A guide for those that want to take their guitar playing to the next level and are looking for a jazz guitar university program.
Finding and making a choice between the available schools can be though. This guide will help you make your choice.
Top 25 US Jazz Guitar Schools Read More »
While there are many jazz soloing techniques that use chromatic notes and other outside sounds, not every important concept steps outside the key center. The most popular example of this is the diatonic enclosure, which is built by playing two diatonic notes surrounding a diatonic target note in your lines. Used by just about every
The Diatonic Enclosure – Application and Practice Guide Read More »
Joe Pass is one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time and a master of chordal playing.
Study how Joe builds his classic chord sound on the guitar by learning to play Joe Pass chords with these essential lines and concepts.
Joe Pass Chords – Essential Lines and Concepts Read More »
One of the first things you’ll notice when playing jazz guitar chords, is that there are a lot of variations for each chord type to get under your fingers. When playing over major family chords, for example, you can play C6, Cmaj7, Cmaj9, C6/9, etc., and they all have a similar function but sound different
How to Play 6 Chords on Guitar Read More »
Satin Doll is a classic jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington.
In this lesson, you will learn an easy Satin Doll chord melody arrangement for guitar. This chord melody is suitable for beginner Jazz guitarists up to intermediate level.
In the next section, you will learn a chord study that brings some variation in your comping over Satin Doll.
Easy Satin Doll Chord Melody for Guitar Read More »
One of the most popular jazz standards of all time, Georgia on My Mind is a favorite vehicle for jazz guitarists of all levels of experience. With a memorable melody, engaging chord progression, and a slow bluesy feel, Georgia is a great tune to jam on in a solo, duo, or combo setting. In this
Georgia on My Mind Guitar Chords Read More »
Take 5 is probably one of the most recognized jazz standards of all time.
As the title of the song suggests, Take 5 is in the 5/4 time signature. You will learn how to play Take 5 chords on guitar with both the original groove and a more advanced, syncopated chord study.
How to Play Take 5 Chords on Guitar Read More »
Back cycling is an important concept in jazz music.
In this lesson, you will learn what back cycling is exactly, and how you can apply it to your solos and jazz chord progressions.
How to Practice and Apply Back Cycling Read More »
When learning how to play arpeggios over the jazz blues chord progression, or any tune for that matter, the easiest approach you can take in is to learn the arpeggio shapes within one position on the fretboard. This means that you’ll be able to play arpeggios over each chord in the progression without moving
Jazz Blues Arpeggios for Guitar Read More »
Maj7 arpeggios are a must-know concept for any jazz guitarist, but they can be difficult to get under your fingers when working these shapes around the entire fretboard. Finding a system to organize your maj7 arpeggios can make playing and soloing with maj7 arpeggios easy, as you will be able to think less about the
How to Play Maj7 Arpeggios Read More »
Studying jazz chords means two things, learning how to play chord shapes on the guitar, as well as learning how to use theory to apply these shapes to jazz tunes and chord progressions. One of the first theoretical concepts that jazz guitarists will need to get down is the theory behind diatonic chords and how
What Are Diatonic Chords? Read More »
Autumn Leaves is another classic jazz standard that every jazz guitarist should have under his belt.
Learn the fun and cool-sounding Autumn Leaves jazz guitar chords based on intervallic ideas and rootless chords.
Autumn Leaves Jazz Guitar Chords Read More »
One of the most commonly learned and played jazz standards is On Green Dolphin Street. In a similar fashion to Autumn Leaves, this tune is often played in two different keys, C and Eb. In this lesson, you’ll learn a chord study played over On Green Dolphin Street in the key of C major. If
On Green Dolphin Street Jazz Guitar Chord Study Read More »
When exploring minor key sounds as a jazz guitarist, one of the first chord qualities you will discover is the mMaj7 chord (the minor major seventh chord). Coming from the first mode of the melodic minor scale, this chord can be used over various minor chord situations, in both major and minor keys, but it
Minor/Major Seventh Chords For Jazz Guitar Read More »
As many guitarists begin playing rock, blues, and pop music before exploring jazz, one of the first scales we have under our fingers are the various positions of the major and minor pentatonic scales. To help you translate these commonly used scales to a jazz context, here are 5 jazz pentatonic scale patterns that you
5 Jazzy Pentatonic Scale Patterns Read More »
When learning how to play jazz guitar chords, one of the uncommon, yet cool-sounding shapes, which you will run across, is the maj7#5 chord (aka augmented major seventh chord). Though it is not as commonly used as the maj7 or maj7#11 chord shapes, the maj7#5 chord is an interesting sound that you can add to
Augmented Major Seventh Chords For Jazz Guitar Read More »
A fun and interesting chord progression, the tune Killer Joe is a commonly called jazz standard on jam sessions and gigs. While the tune looks easy from an initial look at the chords, especially the A sections which are only two chords, it can be tricky to keep things from becoming monotonous when playing over
Killer Joe Jazz Guitar Chord Study Read More »
Though not a guitarist, Thelonious Monk is one of the most commonly studied jazz musicians when guitarists begin to explore improvisational and compositional techniques on the instrument. With a strong focus on polyphonic lines, playing two or more notes at once, as well as a unique rhythmic approach to improvising, Monk’s lines are full of
5 Thelonious Monk Licks For Jazz Guitar Read More »
II V I chord progressions are the bread and butter of jazz, that’s why every jazz musician should be able to navigate these changes well. In this lesson you’ll learn 5 classic ii V I jazz guitar licks, in both major and minor keys, that you can use to bring a sense of jazz vocabulary
5 Essential ii V I Jazz Guitar Licks Read More »
Summertime is a classic jazz standard that is often played at gigs with a singer.
In this chord study, you will learn how to play Summertime’s chord changes with a variety of voicings such as drop 2 chords, 4th chords and 3 to 9 chords.
Summertime Guitar Chord Study Read More »
My Funny Valentine starts with a recognizable descending minor chord progression that you will find in many other jazz standards as well.
In this lesson, you will learn 10 ways to play the chords of this famous progression.
10 Ways to Play My Funny Valentine Chord Changes Read More »
