Mark Stefani, a top-notch solo guitar player with a pedigree a mile long, is also one of the most prolific and well-rounded guitar instructors we have the pleasure of working with. Mark's recent TrueFire course, Jazzed Blues, remains at the top of our charts and his monthly lessons always rank in the top ten. Chord Melody Cafe, a 4-CD ROM interactive video course, focuses solely on chord melody for intermediate to advanced and pro players.

Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

About the Guitar Lesson Plan

Interactive Video Guitar Instruction

The course leverages TrueFire's new interactive video quick-learning system to get players up and running quickly without hours of tedious theory and exercises.

Chord Melody Cafe is a hands-on playing course, which guides the student through 15 chord melody arrangements of familiar pop and jazz tunes.

Chord Melody Cafe includes 80 video lessons, text overviews, standard notation and interactive Power Tab. Chord Melody Cafe is presented in TrueFire's multi-media video player for Windows and Mac, which features zoom, speed control, looping and other useful instructional functions. Here's how Chord Melody Cafe is presented:

All 15 arrangements are broken down into bite-size chunks through a series of interactive video lesson segments.

Video segments demonstrate the part as written and then breaks it down note-by-note, voicing-by-voicing.

The instructor also demonstrates alternate voicings and provides tips on technique and presentation.

Most importantly, you will learn how to develop your "voice" and craft your own chord melody arrangements.

A text description overviews the tune and provides background on chord melody and solo guitar.

Power Tab is included (interactive tablature), so you can see, hear and slow down the tablature and notation.

About Your Instructor

Mark Stefani

One of the longest tenured TrueFire Educators, Mark Stefani, son of noted West Coast jazz trombonist Roy Stefani, has devoted most of his life to music. He began playing the guitar in 1969, and was inspired by his father along with Bay Area jazz guitarist Eddie Duran. Mark received his early jazz education while studying with guitarist Dave Smith, and later began his classical training under the guidance of George Sakellariou at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Stefani is a highly eclectic guitarist, though best noted for his skill in the rhythm & blues and jazz idioms. Throughout his career, his influences have included legendary guitarists George Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Kenny Burrell, jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, saxophonists Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, plus numerous other jazz and blues virtuosos. On the acoustic guitar, Mark has amassed a repertoire of well over 700 instrumental classical, popular, jazz, and latin standards. In 1986 he began composing original music in a broad variety of styles to match his diverse background. To date, he's written hundreds of compositions.

Mark has taught music full-time for over 30 years, and his talent as a guitar coach has been felt by top professionals the world over. In 1987, his music career was spotlighted in Guitar Player Magazine ("versatile style on both electric and acoustic guitars" -- "a master's touch"). In 1996, Mark and top saxophonist Dennis Marcellino released a jazz duo recording entitled "An Evening To Remember" (Sugo Music), which charted well and sold over 40,000 copies that year.