Riff Journal | Summer 2016 | Issue 8

alternate (Tunings) Universe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANDY ALEDORT: SHAPE SHIFTER ACOUSTICAL

His shape-shifting powers would likely gain him WALL PANEL MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS USE FIRE RETARDANT 2on X 4 LUMBER STANDINGteam WALL PANELS immediate acceptance the FOR X-Men asOFF OF WALLS, IF SO REQUIRED BY LOCAL CODES. IF MOUNTING ON A MASONRY SURFACE, USE TREATED LUMBER. Guitar Man STAND-OFF LUMBER SHALL BE FASTENED TO MASONRY USING MASONRY EXPANSION ANCHORS, SPACED AS

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ON WES LACHOT DESIGN DRAWINGS. STAND-OFF LUMBER ATTACHES TO GYPSUM WALLS USING LAG-SCREW EASY-ANCHORS.

METAL IMPALING CLIPS SHALL BE SCREWED TO THE STAND-OFF LUMBER, USING (6) IMPALING CLIPS PER TYP PANEL (6-8 FT. HIGH).

IF EXACT LATERAL AND VERTICAL LOCATIONS OF ALL WALL PANELS ARE SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS, THEY S ADHERED TO STRICTLY.

IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO BRING ANDY ALEDORT’S NAME UP IN CONVERSATION WITH A FELLOW PLAYER OR MUSIC ENTHUSIAST AND THEN BE ASKED, “WHICH ANDY ALEDORT?”

ALL WALL PANELS SHALL BE MOUNTED TO THE WALL IN A FASHION THAT IS PERFECTLY LEVEL AND PLUMB.

WALL PANELS MAY NOT BE REPEATEDLY MOUNTED AND REMOVED FROM THE WALLS, AS THIS CAUSES DAMA THE FIBERGLASS ON THE REAR OF THE PANELS.

CONTENTS

ADJOINING PANELS SHOULD BE MOUNTED WITHOUT A NOTICEABLE GAP BETWEEN THEM.

WALL PANELS SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN HANDLED CAREFULLY TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE SURFACES AND ED

THE RIFF RAFF WITH MIKE STERN

5 A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER Hi there, my name is Shane Theriot. I’m a professional musician and guitarist. I like RIFF 55

Who’s your stories.

BGFFI mean andI REALLY defining success like stories.

Over thefor years, I’ve been lucky to work with every playermany amazing people and musicians who have amazing stories. I want to capture

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

Mike chats with Shane Theriot about time, Miles, sax licks, Jaco Pastorius and more

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these stories for other people to enjoy. Some people like to garden, or take photos…I like to document these stories. I hope that you enjoy them as much I enjoyed getting them together for you.

6 AUDIO CHRONICLES WITH RITCHIE

ADJ This podcast is about the creative process, and yes, being a guitar player we6-UNIT do talk shop, gear, life in general…oh yeah…and we usually jam a bit too! – Shane Theriot

BLACKMORE

Exclusive audio interview and podcast with Andy Aledort Riff-Raff Podcast by Shane Theriot

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True midst o LAURENCE JUBER: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER We hear in his own words his aspirations, inspirations and tips for the aspiring guitar journeymen

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TRACKING R

20 LESSON: SPICE UP YOUR SLAP BASS LINES

The first year of my journey with T with exciting challenges; I was ask revamp the production workflow, m Andrew Ford talks rhythm and while this lesson the studio facilities we had at that seems simple, it’s a simply stunning way to later that year, oversee the build-o in the building we were moving to rethink your traditional slap rhythms weary!

26 LESSON: A NEW WAY TO

NAVIGATE CHORDS

At that time, TrueFire was occupy furniture store and warehouse in d Petersburg. The offices were loca floor with the production studio tu tight mezzanine level space on th findswith a very low ceilings and little ac

Rob Garland changes up the I-IV-V and whole new way to approach the neck and chord The offices had an open, airy layo shapes - it will take you new places cool wooden floors, and tons of pa

vibrant hues covering the walls. C ACOUSTIC were, those creaking floors drove CLOUD ABOVE studio. The upstairs team had to e

AUDIO CHRONICLES WITH RITCHIE BLACKMORE

Intense, investigative and never passive, Ritchie shares his passion and approach to music with Andy Aledort in this exclusive audio podcast

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

30 LESSON: HOW THE “NUMBER SYSTEM”

STUDIOWIRE: ON THE MOVE (PART 1)

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TrueFire’s Tommy Jamin shares our production evolution and next big thing on the horizon

REVOLUTIONIZED HOW I THINK OF MUSIC

Erich Andreas explains and reveals the biggest secret behind the Nashville Number System…and it’s not what you think

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On The Move (Part I)

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8 SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

34 LESSON: AUGMENTED SCALE RIFFS

Doug Munro walks us through starting the augmented scale on different scale tones to get specific chord extensions RIFF 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JON FINN IS A LUCKY GUY

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Reflections and musings on life, music, sessions and teaching

LESSONS

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SKILL LEVEL - LATE BEGINNER

LESSON: WIDE OPEN SHAPES - USING WIDE INTERVALS FOR SOLOING AND COMPING

SONGS MUSIC

David Becker helps us dig deep (and wide) to make wide intervals more accessible and inspiring

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RIFF RAFF WITH SHANE THERIOT: EPISODE 04 WITH MIKE STERN

SPICE UP YOUR SLAP BASS LINES

Shane and Mike talk the importance of good time, what he learned from Miles Davis, singing what you play, some cool sax licks and more

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Jump on Andrew Ford’s jam-packed lesson in life, slap, rhythm and innovation

ANDY ALEDORT: SHAPE SHIFTER

We clear all confusion about just which Andy Aledort is one of TrueFire’s most popular and prolific educator

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JON FINN IS A LUCKY GUY

Master Educator Finn shares perennial reveries, educational perspectives and why he’s a lucky guy SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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STUDIOWIRE: ON THE MOVE (PART I)

TrueFire’s Tommy Jamin reflects on our production evolution and the vision for the new facility under construction

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RIFF JOURNAL ARTIST DIRECTORY

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RIFFAGE: FEATURED ALBUM COMPILATION

Full listing and interactive links from the featured artists and educators

HOW THE “NUMBER SYSTEM” REVOLUTIONIZED HOW I THINK OF MUSIC

Check out Andreas’ Nashville Number System approach - a big music city lesson for big RIFF 49 powerful ears

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Get your FREE download of featured music from Riff artists SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

72 CLOSING SNAPSHOTS Photos from backstage, behind-the-scenes and on the road

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CONTRIBUTORS “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain” - Bob Marley

Meet the Riff Band. We can’t wait to present our edition to you and share our passion with readers each quarter. In the meantime, shout out to us anytime online with feedback, questions and tasty tidbits.

RIFF BAND

riffjournal@truefire.com

@riffjournal

facebook.com/riffjournal

ALISON HASBACH Editor-in-Chief

Ali (a.k.a. prioress of the ‘Fire) is a founding partner and chief shooting & branding officer who likewise holds a M.B.A. (master of brewing administration) in Coffee Imbibement.

She is fanatical about all things artistic (especially TrueFire Artists).

BRAD WENDKOS Publisher

Born in a cross-fire hurricane to itinerant Appalachian mountain people and then sold for a barrel of gunpowder to a wandering clan of Eastern European gypsies, Brad (thankfully) found his way home at TrueFire.

TOMMY JAMIN

Studio Department Editor

Tommy Jamin is a graduate of the Recording Arts program at Full Sail University and has been crafting top-quality video and audio content as a professional digital media producer over the last 14 years. In addition to being Director of Production at TrueFire, he’s also a singer-songwriter, production gear & tech enthusiast and family man.

AMBER ROPELIS Creative Director

Amber is a easy going pixel crafter with a flair for all things typographical and music related. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design & Digital Media from the University of North Florida and has cozied into her niche as Creative Director here at TrueFire.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

JEFF SCHEETZ

Educational Department Editor

Jeff is the Director of Education at TrueFire, has released 8 music CDs, and 6 video instruction courses. He’s been a teacher for over 30 years and brings his own method and style to students from around the world. He has written guitar columns for many magazines and conducted workshops and clinics throughout the US, Europe and Mexico.

