Top 50 Hardest Working Guitarists – Part 1

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Labor Day weekend is upon us, and it is time that we honor all the hard work put in by the entire TrueFire faculty. They all have spent countless hours in and out of the studio trying to find the best and most innovative ways to teach and inspire. Their extraordinary efforts show through in the quality of their guitar lessons and for that we are all endlessly appreciative. To express our gratitude, we will be featuring each of them in this 5-part series on The Punch-In so you can get to know them all a little bit better.

So, without further adieu, here are the first 10 artists whom we consider to be part of the Top 50 Hardest Working Guitarists in the World (in alphabetical order):

Andy Aledort
aledortAndy Aledort has been a significant figure in the international music scene over the last 20 years. As a senior editor for the top guitar-oriented music magazines GUITAR WORLD, GUITAR FOR THE PRACTICING MUSICIAN, GUITAR EXTRA, GUITAR LEGENDS, and GUITAR WORLD ACOUSTIC, among others, his work is unsurpassed as a music transcriber, instructional columnist and journalist. He has authored over 200 books of guitar transcriptions as well as a series of guitar-related instructional books and videos/DVDs, all of which are distributed worldwide, for the leading music publishers Hal Leonard Corp., Warner Brothers Publishing and Cherry Lane Music. Aledort is a performing musician as well: along with leading his own ensembles in the New York/tri-state area, he is often tapped for high-profile appearances with artists such as Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, and the Allman Brothers band.

Check out Andy’s latest blues guitar lessons: Slow Blues Power
Check out Andy’s official website: www.AndyAledort.com

Trey Alexander
alexanderTrey Alexander picked up his first guitar at age 15. It was an antique acoustic model that his parents used as a decorative piece in their home. Although he had always loved music, this was Alexander’s first instrument and he began practicing so much that he wore the winding off of the strings. This is when Alexander’s dad, his biggest fan and inspiration, realized that his son was more than a curious teenager with an old guitar. Within a few weeks of discovering this instrument, Alexander began playing regularly at open mics and jam sessions and won his first guitar competition. When Alexander was 18, he saw Steve Vai perform live in concert, an experience he describes as “awe-inspiring.” He stayed up all night describing the experience to his father, who listened to him play for hours. His father told him, “You will be one of the best guitar players who has ever lived.” Those words were his father’s last as he died of a brain hemorrhage that night. Alexander realized that he needed to live his dream, to be a musician, and carry on his father’s legacy. As it turns out, his father was right.

Check out Trey’s latest rock guitar lessons: Quantum Rock
Check out Trey’s official website: www.TreyAlexander.net

Muriel Anderson
andersonWidely respected as one of the country’s foremost guitarists, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Finger picking Guitar Championship. Her recordings have traveled as far as outer space, accompanying the astronauts on a space shuttle mission. Muriel Anderson’s audiences experience a world of music in each concert – international, folk, classical, jazz, Beatles, bluegrass, and perhaps a Sousa march, played nylon string, steel string and harp guitar. Muriel was the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship and was also awarded a bronze level for classical in the 2009 Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s Players Choice poll. She has been composing since the age of six and has published works for guitar and orchestra, voice, and solo guitar. Muriel has published several instructional books and videos and tours extensively. She is also the founder and director of Music for Life Alliance charity, and is the host of Muriel Anderson’s All STAR GUITAR NIGHT. For the past 14 years, Muriel Anderson’s All Star Guitar Night concert series has brought together the world’s best guitar players and the music community in support of a great cause.

Check out Muriel’s latest fingerstyle guitar lessons: Arranging in the Key of D
Check out Muriel’s official website: www.MurielAnderson.com

Bruce Arnold
arnoldBruce Arnold has developed an extensive reputation as a composer and guitar virtuoso. His works are an original juxtaposition of 20th Century twelve-tone compositional methods and jazz improvisation techniques. Interviewing Mr. Arnold in The Los Angeles Times, Jazz critic Don Heckman wrote “Arnold’s music never loses its contact with jazz and he deserves credit for his effort to expand the potential of the jazz palette.” —and The New York Times has written that “Bruce Arnold could be the ultimate crossover musician.” As an educator, Mr. Arnold has taught at some of the most prestigious music schools in America, including the New England Conservatory of Music, Dartmouth College, Berklee College of Music, Princeton University, New York University, New School University, City College of New York.

