Creative Control

Skill Building Guitar Course from Jeffery Marshall

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Creative Control with Jeffery Marshall picks up where his series Inside and Out leaves off. Now that you have the fundamental knowledge of chord, arpeggio, and scale construction across the neck of the guitar, how do you move that conceptual knowledge into practical application? Creative Control discusses concepts and techniques like pentatonic and chord substitution, blues phrasing, motifs, and hybrid picking. When combined you'll have the ability to take your knowledge of the fretboard and translate it into memorable musical passages.

30 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

Guitar Pro

All tabs and notation provided in PDF and Guitar Pro formats.

Tabs & Info

Download tabs, helpers, JamTracks and docs included with lessons.

Included

Access this course, along with all other courses with Membership.

Full Course Breakdown

You'll take your knowledge of the fretboard via chord and scale shapes and transform it into musical concepts and techniques. This course is all about the practical application in a musical setting. You'll learn chord and scale substitutions, modal ideas, blues-specific phrasing, as well as a basic understanding of the hybrid picking technique.

Begin the Course
1

Creative Control Introduction

Jeffery Marshall is back with another deep dive into creativity through technique and concept. Building on his series Inside and Out, Jeffery takes a practical look at taking basic fretboard and skill knowledge and transferring it into the realm of musicality.

1:44 Runtime

0.0 Difficulty

2

Good Cop, Bad Cop - Part 1

One of the first steps to learning to lead or solo involves playing in boxes or scale positions. In the lead-off lesson in this series, Jeffery talks about getting out of the box and combining tonalities over the blues.

10:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

3

Good Cop, Bad Cop - Part 2

In part 2 of the good cop, bad cop context, Jeffery looks at taking that idea and using it over chord changes.

5:48 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

4

Good Cop, Bad Cop - Part 3

To avoid sounding "hokey" in a blues setting where major chords are being used, Jeffery talks about using minor tonalities over major V chords.

6:13 Runtime

0.0 Difficulty

5

Pentatonic Substitution - Part 1

Now it's time to look at substituting pentatonic scales to create a new and different feeling.

6:11 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

6

Pentatonic Substitution - Part 2

In part 2 of pentatonic substitution learning, Jeffery talks about how all of the major and minor chords of a key are relative to each other, helping you nail down what pentatonic scales will work for different chords is a diatonic setting.

8:08 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

7

Pentatonic Substitution - Part 3

In the next lesson cover pentatonic substitutions, Jeffery discusses creating outside sounds using pentatonic scales over chords you may not have thought about.

9:03 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

8

Chord Substitution - Part 1

Starting in lesson 8, Jeffery discusses rhythm guitar and spicing up your rhythm playing through chord substitutions.

10:38 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

9

Chord Substitution - Part 2

In part 2 of chord substitution, you'll be substituting triads over major 7 chords.

5:56 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

10

Chord Substitution - Part 3

In the final segment dedicated to chord substitution, you'll be using triads over minor 7 chords.

9:06 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

11

Modal Chords - Part 1

In the next section of rhythm learning, Jeff discusses the concept of modal chords and harmonizing scales.

11:06 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

12

Modal Chords - Part 2

In part 2 of the modal chords section, Jeffery discusses modal chords in a context of a 12 bar blues.

7:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

13

Modal Chords - Part 3

In lesson 13, Jeffery discusses being able to use the same modal chord voicings against various key signatures or tonal centers with a backing track.

7:16 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

14

Modal Chords - Part 4

Continuing on with the concept of modal chords, in lesson 14 you're now going to also start modifying the triads you're using.

14:46 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

15

Modal Chords - Part 5

Now that you're familiar with altering basic triads, let's take that a step further and look at quartal harmony.

11:54 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

16

Modal Chords - Part 6

Closing out this section on modal chords, you'll use all of the techniques discussed and demonstrated by Jeffery over a backing track.

10:37 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

17

Blues Phrasing - Part 1

Next up in the Creative Control series is a look at phrasing. In part 1 you'll specifically look at the concept of space.

10:53 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
18

Blues Phrasing - Part 2

Continuing to build off the concepts of the last lesson, you'll move your phrasing behind the downbeat and let the band speak first.

7:29 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

19

Blues Phrasing - Part 3

In lesson 19, Jeffery discusses the concept of repetition in phrasing. Mixed with the concepts from the previous two lessons, this can further help shape the feel you want in your blues phrasing.

10:35 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

20

The Motif Part 1: Melody

In this lesson, Jeffery discusses the concept of a motif, specifically as a melody. This concept will help you get out of playing lick-based lead and solo lines.