ZACH WENDKOS

Technology Department Editor

Zach holds a real M.B.A. and scavenges the planet for the latest and greatest in online marketing and technology applications. He leads the charge in honing the student online experience at TrueFire and dreaming up the new and cool.

KYLER THOMANN Music Editor

With Creative Utility Knife skills, Kyler bridges web and print, video, and digital images and has a passion for live events and all things musical. With his finger on the pulse of the live music scene, Kyler brings a keen editorial spirit to the magazine..

A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER Photo by: Alison Hasbach

Early TrueFire Offices - The Red Wall is Gone, the Saying Lives On

G

uitarists love to chat, and even gossip, pretty much about anything to do with the instrument or the music world at large.

Perfectly natural. There’s so much to talk about; guitars, amps, pedals, gizmos, recordings, performances, artists and so on.

Of course most, if not all, of those discussions are based solely on opinion. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all that.

One of the more contentious guitarist topics revolves around the use of the word “best” when associated with a particular guitarist.

We’ve all read the fierce debates in the threads whenever someone dares to publish a new “best guitarist” list of any kind.

And yea, we’d all likely take the mature position and proclaim there’s no such thing as a “best” guitarist. But if there were, we’d all have our #1, wouldn’t we? So, there really is a “best” — one for each of us. Nothing wrong with that, so make your list. Just don’t publish it unless you make a living on ad revenue or page visits.

What a shame he isn’t able to achieve more success.” I’ll admit, I’ve said that more than a few times in the past, without any idea how the artists themselves defined success for themselves.

For many, success equates to simply being able to make a decent living playing the instrument they love. For others, success can only be achieved on the Madison Square Garden stage. And for millions of us, just learning how to play our favorites songs out in the backyard achieves a level of success beyond our wildest dreams. My measure of success? Learning how to play Pete Huttlinger’s arrangement of Josie. I’ve been working on it for ten years, but I’ll get there!

The TrueFire family of artists and students is comprised of the most successful people in the world and I’m thrilled to introduce you to a few of them here in this edition.

This RIFF’s for you.

Our measurement of success is also a controversial topic, which usually results in a very inaccurate, if not unfair, assessment of an artist. How does one define success? “He’s such a great player.

Brad Wendkos || Head Smoke Jumper

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Photos Courtesy of Ritchie Blackmore

I WASN’T SCHOOLED TO PLAY MEDIEVAL OR RENAISSANCE MUSIC IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE, BUT IT STILL REALLY EXCITES ME WHEN I HEAR IT PLAYED IN ITS PUREST FORM. MY CONTRIBUTION IS TO TAKE IT INTO ANOTHER REALM, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF ROCK AND BLUES THROWN IN THERE, DISGUISED. “I’ve always been very intense about anything I wanted to do. I think that’s part of my character, being intense about whatever it is I want to get into, whether it’s research, or kicking a ball around in soccer, or playing the guitar, or delving into medieval and Renaissance music. I can’t just do things passively; I have to really study something and try to figure it out.”

Ritchie Blackmore is, by any estimation, one of the greatest and most important rock guitarists in history. He emerged at a time when the competition was stiff—his late-1960’s contemporaries included Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton—and from the start, Blackmore displayed a wholly distinct rock style that proved as powerfully innovative as any of his peers, while simultaneously pushing the limits of technical brilliance and virtuosity to unprecedented heights. Intrinsic to his unique approach was the incorporation into the rock genre of classical themes and, for the time, very unusual scales and modes such as Phrygian, Phrygian dominant and harmonic minor.

“I was initially inspired to explore that direction because of my love of classical music,” Ritchie

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

| FIND ALL EXTRA ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

describes. “I was obviously into rock guitar playing, but I was also very attracted to the classical overtones. I wasn’t schooled to play medieval or Renaissance music in the traditional sense, but it still really excites me when I hear it played in its purest form. My contribution is to take it into another realm, which is a little bit of rock and blues thrown in there,

WHAT I FIND FASCINATING—AMONGST A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT I FIND FASCINATING WITH THIS MUSIC—IS THAT, WHEN THEY DID WRITE THE MUSIC OUT, THEY’D HARDLY EVER WRITE OUT THE TIMING disguised. I don’t do a lot of string bending when I’m playing this music, but I’ll certainly be thinking almost like a blues/classical player. Above all, I try to approach this music with a spirit of creativity.”

Following his initial rise to fame with Deep Purple (1968-1975), fueled by the eternal smash “Smoke on the Water,” Blackmore found success with Rainbow (1975-1984), initially featuring singer Ronnie James Dio, followed by Joe Lynn Turner. In 1984, Blackmore reconnected with Deep Purple Mk. II (Ian Gillan, John Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice) and the newly reunited band released the very successful Perfect Strangers album. Tensions between Blackmore and Gillian led to Blackmore’s departure and the reformation of Rainbow, from 1993-1997, after which Blackmore redirected his energy into Blackmore’s Night.

THE HARMONY OF FOURTHS IS THE STRUCTURE I USED FOR WRITING THE MAIN LICKS IN “SMOKE ON THE WATER” AND “BURN.”

In this exclusive Audio Chronicles, Ritchie Blackmore describes in depth his earliest experiences as a guitarist, his days as an in-demand session player, and the rise of Deep Purple. He begins by discussing the principles of “concert pitch” and his preference for the feel of a Stratocaster, his instrument of choice, tuned down one half step.

Full Exclusive Audio Interview

| FIND ALL EXTRA ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

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DIALING IN RITCHIE’S TECHNIQUE With Andy Aledort

As Ritchie states in this interview, the language of the blues remained a huge part of his vocabulary, while he brilliantly devised ways to incorporate unusual scales, such as the Phrygian mode and the Harmonic minor scale, into blues-based music. Throughout my Progressive Blues Power course from TrueFire, I demonstrate ever-evolving licks that build on a solid foundation of the blues, while pushing the envelope into more complex harmonic territory.

WANT MORE? VIEW ANDY’S COURSES ON TRUEFIRE

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

AA: Has your study of this music included a look at written manuscripts of medieval and Renaissance music, along with listening to various recordings?

BLACKMORE : Yes, and what I find fascinating—

amongst a lot of other things that I find fascinating with this music—is that, when they did write the music out, they’d hardly ever write out the timing, so one couldn’t determine how the phrasing was intended to sound just from reading it. For the musicians reading the music back then, a lot was left to the individual’s interpretation.

This is true for many of the notes, too.

I think that’s great; when you are reading a piece of music that was written back in the 1300s and 1400s, it’s debatable what some of the actual notes really were.

That’s why you can hear so many different versions of the same piece of music. I follow this type of music very closely, and I’ll hear the same tune played in many different ways, with different notes. So this type of music was always open to the interpretation of the performer.

In that era, it seems that, as long as you were within two notes of the actual note, it was okay!

AA: Many guitar fans view your incorporation of

classical themes, along with nods to medieval scales and melodies, as the foundation of the neo-classical rock movement. Have you always had an interest in medieval and Renaissance music?

BLACKMORE: I first got into the type of music that

I’m doing now when, at the age of nine, I first heard “Greensleeves.” This choirboy sang it at school, and the song moved me so much; it took me back to another time. Ever since then, that song has remained at the back of my mind. “Greensleeves” is a great example of the beauty of the medieval musical form, because it revolves around the harmonic structure of parallel fourths and parallel fifths, exactly the stuff you would hear being played on a shawm, which is a medieval and Renaissance double-reed woodwind instrument from the late 13th century that is similar to an oboe. The harmony of fourths is the structure I used for writing the main licks in “Smoke on the Water” and “Burn.”

Written by Andy Aledort

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SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

Written By Brad Wendkos RIFF 13

The Beatles’ I Want To Hold Your Hand resonated in the ears of 211-million people around the world after its release in November 29th of 1963. 18-million of those listeners rushed out immediately to buy their first guitar. 2.4 million of those people went on to join or form bands.