Check out Bruce’s latest jazz improvisation guitar lessons: Total Modal
Check out Bruce’s official website: www.ArnoldJazz.com

Jeff Beasley
beasleyJeff Beasley holds B.A. degrees in Music and Classical Guitar, is a prolific educator, top columnist, popular workshop and clinic instructor, and writes the highly popular “Lethal Guitar” column for Premier Guitar magazine. Jeff has worked with some of the biggest names in shred guitar, he tours nationally and is a senior faculty member with the National Guitar Workshop. Jeff records instructional videos for Truefire, where his videos are always in the top sellers. Jeff has appeared in Guitarist Network magazine, Guitar For The Practicng Musician, Guitar Player, Music For The World, Music and Arts, Musicians Hotline, and Premier Guitar magazines. Jeff has 32 years experience in studio, teaching and performance, his debut CD “Tiebreaker” showcases his awesome guitar skills. Tiebreaker includes special guests Atma Anur (Jason Becker, Tony MacAlpine) and Doug Doppler (Favored Nations, Joe Satriani). Jeff is endorsed by Dean Guitars, Sierra Guitars, THD Amplifiers, Dimarzio Pickups, D’Addario Strings, In Tune Guitar Picks and Keeley Effects.

Check out Jeff’s latest blues rock guitar lessons: Shred-Ahead
Check out Jeff’s official website: www.JeffBeasleyBand.com

Stephen Bennett
bennettAmerican guitarist Stephen Bennett has become known over the last two decades as a versatile and original musician consistently garnering critical praise and audience enthusiasm for his recordings and live performances. With his musicality, relaxed stage presence and quick wit, Stephen has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, Japan, and around Europe. With nearly 20 CD recordings to his credit at this writing, a new Stephen Bennett recording is always in the works. Aside from his work on the six-string guitar, Stephen is also one of the world’s premiere performers on the Harp Guitar, an instrument he inherited from his great-grandfather. As a composer and arranger, he has created an enduring repertoire and a significant body of recorded work for this instrument.

Check out Stephen’s latest fingerstyle guitar lessons: Fingerstyle Finesse
Check out Stephen’s official website: www.HarpGuitar.com

Matthieu Brandt
brandtMatthieu Brandt from Amsterdam, Netherlands (b. 1961) has been strummin’ a guitar since 1983 when he traded his first P.C. for his first Alfa Guitar. Starting out as an acoustic fingerstyle blues player and studying with Irish Blues Virtuoso Martin Hutchinson, he quickly got an appetite for electric blues. He started out in his first blues band “Bealestreet” in 1985 – a band that was to exist for five looooong years. In 2000 he started giging with “Too True To Be Blue” and recorded his first Solo CD in 2002: ‘Back Log’. In that year he also started the band Mindway, together with Edo Donkers, Gerrit Berkouwer, Rodin van der Hart and Joren Nooij. In May 2006 Matt released his second album ‘Man in Shades’, featuring 12 all original songs. Performed by him and 16 guest musicians in different arrangements. Guest musicians include Larry John McNally (songwriter for Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Chaka Kahn, Ed Boekee and many others.)

Check out Matthieu’s latest jump blues guitar lessons: Jump Blues
Check out Matthieu’s official website: www.SwingBlues.com

Chris Buono
buonoChris Buono has been called many things: arcane improviser, sound diabolist, fearless composer, content junkie, video stunt guitarist, crazed educator—the list goes on. If you’re looking for simpler terms you can go with recording artist (Lava/Atlantic, Lion Music, LNR, E-Magine Music, RKM/Kindred), bandleader (Diablo Project, Richard Weed Ensemble, BubbleFro), sideman (Bumblefoot, Karsh Kale, Graham Haynes, Tony C. and the Truth, DK Dyson, Spiraling and more), music journalist/columnist (Guitar Player, Guitar One, Just Jazz Guitar magazines to name a few), educator (Berklee College of Music, National Guitar Workshop), author (Alfred, Course Technology), video clinician (TrueFire), product clinician (M-Audio, First Act, Source Audio and more), etc. Call him what you want, one thing is certain—this cat is bad-ass and busy.

