The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    I had many years of jazz guitar lessons, from early days in high school all the way to university. The end result - I became a confused and failed jazz guitarist.

    One day, I decided to up-the-ante on my transcribing. I went from outlining simple relative chords and melodies to transcribing voicings and accompaniment (rhythm.) I also learned by ear chord melody arrangements and was successful at decoding the puzzle. I did this for a few months. The end result - I am now actually playing rhythm, comping, chord-melody, tunes like a real jazz guitarist.

    Here's a small sample size of my transcriptions...More of these to come.


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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I guess it was a showcase for you chord skills without too much intense rehearsal for this recording.
    But just a friendly advice - start working on your rhythm and timing if you want to play jazz for real.
    Or else.. you'll get to a point where you'll wish to have started with that many years ago already.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by emanresu
    I guess it was a showcase for you chord skills without too much intense rehearsal for this recording.
    But just a friendly advice - start working on your rhythm and timing if you want to play jazz for real.
    Or else.. you'll get to a point where you'll wish to have started with that many years ago already.
    No. I didn't create this thread solely for my chord skills, that was just part of it. I created this thread to spread the word that in order to become a jazz guitarist, music lessons is not the answer. Going to study music in college is a waste of time, you'll end up learning more science and drenched with the books instead. Taking a $120 Chord Melody Course will not get you to play Chord Melody, it's actually learning tunes by ear that does.

  5. #4
    That’s cool that it’s helped. Thanks for sharing. I honestly don’t understand the necessity for false dichotomy though...

    Why the “vs”?

    Was the problem really an over-abundance of lessons ...or merely a deficiency in transcription? False dichotomy is the number one logical fallacy on the forum.

    A vitamin deficiency isn’t simply the result of too much exercise or too much sleep. They’re all important but may also largely separate issues.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Sioco
    No. I didn't create this thread solely for my chord skills, that was just part of it. I created this thread to spread the word that in order to become a jazz guitarist, music lessons is not the answer. Going to study music in college is a waste of time, you'll end up learning more science and drenched with the books instead. Taking a $120 Chord Melody Course will not get you to play Chord Melody, it's actually learning tunes by ear that does.
    I've been reading interviews with jazz guitarists for decades. Some had the full benefit of guitar lessons and college, even obtaining advanced degrees, in music. And, some had none of that. Some are encyclopedic in theory and some know none. There are great players who did it every which way.

    My two favorite players: Jim Hall studied music in college. Wes Montgomery did not.

    Not every player learns the same way. Not every teacher is effective.

    It is true though, that just about everything you need is on recordings, if you're capable of learning that way. Most of us aren't capable of learning everything from records -- and profit from other kinds of lessons.

    For many jazz guitarists, reading standard notation is important. How do you get that from a record?

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher
    That’s cool that it’s helped. Thanks for sharing. I honestly don’t understand the necessity for false dichotomy though...

    Why the “vs”?

    Was the problem really an over-abundance of lessons ...or merely a deficiency in transcription? False dichotomy is the number one logical fallacy on the forum.

    A vitamin deficiency isn’t simply the result of too much exercise or too much sleep. They’re all important but may also largely separate issues.
    When I read "false dichotomy", I literally have to look it up! XD!!! You have to understand where I'm coming from with this. When I was taking lessons, I end up more confused and failing in facets of jazz guitar. When I finally began learning the elements of playing jazz by ear, that's when I began hitting strides. That's what I was trying to imply. Because I am taking lessons, albeit, more focused on perfecting picking technique and learning Black Sabbath songs and stuff like that. But I have already made a conclusion that music lessons, college, books, courses, etc don't really enhance your musicality in any way, especially in jazz. Lessons may improve holes in your picking technique, and the teacher is like a coach for that, but that's about it.

  8. #7

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    Here’s the thing, because I don’t necessarily agree but I’d need more info. If your situation is that you weren’t learning jazz appropriately through lessons but we’re having success transcribing by ear, I can’t help but point out that listening will always be the number one way to learn something as opposed to trying to learn a music you don’t listen to. Since you mentioned going to lessons to learn Sabbath tunes I’m assuming jazz isn’t your number one choice of listening. So, if you are trying to learn jazz and not listening to it regularly, and I don’t mean studying one song your teacher told you to listen to, then lessons are a huge waste of your time and money.

    If I’m not correct and you regularly listen to jazz then I still disagree to a point. I do not take lessons and I haven’t in many years but I don’t learn exclusively from transcribing by ear. The lions share comes from ear but I need websites like this to put the pieces together and learn how I can make original lines and not regurgitate everything I transcribed. I’d love a teacher but I don’t have the ability to commit to weekly lessons.