240,000 of those players honed their playing skills and forged successful careers as professional musicians. 1,750 of those guitarists achieved varying degrees of fame for their contributions individually or collectively to the evolving landscape of popular music history.

But only one of those young inspired listeners possessed the tenacity, passion, discipline and creativity to take his guitar craft to the very top of the mountain in such a distinctive and remarkable way. His fans call him LJ, short for Laurence Juber.

LJ was getting paid to play at age 13, while most of us at that age were mowing lawns and delivering papers. He became a featured soloist for England’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra and subsequently earned a music degree at London University while playing guitar for Jesus Christ Superstar and other musicals in London’s West End. LJ played lead guitar on the Academy Award nominated soundtrack to The Spy Who Loved Me. In 1978, Paul McCartney asked LJ to tour and record with Wings for three years.

LJ moved to the States after the Wings gig and quickly established himself as a top session player, composer, and arranger contributing to hundreds of albums, movies, plays, and TV shows.

LJ released 23 solo albums of his own, won two Grammys amongst a host of other awards including Fingerstyle Guitarist Of The Year. In short, you’d have to have been living off the grid in Alaska to not have heard LJ’s work on the radio, Internet, TV, or in the movies.

I heard LJ play live for the first time at a Chet Atkin’s convention many years ago. We were filming and I had the hand-held camera up front and center. I was so enthralled with his

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

But only one of those young inspired listeners possessed the tenacity, passion, discipline and creativity to take his guitar craft to the very top of the mountain in such a distinctive and remarkable way. His fans call him LJ, short for Laurence Juber.

RIFF Black and white photo courtesy of Laurence Juber, others by Alison Hasbach

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performance that I kept taking my right eye off the viewfinder to get a better look at LJ with both eyes, forgetting all together that I was supposed to be capturing close-ups.

Talk about shaky cam! If you’ve experienced LJ live, you’ll understand.

Beatles…I fell in love with the tactile intimacy of this iconic instrument that is capable of producing a complete musical statement over such a wide range of style, genres, tones and sonorities. I still keep discovering things about it.

We interviewed LJ later and, not so surprisingly, found him to be highly intelligent, singularly articulate, and exceptionally passionate about all aspects of the music arts. Naturally, I begged him on the spot to collaborate on an educational project with us as it was clear that he would bring an insightful perspective not currently present in our library.

Your idea of happiness?

We waited more than five years for that first session to happen and “well worth the wait” would be a gross understatement. LJ’s Guitaristics: Rhythm Edition presents the 16 key concepts and techniques that comprise his rhythm method. Considering the pedigree of that rhythm method, Guitaristics should be a required course of study for every guitarist, pro or hobbyist.

There’s no “best” guitarist, but if there were, one would have to consider the guitarist’s contributions to the history and evolution of music, their artistic and professional achievements, their experiential background, their mastery of the instrument, and the aesthetic aspects of their music. I can count on one hand how many guitarists would make my personal list of contenders for “best” guitarist and I couldn’t imagine LJ not being present in that count.

Certainly, no one does it better.

Being in this constant state of musical grace…I get to play guitar, make music, work creatively and all in the context of a happy marriage. On a more mundane level - getting TSA Pre-Check and an upgrade on my flight; seeing my name spelled correctly on recording credits…

Whether living or dead, who would you like to have dinner with?

That would be a very big dinner party… the guitarist table alone would be Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Django Reinhardt, Julian Bream, George Harrison, Barney Kessel, Jeff Beck…the list goes on.

Name three things a player can do to improve their musicianship.

Practice, practice, practice. First, be a musician and understand the substance of music. The guitar has multiple locations for notes, plus even more, if you venture out of standard tuning. Being aware of the musical meta information and not simply relying on geometric shapes and muscle memory to navigate the fingerboard. Explore different fingering possibilities. Listen to and study music of all kinds to gain a broad understanding of style and learn from virtuosi on other instruments.

If not yourself, who would you be?

What is it about the guitar that attracted you to it originally, and still fascinates you today?

When I was 11, a friend of my dad’s showed me an F major 7 chord, which was the most gorgeous thing I’d heard. The coolness factor of Hank Marvin on TV playing a Stratocaster made a great impression on my pre-teen sensibility too! Then there were The

That’s hard to wrap my brain around. After 60 plus years, I’ve come to terms with who I am, so it’s tough to imagine being someone else.

Given the changing business landscape of the music business and how tough it is to sell records etc. — what are the positives about the current evolution of the music business?

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"I can count on one hand how many guitarists would make my personal list of contenders for “best” guitarist and I couldn’t imagine LJ not being present in that count. "

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The big positive is that performers are getting decent financial rewards in the digital music space.

Sadly, writers and publishers are not. It’s a wild frontier, but eventually it should eventually stabilize into a consistent business model. Digital distribution is quite streamlined and now anyone can release a recording. The challenge is to get the attention of the gate-keepers and curators of the various services and reach the global audience.

On the independent artist level, physical records are still of value. I just released an album of improvised piano/guitar duets, Musings, with film composer William Goldstein. Stylistically, it’s almost neoclassical, with only minimal reference to jazz or blues improv. It’s a digital-only release and I quickly realized that it limited my opportunities to send a promo copy to radio or to reviewers.

I’m releasing a Christmas album Holidays & Hollynights in September - it’s my trio with upright bass and drums. Even though it’s primarily intended as a digital release, we still made CDs for promo use and concert merchandise. Audiences still want to handle a disc…something tangible that sits on a shelf, rather than as bits in a digital “cloud.”

Your favorite motto?

“This process is a process.”

What do you dream about? Literally.

I’m terrible with remembering dreams. My wife Hope dreams entire movies with credits! I’m lucky if I remember any vague detail. Day-dreaming is another matter. When I was a teenager, I’d imagine myself playing with The Beatles. I ended up playing with three out of four, so I can say that my dreams have come true 75% of the time. On the macro level, a peaceful and just global society.

What are your aspirations?

To become a better musician, a more accomplished guitarist, composer and arranger. I’ve become increasingly interested in improvisation, a skill that has been largely lost in the classical world. I enjoy the creative process and working collaboratively

with other creatives, first of whom is my wife Hope.

I aspire to continue to be able to make music and reach people who are transformed by it.

What one event in music history would you have loved to have experienced in person?

The premier of Beethoven’s 5th symphony. The debut of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The Beatles first EMI session. Chas Chandler’s reaction to seeing Jimi Hendrix for the first time. The “God Only Knows” recording session.

Your favorite heroes in fiction?

James Bond. But seriously, I read biographies, so I tend not to go for heroics, as much as being inspired by people overcoming adversity and those moments in life when the stars align.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Hope and my family. Being a grandpa is an amazing experience.

Your favorite food and drink?

I love a really sharp Cheddar cheese. Goes nicely with a great old single malt whiskey. We live in Studio City with dozens of great restaurants within walking distance - Indian food is hard to beat.

In your next life, what or who would you like to come back as and why?

A keyboard player! I wouldn’t trade my life as a guitarist, but being a better pianist would have been helpful skill.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with (other than music)?

There’s something therapeutic about music. Being a naturopathic practitioner of some kind would be a gift.

In life or in music, what is the one central key learning that you’d like to pass on to others?

Stay in the moment.

www.laurencejuber.com

RIFF

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LESSONS

SKILL LEVEL - LATE INTERMEDIATE

BASS

SLAP

DOWNBEAT RHYTHM

UPBEAT

SPICE UP YOUR SLAP BASS LINES Written by Andrew Ford

Larry Graham created the slap bass technique to emulate the role of a drummer. Larry took the dilemma of not having a drummer, a challenging situation, and turned it into an innovation! This is a great lesson for us all when faced with a problem. In this traditional role of slap bass you would normally find the thumb being played on a downbeat and the plucks on upbeats as in Example 1.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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Example 3 is a traditional disco bass line where the thumb is playing on all the downbeats, 1,2,3, and 4 and the plucks or pops are falling on the “and” of every beat, or upbeats.

| FIND ALL EXTRA LESSON ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

RIFF

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SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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| FIND ALL EXTRA LESSON ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

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SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

EXAMPLE 08 In these examples, we only scratched the surface of the “reverse” or “inverted” slap bass technique, but hopefully enough to let you see the possibilities of

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changing an otherwise plain, traditional sounding slap bass line into something that still grooves and works in a band context, but sounds more adventurous, syncopated, and interesting.