Check out Chris’ latest rock guitar lessons: 50 Rock Guitar Licks You MUST Know
Check out Chris’ official website: www.ChrisBuono.com

Brad Carlton
bcarltonBrad is living proof that monster players don’t all live in the big music meccas. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, our home city, he’s our hired gun – the guy we call in to perform the tough lessons when the author is not available. Brad, who has been teaching and leading his own bands for more than 20 years, prides himself on his versatility. His rep in the region is that he can play anything. Brad brilliantly performs an extensive lesson on Eddie Van Halen licks an exploration of London blues along with interpretations of Vernon Reid, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mike Stern and even some 18th Century parlor guitar.

Check out Brad’s latest guitar lessons on the CAGED system: CAGED Cracked
Check out Brad’s official website: Brad Carlton on TrueFire

Larry Carlton
lcarltonEighteen‐time Grammy nominee, three‐time Grammy winner and all time guitar great, Larry Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with the multi platinum jazz super group Fourplay. With 30 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades. In 2008 Larry Carlton received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Player magazine at the historical Ryman Auditorium and was presented the “Titan of Tone” award from Premier Guitar Magazine at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Larry also picked up 2 more Grammy nominations in 2009 bringing his career total to 18 nominations with 3 Grammy wins! Larry’s “Greatest Hits Rerecorded ‐ Volume One” released by 335 Records was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album and “Fortune Teller” from Fourplay’s Energy was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Check out Larry’s most popular blues guitar lessons: 335 Blues
Check out Larry’s official website: www.Mr335.com


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Thursday’s Daily Kindling

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Fuel for the Fire:

“I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to.”
- Elvis Presley

Musings:

Want to become a better guitarist? Here are some helpful hints from our man Jeff McErlain. – http://su.pr/2KCDRl

RightsFlow, a company that helps companies and artists manage the complex issues around copyright, claims to have more than 1,500 clients, including Muzak (the company whose name has become synonymous with elevator music) as well as music startup imeem. In addition to improving existing services, RightsFlow says it will use the money to build a site where fans and artists can easily license songs from publishers — if you want to record a cover version, you could just visit the site, search for the song, and then pay the licensing fee. – http://su.pr/1rQpQJ

Have you checked out our Student Course Blogs? Some of our most active members are blogging their progress as they complete various TrueFire courses. Insightful and inspiring! – http://su.pr/2pbgac

Don’t forget to check out Ear Exam 2. Your ears could win you a beautiful, brand new Boulder Creek Solitaire guitar. – http://su.pr/1OgMgp

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Wednesday’s Daily Kindling

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Fuel for the Fire:

Answer this: Should a record be a picture of where you are now, or of all the places you could just as likely be?

Musings:

Gibson Guitar is offering video guitar lessons on their site with contemporary artists teaching their own songs. Would you be interested in something similar on TrueFire? Which contemporary artists would you want to learn from and which songs? – http://su.pr/8VAdbA

Here is a very specific example of how a band is adding value to the “analog” live-concert experience by adding “digital” perks. – http://su.pr/A1ugMP

Texas claims the Guinness World Record for largest group of guitar pickers. – http://su.pr/8e5gof

A nice piece from BluesBlogger about Boz Scaggs and the blues. – http://su.pr/1jegk8

And finally, a great biography (with videos) of the late, great Les Paul. – http://su.pr/4oJkl8

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Cash and Creativity

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adrianleggMy UPS guy looks like Chris Cornell. Which makes me wonder: Is my UPS guy Chris Cornell? Is that the Loud Love howler himself coming up the walk in brown shorts, asking for my autograph? His last record with Timbaland never did get off the ground….

But Chris looks really content whistling his way up the steps, and I’m thinking now that this gig must be pretty sweet for him after years of label pressure, relentless touring, and a lawsuit with his ex-wife/manager (whoever was right or wrong, she had more than a dozen of his guitars).

