TJMLJSBW Published Aug 5, 2026 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · 8 min read Learning to solo feels overwhelming at first. Most players try to memorize patterns, run scales up and down, and wonder why nothing sounds musical. Here is the reframe that changes everything: playing guitar is…
TJMLJSBW Published Aug 5, 2026 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · 5 min read RF Featured in this articleFeaturing Robben Ford · TrueFire educator Blues guitar licks are the core of one of the most emotionally direct musical languages ever put on a fretboard. However, knowing which notes…
TJMLJSBW Published Aug 5, 2026 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · 5 min read JM Featured in this articleFeaturing Jeff McErlain · TrueFire educator Rock guitar licks are the currency of the genre. Every solo you love, every moment that made you reach for your guitar, likely started…
TJMLJSBW Published Aug 5, 2026 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · 6 min read SM Featured in this articleFeaturing Sean McGowan · TrueFire educator Jazz guitar licks are their own dialect. If you’ve spent time learning blues or rock vocabulary, you already know that each genre has its…
“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…
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…
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…
I would encourage younger producers to start by experimenting with timing and feedback before anything else. Small changes in delay time or feedback can completely alter how a groove feels. Try unsynced or slightly offset timings, and listen to how the delay creates movement and tension rather than…
For younger producers working in pairs, what advice would you give on finding balance, maintaining chemistry, and finishing music that still feels alive? Thea: The biggest thing is learning to protect the chemistry that made you want to create together in the first place. You each bring different…
How can NKS help my workflow? Creativity is all about momentum, and interruptions to your flow can make the difference between a great song or composition and an abandoned sketch. NKS addresses this by seamlessly connecting your Native Instruments and third-party VSTs to the keys, pads, wheels, or…