ABOUT THE EDUCATOR Andrew Ford Andrew Ford is a bass player, composer, arranger, producer and educator. He has performed with legendary artists in almost every major genre of music, while also having a Master’s degree in Education. He has shared the stage with Al Jarreau, Whitney Houston, David Crosby, Robben Ford, Chaka Khan, George Duke, Gladys Knight, James Ingram, Israel Houghton, Dianne Reeves, Peabo Bryson, Cristopher Cross, Jerry Butler, Michael McDonald, Graham Nash, and many others. Andrew has completed 5 bass instructional videos for TrueFire, covering everything from blues to R&B, walking bass, reggae, and overall groove.

He has also taught Music Business courses at the college level. Andrew has written or co-written many songs, including “Flame” which is on the Best of GRP CD, Tomorrow Today

by Al Jarreau, and the 2013 Grammy Nominated Al Jarreau live project. Andrew has also had success writing for television and film, with a number of songs in regular rotation. He recently co-wrote the theme song for the award-winning HBO short film “Muted”.

VIEW ANDREW’S COURSE LIBRARY

RIFF

25

LESSONS

SKILL LEVEL - INTERMEDIATE

CHORDS CAGED

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

LEAD NECK NAVIGATION

A NEW WAY TO NAVIGATE CHORDS Written by Rob Garland

One of the reasons my recent TrueFire course, Chord Navigator: CAGED Triads, seems to have struck a chord (pun intended) is that we guitarists play rhythm most of the time, get fed up playing the same old chord shapes, but forget to learn new ones! So with that in mind, here are a couple of ways to breathe new life into a simple I-IV-V chord progression (E-A-B) in the key of E. Figures 1-3 show E, A and B chords based around the common open position. Note that the B chord (Fig. 3) is played using the A CAGED shape with the B root note located on the 2nd fret, A string.

FIGURE 01

FIGURE 02

FIGURE 03

Now let’s move up the neck and locate another E chord voicing, this time using the C CAGED chord shape, as shown in Figure 4. Play just the ADG strings and you have the E root triad (E-G#-B), play the DGB strings and you’ll hear a 1st inversion triad, (G#-B-E) an E chord with the 3rd (G#) in the bass. Remember these are all an E chord!

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FIGURE 04

FIGURE 05 Let’s play the 1st inversion E triad using the DGB strings only, as shown as the black dots in Figure 5. Pluck the 3 strings with your fingers, notice how this triad has a warm tone.

For our A chord, let’s remain in the same position on the neck and use the E CAGED chord shape to find the chord as depicted in Figure 6. Again play only the DGB strings of this A chord to maintain sonic continuity with our E chord, as shown as the black dots in Figure 7.

For the B chord, we can just extract the DGB strings from the A CAGED chord shape we used (Figure 3) or think of the DGB strings triad as part of a G CAGED chord shape, as the two shapes overlap. Play just the DGB strings, shown as the black dots in Figure 8.

This is a 2nd inversion B triad (F#-B-D#) with the 5th (F#) in the bass, but you can also just think of it as a B chord.

FIGURE 06

FIGURE 07

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

FIGURE 08

Play the triads E, A and B on the DGB strings (the black dots only from Figures 5, 7 & 8).

Notice how closely connected they sound, ideal for a second guitar part, an intro or a melodic breakdown section of a song. This will also help you see chord tones for lead playing.

Because we are only using 3 strings, there are lots of ways to embellish the chords.

For example, try adding a common tone such as a B note (7th fret high E string) throughout all 3 chords as highlighted by the blue circle in Figures 5, 7 & 8. Listen to the way in which that note ties the chords together.

Now let’s add a static bass note, let the open low E string sustain through all 3 chords as highlighted by the red circle in Figures 5, 7 & 8. Notice how this changes the mood of the chord progression, opening it up making it sound less like a traditional I-IV-V. Find your own common tones and embellishments, explore all the CAGED chord shapes and navigate the neck so you will never get stuck playing the same barre chord shape again!

ABOUT THE EDUCATOR Rob Garland Rob Garland is as completely obsessed with music and the guitar now as he was as a teenager! He has performed hundreds of gigs across Europe and the US, worked as a session musician, written an instructional book for Cherry Lane, given tuition clinics and been featured in magazines such as Guitarist & Guitar One. Rob is extremely proud to be a TrueFire Artist with a new course “The Guitarists’s Pentathlon,” 3 workshops and an interactive classroom “Guitar Babylon,” which he describes as “twenty years of teaching all in one place.” He currently lives in sunny Los Angeles where he teaches and performs live with several bands. His original music is available through his website, iTunes, Spotify, etc.

VIEW ROB’S COURSE LIBRARY

RIFF

29

LESSONS

SKILL LEVEL - LATE BEGINNER

SONGS

THEORY MUSIC

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

SCALES

NASHVILLE NUMBER SYSTEM

HOW THE “NUMBER SYSTEM” REVOLUTIONIZED HOW I THINK OF MUSIC Written by Erich Andreas

When I first moved away from a small town on the Florida coast to pursue my dream of playing music in Nashville in 1990, I set my sights on being the best all-around guitarist that I could be. Whether it was live, in the studio or teaching, I always wanted to be the guy that stood out and made a lasting impression.

I felt comfortable in the studio and playing live since I had played in so many bands growing up. I felt comfortable reading charts, tabs, musical notation and could feel my ear training skills getting sharper.

With all that being said, I was big fish in a small pond, but now that I was in Nashville, and I quickly learned 3 important things!

1. Nashville was a much bigger pond.

2. The “game” was different here, and...

3. There was a secret weapon that Nashville cats knew about and this secret weapon was the “Nashville Number System” (NNS). As it turns out, it has become the BIGGEST game changer in my playing and understanding of music for over 30 years now.

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What I found was this NNS, is not only a way for musicians to communicate and notate their musical ideas within charts for live/studio playing, but that having a good grasp of the basic concepts would change the way I viewed music forever. It was THE best skill that I could add to my toolbox...and even with that, it was a cinch to learn! Let’s break this concept down.

Suffice to say, music can be analyzed in half steps. Because of this and some physics rules, there are only 12 notes for a musician to chose from (A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#), that continually repeat (in octaves) on a given instrument. However, we rarely play all these notes in a song because doing so, gives us no stability, tonal center or key. All popular music (rock, blues, jazz, classical etc) is all based off the major scale. Even minor keyed music and jazz modes are all derivatives of the major scale.

If you have been exposed to music at all in your life, this major scale structure has been indelibly tattooed into your musical psyche. It’s the benchmark and backbone of ALL music.

So check it out! If a half-step is the distance between 1 fret and the next, then a whole step is twice that (moving up or down two frets). If a whole-step=W and a half-step=H then our major scale is constructed like

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

this: W W H W W W H. This is true for EVERY key! So, if we play any note on the guitar and proceed with our “W W H W W W H” structure, we will get the major scale. Since melody patterns, harmony and chords created from this “code” are always equidistant from each other (no matter what the tonal center/key is), the NNS allows us to think about music in a very elementary, yet powerful way. Once we get proficient at this, we can just about ignore note letters, sharps and flats by naming the notes by their assigned number instead. Just having a basic concept of this is helpful, but getting proficient at it, will literally change the way you think about music forever.

Using the colorful NNS grid that I have provided, you can easily prove the scale pattern with the keys that I have included. If you really want your mind blown, test what I am saying here. For every key represented on the left, play the first note under the “1” and play the notes up the scale to the right like 1, 2, 3 ,4 ,5 ,6 ,7. Notice the WWHWWWH pattern that appears EVERY time. Also notice that the green chords are major, the red chords are minor and the purple chords are diminished. The major scale pattern is where we get these different flavored chords. Yes, this also works for every key.

