In preparing for the launch of our new online Jazz Guitar School with Chuck Loeb, we recently released a sample lesson where Chuck breaks down The 6 Positions (a fundamental scale concept in his jazz guitar lessons). While The 6 Positions will help you to learn the geography of the fretboard, "approach notes" are a way to introduce notes outside of the key so you can incorporate some chromaticism into your jazz lines.

"All we're doing is surrounding each note of the triad."

Chuck demonstrates how it's done by starting with a simple chord progression going from A to D.

Chuck Loeb recently did an interview about his new jazz guitar lessons with journalist Brittany Frederick which appears on Examiner.com.

"I think the most important thing that's going on for me right now is this teaching thing. I'm just so excited to be involved with ArtistWorks, and [to] have my own format for giving something back educationally in what I love more than anything else which is jazz guitar and jazz music. It's been a long time coming, and now I finally have a format for it...I think I'll be able to connect with people around the world."

- Chuck Loeb

ArtistWorks' new Online Jazz Guitar School with Chuck Loeb launches in April and Chuck is clearly excited about taking his unique method for simplifying jazz improv to the masses.  Click on the picture to read the full interview and find out more about the new online Jazz Guitar School with Chuck Loeb at www.chuckloebguitar.com! 

We saw this in a Classical Guitar Forum and it's a great example of how to ramp up our Refer A Friend Program and get a lot of free months. 

Here’s how it works:

•     Click the Refer a Friend link next to your Student Stage link
•     Enter the emails of the friends you want to invite
•     Share the link to your social networks 
•     Post the special link to your websites, favorite blogs and Forums

Anyone who signs up using your special link will receive 1 extra month and you also get 1 extra month added to your existing subscription.

So go big! Use your Klout and your reach and all those other Web 5.0 words.  Join or start a conversation, use your link and get free months. Just make sure to be relevant and helpful on forums and communities.  It's a win-win for you and anybody you refer, so be sure take advantage of the ArtistWorks Refer A Friend Program! For any questions or concerns please contact Customer Service.

Nathan East recently appeared on the Tavis Smiley show to promote his debut solo album (now available). They talk about some of the amazing musicians that Nathan plays with on his new album and you can hear some previews of the tracks as well. They also get into some of Nathan's favorites bassists which include: Larry Graham (Sly and the Family Stone / Graham Central Station), Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report), James Jamerson (Motown backing musician), Chuck Rainey (Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin), Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), Paul McCartney, Sting, Marcus Miller, jazz legend Ron Carter, and the prolific studio session player Abraham Laboriel. 

"…all these guys have taken the bass to another level." - Nathan East

Listen to the interview above on SoundCloud and also visit PBS.org to watch another interview they did together which aired last night on TV. Tavis is clearly a great fan of Nathan's, and the two have a great chemistry together which comes across in both interviews.

Last week, a video of a little girl shredding on guitar received a lot of attention from some big websites like Guitar World, Huffington Post, Daily Motion, and many others. The guitarist, 8-year-old Li-Sa X from Japan, is shown nailing the lead guitar part that Paul Gilbert wrote for the tune "Scarified," which came out in 1987 on Racer X's second studio album Second Heat.

They weren't the only ones impressed by young Lisa though... 

1. The Power of Purpose 
2. Your Mental Approach can Influence the Audience
3. Stage Presentation and Performance Skills
4. Vocal Skills

Click here to read more from The Harmony Rag, which is put together by Sweet Adelines International and represented by the Quartet of Nations Region 31 in England, Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands.

One of the most important things in Jazz Guitar is being able to improvise. To pull off a good solo, you need to know which key and scales work with the backing chords. What can be confusing when learning jazz guitar is that there are a variety of patterns and locations to play the same scale. It's important to know the most efficient way of finding the right notes for the desired key from anywhere on the neck as you move around.

The way to do this is to learn the geography of the fretboard and understand how the notes relate to each other - which brings us to what Chuck Loeb refers to throughout his jazz guitar lessons as "The 6 Positions."

Jeannie Deva has a new blog on MusicConnection.com where she talks about how to break out of a rut when singing stops being fun.

"If you are enjoying it more, keep doing what you are doing, as it is obviously successful. If you are enjoying it less, or find yourself fluctuating, it’s time to change something; and I don’t mean that the answer is to stop singing." 

- Jeannie Deva, read more at MusicConnection.com 

We are proud of all our artists who have dedicated their time teaching students online via our online learning platform, and always happy when they find time to record new albums. Within the past 12 months, 10 out of our 25 online teaching artists are either releasing, or have already released new albums. This recent surge is more evidence that our online learning model is working - passionate students are able to access these talented musical geniuses, and the artists are able to balance teaching with recording new music. Here's what's new:

• Tony Trischka (banjo lessons) - Great Big World released on February, 2014 (Rounder)
• Mike Marshall and the Turtle Island Quartet - collaborative self-titled album released March 2014  (Adventure Music)
• Darol Anger (fiddle lessons) - album with E-and'a released March, 2014 (Adventure Music)
• Nathan East (bass lessons) - self-titled debut solo album coming March, 2014 (Yamaha Entertainment Group)
• Scott Law (free acoustic guitar lessons) -  Black Mountain released October 2013 (Volcano Underground)
• Martin Taylor (fingerstyle guitar lessons) - The Colonel and the Governor with Tommy Emmanuel released March, 2013 (Mesa Blue Moon)
• Bryan Sutton (bluegrass guitar lessons) - Into My Own coming April, 2014 (Sugar Hill)
• Jason Vieaux (classical guitar lessons) - Play released January 2014 (Azica)
• DJ Qbert (skratch lessons) - long awaited Extraterrestria album coming soon (TBA)
• Chuck Loeb (jazz guitar lessons) - Silhouette released September 2013 (Shanachie)

Jazz improvisation is often seen as an elusive and intimidating pursuit among guitarists. Without a background in music theory, the average guitarist often has trouble wading through all scales, modes, and other knowledge that's required for playing jazz guitar. Without access to a good teacher, trying to learn jazz guitar can be an overwhelming and unfulfilling experience.