Truefire

[7string]

I thought that this was interesting and worth posting here!!

In prep for the arrival of my ACG 9 string, I've bought a CD-ROM set from Truefire.com

Truefire produce guitar instructional stuff, but even though it's written for guitar I thought it would be very useful for when I get the 9. It's going to be a job learning the instrument and I thought that this would give me some direction instead of flapping around in blind panic!!

The course is called "Total Modal" and I was able to buy the "Improv Kit" at the same time at a special rate.

Here's the story from the Truefire website [url="http://www.truefire.com"]www.truefire.com[/url]:

[size=3][i]Total Modal thoroughly examines the theory, harmony and application of 19 essential modes and scales for composition and improvisation. This intensive study program will provide a comprehensive framework for composing melodies and hooks, improvising over any set of changes, superimposing scales, creating progressions and constructing chords for any musical application. In short, Total Modal is the definitive scale and mode application resource.

The 19 scales and modes covered are: Ionian, Dorian, Dorian b2, Phrygian, Lydian, Lydian #5, Lydian b7, Mixolydian, Mixolydian b6, Mixolydian b2 b6, Aeolian, Locrian, Locrian natural 2, Jazz Minor, Harmonic Minor, Altered, Diminished, Symmetrical Diminished and Whole Tone. In short, every essential scale and mode necessary for composing and improvising across rock, blues, jazz and popular music.

Your Total Modal professor is Bruce Arnold. Bruce runs the guitar programs at Princeton University and New York University, hosts the Summer Jazz Workshops in NYC, and is one of the most respected and prolific educators in the business. Arnold also composes, records and performs worldwide with a long list of top artists.[/i][/size]


The full description is at [url="http://truefire.com/totalmodal/totalmodal.html"]http://truefire.com/totalmodal/totalmodal.html[/url]


The Improv Toolkit has:

[i][size=3]120 PRACTICE RHYTHM TRACKS Blues, Rock, Funk and Jazz tracks with lead sheets in TrueFire’s interactive audio player

DOZENS OF VIDEO EXAMPLES Links to a dozens of streaming video soloing and improvisation examples for specific tracks

TONAL COLOR CHART Instructional guide for adding tonal colors to your solos by using different scales and modes

FINGERBOARD DIAGRAMS Movable fingerboard diagrams illustrating 21 scales/modes for improvisation across 12 frets

IMPROV FORMULA METHOD A formula method for constructing chords arpeggios, scales and modes for improvisation

36-MINUTE IMPROV THEORY LESSON Brad Carlton, TrueFire’s Educational Director, walks you through a concise, insightful 36-minute lesson on soloing strategies and improv theory[/size]
[/i]


I ordered a couple of weeks ago, the Total Modal course was $50 and the Improv Toolkit was on a special offer and could be bought at the same time for $1. Shipping took the total price to $65.25. Luckily, I didn't get clobbered for import tax or VAT.

The both courses arrived in 10 days or so and came extremely well packaged within a solid cardboard box. Both courses were in their own solid plastic boxes and with good presentation. The CD-ROM's all loaded up fine and I was able to copy everything to my laptop, so no messing around trying to find the discs, just click and play. With Total Modal, each of the 19 scales has 2 videos, an introduction and an explanation of how the mode is used and what it sounds like. There is also a jam track for each scale as well as a pdf file for reference. Everything is accessible from the same screen, so it's easy to watch the videos, then go to the jam track or print the pdf. The presentation style is direct and the explanations succint, without being too boring. Only if someone watched all 38 videos in one go, would the presentation style seem stiff. In the course material it says that at 1 hour per day, the 19 scales will take 4 months to learn and a year to assimilate into a playing style !!

I had a flick around the Improvisation Toolkit and there's lots of stuff to play with or to. The backing tracks are of good quality and there's lots of stuff to choose from.

Overall, I'm really impressed with Truefire, both the courses are excellent value for money. I know that I'll have my work cut out working through the course and that it's going to take a while to do it properly. Also, I'll have to write out the charts again as they are for guitar, but that will probably help me take in the information as I'll be learning my way round the 9 at the same time. It's going to be a big task, but it's not going to be boring.

Edited December 11, 2008 by 7string

[bluesparky]

Cool, i've been thinking about getting some backing tracks, just something to play along to. Might look into that.
Cheers.