SO HOW WILL THE NNS HELP YOU? 1.

Easily identify the key to any song

2.

Know the naturally occurring melody/harmony notes and chords for any song

3.

Know how to quickly transpose keys

4.

Endless other studio and live applications

Most players have at least heard about NNS or thought about this concept to some degree or another, but when you really get it under your belt, in your mind and under your fingers, that’s when you will be able to literally play songs after one listen, record a song in the first take, like they do in Nashville and have a general overall better understanding of music. It really is powerful stuff!

ABOUT THE EDUCATOR Erich Andreas Erich Andreas is also known as YourGuitarSage. He has been playing/teaching guitar professionally for over 3 decades. On his most popular YouTube channel he has gained over 40,000,000 views with his on point teaching style. He is also an author of several books on music, featured in the WSJ for his cutting edge approach to teaching, and creator of the Unstoppable Guitar System.

VIEW ERICH’S COURSE LIBRARY

RIFF

33

LESSONS

SKILL LEVEL - ADVANCED

CHORDS RIFFS

AUGMENTED SCALES

AUGMENTED SCALE RIFFS Written by Doug Munro

The augmented scale is a six-note scale made up of two augmented triads a half step apart. You can start the augmented scale on different scale tones to get specific chord extensions. The example I am going to use is the augmented scale starting on the 13th of a C7 chord. It will give us the following extensions 13, b7, b9, 9, 11, b13.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

| FIND ALL EXTRA LESSON ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

All symmetrical scales repeat, this one repeats a major 3rd higher. You have 3 positions to play this scale so you can move any of the following riffs around by major thirds and they will all work over the same chord.

The first riff we are going to play is going to incorporate two different patterns, one for descending and one for ascending using the augmented scale.

EXAMPLE 01

Audio Example 01 RIFF

35

Ok, here’s where the fun begins. The augmented scale has three major triads in it. Using our notes we get the following three major triads Gb, Bb, Db. You will notice they are all a major 3rd apart. Here’s a riff lifted from Oliver Nelson’s composition Hoe Down.

EXAMPLE 02

Audio Example 02

You can play this riff starting on any of the triads and following the same pattern.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

Here’s one more riff using the augmented scale. Besides having 3 major triads the augmented scale also has three augmented major 7 chords. Using our notes we get augmented major 7 chords starting on Bb, Gb, D. Here’s a riff with two different patterns, one for descending and one for ascending.

EXAMPLE 03

Audio Example 03

Again, all these riffs can be repeated a major 3rd up or down…Have fun!

ABOUT THE EDUCATOR Doug Munro Master musician and guitar virtuoso Doug Munro is an established recording artist, composer, arranger, producer, clinician and educator. He has released 14 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 75 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger working with a diverse array of artists. Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards. As an educator Doug created and was Director of the Jazz Studies Program at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College from 1993-2002.

He continues to teach there as Director Emeritus.

VIEW DOUG’S COURSE LIBRARY RIFF

37

LESSONS

SKILL LEVEL - INTERMEDIATE

INTERVALS

GUITAR

BLUES

WIDE OPEN SHAPES: USING WIDE INTERVALS FOR SOLOING & COMPING Written by David Becker

Most guitar players avoid using wide intervals because the nature of scale and arpeggio patterns tend to keep the fingers confined. Piano players have a great sense of how to use wide intervals as do as horn players, and of course, Bach was the master! Just like the little booklet where you connect the dots by numbers to create a picture (such as a house or landscape), the use of open or dispersed triads can really open up the mysteries of the fretboard and help create a palate of colorful sounds for soloing and comping.

The key to better understanding wide intervals, or any interval for that matter, is to see the connection to chord shapes and not just scale patterns. If I start with C major triad and lower the root diatonically one note, I get the very next harmony in the key, which is E minor. Lower the root of E minor and I now have G major. Lower the root of G, and I now have B diminished, etc.

In the following Blues example, the intervals are built directly out of triads. Here is the breakdown. The first two intervals for G7 are from an E minor and B diminished triad. The root is an octave up in the E minor triad and the third is an octave up for the B diminished.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

BLUES COMP Blues Comp David Becker

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For the solo, I just moved the shapes up one octave from the comp. You will see the fingerings are the same.

Lower octaves use strings 5, 4, 2 and upper octaves use strings 4, 3, 1. You could actually use either octave for a comp or solo.

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SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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In Diagram I, I took the note of the triad that is up one octave and then dropped it down two octaves. Basically just drop the top note of the each triad from the high E string to the low E string.

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Diagram II is an Etude playing the triads as a single line going from one voicing to another and you can see and hear the wide intervals very easily. Play it slowly. There are, of course, other string combinations available, but first start with these. Also, if you look at the triad movement, you will see the full 4-note voicing for all the chords in C major.

Example: C maj7 = C major triad + E minor triad.

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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ABOUT THE EDUCATOR David Becker For more than 25 years, two time Grammy nominated guitarist, composer and producer David Becker has continued to define himself as one of the best and most unique voices in jazz and contemporary music by combining diverse influences and a passion for the new and different. Together with his brother Bruce on drums, they have led the critically acclaimed DAVID BECKER TRIBUNE to a worldwide audience by performing in more than 20 countries.

VIEW DAVID’S COURSE LIBRARY RIFF

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SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

Hi there, my name is Shane Theriot. I’m a professional musician and guitarist. I like stories. I mean I REALLY like stories. Over the years, I’ve been lucky to work with many amazing people and musicians who have amazing stories. I want to capture these stories for other people to enjoy. Some people like to garden, or take photos…I like to document these stories. I hope that you enjoy them as much I enjoyed getting them together for you.

This podcast is about the creative process, and yes, being a guitar player we do talk shop, gear, life in general…oh yeah…and we usually jam a bit too! – Shane Theriot

Riff-Raff Podcast by Shane Theriot

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Photo by Alison Habach

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

EPISODE 4: MIKE STERN My guest today is Mike Stern. Mike is one of my favorite guitarists and has been since I first got interested in jazz as a teenager. Mike cut his teeth playing in blues and rock bands like Blood Sweat and Tears before joining the Miles Davis Band in the early 80’s. His career with Miles, Steps Ahead, and also with The Brecker Brothers and Jaco Pastorious is widely documented. His solo career has produced 16 solo records and numerous Grammy nominations.

I like to think of Mike’s playing like equal parts NYC sophistication and part “cobra” guitar player - he can bend your ear with the hippest bebop lines played with flawless right-hand technique or seduce you with that big piano sound he dials up (with that ancient Yamaha SPX 90) and then without warning he’ll stomp on his distortion pedal and slay you with screaming rock licks, building solo after solo up to an intensity like few guitarists can.

This interview took place at Mike Stern’s apartment in NYC, February, 2016. In this casual interview Mike talks about many topics including: the importance of good time, what he learned from Miles Davis, singing what you play, some cool sax licks Michael Brecker showed him, what it was like playing with his good friend the late Jaco Pastorius - and of course, lots of funny stories!

Mike is an inspiring guy to be around - he is always practicing and still hungry to learn after many years or playing. Even though he’s at the top of his game, he is a humble cat and it’s not beneath him to stop you to learn a lick or idea - he’s also a pretty hilarious guy as you’ll hear - Enjoy!

This episode of Riff Raff with Shane Theriot is available to hear online. Check it out.

Episode 4: Mike Stern

| FIND ALL EXTRA ASSETS IN OUR ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

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WRITTEN BY BRAD WENDKOS IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO BRING ANDY ALEDORT’S NAME UP IN CONVERSATION WITH A FELLOW PLAYER OR MUSIC ENTHUSIAST AND THEN BE ASKED, “WHICH ANDY ALEDORT?”

