The Nature of Guitar

"We had the great privilege of collaborating with Pat Martino on The Nature of Guitar. His recent passing left us in profound sorrow. Pat’s extraordinary contributions to our musical heritage will resonate forever and inspire many future generations of musicians. We hope you share our respect and admiration for this extraordinary artist and human being. Pat Martino will always be remembered here. - Brad Wendkos, TrueFire Founder

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"The guitar is quite a phenomenon, one that goes far beyond what it initially appears to represent. When we study something that generates ingenuity, it creates a condition that not only reveals more to us about ourselves, but in that process causes important changes in our viewpoints.

That's what these studies are about. They're designed to provide a greater insight regarding specific traits of the instrument itself, but at the same time joining with similarities found in many other things. In this way continuously producing what's needed to expand our perspectives. That's 'The Nature of Guitar.'" - Pat Martino

Pat Martino's music, mastery of the fretboard, and enlightening improvisational concepts have inspired musicians since the early 60's when he first took to the bandstand as a teenager. Fifty-plus years later Pat is considered one of the most influential guitarists walking the planet today.

"Jazz is the continual pulsation of the now." - Pat Martino

Guitar Player Magazine sums Pat's musicality up very accurately; "Martino's awe-inspiring technique, endlessly inventive lyricism, and driving feel - thanks to a wicked picking hand that can deliver endless streams of notes with a stunningly beautiful and powerful attack - have made him one of jazz guitar's most dynamic, singular exponents."

"True music, like all true art, is an experience to be shared, not judged, for praise cannot make it better, as blame cannot make it worse." - Pat Martino

Many of us here at TrueFire have been privileged to attend his fascinating and enlightening workshops and seminars over the years. We've read and re-read practically every interview and article related to the way he sees and feels music. These are very deep waters but those brief workshops and relatively short articles just don't seem to dive deep enough to achieve a true understanding of Pat's iconoclastic teachings.

As educators, we yearned to immerse ourselves in his presence and teachings and then document that exploration for other students of music and guitar. Fortunately, Pat was willing to undergo the process with us.

We spent hundreds of hours with Pat in Philadelphia and in our Florida studios and hundreds more in post-production piecing together what we can only describe as an amazing, life-changing stream of consciousness.

The Nature of Guitar documents that experience with 84 multi-angle videos (5 hours and 27 minutes worth), graphic animations, tab, standard notation, Guitar Pro files, and 100+ pages of bonus PDF supplementary material from Pat.

The Nature of Guitar is not about learning Pat's licks (although there are plenty to pull from); it's not about learning Pat's tunes (although he does perform a couple of them); and it's certainly not a traditional learning experience. You too will need to immerse yourself in The Nature of Guitar to truly understand and absorb the seminal teachings contained within its architecture.

"The guitar is of no great importance to me. The people it brings to me are what matter. They are what I'm extremely grateful for, because they are alive. The guitar is just an apparatus." - Pat Martino

The Nature of Guitar is a dream come true for all of us here at TrueFire. We can't thank Pat enough for trusting us with the project. We also must thank Tom Dempsey for his brilliant consultative and production contributions.

Most of all, we hope with all our hearts that you discover what you've been yearning to learn from Pat Martino here in The Nature of Guitar.

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Screenshots from The Nature of Guitar

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"As an improviser you need to experience the moment - and that includes everything in the moment. Observe the people around you - the bandleader, the bartender - what they wear, how they deal with people, the simple continuity of their presence. As you do that you'll see how you affect them, and you'll play and act accordingly. You need to study the reality of the moment, and that is very rarely about studying modes and intervals." - Pat Martino

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A Note from Tom Dempsey, Co-Producer/Musical Consultant:
"My journey through jazz began almost immediately with an introduction to Pat Martino's music. From the moment I first heard the album Live and then El Hombre my life and music were impacted in a profound way. As I continued to develop I had the opportunity to immerse myself more in his music. Then I attended my first of many workshops led by Pat. There are no words to fully describe the tremendous effect that experience had on my life. He demonstrated a completely different way of looking at the guitar and music itself.

I have been fortunate to attend many more Pat Martino workshops over the years. Each time I seemed to get a little bit closer to comprehending the different facets of his unique approach. I always felt that if I could just sit with each one of the concepts, with Pat in the room, and allow for on opportunity of full immersion I might be able to get closer. As I began to work on this project I wanted to help nurture this type of environment to exist. Allowing for the possibility of focused attention on the various concepts of Pat's teachings. In doing so I quickly realized that all of Pat's teachings, wisdom and music take on new meaning as I evolve.
To be involved in the documenting of The Nature of Guitar has been a tremendous honor. Many thanks to Pat for his trust in me with this project as well as his ongoing support. The information in The Nature of Guitar is, in my opinion, sacred. To be offered the opportunity to apprentice with Pat Martino and help in the presentation of this knowledge is one I hold with great responsibility. I would like to thank everyone at TrueFire for having the courage and commitment to document this great work. Having this information live in this format will have a tremendous impact on music forever.

To hear the music of Pat Martino is a blessing. To sit in a room and experience his music and teachings is a sacred moment. The opportunity to experience his music and teachings in this format is a great gift of unrealized potential. This is your moment of discovery. Welcome to The Nature of Guitar."

A Note from Brad Wendkos, TrueFire Founder:
"The Nature of Guitar is a dream come true for all of us here at TrueFire. We are big fans of Pat's music and have always been fascinated by his teachings, but this project has much bigger ambitions than just sharing those teachings with other students of guitar.

Pat's oneness with music reflects his oneness with life and the universe at large. Every note Pat plays resonates throughout his oneness and across the universe to grab us by the ear and stimulate our souls. How do you convey that to the world at large? How do you break down and present Pat's extraordinary perception of not just the 'nature of guitar' but of music and life itself? How do we accurately and appropriately document this remarkable artist and human being for generations to come?

Clearly, we've never been faced with a bigger creative challenge, over all of the 20+ years that we've been producing interactive learning experiences. It took us the better part of two years, but I believe we've answered those critical questions across the six hours of interactive video, countless animations, tabs, text narratives, and musical notations that comprise The Nature of Guitar.

We thank Pat for his faith and confidence in all of us here at TrueFire, and for continuing to inspire us and excite us about what we are privileged to do with our lives. We must also thank Tom Dempsey without whom this simply would not have been possible. Tom's educational acumen, intellect, and musicality are all nothing short of exemplary.

Grab your guitar and buckle up - you are about to immerse yourself in a remarkable learning adventure guided by one of the most influential musicians of our times."