Songs like Wave, Dindi, Blue Bossa, and Corcovada have long been part of the jazz repertoire.
In this lesson, you will learn to play Brazilian jazz guitar with these 10 Latin guitar rhythms from Brazilian and Cuban music traditions. Rhythms patterns include bossa nova, samba & salsa.
Latin Jazz Guitar Rhythms Read More »
Django Reinhardt was the icon of gypsy jazz guitar and his style of playing remains popular, also today.
In this lesson, you will learn how to improvise gypsy jazz solos in the style of Django Reinhardt (video, tabs, and audio included).
How To Play Gypsy Jazz Guitar in The Style of Django Reinhardt Read More »
Although diminished chords are not used as often as major and minor chords, you should have a good understanding of these chords because they show up in many jazz standards.
Diminished chords are usually used as a passing chord or as a substitute for dominant chords. In this lesson, you will learn all the necessary diminished chord shapes and how to use them in your playing.
Besides learning chord shapes, it’s also important that you develop your right-hand technique. Rhythm is an important aspect of playing chords because it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!
In this lesson you will learn 10 essential jazz guitar chord rhythms that every jazz guitarist should know.
10 Essential Jazz Guitar Chord Rhythms Read More »
In this lesson, you will learn how to read jazz chords on lead sheets the way they appear in fake books such as the Real Book.
You will learn how to color your chords, use chord tensions and substitutions while making sure your chords don’t clash with the melody.
How to Read Jazz Chords and Lead Sheets Read More »
Learn how to play jazz-funk guitar, combining smooth jazz chords with the rhythmic fills of funk.
This lesson covers the basics of funk guitar, including chord rhythms and soloing.
Tritone substitution is one of the most popular chord substitutions in jazz. The tritone concept is very versatile and can be used for soloing, comping and composition.
In this lesson, you will learn what tritone substitution is and how you can apply it on the guitar.
Tritone Substitution Read More »
The blues scale is a very versatile scale and one that is easy to finger on the guitar. There are 2 types of blues scales, the minor blues scale and the major blues scale.
In this lesson, you will learn how to build both blues scales, how to apply them to your jazz solos, how to finger them on the guitar + sample licks and solos.
Blues Scales – The Major and Minor Blues Scale Read More »
In this jazz guitar lesson, you will learn how to play Misty, a great and fun-to-play jazz ballad written by Errol Garner.
You will learn a chord melody arrangement and how to solo over Misty’s chords (backing tracks included).
Misty – Jazz Guitar Chord Melody Arrangement and Solo Study Read More »
One of the most exciting guitarists of his, or any, generation, Mike Stern has created a unique voice in the jazz guitar world. Besides his signature tone and energetic time feel, Stern loves to use certain substitutions in his playing to create a tension-release vibe. One of the most common ways Mike does this is by
Mike Stern Subs – ii V I Half Step Approach Chords Read More »
The minor pentatonic scale is usually one of the first scales you learn as a guitar player. It is used a lot in blues, rock, and pop, but many jazz guitar players seem to neglect this scale.
This doesn’t have to be the case though, because the pentatonic scale is very useful, in jazz as well as other genres.
In this lesson, you will learn all the necessary fingerings of the minor pentatonic scale, and how you can use it to spice up your jazz solos.
The Minor Pentatonic Scale Read More »
Charlie Parker (aka “Bird”) is one of the founders of bebop. He was the master of chord tone improvisation and that’s why his playing is so interesting for guitarists to study. Though translating lines from sax to the guitar isn’t always easy, studying legendary players such as Charlie Parker is time well spent. Getting your
Charlie Parker For Guitar – Licks, Patterns, and Clichés Read More »
The diminished scale is used to improvise over Diminished chords, which occur quite frequently in jazz chord progressions. This scale is built by alternating whole and half steps.
In this lesson, you will learn the theory behind diminished scales, as well as how to use them in your jazz guitar solos.
The Diminished Scale Read More »
In this jazz guitar lesson, you will learn 11 variations of the minor blues chord progression and 2 guitar chord studies over the minor blues.
Comping over a minor blues tune is an essential skill for any jazz guitarist, as minor blues tunes are some of the most commonly called songs on jam sessions.
Minor Blues Chord Progressions Read More »
Build your jazz guitar vocabulary by learning these 50 classic bebop jazz guitar licks, as well as the important concepts behind each lick.
Learning to understand the concepts behind jazz licks is one of the most important aspects of building a jazz vocabulary.
