Jam Track, Molly Miller, Furch Guitars

Guitar Practice

Today, lets practice over an upbeat dixieland-style backing track.

While you could of course use various different chord voicings (and focus more on 7th chords), in this example, we're mainly using familiar triads (and some Dominant 7th chords), and some open chord voicings.

Most of the chords in this progression are in the key of B Minor (which is the same thing as D Major). The 2 exceptions are the F#7 chord (B Minor usually as an F#m chord), and the passing D7 chord (as the key of Bm typically has a D, or Dmaj7 chord).

A B Natural Minor (Aoelian) scale works well over most of this progression. A way to navigate F#7 and D7 chords is to focus on chord tones over them.

Below is an example of the B minor scale between the 2nd and 7th frets.

Guitarist Spotlight

Molly Miller

Los Angeles, California-based Dr. Molly Miller is a guitarist, composer, and educator - and a straight up genuine person.

Molly blends jazz, Americana, blues, and pop with some folk and surf rock vibes into a creative and soulful guitar style. She is known for her dynamic live performances, whether leading the Molly Miller Trio, or sharing the stage with other artists.

Molly has been playing music since age seven, when she had a family band with her four siblings. In high school, she got more into jazz, which let her to studying at the University of Southern California, where she earned her BM, MM and Doctorate in Musical Arts.

Molly's career took off as the touring guitarist for Jason Mraz, - a role she's had for nearly a decade. Beyond her work with Mraz, she has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including The Black Eyed Peas, Shawn Mendes, and Scary Pockets, showcasing her versatility across different styles and genres.

Her albums, including St. George and The Ballad of Hotspure, highlight her ability to create intimate yet vibrant instrumental compositions (with some amazing cover songs thrown in).

In addition to her performing career, Molly is a dedicated educator. She serves as Chair of the Guitar Department at Los Angeles College of Music, and has a number of great online courses and lessons through sites like Pickup Music. She also has an live Intro to Jazz 2 course starting soon. Her passion for guitar and music shows in her courses, as well as through her inspiring Instagram vids.

Watch Molly's great take on Cat Stevens' Wild World:

Key Gear:

• Gibson ES-335
• Fender Telecaster
• Benson Nathan Junior Combo amp
• Fender Princeton Reverb amp
• Taylor 912 acoustic guitar
• Taylor T3 electric/acoustic guitar
• EarthQuaker Devices Dunes overdrive
• EarthQuaker Devices Astral Destiny Reverb & Chorus
• Voodoo Lab Tremolo
• Fulltone Clyde wah pedal

Check out Molly Miller: Website | Instagram | Guitar Course

Gear Showcase

Furch Guitars

Czech-based Furch Guitars has been crafting outstanding acoustic guitars that blend traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation for over four decades.

Furch might be a bit less known than some other acoustic guitar manufactures, but they make some of the highest-quality guitars you'll find, and offer them at pretty incredible prices for what you get. They often get compared to guitars such as Collings, but at a fraction of the price.

In the 1970s, František Furch was a metalworker by trade, and also a musician. High-quality musical instruments were hard to find in socialist Czechoslovakia, and importing instruments from other countries was very expensive and complicated.

František first used his metalworking knowledge to create a banjo out of an old drum. A few years later, he built an acoustic guitar, using a spruce top from an old piano. He got a good response from other musicians and friends, and they started commissioning him to build guitars for them (despite the communist regime’s strict prohibition on private business), and in 1981, Furch Guitars was born.

With the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989 - and with previous restrictions removed, František was able to move his workshop from his garage to an actual factory space, and was able to start hiring help.

Over the years, Furch Guitars has grown their reputation - becoming known for meticulous attention to detail, superior sound quality, and use of premium materials.

Furch was a pioneer in adopting advanced technologies such as precision laser cutting, UV finishes, and proprietary voicing processes to enhance tonal clarity and sustain.

Furch guitars are broken up into different series, named after colors - ranging from the entry-level Violet Series, to their popular Blue Series, up through their top-of-the-line custom Rainbow Series. Like most acoustic guitar makers, Furch offers various popular body shapes and styles, as well as lots of different wood options.

Furch uses a unique voicing process to fine-tune each guitar top, resulting in guitars that deliver crystal-clear, harmonically rich tone. Every Furch guitar is finished with ultra-thin lacquer that protects and enhances the guitar's natural resonance, and highlight's the beauty of the wood.

Probably the most unique feature to Furch acoustics is their proprietary CNR System^® Active neck design. It uses a dual-action truss rod in a rigid carbon structure, as well as a solid-wood 'expansion element' that automatically adjusts the neck angle to maintain consistent string action over time. The intention is for it to adapt seamlessly to changes in humidity, and minimize the need for costly neck resets.

Furch Guitars exports its instruments globally and remains a family-operated business committed to innovation and excellence in guitar craftsmanship.

Furch guitars are known for offering a warm, resonant tone that appeals to a wide range of musicians worldwide, combined with exceptional playability.

Check out Furch Guitars: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Trending

• Taylor announced a new high-end acoustic guitar line called the Gold Label Collection. They're designed to produce a deeper, fuller-bodied tone reminiscent of 1930s and ’40s flattop guitars, in a new Super Auditorium body design.
• banez and digital guitar education platform JTC collaborated to create what they're calling “the world’s most advanced guitar cable.” It's called the Glideline, and they claim it delivers a high-resolution signals that “eliminate any compromise” from guitar tones.
• Boutique guitar manufacturer Iconic Guitars welcomed former Fender Custom Shop Senior Master Builder John Cruz onto their team.
• Cort announced the X700 Mutility II. The bolt-on guitars features a new 5-piece 25.0” – 25.5”, multi-scale neck, and a 5-way pickup selector.
• Fender added Texas Tea as a color option for the American Ultra II line.

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Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man

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