MP4 GPX PDF | 1.26 GB

Interactive Video Jam Session with a Top TrueFire Artist

In Adam Levy's Folk Jazz edition of Trading Solos, you’ll trade solos with Adam over five frequently encountered folk-jazz grooves, in a variety of keys and feels including a half-time shuffle in Db, a 12-bar progression in 6/8 in the key of A, a laid-back 4/4 feel in the key of A major, an upbeat country groove in the key of E major, and a mid-tempo ballad in the key of E.

"Folk jazz melds jazz influences with other elemental American styles — spanning blues, R&B, singer-songwriter, country, and folk. Trading solos with other players and comping for each other is a great way to expand your vocabulary and keep growing as a musician."

For each of the five folk-jazz jam tracks, Adam will show you a handful of licks and rhythm approaches that you can use over the tracks as you trade solos with Adam. Then, you'll take turns applying those ideas, trading solos and comping for each other.

Track 1: Night Music

"'Night Music' is a half-time shuffle in Db and is a nod to the music of guitarist Julian Lage. Most of the chords are native to the key and they change in predictable places. This simplicity gives us a lot of room to play creatively in our rhythm and in our solos."

Track 2: Ubiquity

"Inspired by the music of guitarist Bill Frisell, 'Ubiquity' is a 12-bar progression in 6/8. It's in the key of A, though it ambles through some dusky harmonies before finally arriving at the home-base chord. Some of the chords here are inversions — with the 3rd or 5th in the bass, rather than the root."

Track 3: Gown & Gentry

"'Gown & Gentry' is in the key of A major. The 4/4 feel here is laid back, with a "Stand by Me" sort of vibe that's really fun to jam over."

Track 4: Inflecktion

"Inspired by the music of banjo master Bela Fleck, 'Inflecktion' is an upbeat country groove in the key of E major. The cadence here is unusual — interspersing 3-measure phrases among the more common 2- and 4-measure phrases. Once you familiarize yourself with these subtle twists, it's a fun challenge to play rhythm or solo over."

Track 5: Tickety Boo

"'Tickety Boo' is a mid-tempo ballad inspired by the music guitarist Mark Knopfler. It's in the key of E, though it has a few non-diatonic chords — like G#7 and Am6 — that give the progression more emotional leverage. The bass and drums are sparse, with a wide-open feel that leaves us lots of room to play."

Adam will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the key examples and performances. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video and can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All the backing tracks are included to work with on your own as well.

Grab your guitar and let’s trade solos with Adam Levy!