If all he really ever cared about was making music, it must feel great to be free from all of that. Now he collects a reliable paycheck, and on his own time he can go down any creative path he chooses. He’s making money and he’s making music. A completely liberated artist.

Of the many musicians I’ve had the good fortune to meet, the few with a peaceful balance of income and artistry make their money in one place and their music in another. Far as I can tell, the two are opposing forces. Even if you become a phenomenally successful artist, and I hope you will, it’s a whole new ballgame once your music is commoditized. I doubt any pro would tell you differently.

Another scenario. I once caught a set by guitarist Adrian Legg at a small venue outside of New York City. Legg is terrific — a world-class fingerstylist on the order of Leo Kottke and Phil Keaggy. I went up to say hello afterwards, but he was busy putting the squeeze on the kitchen crew for a free sandwich. He was putting up a fight, too. Later I saw him humping his own gear into his own beat-up station wagon, packing up for a late-night, 3-hour solo drive to the next gig. Again, if you don’t know Legg’s playing already, the guy is absolutely top shelf.

We all say we would kill for a career in music. At the same time we say we’re not in it for the money — but aren’t we? Is music really its own reward, or is every gig a little prayer that we will someday make a living making music? Be careful what you wish for.

—RM

The Punch-In is edited by Rich Maloof, who has a long history with TrueFire as artist, educator, and producer. Rich’s body of work as a published author and Editor in Chief of Guitar magazine has been distributed and translated internationally.

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Welcome

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Players, welcome to The Punch-In.

Developed for musicians and by musicians, this is a one-of-a-kind space on the web.

Most blogs, sites, wikis, and tweets offer a subjective take on the world, and that’s great. The web is the ultimate equalizer: every soul with a laptop and Wi-Fi access has the opportunity to voice opinions and respond to whatever’s out there. But the Punch-In is a response to what is not out there.

We looked around and couldn’t find a contemporary, knowledgeable take on the interests and challenges concerning musicians today. The lion’s share of career advice, for example, is about getting signed to a record label. That was the musician’s Holy Grail for decades, but guess what? The music industry has been husked and hollowed out, a casualty of its own inability to evolve. In the New York and L.A. office buildings where fat cats used to give little guys a shot at the big time, tumbleweeds roll through the empty halls. The Holy Grail has left the building.

It’s a lousy time for the music industry but it’s an excellent time for music. With no margins on what can or “should” be available to the public, musicians from every corner of the globe are self-releasing their projects. Never before has so much diverse music been so widely accessible, and listeners are exploring on their own.

Technology is bringing down all kinds of barriers on the creative side, too. A guitarist from Fargo can collaborate with a songwriter from Kyoto and send a 24-bit/96kHz recording of his solo by email. Desktop software is making it possible to manipulate audio in a way that, ten years ago, would’ve cost you studio time plus a $20k fee to Brian Eno.

The Punch-In isn’t just a whiz-kid guide to new technology — after all, the really important parts about making music are timeless.

We’ll talk about the inspiration behind composition and the exhilaration of a great jam. We’ll talk about failure and success and the countless stops in between. We’ll share our best finds. We’ll bring to bear all the resources at our disposal — including pro players, instructors, producers, engineers, publishers, instrument makers, new-industry experts, software developers, and more — to help you become the musician you want to be.

In the 17+ years that TrueFire has been offering music instruction in leading-edge media, we’ve never before stepped out from behind the curtain. We’re incredibly proud of the people we’ve worked with and grateful to have friends of the fire in 206 countries (and counting). We’ve made our mark as music educators and learn so much in return from the hundreds upon hundreds of players we meet at shows, on tours, in clinics, at universities, and as customers. And one of the core learnings for us is that knowing your way around an instrument is just one part of being a musician. To make good on our mission to educate and inspire, we offer the Punch-In.

We’re especially interested in what you want to hear about, so be sure to log in and make the Punch a two-way conversation. Turn up and be heard! Thanks for being a part of it.

—Rich Maloof

The Punch-In is edited by Rich Maloof, who has a long history with TrueFire as artist, educator, and producer. Rich’s body of work as a published author and Editor in Chief of Guitar magazine has been distributed and translated internationally.

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