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

Photos by Alison Habach

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The ‘Andy Aledort’ that’s authored like a million articles, lessons and interviews for guitar mags, or the ‘Andy Aledort’ that’s sold over a million instructional DVDs? Or perhaps I was referring to the ‘Andy Aledort’ that currently tours with Dickey Betts and is a featured performer on the live Experience Hendrix DVD? It gets even more confusing if the person I’m talking to happens to be from the northeast, because that particular ‘Andy Aledort’ raises many a venue roof performing with his sensationally popular band, the Groove Kings.

Please allow me to clear up any and all confusion; there really is only one Andy Aledort and he is a shape shifter. And if it weren’t for his uber-prolific talents and irrepressible passion for the guitar, his shape-shifting powers would likely gain him immediate acceptance on

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

the X-Men team as Guitar Man. My relationship with Andy goes way back to the early 90’s when we introduced Notes On Call to guitar magazine readers. Andy embraced the concept immediately and we’ve worked on a ton of projects ever since including his 15 top-selling courses on TrueFire.

Andy really does talks the talk, and walk the walk. I really can’t think of any other individual with such deep experiential backgrounds in the parallel worlds of artist relationships, guitar instruction, live performance, and recording. On top of all that, he’s an all around cool cat and a great hang with a dry and witty sense of humor that never fails to keep all of us grinning ear-to-ear during our collaborations.

I turned the interview table on Andy by asking him to respond to our Proust-like series of questions so that you could get to know him a little bit better as well. Dig in!

What is it about the guitar that attracted you to it originally, and still fascinates you today?

My mother bought an acoustic guitar for me right before I was born—a Guild F-20—so the guitar was there before me. I remember being very young, maybe 2 or 3 years old, and I was fascinated by this contraption. I’d pick the strings and listen to the sound and I was completely engrossed by it. My mother played some guitar, but mostly piano, so I’d hear her play and I’d try to play a little on each instrument. But in February of 1964, when I was 7 years old and the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, that was it. Like most people of my generation, that was the Big Bang right there and nothing seemed more

exciting than trying to be like The Beatles.

What still fascinates me today about the guitar is that it will forever be an outlet for expression, both musically and emotionally. The same is true for all instruments—the best players project their distinct personalities through their playing, and I am always looking for ways to play sounds that express a certain feeling. And one can never run out of things to learn on the instrument, and learn about music overall. Another thing that’s very important to me is that playing a musical instrument affords one the opportunity to become part of a musical community, and the opportunity to share musical experiences with other musicians and fans of music. Every time you play music, the chance is there for something new to happen.

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M USI

Your idea of happiness?

Like that’s not a tough one! Happiness is love— feeling it, expressing it, sharing it, and giving it. My family is my greatest idea of happiness. Music is a world where feelings of love can be shared and expressed. In the real world, it would be nice if all the bills could be paid from only musical endeavors.

Whether living or dead, who would you like to have dinner with?

Another really easy question! Jimi Hendrix?

William Shakespeare? Ben Franklin? Abe Lincoln?

Beethoven? Does it have to be dinner? T-Bone Walker? Albert King? Albert Schweitzer? The Roman emperor Nero, just to see if he was a good fiddle player? I think I gotta go with my dad.

MUSIC TH

Name three things a player can do to improve their musicianship.

1. Stop reading this and go practice. 2. Record yourself and be brutally honest when you listen back. Try to improve on every aspect of your playing: your touch, tone, phrasing, articulation, musicality, originality, ideas, spontaneity, expression, groove, and awareness to the playing of everyone around you. 3. Listen to everything with an open mind, and listen to every kind of music that you can find, from country to funk to Sufi to African to Vietnamese to pop to Indian music to blues to Dixieland to hard bop to trance to opera to music concrete (I left out a few). “Sound” is a fascinating thing, and the best musicians of their respective genres have a firm handle on the sound that they evoke from their instruments.

Given the changing business landscape of the music business and how tough it is to sell records etc. What are the positives about the current evolution of the music business?

It’s a positive thing that the digital world has made music so immediately accessible. When I was a kid, I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if you could just press a button and hear any song that you can think of? Today that is true. It’s also great that today musicians can communicate so directly with their fans. But the price being paid for all of this is far too high. YouTube (and it’s parent company Google) are raking in billions of dollars off the backs (read: life’s work) of musicians while offering the barest of crumbs to those musicians whose work has paved their golden highways. It’s a horrendous situation that has ruined the lives of many musicians while making tech companies incredibly rich. It has to stop.

Your favorite motto?

That’s tough too. “To thine own self be true” is pretty good. I can ask Shakespeare about that over dinner.

What do you dream about? Literally.

I dream about books. Oh, I thought you said “literally.” Most of my dreams revolve around me needing to be somewhere in a hurry and I don’t know where that is, how to get there or necessarily why I’m supposed to be there. And this is while the entire world is made of ice, or weird aircraft are flying menacingly close to the earth above my head.

You asked…

If not yourself, who would you be?

What are your aspirations?

Some guy that looks like me.

Musically, to play live and create and record music and have as many opportunities as possible to do

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so, and to be able to make a better living from those endeavors. To write better songs and have to chance to play them with great musicians for people that would like to hear them. I already enjoy the luxury of playing with great musicians, as well as the opportunity to play for people that are listening, so I am very grateful for that. Overall, to make the most of what life has to offer, in every way that there is.

What one event in music history would you have loved to have experienced in person?

Too many to really pick, but it sure would have been cool to have been standing in front of Jimi Hendrix while he was playing “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock. I know, pretty standard answer.

Your favorite heroes in fiction?

I don’t have any, though I like the Invisible Man and Dracula.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My wife Tracey.

Your favorite food and drink?

Beer is food, isn’t it? Great Thai food. Tequila.

Great red wine. Brunello Di Montalcino.

In your next life, what or who would you like to come back as and why?

Myself, so I can get a second chance to improve on the first time.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with (other than music)?

C’mon man. Let’s see: the ability to cure cancer, and also the natural talent to play goalie for the Rangers, pitch for the Mets, play guard for the Knicks, and write great screenplays.

In life or in music, what is the one central key to learning that you’d like to pass on to others?

The ability to listen better, and to be more aware of what is really there, and to recognize what is most important at any given moment in any given situation. It’s a key to learning that I always will be trying to better myself at.

www.andyaledort.com

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WRITTEN BY JEFF SCHEETZ THE ROMAN PHILOSOPHER SENECA SAID “LUCK IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY.” I SUSPECT IN JON’S CASE THERE IS A GOOD DOSE OF PREPARATION THAT HAS CONSPIRED WITH A PASSION FOR MUSIC THAT HAS LED TO HIM BEING SO “LUCKY.” SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

RIFF Photos by Alison Habach

57

J

on Finn is a lucky guy. Well, that is according to him.

However, when you dig deeper, it isn’t just luck that has kept him on the guitar faculty at Berklee College of Music since 1988, or has gotten him consistent gigs with the Boston Pops, or has brought him critical acclaim for his playing on a myriad of projects.

The Roman philosopher Seneca said “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I suspect in Jon’s case there is a good dose of preparation that has conspired with a passion for music that has led to him being so “lucky.”

I asked Jon to shed some insight on his path as a professional guitarist, and his role as an educator.

Do you remember your first teaching experience? What was it that made you want to teach?

Ha! I never meant to get in to teaching. I kind of fell in to it, and realized I had a knack for it. My first teaching experience was taking over an after-school guitar lessons program in Braintree, MA. My girlfriend at the time had the gig, but had to give it up due to another job offer. She urged me to take over the practice she’d built, so I did.

Did you find that teaching impacted your own playing in any way?

There’s no question! Teaching transformed how I approach the instrument. Because everyone thinks a little bit differently, you cannot assume that the way you understand something will inspire or instruct someone else. If it does, great, but if not, it becomes necessary to re-think how you present different things. There’s a saying that goes, “the teacher often learns twice as much as the student.” In my case it’s probably true.

In your years of teaching, is there any one thing that stands out as a recurring problem for students?

I will say that one of the most common challenges is motivating the student to really learn the instrument inside and out. It’s hard, thankless work that takes years before it pays off. I didn’t make “real” progress until I became willing to work on and practice the things I stink at: scales, chord voicings, arpeggios, key signatures, voice leading, note identification, sight-reading, music theory all that stuff that’s hard to work on.

