audio and mp4 video formats.

Full transcription of Fives, in PDF and Powertab form.

Fives backing track, with the lead guitar removed.

PDFs of the CD booklet and inlay.

How cool is that!?

Swing to Bop

I would like to big-up a new and spiffing blog from a mate of mine, Matt, called Swing to Bop. Great info on chord theory, arpeggios etc. as used in swing jazz guitar and beyond as well as video lessons and cool links to related videos. In Matt’s own words:

For the last year or two I’ve been trying to ‘convert’ over from being a largely rock-based guitarist to someone who plays music with more of a jazz style. In the past I’ve tried to make progress but have become bogged down or stuck several times frustrated by just how much had to be learned and by what seemed like a steep learning curve.

So, when I tried again a couple of years ago, I decided to start a historically informed learning process rather than trying to jump straight in. Contemporary jazz guitar and jazz harmony & theory can be intimidating, difficult and cluttered with terminology: everything is altered scales this and tritone substitions that and it’s never clear to the beginner what is being altered (and from what?) or what is being substituted and why.

So, I decided to go back to the beginning and start with the basics, with jazz as it was first played on the guitar in the 1930s and then working forward historically, picking up the new harmonic innovations as they evolved and became incorporated into jazz playing instead of trying to learn them all at once, ready-formed.

The idea being that a newly introduced harmonic innovation would make sense to me when placed in the context of what had gone before. Often a particular way of improvising over a particular chord or set of changes seemed mysterious to me — why do it this way? I know it’s a substition, but a substition for what? — but became clear once I’d learned the antecedent technique or harmony.

One great side effect: a lot of the guitar music of the 1930s and 40s is really great. Gypsy jazz, classic small group swing, western swing, early RnB and rock’n’roll, jump blues, etc. often feature really swinging, aggressive playing that’s idiomatic to the instrument, the guitar doesn’t sound like a poor cousin to the horn players or pianist and the musical vocabulary employed plays to the guitar players’ strengths rather than weaknesses.

So, this blog, I’m going to try and document some of the stuff I’m learning or have been learning and maybe link to some musical clips, videos or sheet music as I go.

Check it out!

guitarinstructor.com

Just spotted this very cool site, www.guitarinstructor.com on truthinshredding.com:

GuitarInstructor.com is the newest and hottest online destination for guitarists of all styles and levels, featuring accurate tab transcriptions, exclusive video lessons, revolutionary video song instruction, and audio tracks for demonstration and play-along. Learn guitar at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. Download and print guitar and bass sheet music for 99¢, download or stream video lessons by world-renowned guitar teachers for $1.99, download or stream audio backing tracks for 99¢, and download or stream video guitar songs with on-screen tab for $1.99.

A quick initial browse reveals transcriptions or current songs and lessons from the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Greg Koch, Eric Johnson and John 5.

Nice.

New Look johnpetrucci.com

Nice new look for John Petrucci’s website with some new pics and gear info amongst some other cool stuff.

musicradar.com is launched!

Looks like musicradar.com has finally launched! ( well a BETA site )

Been excited about this new site since plans were announced couple of months or so ago. The site will offer Reviews, Samples, forums, tution etc. and combines the knowledge and content of the magazines Total Guitar, Computer Music, Guitarist, Rhythm, Future Music and Guitar Techniques.

Read about what the site will fully offer here.

Guitar World Tab Site

Guitar World have launched a BETA site for transcriptions, something I’ve hoped they would do one day.

The site features actual transcriptions from the magazines as well as user submitted transcriptions. The magazine transcriptions are rendered via Flash and can be ‘played’ e.g automatically scrolled through.

It’s still early days yet, there aren’t many tabs uploaded, but hopefully with time it’ll grow into a very useful resource.

bluesjamtracks.com new package promo vid

Fresh off the press, new promo vid from bluesjamtracks.com featuring the one and only Guthrie Govan promoting the new ‘Contempory Blues’ jam tracks:

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