15:15 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

21

The Motif Part 2: Rhythms

Just like using a melodic approach to a motif, you can apply the same concept to rhythms. In lesson 21, Jeffery shows you how!

10:28 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

22

The Motif Part 3: Accents

Now, let's jazz up the concept of a motif even further by adding accents.

12:20 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

23

Odd Grouping Part 1: 3 Against 4

The next tool in your creative control arsenal is the idea of odd groupings against an even feel. This technique keeps the listener on their toes and can create some really cool stumbling effects in your playing. Jeffery will start by dissecting groups of three, against four.

8:08 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

24

Odd Grouping Part 2: 5 Against 4

Let's continue our look at odd groupings over even feel with the next set, five against four.

8:50 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

25

Odd Grouping Part 3: 7 Against 4

Now the last set of odd groupings over an even feel, seven against four.

16:44 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

26

Hybrid Picking Part 1: Rhythm

Hybrid picking gives you more options for playing style versus a pick, or even fingers alone. In the next several lessons Jeffery will break down the style into different components, starting with Rhythm.

13:21 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

27

Hybrid Picking Part 2: Rhythm - The Claw

Lesson 27 takes a look at a specific rhythm technique for hybrid picking called "the claw"

8:44 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

28

Hybrid Picking Part 3: Soloing

Hybrid picking can add some flare and dynamics to your solos as well by allowing you to quickly accent individual notes that wouldn't necessarily be possible with a pick.

10:50 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

29

Hybrid Picking Part 4: String Skipping

Additionally, hybrid picking makes string skipping and the wide intervals that go along with it a bit easier to accomplish.

16:00 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

30

Hybrid Picking Part 5: Psycho Speed

Mixed with hammer-on and pull-off techniques, hybrid picking has the ability to incredibly increase the speed at which you can play. To wrap up this series, Jeffery shows you how.

18:30 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

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Jeffery Marshall

15
  • PrettyPlace, Michigan
  • Playing since 1981
  • 152 lessons at JamPlay
Begin Course


Jeffery has been a staple of the L.A. music scene for more than 30 years. Jeffery left his humble upbringings in Northern Michigan to attend Hollywood's own Musicians Institute in 1989. Upon graduating, he quickly immersed himself in the local music scene playing in a variety of bands, one of which included the band Hardware featuring Tod Howarth of Frehley's Comet, Ted Nugent, and Cheap Trick fame. In 1994 Jeff relocated to Dallas, Texas where he teamed up with alt rockers The Judas Engine and recorded guitars on their self-titled debut Rainmaker Records release. In the late 90's Jeffery relocated to Southern Ohio playing in various local acts where he further honed his craft as a reputable Blues/Rock guitarist. In the early 2000's Jeffery returned to the Los Angeles area and toured with a variety of national acts, which included Lisa Hayes and the Violets, and Pop/Country artist Ashley Jay. About this time is when he met Paul Vallis, the founder of UK's very own Bleeding Harp. Jeffery co-authored and produced Bleeding Harp's debut CD "Gotta Have", released in 2004. Bleeding Harp quickly rose through the ranks of the L.A. Blues scene, regularly playing venues such as Harvelle's, The Blue Cafe, The Coach House and the Catalina Island Blues Festival. In and about 2004 is when Jeffery met Country artist Rick Monroe. The two quickly hit it off as writing partners and Monroe's "Against the Grain" is a result of this pairing. Jeffery moved to Nashville and toured with Rick for a number of years, both in the U.S. and abroad. Rick's video of his Allman Brother's remake "Midnight Rider", which featured Jeffery on guitar and background vocals, was on regular rotation on country music's CMT. The group opened for a number of well-established acts including Dwight Yokum, Montgomery Gentry, and Kenny Wayne Shephard, to name a few.

In 2006 Jeffery returned to L.A. and began teaching at the world-renowned Musicians Institute, Guitar Institute of Technology where he currently resides as a full-time instructor. Jeffery teaches a variety of core classes including Single String Improv, Rhythm Guitar, Guitar Studio Skills, Rhythm Section Workshop, as well as private lessons. He has also written articles and created instructional YouTube videos for Guitar World Magazine. Jeff can be seen playing with guitar phenom Jeff Kollman in his solo group The Jeff Kollman Band and jazz/metal fusion band Cosmosquad at the world famous Baked Potato. He also plays lead guitar for season 4 of "The Voice" contestant Michael Austin in Michael Austin and the Law, which regularly performs at Gilley's Saloon in Las Vegas.
Reviews & Feedback 76/100 with 17 ratings
fgbeatles1

Great teacher, everything I've seen on the website from him is good, & useful in my stage of guitar knowledge. Good stuff.

RalfRamone

suddenly I can play with interest