50 Bebop Jazz Guitar Licks Read More »
Expand your jazz guitar soloing chops by learning how to play and apply the dominant diminished scale.
Theory, diagrams, licks, solo & backing tracks included.
The Dominant Diminished Scale For Guitar Read More »
In this lesson, you will learn 9 jazz guitar licks and a blues solo in the style of the great bebop player Barney Kessel.
Besides learning the vocabulary, you will also learn the concepts behind these jazz phrases.
Barney Kessel Jazz Guitar Licks Read More »
This gypsy jazz guitar lesson is an introduction to “La Pompe”, the typical rhythm guitar strumming used in gypsy jazz, aka Manouche.
You will learn how to play chords and chord progressions in the style of Django Reinhardt.
Gypsy Jazz Guitar – Rhythm & Chord Progressions Read More »
The bebop scale is one of the easiest ways to add a jazzy sound to your guitar playing. This is because you add a chromatic note to the regular modes, and chromatic notes are an important aspect of the jazz sound.
There are three types of bebop scales: the dominant, minor and major bebop scale.
In this lesson, you will learn what the bebop scales are, how they look on the guitar and how you can use these scales in your solos.
The whole tone scale is a cool-sounding dominant 7th scale that you can use to add tension to your dominant 7th chords.
In this lesson, you will learn how to build the whole tone scale and apply it to your jazz guitar playing.
The Whole Tone Scale For Guitar Read More »
Blues is a predecessor of jazz, and both genres have always been heavily intertwined. The type of blues played by jazz musicians is more complex than traditional blues, but both have the same characteristics.
In this lesson, you will learn 6 variations of the jazz blues progression going from the basic original blues to more modern variations like the bebop blues changes.
Jazz Blues Chord Progressions Read More »
One of the most popular tunes at jam sessions and pick up gigs is the Herbie Hancock classic Cantaloupe Island. While you can learn the chord progression, melody, and check out soloing on this tune, many guitarists skip the main riff of the tune. Though it’s originally played on piano, you can easily adapt that
Cantaloupe Island Piano Riff For Guitar Read More »
In this lesson, you will learn the 10 most popular jazz chord progressions with practical examples for guitar.
Chord progressions are the backbone of any jazz standard and knowing how to play the most-used progressions is essential for any jazz musician.
Practicing these 10 progressions will give you a head start when learning new jazz standards.
Jazz Chord Progressions Read More »
All The Things You Are is another essential jazz standard and one that is often played by beginning jazz musicians, although it has a fairly complex harmony.
In this lesson, you will analyze the harmony of All The Things, learn a chord melody arrangement and a solo study.
All The Things You Are Read More »
The melodic minor scale is one of the most useful scales in jazz. In this lesson, you will learn what the melodic minor modes are, how they look on the guitar and how you can use them in your solos. All the modes on this page have the A root, so you can hear the
Modes Of The Melodic Minor Scale For Guitar Read More »
Bebop is one of the most exciting jazz styles to play on the guitar.
In this lesson, you will learn the basics of bebop: chromatic notes, the bebop scales, bebop motifs and a solo over Scrapple from the Apple in the style of Charlie Parker. Practice the bebop concepts in this lesson and you will get that “jazzy” sound in your guitar playing.
Bebop Guitar – The Beginner’s Guide Read More »
When learning how to solo in jazz, one of the scales that comes up in our studies time and again is the altered scale, which is the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor Scale. While this scale comes up often when reading about jazz improvisation, it can seem like a bit of a mystery. To
The Altered Scale For Jazz Guitar Read More »
Miles Davis’ professional career spans 50 years during which he was on top of almost every important innovation in jazz. Miles Davis impressed by his performance, recordings, and also by his choice of sidemen. Though not a guitarist, studying Miles Davis’ lines can take your jazz guitar soloing chops and creativity to the next level.
Miles Davis For Guitar Read More »
The ii V I chord progression is the most common progression in jazz music.
Learning ii V I licks is an important step in building a jazz vocabulary, and the licks on this page can quickly and easily add some great sounding jazz phrases to your arsenal.
II V I Jazz Guitar Licks Read More »
Exotic guitar scales are great to add some new flavor to your music. In this lesson, you will learn 11 scales from different parts of the world. You will also learn how to practice these scales and get an introduction to Indian music for guitar (ragas). Each scale is in the key of A and
Exotic Guitar Scales Read More »
