ALEX SKOLNICK's 'Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers' Three-DVD Set Now Available

May 14, 2010

Rock House, the leader in music instruction, announced today the release of "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers", a new three-DVD set featuring TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick. On his first-ever instructional program, Alex — who is world-renowned for creating an unprecedented blend of metal and traditional jazz with his ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO — shares his perspectives and secrets for conquering jazz guitar. Using basic blues progressions, he guides you through jazz concepts and shows how to follow progressions by targeting chord tones, triads, embellishments, modes and jazz patterns. He shows how to apply techniques like upper chord extensions, chromaticism, jazz licks, and to add bossa nova, swing, 6/8 time and waltz rhythmic styles to your skill set. Alex reveals how he transforms rock songs like the SCORPIONS' "Still Loving You" into a jazz composition, as well as his approach to classic standards such as "Autumn Leaves".

Jazz, rock and metal guitarists will find this program details jazz theory and concepts that will increase your music vocabulary, repertoire and overall fluency.

The "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers" three-DVD set is available at MI retailers around the world for $29.99 and digitally on demand at this location. The program includes more than 40 lessons, a 62-page interactive E tab book, live performances and iPod-ready video (not available with on-demand version).

This DVD and all Rock House instructional products are distributed through Hal Leonard Corporation (1-800-544-0626).

"Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers" comes with lifetime membership to Rock House's lesson support site at www.rockhousemethod.com. This feature, exclusive to Rock House and its partners, offers students supplementary support for the lessons featured in "Jazz Guitar: Breaking The Traditional Barriers". Once registered, students can interact with the community, utilize the additional learning tools and access the special online only features.

A trailer for the set can be viewed below.

Alex is a founding member of TESTAMENT, one of the most influential metal/thrash bands of all time. He is also a member of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the popular rock opera whose musical style is described as symphonic rock meets classical music with a touch of metal. In 2002 he began work on the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, a traditional jazz band known for their inventive jazz renditions of rock and metal standards. Additionally, Alex is featured on the soundtrack for the hit Broadway musical "Jekyll & Hyde".

"Alex perfectly suits Rock House's mission of finding the best musicians who can teach a diverse set of skills in an effort to help students meet the challenge of developing their own style," said Joe Palombo, executive director of Rock House.

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