Assembly Lines raises the bar on TrueFire's top-ranked Jazzed Blues video guitar lessons from Mark Stefani. This sequel takes you on a sonic learning tour through the funky rhythm and blues stylings and fretboard concepts of top players like George Benson, Kenny Burrell and Grant Green.

Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

About the Guitar Lesson Plan

Interactive Video Guitar Instruction

Assembly Lines breaks down the 12-bar blues progression into logical sections and then builds your vocabulary so that you can learn how to play versatile jazzed blues phrases, over I, IV and V-IV-I changes.Phrases are then twisted and turned rhythmically and harmonically so that you can apply them tastefully anywhere in a blues progression.

Once your vocabulary of phrases is up to snuff, you'll assemble the phrases into four full-chorus solos that will turn heads at the next session or jam. This series Assembly Lines video guitar lessons is a must-have course for any serious student of blues and jazz guitar . Assembly Lines features 40 video lessons, text overviews, notation, interactive Power Tab and is presented in TrueFire’s multi-media video player for Windows and Mac, which features zoom, frame advance, looping and other useful instructional functions. Here's how Assembly Lines is presented:

Jazzed blues phrases, organized by sections of a blues progression, are first performed and then broken down note-for-note with related harmonic insight.

Students then learn how to alter and play the rhythmic and harmonic structure of the phrases and apply them in a variety of jazzed blues feels and prevailing changes.

Finally, students learn how to connect the phrases and form complete solos and then expand the solos using various harmonic approaches and tricks of the trade.

All phrases and solos feature a rhythm backing track for students to practice over and help nail the material.

TrueFire's instructional player puts video, text descriptions, supplemental tips, standard notation and power tab all at your fingertips.

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.