Jon Herington, the lead guitarist for Steely Dan and Madeleine Peyroux for well over a decade, has a knack for making his parts sound fresh, innovative and seamless. He’s released a series of stellar solo albums – the most recent being 2016’s Adult Education – which combine technique and years of dedication. Along the way, he’s developed a sound which is unique to the rock and jazz genres.
It should come as no surprise that there are many novice and professional guitarists clamoring for Herington’s insights. What’s surprising is that he has the time, given his solo gig and work with Steely Dan, to provide in-depth thoughts on his craft.
TrueFire, the comprehensive full streaming website and mobile app, is the next best thing to having Herington and a grouping of his skilled compadres with you in your practice room. The site has over 35,000 video lessons, and excellent tabs for guitar beginners like me. Those of higher skill levels will appreciate the detailed notations and jam tracks too.
I find the videos which I accessed via the TrueFire app on my iPad particularly helpful. I started with Jon Herington’s Ear IQ – an introduction to reactive improvisation. The accompanying video broke down the concepts logically, making the “why” easy to understand. The notations also where helpful, even for someone like me of limited musical training.
Quite frankly, the level of detail was just right for me – and, for more skilled guitarists, the program progresses to a point where most will gain from it. The breakdown of “Caroline Yes,” from Jon Herrington’s 2012 album Time On My Hands, was particularly helpful.
After playing with Herington’s Ear IQ for just one weekend, it was obvious that this was a wonderful opportunity to climb down a wonderful musical-education learning hole. Thanks Jon Herington for an opportunity to go behind the curtain, with an expert leading the way.
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