Best way to play jazz?

[mattyc618]

Hi everyone my name is matt and ive been playing guitar for about a year and a bit now and i play all sorts mostly blues or metal. However i really really want to be able to play smooth jazz i love the genre and theres something about jazz guitar that just captures me. Any tips on how to become awesome at this would be fab. I dont read sheet music and i have no idea about this music talk stuff like chord progressions and stuff i just get lost, im a real begginner in the theory terms any advice or anything would be awesome please

Thanks everyone

[Dark Star]

I find the best way to learn is to practice blindfolded.

[Jazzpunk]

Man, if I knew the 'best' way I would sell it and make a fortune lol. Also, I'd be much better already.

My advice would be to find a good teacher if you can afford it. There is no substitute imo.

[mattyc618]

Ok guys well thanx for replying so soon. And i will give wat u said a go

[Banksia]

You will need to learn Scales, Chords, Chord Construction, Standard Progressions. You need to start learning some jazz tunes - Autumn Leaves is a usual starter tune. There is an e-book of jazz chords available on this site free.

The Beginner's Guide To Jazz Guitar (Free eBook)

[Drumbler]

To play smooth jazz you have to be smooth. Get a good haircut, shave hair on arms, apply body lotion liberally, masculine cologne (Polo, Aramis), order drinks with little umbrellas in the glass, khaki pants, polo shirts, gold chains, big smile, etc.

Smooth jazz isn't jazz to be honest. It's pop music.

So you can apply pentatonic wanking over simple chord vamps.

Listen to experts of the genre such as Kenny G., Larry Carlton, John Tesh, etc.

Some of these guys can definitely play real jazz but the smooth jazz pays the bills.

More:

Category:Smooth jazz guitarists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Aristotle]

Smooth jazz isn't jazz to be honest. It's pop music.

Snob!

Listen to experts of the genre such as Kenny G., Larry Carlton, John Tesh, etc.

Earl Klugh?
----

Matty,
On learning how to play, in general...
There is a mythical cab driver from NY City who was flagged down by a guy asking, "Do you know how to get to Cargegie Hall?"
"Yeah," replied the cabbie, "Practice man, practice!"

In the meantime, consider your own words, and the degree to which they reveal short-term objectives

1. I dont read sheet music
2. i have no idea about this music talk stuff like chord progressions

1. Learn to read music
2. Learn basic music theory

If you have specific question about how one goes about learning every chord-scale-arpeggio and how they layout on the fretboard, how and what to practice, etc., this is a reasonable place to post specific questions.

And there is a quote from an old, old issue of Guitar Player magazine. I believe it comes from Barry Galbraith, and it goe something like - don't mess around with jazz guitar if you're not serious.

[Flyin' Brian]

The smooth jazz snobbery just slays me.

Many smooth jazz guys are killer players, they just want to eat. And don't get started on that "selling out" BS.

[telemust]

hi
go to robert conti web site...check out all dvd s and find the most appropriate one...this guy is encouraging and really good instructor...for beginners you can find lots of material...watch free videos as well...

[GuitaRoland]

If there was a "Best way to play jazz" no one would be happier than me and I don't think I would be alone to think that way

/R

[Dark Star]

To play smooth jazz you have to be smooth. Get a good haircut, shave hair on arms, apply body lotion liberally, masculine cologne (Polo, Aramis), order drinks with little umbrellas in the glass, khaki pants, polo shirts, gold chains, big smile, etc.

Smooth jazz isn't jazz to be honest. It's pop music.

So you can apply pentatonic wanking over simple chord vamps.

Listen to experts of the genre such as Kenny G., Larry Carlton, John Tesh, etc.

Some of these guys can definitely play real jazz but the smooth jazz pays the bills.

More:

Category:Smooth jazz guitarists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What about shoes? What are the best shoes to wear for smooth jazz?

[Jazzpunk]

However i really really want to be able to play smooth jazz i love the genre and theres something about jazz guitar that just captures me.

I just remembered this guy from seeing some of his youtube vids:

Matt Otten, Jazz Guitar

Looks like he has some lessons on smooth jazz etc. Might be worth checking out.

Good luck!

[robertm2000]

Another guy you might check out for smooth jazz is Denny Jiosa. He's played that style for many years, and has some best selling, for the genre, CDs. He's omving on to otherstyles. I like his plyaing because it's more "composed" rather than just off-the-cuff soloing.

www.dennyjiosa.com

[paynow]

In the meantime, consider your own words, and the degree to which they reveal short-term objectives

1. Learn to read music
2. Learn basic music theory

If you have specific question about how one goes about learning every chord-scale-arpeggio and how they layout on the fretboard, how and what to practice, etc., this is a reasonable place to post specific questions.

And there is a quote from an old, old issue of Guitar Player magazine. I believe it comes from Barry Galbraith, and it goe something like - don't mess around with jazz guitar if you're not serious.

+1. No question. And if you can get your reading skills down pick up Barry's books on jazz guitar. Outstanding, but no tab.

On learning how to play, in general...
There is a mythical cab driver from NY City who was flagged down by a guy asking, "Do you know how to get to Cargegie Hall?"
"Yeah," replied the cabbie, "Practice man, practice!"

I must respectfully disagree; I asked one cabbie to take me to Carnegie Hall and he said "What is that?" Then I asked another to take me to the Bronx and he asked "Is that in Connecticut?" Then one night I had a gig in the Village, had to get there from the upper west side, jumped in a cab and said "Take me to 7th Avenue South and Christopher" and I ended up in Hoboken.

The smooth jazz snobbery just slays me.

Many smooth jazz guys are killer players, they just want to eat. And don't get started on that "selling out" BS.

Yeah, but I'm not sure not digging it is snobbery. In fact, it is not. I do agree, however that many of these guys are killer players. Not all, but many.

