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TrueFire Launches A Closer Look at the Bakersfield Sound Online Guitar Course
TrueFire’s newest addition to its catalog is a 13‑lesson series titled A Closer Look at the Bakersfield Sound. Produced in partnership with JamPlay, the course is available exclusively on TrueFire’s website and targets beginner‑to‑intermediate guitarists eager to dissect the style that defined 1960s country music.
From the outset, the program delivers high‑definition video lessons paired with interactive tablature and backing tracks. Each module zeroes in on a distinct element of the Bakersfield sound—from Buck Owens’ razor‑sharp electric rhythm to Merle Haggard’s honky‑tonk phrasing. The format allows students to practice at their own pace, replay lessons, and download the entire 4.36‑GB file set for offline use.
Technique is only one side of the lesson. Instructors also walk through the gear that shaped the Bakersfield tone. They explain how to configure a high‑end, twangy guitar and a percussive acoustic to replicate the sonic signatures of the original Buckaroos and Strangers. The curriculum then shifts to the performance mindset required for the style, stressing the importance of energy, backbeats, and the “American music” aesthetic that Owens championed.
The Bakersfield sound itself emerged in the mid‑1950s in Bakersfield, California, as a counterpoint to the polished Nashville sound. Influenced by rock‑and‑roll and honky‑tonk, the style relied on electric instrumentation and a driving backbeat. Pioneers such as Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard brought the genre to national prominence. Owens’ Buckaroos and Haggard’s Strangers produced a string of No. 1 hits and helped revive traditional country storytelling.
For guitarists, the course offers a structured path to mastering the genre’s signature licks and melodic phrasing. By studying the historical context and production philosophy, students gain insight into how the Bakersfield sound influenced later movements, including country rock, outlaw country, and progressive country.
TrueFire’s strategy to broaden its genre‑specific library is evident in this collaboration. JamPlay, known for high‑quality instructional videos, produced the content, while TrueFire hosts the lessons and provides its interactive tools. Learners can purchase the course individually or access it through a TrueFire subscription.
The release arrives amid rapid growth in online music education. According to TrueFire’s public statements, the platform currently offers more than 85,000 video lessons across all skill levels. A Closer Look at the Bakersfield Sound adds a historically significant genre to that library, giving players a chance to learn from the masters who defined a generation of country music.
The course is available for purchase on the TrueFire website as of June 17, 2026. Students can download the full lesson set, including tabs and backing tracks, and begin studying the Bakersfield sound immediately.
In sum, TrueFire’s new course delivers a comprehensive, self‑paced education in one of country music’s most influential styles. By marrying technical instruction with historical background, the program equips guitarists with the tools to play the music of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and their contemporaries while preserving the authenticity that made the Bakersfield sound enduring.
From the outset, the program delivers high‑definition video lessons paired with interactive tablature and backing tracks. Each module zeroes in on a distinct element of the Bakersfield sound—from Buck Owens’ razor‑sharp electric rhythm to Merle Haggard’s honky‑tonk phrasing. The format allows students to practice at their own pace, replay lessons, and download the entire 4.36‑GB file set for offline use.
Technique is only one side of the lesson. Instructors also walk through the gear that shaped the Bakersfield tone. They explain how to configure a high‑end, twangy guitar and a percussive acoustic to replicate the sonic signatures of the original Buckaroos and Strangers. The curriculum then shifts to the performance mindset required for the style, stressing the importance of energy, backbeats, and the “American music” aesthetic that Owens championed.
The Bakersfield sound itself emerged in the mid‑1950s in Bakersfield, California, as a counterpoint to the polished Nashville sound. Influenced by rock‑and‑roll and honky‑tonk, the style relied on electric instrumentation and a driving backbeat. Pioneers such as Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard brought the genre to national prominence. Owens’ Buckaroos and Haggard’s Strangers produced a string of No. 1 hits and helped revive traditional country storytelling.
For guitarists, the course offers a structured path to mastering the genre’s signature licks and melodic phrasing. By studying the historical context and production philosophy, students gain insight into how the Bakersfield sound influenced later movements, including country rock, outlaw country, and progressive country.
TrueFire’s strategy to broaden its genre‑specific library is evident in this collaboration. JamPlay, known for high‑quality instructional videos, produced the content, while TrueFire hosts the lessons and provides its interactive tools. Learners can purchase the course individually or access it through a TrueFire subscription.
The release arrives amid rapid growth in online music education. According to TrueFire’s public statements, the platform currently offers more than 85,000 video lessons across all skill levels. A Closer Look at the Bakersfield Sound adds a historically significant genre to that library, giving players a chance to learn from the masters who defined a generation of country music.
The course is available for purchase on the TrueFire website as of June 17, 2026. Students can download the full lesson set, including tabs and backing tracks, and begin studying the Bakersfield sound immediately.
In sum, TrueFire’s new course delivers a comprehensive, self‑paced education in one of country music’s most influential styles. By marrying technical instruction with historical background, the program equips guitarists with the tools to play the music of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and their contemporaries while preserving the authenticity that made the Bakersfield sound enduring.