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It can be difficult to teach and develop a playing career at the same time. Any tips for players aspiring to pursue both?

One of the things I think about is how lucky I’ve been to be able to do this and call it a living. I don’t really have a secret. I approach my career in a deliberately diversified manner; there are always several projects going on at once. Between September and May, I’m teaching at Berklee for three days a week, and teaching private lessons at home occasionally. I do a lot of freelancing as a sideman for others. I try to get a few things published every year, either online or in print. I’ve completed two courses for TrueFire, with others in preparation stages. I never expected to earn a living off of my own music simply because the nature of the music I write tends not to appeal to the masses.

What kind of mindset change is there between playing your own band gigs and doing a gig like the Boston Pops?

When playing any kind of gig when you’re not the leader, it’s important to remember that your job is to make the music sound good, and help others bring their musical vision to light. The biggest mindset change is being ok with the idea that you might not like or agree with everything you’re asked to play. Playing in an orchestra setting requires that you’re able to play your part in a manner where the only time anyone notices you is when you play. You’re a tiny gear in a large machine, so it’s important to remember that you’ll typically play much less, with a higher degree of expected precision. It’s a decidedly disciplined and stressful setting to work in at times.

Because you are such a versatile player, you have done a lot of different gigs. What are a few of your favorites?

Playing at Muzikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany with Jon Finn Group, watching the audience form a mosh pit! Playing in Southern France in front of an audience that was genuinely appreciative. Playing in Tokyo with a group of Japanese musicians who took the time to learn my material. Performing in Casablanca with a group of musicians who taught me how to play Morroccan 6/8. Any gigs where Guthrie Govan, or Andy Timmons, or John Petrucci, or Steve Morse sat in with my band. Playing the songs “Dream On” and “Walk This Way” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in front of a live audience of over 1 million people. Playing Banjo with the Boston Pops Orchestra with John Williams conducting and Morgan Freeman doing a live narration.

Opening for Jeff Beck in my hometown.

What is next on your musical horizon?

Career wise, I still do quite a lot of freelancing and teaching, in addition to playing with

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BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, YOU CANNOT ASSUME THAT THE WAY YOU UNDERSTAND SOMETHING WILL INSPIRE OR INSTRUCT SOMEONE ELSE. IF IT DOES, GREAT, BUT IF NOT, IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO RE-THINK HOW YOU PRESENT DIFFERENT THINGS.

my own band. I like having several things going because I get too restless otherwise.

Musically, I work a lot on very simple principles: playing in tune, in time, with a good feel and tone. I work a lot on learning to find the “right” thing to play at any given moment.

It’s important that my chops are sharp, but chops should never be a reason to play something. To me that means the music should always come first, and my ego takes a distant back seat. It all sounds so simple when I think of it that way. I think you go through stages and you don’t arrive at any point until you’re ready. Keep practicing. More importantly, love the music as you practice it.

Thanks for the wisdom Jon! So for anyone out there pursuing their guitar dream, you might want to take a page out of Jon’s playbook. Play what you love, work on the hard things, and diversify. Who knows, you may just find yourself being a “lucky” guitarist!

www.jonfinn.com

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Trenches for studio wiring being dug in the new space

On The Move (Part I) SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

WRITTEN BY TOMMY JAMIN

6-UNIT ADJUSTABLE ACOUSTIC BIFFUSOR PANELS ACOUSTIC CLOUD ABOVE

SOUNDLOCK 1

TrueFire is in the midst of a revolution TRACKING ROOM

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The first year of my journey with TrueFire was filled with exciting challenges; I was asked to completely revamp the production workflow, make the best of the studio facilities we had at that time, and then later that year, oversee the build-out of a new studio in the building we were moving to. No rest for the weary!

At that time, TrueFire was occupying an old furniture store and warehouse in downtown St. Petersburg. The offices were located on the third floor with the production studio tucked into a fairly tight mezzanine level space on the second floor with very low ceilings and little acoustic isolation.

The offices had an open, airy layout with vintage cool wooden floors, and tons of paintings and vibrant hues covering the walls. Cool as they ACOUSTIC were, those creaking floors drove us crazy in the CLOUD ABOVE studio. The upstairs team had to either stay put

or remove their hard-soled shoes and walk softly during sessions (if you listen carefully, you might even hear some of those creaks in our earlier productions).

That was only one of the countless inherent technical challenges we had to circumvent, but we made the best of it and turned out some of our finest courses in those early days (fortunately, I missed the really early days when sessions were being shot in the kitchen!).

Meanwhile, we were riding a wave of growth that signaled the need to scale up our production and throughput. It was time for an overhaul. We started looking for new space where we could build a more advanced studio facility and a larger workspace for the team. Our first big move was on!

ACOUST CLOUD ABO

That first summer presented further production

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Packing up the “bread factory” for the move into storage while we’re under construction

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13'-1"

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Over the past five years, we baked up a lot of goodness at that old bread factory and produced between 50 and

Robotic cameras pushed our production quality to another level

27516 (919)942-9434

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Movie set lighting and white cyclorama wall were signature “bread factory” upgrades

Our relationship with this space made a big impression on me. There’s an extraordinary value of doing things right the first time, being there for it’s conception and seeing it all the way through. Sure, I can point out the mistakes I made with that studio, but it served us well and was a fantastic jump in functionality compared to where and how we were working previously.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

We designed and built the reimagined production studio in an old bread factory building in downtown St Petersburg while laying out the new offices. When we finally blocked and lit the new soundstage there

in early 2012, we were shooting against a clean white cyclorama wall, a fresh look for TrueFire, equipped with an upgraded command central and fully HD robotic cameras.

TRUEFIRE STUDIO

puzzles to work out. We had several location shoots including a three-week shooting tour in Nashville, which centered around the Chet Atkins Convention and the Summer NAMM show. I set up studios in hotel rooms, ballrooms, rehearsal studios and recording studios for shoots with Tommy Emmanuel, Thom Bresh, Carl Verheyen, Reeves Gabrels and many others. There were huge lessons in each of those setups, and ultimately, the timing couldn’t have been better because we started to build out our new St Pete studio in the fall.

Control Room bling under construction

Vintage shot of original (black) backdrop in production

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in the heart as an integral part of your growth.

My friend and TrueFire educator Jeff McErlain summed it up best when I sent him the pic of the studio reduced to boxes: “Weep.”

We’re beginning a new and exciting leg of our adventure into the world of 4k workflows, a 10'-2" huge improvement to acoustics, and massive efficiency improvements with a custom designed multimedia facility being designed by acclaimed studio architect, Wes Lachot.

It’s going to take a lot of time and resources, but it’ll be spectacular when it’s finished and I’ll be telling you more about in future issues of RIFF. So, hang tight folks, BIG things are coming!

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We bought a former boxing gym in the St Petersburg arts district and the first round of construction is in full swing as I write this article.

It’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to a place that you once called home; a place that lives on

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Over the past five years, I was exposed to yet another evolution in the state of the art for TrueFire productions and the staples of multimedia studio technologies. The space served us really well, but it was time for another move. We were continuing to grow by leaps and bound, and now needed more space for the team, not to mention a seriously upgraded studio.

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75 new courses a year. We hosted guitar legends like Pat Martino, Andy Timmons, David Grissom, Sonny Landreth, Robben Ford and Steve Vai for the first time in our studios. We produced the premiere In The Jam product line-up, and upgraded our lighting and technical systems to rival broadcast-level studios.

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HOUSE NEWS

ARTIST DIRECTORY Artists Featured in this Edition of Riff

ANDREW FORD Andrew Ford is a bass player, composer, arranger, producer and educator. He has performed with legendary artists in almost every major genre of music, while also having a Master’s degree in Education.

