BluesGuitarist.Org teams with GuitarMedia to create a multi-media entry-level program on CD-ROM for guitarists seeking fretboard mastery. GuitarMedia uses the motion-picture association format (MP3) and the portable-document format (PDF) with a platform-independent CD-ROM (international standards organization ISO-9660) which can be used with any MP3/CD-Player, iPod, PC, Mac, or Linux computers. (Editors note: free shipping on all CD-ROM orders placed at GuitarMedia.com before Christmas, but telephone orders to 800/537-6727 still require a $7.95 shipping and handling fee.)

The cost of the GuitarMedia Entry Level CD-ROM is only $20. BluesGuitarist.Org still offers the same material on eight audio CDs with printed manuals as a set for $200, but the CD-ROM version is less expensive, because guitarists upload the 80 MP3 tracks into their computer or MP3-Player as well as print out the PDFs (or view them on-screen) for the 60-page User Manual and six Music Booklets.

"The cost savings is great, but for me the enhanced features of the multi-media on GuitarMedia's CD-ROM make it a better deal regardless of price," said Robert Colin Johnson, author of the programs. "For instance, you've got 23 virtual bands you can load into your computer or iPod, plus each step in the program means coming to a really cool Band Practice, where you jam-with-the-band using the provided Jam Mixes. Even the manual is fun, because it shows you how to play the notes you hear in your head by retracing the steps from blues to rock and jazz, instead of repeating scales or exercises."

"The-Heart-of-the-Blues" program on the CD-ROM utilizes over 80 files comprising more than 275 megabytes including audio instructions, virtual bands, color-coded fretboards for those who can't read music, and guitar tablature and traditional music notation for those who can read music.

Band Practices with a virtual rhythm section makes acquiring fretboard mastery more akin to jamming with your buddies than sweating over a "lesson." Each Band Practice marks a step in the six-step Heart-of-the-Blues program that begins guitarists on a journey from blues to rock and jazz, by connecting-the-dots between the perfect, minor and major tones. By following the program, players begin to hear the difference between these tones and automatically begin associating them with their fretboard patterns, guitar tablature and music notation, as they play, improvise and compose.

The Heart-of-the-Blues begins this process with a song called SingleShot, which demonstrates the minor-tone solo pattern in all fretboard positions. Guitarists engrain the fretboard pattern by jamming with the virtual band while viewing Music Booklets. The visual media provides a bridge to new communications skills by including color-codes for fretboard patterns alongside guitar tablature (TAB) and traditional music notation.

"Guitarists look forward to band practices, because you're jamming with a virtual band. You just add your own guitar to the rhythm section on the Jam Mix track. You can see the patterns illustrated, so you can play our licks even if you can't read music, or you can just jam with the patterns illustrated. The color-coded fretboards seem elementary at first, but even seasoned players can use them to improve their skill at transposing across the neck, as easily as up and down," said Johnson.

About BluesGuitarist.Org
BluesGuitarist.Org programs lead to fretboard mastery by beginning with the Heart-of-the-Blues, a six-step entry-level program leading guitarists to mastery of minor-tone solos in all fretboard positions. The major tones are added to those same fretboard positions by the six-step Soul of the Blues program. Then the 12-step Beyond the Blues program finishes the bridge to rock and jazz by showing how to switch from minor to major tones to match each bar's chord-"following the changes" while playing blues melodies, single-string rock solos, multi-string jazz chord solos and rhythm-guitar walking-bass in all 12 dominant keys. Visit our web site at BluesGuitarist.Org where free interactive guitar resources earned it the title "trés cool" by a major guitar magazine.

About GuitarMedia
GuitarMedia currently offers the entire BluesGuitarist.Org library of over 60 audio CDs with over 300 pages of instruction spanning blues guitar fretboard mastery from entry-level to expert-level. GuitarMedia is also updating the entire audio library to multimedia CD-ROMs which including MP3s for audio and PDFs for printed documents. Visit GuitarMedia.Org for free downloads or GuitarMedia.com to see our catalog.