Jazzed Blues Assembly Lines

Funky rhythm & blues guitar stylings of Benson, Burrell & Green

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

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Jazzed Blues Assembly Lines

About this course

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.

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.

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.

What you'll learn

  • Execute jazz enclosure technique to target chord tones
  • Execute a two-bar phrase over the IV chord
  • Create horn-like phrasing using legato slides
  • Use squeeze shift fingering technique for smooth position changes
  • Use rhythmic space and stuttering effects for musical interest
Release date: 10/27/2005 • 2h 00m runtime
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Sample lessons
I Chord: A2
I Chord: A2
Breakdown
I Chord: B1
I Chord: B1
Performance
I Chord: B2
I Chord: B2
Breakdown
I Chord: C1
I Chord: C1
Performance

What's included

40 lessons • 20 charts • 4 Jam Tracks

I Chord: A1
This unique edition in the Jazzed Blues series is based on the funky blues guitar stylings of artists like George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, and others cut from the same cloth. The purpose is to build four outstanding 12-bar solos using classic licks from these artists, first by breaking down the language in two or four bar phrases, then fusing them together. We begin with the first of many segments over the I (C7) chord, blending blues double-stops and licks, sax-phrasing, and a touch of jazz.
I Chord: A2
This unique edition in the Jazzed Blues series is based on the funky blues guitar stylings of artists like George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, and others cut from the same cloth. The purpose is to build four outstanding 12-bar solos using classic licks from these artists, first by breaking down the language in two or four bar phrases, then fusing them together. We begin with the first of many segments over the I (C7) chord, blending blues double-stops and licks, sax-phrasing, and a touch of jazz.
I Chord: B1
In the second segment, a two-bar section devoted to the C7 chord, you'll learn a great dominant blues lick in the Burrell tradition, using keyboard-oriented double-stops combined with his signature tremolo picking. This is followed by a quick triplet excursion down the minor pentatonic scale before settling into an unusual major blues lick that quotes Ronnie Foster, Benson's pianist in years past. Both of these funky blues licks possess great potential in numerous situations, as you will see and hear.
I Chord: B2
In the second segment, a two-bar section devoted to the C7 chord, you'll learn a great dominant blues lick in the Burrell tradition, using keyboard-oriented double-stops combined with his signature tremolo picking. This is followed by a quick triplet excursion down the minor pentatonic scale before settling into an unusual major blues lick that quotes Ronnie Foster, Benson's pianist in years past. Both of these funky blues licks possess great potential in numerous situations, as you will see and hear.
I Chord: C1
Now we move on to a powerful four-bar section aimed exclusively at the C7 chord. This one features a classic blues repetition in the spirit of guitar legend, Grant Green. A three-note figure is repeated and superimposed over a feeling of four, one of the most effective and funky blues devices, with unlimited possibilities. This concept is followed up by organ-based blues double-stops in the second and fourth measures. We'll break down the language and talk about getting creative with it.
I Chord: C2
Now we move on to a powerful four-bar section aimed exclusively at the C7 chord. This one features a classic blues repetition in the spirit of guitar legend, Grant Green. A three-note figure is repeated and superimposed over a feeling of four, one of the most effective and funky blues devices, with unlimited possibilities. This concept is followed up by organ-based blues double-stops in the second and fourth measures. We'll break down the language and talk about getting creative with it.
I Chord: D1
Segment four showcases another classic keyboard double-stop lick, translated to guitar. This two-bar phrase, again dedicated to the C7 chord, sees the high root maintained while a popular, chromatic blues lick takes place below it. A quick left-hand shift gets you into the traditional bar position (8th fret) for more double-stops and interplay between the C and Bb. This lick is highly versatile, and can potentially be transposed to fit both the IV (F7) and V (G7) chords in any blues progression.

+ 33 more lessons

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Reviews

7 results

Telemasterful

Verified buyer

06/20/25

All awesome tutorials and insight into deepening knowledge and navigating the fretboard

Cdougoud

Verified buyer

01/17/25

Great explanations of the use of guide tone and intervals

Really good explanations of why these moves work. Touches on intervals and guide tones. Super useful.

Ohio5665

Verified buyer

10/13/22

Jazzed Blues Assembly Lines

Mark Stephani's Jazzed Blues Assembly Lines course is a lot of fun to go through. If you like Kenny Burrell, George Benson and Grant Green style blues lines you will enjoy this course too. He shows you lines that are played over each chord in a blues progression then puts them all together. You can mix the lines around and vary them to give you ideas of your own.

gregdeB

Verified buyer

02/27/21

Jazzed Blues Assembly Lines

This is a great course for learning the vocabulary of a V,IV,I turnaround jazz blues.

sixthbeatle

Verified buyer

11/05/20

Solid Jazz/Blues Course

Nice blues licks for any style of music.

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