He has shared the stage with Al Jarreau, Whitney Houston, David Crosby, Robben Ford, Chaka Khan, George Duke, Gladys Knight, James Ingram, Israel Houghton, Dianne Reeves, Peabo Bryson, Cristopher Cross, Jerry Butler, Michael McDonald, Graham Nash, and many others. Andrew has completed 5 bass instructional videos for TrueFire, covering everything from blues to R&B, walking bass, reggae, and overall groove. He has also taught Music Business courses at the college level.

ANDY ALEDORT Andy Aledort has performed all across the globe with legendary musicians like Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, the Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, Edgar Winter, Paul Rodgers, and Jimi Hendrix’s original band mates Mitch Mitchell, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. Additionally, for over 30 years Aledort has served as editor for the top guitar magazines such as GUITAR WORLD and GUITAR FOR THE PRACTICING MUSICIAN. His work as a journalist, instructional columnist and music transcriber is unsurpassed.

DAVID BECKER For more than 25 years, two time Grammy nominated guitarist, composer and producer David Becker has continued to define himself as one of the best and most unique voices in jazz and contemporary music by combining diverse influences and a passion for the new and different. Together with his brother Bruce on drums, they have led the critically acclaimed DAVID BECKER TRIBUNE to a worldwide audience by performing in more than 20 countries.

DOUG MUNRO Master musician and guitar virtuoso Doug Munro is an established recording artist, composer, arranger, producer, clinician and educator. He has released 14 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 75 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger working with a diverse array of artists. Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards. As an educator Doug created and was Director of the Jazz Studies Program at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College from 1993-2002. He continues to teach there as Director Emeritus.

ERICH ANDREAS Erich Andreas is also known as YourGuitarSage. He has been playing/teaching guitar professionally for over 3 decades. On his most popular YouTube channel he has gained over 40,000,000 views with his on point teaching style. He is also an author of several books on music, featured in the WSJ for his cutting edge approach to teaching, and creator of the Unstoppable Guitar System.

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| ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

JON FINN Jon Finn has spent his life dedicated to the electric guitar. His own band “Jon Finn Group” has released 3 full-length albums. As a sideman, he’s performed/recorded with performers such as Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Guthrie Govan, John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, John Williams, Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Estafan and many others. He’s taught at Berklee College of Music since 1988 and is a prolific author

LAURENCE JUBER GRAMMY® winning guitarist Laurence Juber is a performer, recording artist, composer and arranger. His playing fuses folk, jazz, blues, pop and classical styles, creating a multi-faceted performance that belies the use of only one instrument. A music graduate of London’s Goldsmith’s College, he was featured guitar soloist with the UK’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra, before becoming established as a studio musician.

Internationally recognized as lead guitarist in Beatle Paul McCartney’s band Wings, Juber has since established himself as world-renowned guitar virtuoso and entertainer.

MIKE STERN One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes.

ROB GARLAND Rob Garland is as completely obsessed with music and the guitar now as he was as a teenager! He has performed hundreds of gigs across Europe and the US, worked as a session musician, written an instructional book for Cherry Lane, given tuition clinics and been featured in magazines such as Guitarist & Guitar One. Rob is extremely proud to be a TrueFire Artist with a new course “The Guitarists’s Pentathlon,” 3 workshops and an interactive classroom “Guitar Babylon,” which he describes as “twenty years of teaching all in one place.” He currently lives in sunny Los Angeles where he teaches and performs live with several bands. His original music is available through his website, iTunes, Spotify, etc.

SHANE THERIOT Shane Theriot is a guitarist, composer and Grammy award-winning producer. He is a highly sought after sideman/studio guitarist, he has recorded and or performed with The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Jewel, Beyonce’, Sammy Hagar, Willie Nelson, Rickie Lee Jones, Larry Carlton, Branford Marsalis, Hall and Oates, Harry Connick Jr., Boz Scaggs, Amos Lee, LeAnn Rimes, Little Feat. Shane is currently on the TV show “Live From Daryl’s House” featuring Daryl Hall, in which he serves as Music Director/Guitarist.

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| ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

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Lessons COMPILATION ALBUM

RIFFAGE: VOLUME 8 RIFF sheds light on the hearts and minds of TrueFire’s artists and educators, but nothing speaks like their music…it’s like a study “In their own words.” Enjoy the featured artists and educators in this edition of RIFF who have something to say to you. Use the link below to access the download compilation or listen to the streaming version online. Enjoy RIFFAGE Volume 8!

King’s Groove - Andy Aledort What Child is This - Laurence Juber Putting Down the Torch - Jon Finn Blues for Waldo - David Becker Stick’s N Stones - Doug Munro What A Mess (Kerby and the Roaches) - Erich Andreas M.M Swing - Rob Garland

Download the FREE Album

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

| ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

BEHIND THE MIX We can’t say it enough — the not-so-secret ingredients of TrueFire are the artists and educators that we are privileged to collaborate with. Not just amazingly talented educators, they are also brilliant composers, arrangers and recording artists in their own right. Enjoy their music and please visit their websites and social media networks.

King’s Groove - Andy Aledort “King’s Groove” was written specifically for my first CD, 1999’s Put A Sock In It. My band, The Groove Kings, had only been together a couple of years at the time and I thought it would be cool to write a ‘theme song’ for the band, thus ‘King’s Groove.’ The other aspect is that three of my biggest guitar influences are the three Kings, Freddie, B.B. and Albert, so there are elements of their influences on my playing in this track. The song is in the key of B, but I purposely modulate through three different keys, B, A and E, during the solo sections. And, because the melody is so Johnny Winter-inspired, I used my JW-approved 1964 Gibson Firebird V, through a 1967 Super Reverb with just one pedal, a vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer.

What Child is This - Laurence Juber Recorded at Hollywood’s famed Capitol Studios and mixed by the legendary engineer Al Schmitt, Grammy®-winning acoustic guitarist Laurence Juber is accompanied by ace studio musicians Domenic Genova (upright bass) and Michael Jochum (drums) on a Christmas favorite. From LJ’s upcoming trio release Holidays & Hollynights (HoLoGram Recordings.)

M.M. Swing - Rob Garland This song is taken from my 2016 jazz fusion E.P. Seven Voices, which is available to buy from Amazon, iTunes and to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. The track was written by my and performed by my Eclectic Trio. The ‘M.M.’ is a nod to my favorite scale!

| ONLINE LINK DIRECTORY | RIFFJOURNAL.COM/LINKS-V8

What A Mess (Kerby and the Roaches) - Erich Andreas “What a Mess” was written with famous Nashville writer, Melissa Peirce. We wrote this about the direction that society has taken, but also penned it to encapsulate a “rocky relationship.”

Putting Down the Torch - Jon Finn The song title is a play on the phrase “Carrying the Torch.” As soon as you realize that an important relationship in your life is over, you feel sad. At times even angry. After a while, you realize that you’ll be ok and that your life will move forward. You get over it. You might even feel that your life is better because of the loss.

This song happens in two parts. First the sad/ angry part (where most of the chords move downward), and the more hopeful part (where the chords move upward). Have a listen…

Sticks N’ Stones - Doug Munro “Sticks N’ Stones” is an original composition from the second CD I did with my Brazilian group, Big Boss Bossa Nova. This is a live trio recording with Jason “Jay Dog” Devlin on drums and Michael Goetz on acoustic bass. I am playing my Godin Multiac Nylon String through a 1993 Rivera R30-112 amp.

Blues for Waldo - David Becker “Blues For Waldo” is a blues featured on the latest David Becker solo recording The Lonely Road. The melody is a 7/8 phrase played against the 4/4 and the title is inspired by a good friend of mine from Argentina, named Waldo. The tune shows nice use of rhythmic and harmonic dialects, which have become synonymous with my playing.

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SNAPSHOTs

eat hang, an Jon Finn, a greducator awesome

just about Sometimes it’s ve perspecti

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

help with that Andy Aledort ha s a little 7th chord….

Bill Evan s and M ike Ster n their ses hamming it up sion during

David Becker stops by glamour shots (and on his world tours for educational forays)

Our man‌bass machine Andrew Ford in the studio

Brad is hoping for a smidgeon of LJ’s finesse on the electric

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www.riffjournal.com SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 8

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