At what point did you realize the track needed movement inside the sounds rather than more layers to build intensity? Once we added the drums, the song shifted drastically. What originally felt like a slow, reflective ballad suddenly had a sense of immediateness and forward momentum. The breakbeat…
TJMLJSBW Published Jul 21, 2026 · Updated Jul 21, 2026 · 5 min read Featured in this articleFeaturing Callum Bair · TrueFire educator Chord construction is the missing link for most guitarists. You can spend years memorizing shapes, and many players do. However, the moment you understand what’s…
TJMLJSBW Published Jul 21, 2026 · Updated Jul 21, 2026 · 8 min read JS Featured in this articleFeaturing Jeff Scheetz · TrueFire educator Guitar chords and harmony are two of the most misunderstood topics on the instrument. Most players learn a handful of open shapes, maybe a…
TJMLJSBW Published Jul 14, 2026 · Updated Jul 14, 2026 · 8 min read RS Featured in this articleFeaturing Rick Stickney · TrueFire educator Funk guitar lives and dies by the groove. Specifically, funk guitar rhythm is where the entire band finds its pulse, its tension, and its…
Two guitarists can play the exact same phrase, in the same key, through the same amp, and produce two completely different musical experiences. One version feels alive. The other feels flat. The difference lives in guitar dynamics: the shifts in volume, attack, and intensity that turn a string…
The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2026 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and we couldn’t be prouder. Eight artists from the TrueFire and ArtistWorks family earned nominations spanning 14 categories, from Song of the Year and Album of the Year to nearly every instrumental…
“I find it hard to describe my own sound because I’m constantly trying to break it,” Cook says. “That’s what makes music interesting to me… a lot of the experimentation I’m doing in my own music is really to keep myself interested… just trying to stay engaged. In…
TJMLJSBW Published Jul 7, 2026 · Updated Jul 7, 2026 · 5 min read JS Featured in this articleFeaturing Josh Smith · TrueFire educator How Josh Smith builds a BB King-style shuffle solo is, at its core, a lesson in conversation. Every phrase Smith plays asks a question.…
What core philosophy has stayed the same since the days of Symphobia or True Strike, and what has changed the most about your approach? What has remained constant since we started ProjectSAM in 2001 is our absolute focus on sound quality and articulations. Back then, industry-leading libraries were…
TJMLJSBW Published Jul 7, 2026 · Updated Jul 7, 2026 · 8 min read MZ Featured in this articleFeaturing Mike Zito · TrueFire educator BB King didn’t just play blues guitar. He sang with it, and learning to hear that difference will change the way you play forever.…
