Learn the solo riffs and licks of the masters: Jimmy Page, BB King, Charlie Parker and others, and how to develop your own! "What notes do I play?" is the first question that comes to mind when a musician is asked to improvise. The answer is easy: notes that are within the key!

Basic Improvisation is designed to get you to develop your solos, and organize your thoughts and playing with the sounds around you through a step-by-step approach that applies to all styles and any instrument.

You'll begin by looking at the 12-Bar Blues form and the pentatonic scale, and gain a greater feel for phrasing your riffs and playing 'in the pocket' by studying rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic repetition.

You'll transcribe, record, and submit for instructor review excerpts of solos from legendary players from many different genres (BB King, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Jimmy Page, Louis Armstrong and others).

You'll develop an understanding of the inflexions, feel, and nuances of these different players and their improvisation techniques - knowledge you can incorporate into your own playing regardless of your primary instrument.

Many beginning bass players have learned the basics of open and moveable chord shapes, but aren't sure how or why the individual notes within the chord work so well together, or the ways by which they can expand this chord knowledge to unlock the fret board of the bass.

Bass Chords 101 presents StringMasters approach to the construction of chords, a method that focuses less on the shape of an individual chord, and more on the notes that the chord is based around.

Students will learn to construct and play different chords, as well as look at inversions and different chord voicings ­ the basic foundations players use to write or perform in any number of different styles.

Scale study is a fundamental building block to bass mastery. Accomplished bassists use scales to add color, mood, depth and feeling to their playing. When you hear an amazing run by a number of different artists, you can be sure that these players are directly referencing their extensive knowledge and internalization of scales.

Bass Scales 101 will help you to organize the often-ambiguous bass fretboard, and provide you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the instrument and develop your technique. The course begins by looking at the major and pentatonic scales, and how these scales work at different points up the neck.

You'll then learn to construct and play blues, Dorian, and Mixolydian scales in all keys, and apply these scales to performance-based weekly musical examples and practice exercises.

Guitarists who know the blues have a natural advantage over those that don't. No matter what style they chose to play – jazz, rock, classical – having a blues background provides guitarists with a foundation in form, control, feel and harmonies that can be used to advance their playing in any genre of music.

Blues Guitar 101 begins by teaching the 12-bar blues harmony, basic rhythm guitar technique, and the pentatonic and blues scale in the open position up the neck. You'll learn to incorporate some of the nuances of the masters into your playing - from doubling the bass over a shuffle in the style of Buddy Guy, to combining major and minor pentatonic scales in the style of B.B. King and T-Bone Walker.

Through call and response exercises and playing in other grooves and tempos, you'll learn to pace your solos to create tension and release – a technique mastered by all the greatest guitarists.

You'll learn to reuse the concepts and musical elements to expand your musical foundation and enhance your ability, whether you're trying to bring a blues sound to your playing or adding more depth and feel to any other style.

Many beginning guitarists have learned the basics of open and moveable chord shapes, but aren't sure how or why the individual notes within the chord work so well together, or the ways by which they can expand this chord knowledge to unlock the fret board of the guitar.

Guitar Chords 101 presents String Masters approach to the construction of chords, a method that focuses less on the shape of an individual chord, and more on the notes that the chord is based around.

Students will learn to construct and play triads and basic 7th chords, as well as look at inversions and different chord voicings ­ the basic foundations guitarists use to write or perform in any number of different styles.

Students will gain more freedom and a greater feel for their instrument by learning how to visualize chord structures anywhere on the neck of the guitar. The course offers a rich learning platform, featuring Flash movies, interactive quizzes, instructional videos, guitar tablatures and practice mp3 tracks to get the notes under your fingers as quickly as possible, while allowing you the portability to practice wherever you get a few minutes with your guitar.

Students will also benefit from personalized instruction and comments from String Masters renowned instructors on their weekly assignments as well as through weekly live chats.

By the end of the course students will be able to add more dynamics and expression to their playing and gain an extensive chord vocabulary which will prove invaluable in pursuing any style of music.

Scale study is a fundamental building block to guitar mastery. Accomplished guitarists use scales to add color, mood, depth and feeling to their playing. When you hear an amazing solo by Frank Zappa or Robert Fripp, you can be sure that these players are directly referencing their extensive knowledge and internalization of scales.

Guitar Scales 101 will help you to organize the often-ambiguous guitar fretboard, and provide you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the instrument and develop your technique. The course begins by looking at the major and pentatonic scales, and how these scales work at different points up the neck

You'll then learn to construct and play blues, Dorian, and Mixolydian scales in all keys, and apply these scales to performance-based weekly musical examples and practice exercises.

With weekly assignments that you can record and upload to your professor for review, you'll greatly improve your single-line technique, and gain a firm understanding of the possibilities available within the guitar's fretboard.

Master the basics of Keyboard technique and chord voicings, and gain an understanding of more advanced concepts including blues progressions and playing three part chords in this 12-week course.

Through exercises that explore the interpretation of lead sheets and chord symbols, the String Masters Keyboard Method will help you to improve your performance, harmonic vocabulary, and composition/arranging skills.

By the end of the course you will be able to improvise over a lead sheet while comping chords with their appropriate voicings.

Pitch. Rhythm. Scales. Intervals. Chords. Harmony. If you're serious about music, these are fundamental concepts you need to understand and master

Music Theory 101 will set you on your way. String Masters Custom Shop has helped countless students build a solid base of musical knowledge. And we'll do the same for you, supported by class discussions, interactive tools, and personalized feedback that will help you put these theories into practice every day

Join our community of beginning learners for engaging, hands-on activities that will help you read, write, and truly hear the elements of music like never before.

Enroll today!

Continuing on from the concepts presented in Music Theory 101, this course will further develop your background in music theory and provide you with the foundational knowledge you'll need to be a more effective writer and player.

You'll master the fundamental concepts of rhythm and harmony - and learn more complex chords, progressions, and rhythms that will open up your understanding of the elements that together contribute to put the groove in jazz, pop, blues, and rock.

You'll study topics including rhythmic anticipations, articulation markings, swing eighth notes, and sixteenth notes in double time feel; diatonic chords, harmonic function, melodic and harmonic tensions, as well as modal and pentatonic scales.

You'll understand why chords move from one to another the way they do; and learn to better analyze and write harmonic progressions and different rhythmic styles.

Through ear training exercises, musical examples, and personalized feedback from your instructor, you'll be able to analyze, read, write, and listen more effectively ­ as well as understand the fundamental knowledge essential to the beginning studies of harmony.