MasterCraft: Accompaniment

Interactive Video Masterclass Series

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John Oates

Educator

acoustic, singer-songwriter

Genres

About this course

Whether you accompany yourself, play in a duo, or a full ensemble setting, the art of accompaniment is a crucial skill for guitarists because it allows them to effectively support and enhance the music of the other musicians they are playing with, rather than overpowering or competing with them.

In this Art of Accompaniment edition of John Oates’ MasterCraft series, you’ll learn best practices for accompaniment and what to focus on when supporting other musicians and serving the song.

”I’ve asked Guthrie Trapp, who I frequently perform and tour with, to join me on this edition and help demonstrate many key principles in a musical context.

We’ll cover active listening, dynamics, harmonic textures, complimentary chord inversions, counter melodies, and more.

This edition will help you create rich and engaging musical experiences for the audience and the musicians you share the stage with.”

John and Guthrie perform a set of carefully selected songs designed to illustrate a comprehensive range of situations that musicians will commonly encounter when accompanying other musicians. Before and after each song performance, they will describe what they will focus on, listen and react to.

You’ll have TrueFire’s advanced learning tools at your fingertips to personalize your workspace and learn at your own pace.

The performances are tabbed, notated, and synced to the video with looping and slow-motion controls. Backing tracks, Guitar Pro files, printable tab and notation are also included.

Guthrie Trapp is a generational talent on the guitar who has developed a sterling reputation internationally as both a performing musician and a world-class educator.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, John Oates’ exceptional talents as a musician, songwriter, and producer have and continue to make seminal contributions to our musical heritage.

Grab your guitar, and let’s accompany John Oates!

Note: John Oates' 3-course MasterCraft series is available for purchase as a bundle, which includes early access, bonus content, and big savings! Click here to learn more about the bundle.

P.S. Aspiring songwriters might also be interested in two other editions from John’s MasterCraft series: Popular Song History reveals timeless aspects of the songwriting craft; The Art of Collaboration demonstrates the most important aspects of supporting other musicians and serving the song.

What you'll learn

Master a unique syncopated fingerpicking pattern using only thumb and index finger
Adapt Mississippi John Hurt fingerpicking style to modern arrangements
Learn how to create hypnotic, consistent rhythmic patterns through relaxed technique
Understand how to build counter melodies that complement fingerpicked patterns
Build dynamic intensity throughout a blues arrangement

Release date: 06/01/2024 • 3h 24m runtime

intermediate late intermediate advanced acoustic guitar guitar electric guitar songs songwriting accompaniment

Start Course

Sample lessons

Arkansas

Accompaniment Overview

Arkansas

Performance ft. Guthrie Trapp

Arkansas

Breakdown

Too Late to Break Your Fall

Accompaniment Overview

Arkansas

Accompaniment Overview

Arkansas

Performance ft. Guthrie Trapp

Arkansas

Breakdown

Too Late to Break Your Fall

Accompaniment Overview

What's included

49 lessons • 9 charts

MasterCraft: Accompaniment

Hello, this is John Oates. The art of accompaniment is a crucial yet often underappreciated skill for guitarists, whether playing solo, in a duo, or with a full band. In this edition of Mastercraft, our focus will be on what I believe is the most vital aspect of supporting other musicians and enhancing the song.

For this session, I'm joined by my good friend Guthrie Trapp, who will help demonstrate key principles in a musical context. Our goal is to equip you with skills to create rich and engaging musical experiences for both your audience and fellow musicians.

So, grab your guitar, and let's get started on this journey of musical accompaniment.

About This Course

Hi folks, it's Guthrie Trapp from East Nashville, Tennessee and John Oates, one half of the duo, Hall & Oates.

We're here together to do a little course and explain and demonstrate accompaniment. It's a very underrated guitar technique that many players neglect.

In this course, we'll cover tons of stuff, from different voicings and dynamics to listening and watching. We'll cover it all because many guitar players, especially when practicing alone in their studio or room, focus solely on their technique and playing then, suddenly, they're thrown into a situation where they need to play behind a singer or in a band with many other players and they have to learn how to adapt their style and technique.

Accompanying someone is a whole new thing. We'll talk about all the old songwriters who yelled at us when were young and played over their vocals. That's the first lesson, right? Don't play on top of the vocals. Don't play while they're singing!

Arkansas

In this lesson, John and Guthrie will guide you through the transformation of a song they recorded in 2018 for the album 'Arkansas.' They'll demonstrate how the song, originally played with a full band and electric guitar, has been seamlessly adapted into an acoustic, unplugged style. You'll witness a live performance of the tune, followed by an insightful breakdown where John and Guthrie will share the techniques and adaptations they used, with a special focus on the guitar elements.

Arkansas

In this lesson breakdown of the song "Arkansas", John and Guthrie will show you how they collaborate on this tune, highlighting the distinct roles of the singer-songwriter and the accompanying guitarist. John focuses on maintaining rhythm and melody, while Guthrie emphasizes complementing without overshadowing John's performance. They'll demonstrate how to use dynamics, chord inversions, and strategic stage positioning to enhance their performance. The lesson will also cover how to effectively accompany a melody, create space for solos, and use different techniques like double stops and cross-picking to enrich the sound. You'll gain insight into the art of musical collaboration and how two guitars can create an orchestral effect.

+ 42 more lessons

Reviews

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Mitch

02/02/25

What a treat!

What a great way to spend 3 1/2 hours. A mixture of traditional and original tracks by John Oates and Guthrie Trapp. I remember Oates from Hall and Oates days in the 70 & 80s. It has been a fantastic surprise to discover Oates' rootsy/folk orientation. The format of the course/masterclass is interesting as it looks at accompaniment. Here the songs are performed as a duo, then the focus is on what Oates plays and then Guthrie plays. in the breakdown they discuss how they come up with their parts. I think this masterclass would benefit any guitarist/musician who is jamming or performing with someone else. NB: Oates' other 2 masterclasses are equally engaging.