[monk]

Q: The best way to play jazz?

A:
1. For Money.
2. For Fun.
3. For an appreciative audience.
4. Any of the above.

[wizard3739]

Q: The best way to play jazz?

A:
1. For Money.
2. For Fun.
3. For an appreciative audience.
4. Any of the above.

+1 wiz

[mattyc618]

+1 wiz

put it this way all i want to do is play jazz guitar because i enjoy it, i dont care about money or any of that s**t because if your only doing it for money then its not worth it, ive just seen alot of jazz guitarists and there awesome they know exactly where to go when soloing nd they make really nice sounding music, as in the chords they play are lush and there awesome at soloing n thats wat i wanna do....


and if any1 is interested ive downloaded a jazz thory e book.... and im already learning so much so thankyou to the people who actually took the time to point me in the right direction... and the people who just take the p*ss well u havnt helped one bit!!

[Aristotle]

I must respectfully disagree; I asked one cabbie to take me to Carnegie Hall and he said "What is that?" Then I asked another to take me to the Bronx and he asked "Is that in Connecticut?" Then one night I had a gig in the Village, had to get there from the upper west side, jumped in a cab and said "Take me to 7th Avenue South and Christopher" and I ended up in Hoboken.

It's an old story. It was an old story when I was a kid. It dates from a time when NYC cab drivers were American.

Perhaps you should have clarified that you "disgree" about the knowledge of cab drivers, not the importantance of practice.

[Flyin' Brian]

Q: The best way to play jazz?

A:
1. For Money.
2. For Fun.
3. For an appreciative audience.
4. Any of the above.

Let me add one: To Learn Something

This is from a Metheny interview

Q. That's completely accurate from my own experience, for sure. I don't want to take up more of your time, but I wanted to finish things off by assessing the current state of music or jazz and asking what advice you have for younger musicians that are leaning towards improvisation.

A. I have one kind of stock response that I use, which I feel is really good. And it's "always be the worst guy in every band you're in." If you're the best guy there, you need to be in a different band. And I think that works for almost everything that's out there in life as well.

[fumblefingers]

put it this way all i want to do is play jazz guitar because i enjoy it, i dont care about money or any of that s**t because if your only doing it for money then its not worth it, ive just seen alot of jazz guitarists and there awesome they know exactly where to go when soloing nd they make really nice sounding music, as in the chords they play are lush and there awesome at soloing n thats wat i wanna do....


and if any1 is interested ive downloaded a jazz thory e book.... and im already learning so much so thankyou to the people who actually took the time to point me in the right direction... and the people who just take the p*ss well u havnt helped one bit!!

don't fly blind. get a teacher, get some education. you have a very long, but rewarding, road ahead. don't make the road longer or harder.

[monk]

Let me add one: To Learn Something

Good catch! I had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something.

[Dark Star]

But what if there's nothing left for you to learn? I've pretty much got everything wrapped up & am almost ready to post a link to my website chock full of lessons/music/vids/literature/occult & arcane musical wisdom. I'm a jazz ninja now.

[mr. beaumont]

put it this way all i want to do is play jazz guitar because i enjoy it, i dont care about money or any of that s**t because if your only doing it for money then its not worth it, ive just seen alot of jazz guitarists and there awesome they know exactly where to go when soloing nd they make really nice sounding music, as in the chords they play are lush and there awesome at soloing n thats wat i wanna do....


and if any1 is interested ive downloaded a jazz thory e book.... and im already learning so much so thankyou to the people who actually took the time to point me in the right direction... and the people who just take the p*ss well u havnt helped one bit!!

Relax bro--it's just a broad question. You haven't even told us what kind of jazz you want to play! You said "smooth"--do you mean smooth jazz or just music that sounds "smooth?" Who have you heard that you like? That's gonna effect our advice.

As far as "just playing jazz for the money," well that's almost impossible-- if you're going to play with any amount of skill, you'll need to put in a lot of practice--which you'll just never do unless you love the music.

Oh, and tabs? forget it man, learn to read and grab a Real Book (if it's jazz you want to learn, smooth jazz--you're gonna be on your own a bit--not much material out there as far as instruction--but most smooth cats can play straight ahead stuff too, the concepts are the same, but the rhythms are different...)

There's NO shortcuts in learning jazz. Remember that. Anyone who tells you they have a secret other than fretboard knowledge, harmony, chord building and hard work is selling snake oil. Be ready for a committment.

Jazz is like satanism. You really need to go all in if you expect to reap any benefits.

[beasleybubba]

In my opinion the best way to get started playing over changes is to wrap your brain around the simple 12 bar blues progression. Figure out how to play stuff that works over the jazz blues changes and you're off to a great start. 12 bar blues is easily accessible to most beginners because that sound/form is ingrained in our souls as much of the music we hear in our everyday lives is based on the blues.

Also, try learning a modal tune like So What. Modal tunes are also very accessible for beginners. On So What all you gotta do is learn a dorian scale and move it up and down a half step. First D dorian, then Eb, then back to D, etc. Be concious of the form though, it's AABA... a lot of beginners get confused and leave out the last A part when repeating the form.

Figuring out solos note for note is a huge part of learning how to play as well. I'd recommend figuring out Miles' solo on So What (or at least most of it) for starters. Tip: first learn to sing along with it and it will be much easier to play it with the right feel.

[Reg]

hey Matty... I can cover and do all the time "smooth Jazz". Check out a thread i started in the chords and comping section called comping on jazz tunes in a jazz style... or something like that. I can make any standard jazz tune "smooth" very easily. Pick a tune you know and I'll explain as I actually play through that tune and make a new smooth one hit wonder. There's simple to many things to discuss and you need a little music theory, but you can see and hear... Reg