Studying Mickey Bakers Guitar Method Book 1 & 2

[Jazz6string]

Hello everyone,

I am not a beginner guitar player but I am one when it comes to Jazz. I have played Classical and Blues and I know how to play a few jazz songs. I subscribed to the premium lessons on this site which I think are very good and have helped learn two great Jazz classics.

I heard a lot of good things about Mickey Baker and his books and I am going to take my time and work through each lesson. I am 40 and would like to something with my music and maybe get a trio together some day and play some clubs. I will let you know how I am progressing. If anybody has some suggestions on how to help me on my journey please feel free to reply. Thanks!

[losaltosjoe]

Hi Jazz6string,

Regarding the Mickey Baker Guitar Method, there are some very helpful threads on this forum. Also, I found this site to be invaluable: Mickey Baker Also, if you search YouTube, you will find some great stuff posted by members of this forum. I've just reached the half-way point with book 1. Good luck!

Joe

[Rob MacKillop]

I've done a few videos of Book 1 here: Mickey Baker Jazz Guitar | Rob MacKillop ~ Musician - hopefully they might be of use to you.

[Jazz6string]

I've done a few videos of Book 1 here: Mickey Baker Jazz Guitar | Rob MacKillop ~ Musician - hopefully they might be of use to you.

I subscribed to your channel on youtube.

[Jazz6string]

I practice Mickey Baker for 2 hours a day then I work on my scales and then I play the songs I know and then work on new songs. I try to practice for 4 hours a day. If I can I will play for 6 hours.

[Jazz6string]

I am working on Lesson 4 transposing to other keys. I am really enjoying the book and I wish I picked it up years ago.

[pierre richard]

It may not be the best book on the subject..but thousands just like us have played through it and learned much from it..

When I started learning jazz guitar i remember one other book on the subject...Ronnie Lee's Jazz Guitar...from Mel Bay...

Now their are hundreds (well maybe hundreds)..of books by as many players...you have to take the first step and choose one...go through it and get another...

And do not forget about books written for other instruments....sax..trumpet..etc....you know the books on improvisation for jazz players...not instrument specific...

time on the instrument...is time well spent...

[Jazz6string]

Ever since I started this book I have seen an improvement in my playing. My improvising is much better and changing from chord to chord has gotten better especially from GMaj7 to GMaj6 that took sometime getting used to. My rhythm has gotten faster and cleaner.

I heard people say this book is outdated but I think there wrong. If you take your time and pay attention you can see were each lesson is headed. It's like your studying with Mickey Baker himself and do a lesson a week or maybe more. There's no rush. Each lesson is very valuable and you should take your time. It's definetly not for a beginner you have to know a little bit of theory before you take on his lessons and I am glad I have the experience to tackle this book. I have spent at least two hours a day working on these lessons and I never get tired of it.

[Agate]

I got these for Christmas. It's SO tempting to rush through. I love applying the new progressions to standards, which is somewhere around Lesson 19?? I have to say that the concepts are really useful once adequate time is given for them to soak in (this applies to anything really). Wish I had 2 hours a day to play!

[Liarspoker]

I have also begun to study book 1 again. I had the book ordered and studied the first few lessons when the book arrived. However 'life' got in the way until recently.

I am combining the MB chord shapes with the Introduction to Jazz Guitar Soloing' book so I play, for example, 4 bar rhythm (using MB chords) then 4 bars lead (using Soloing book).

It's a lot of fun making little bass note runs using Mickeys chords.

[Liarspoker]

I am in the process of revising the earlier lessons in the book and can sight read lessons 2 and 3...however....does anyone know which actual songs those progressions are based on ?

[xiyangshen]

I've a quick question about this method.
I see a "revised" edition that consists of both book 1 and 2.
Which version is better, the original or the revised?
I look forward to starting on this path!

[Agate]

I read the originals were better. The revised have more copy errors (?!)

[xiyangshen]

Thanks, I'll go that route.

[Marty Grass]

Years ago I went through book 1. I give it a thumbs up. I plan on plowing through book 2.

Since there is an infinite amount of info on jazz guitar and as many paths through that info, no book can hope to capture it all. It's like buying a tour guide to France. It will get you started.

Another worthwhile approach is the DVD set from Alex Skolnick. The approach is very practical and is fun. It has jamming tracks and PDFs, too. Here's a teaser.

[Hugh Jazz]

I am currently on lesson 4 and I have a question. What is the connection between the substitution of the #idim for a biii7 and the I for a iii7 (As seen in example 4 of the lesson)? Is it just simply a case of being able to chromatically descend to the ii7 chord without having to go back to the root chord?

I've been playing for several years and my theory knowledge is passable but this book is my introduction to jazz and I want to be completely clear on what I'm learning in this lesson.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

[fep]

If you think of this as the standard progression:

| G / / / | Am7 / D7 / ||

Now what are some ways to embellish going from G to Am7 in that progression?

One way is to approach the Am7 from a half note below or a half not above:

a half step below: | G / G#dim / | Am7...

a half step above: | Gmaj7 / Bbm7 / | Am7

some more

Gma7 / Bb7 / | Am7...

Gma7 / Bb13 / | Am7...

Gmaj7 / E7#9 Bb13 | Am7 Eb9 D9 Ab7 | Gmaj7

So one way to think of it is what are some good ways to get from this chord to that chord. Over time you learn some paths, Mickey teaches a bunch of them. You can experiment and use your ear, find bass lines and try different chord qualities on top of the bass line and find ones your ear likes.

[fep]

In the case of the iii7, that is considered the secondary relative minor of the Gmaj7.

Gmaj7 - G B D F#

Bm7 - B D F# A

Gmaj9 - G B D F# A

See how closely related they are. If you were to play the Bm7 and the bass player played a G note, the two of you combined would be playing a Gmaj9. But even with no G bass from a bass player the Bm7 still works well as it is so closely related to a Gmaj7.

[losaltosjoe]

Hi fep -- Thanks for the clear explanation to Hugh Jazz's question about Lesson 4. I am methodically working through book 1 and just started lesson 43. Cheers, Joe

[Hugh Jazz]

Hi fep,

Thanks for the explanation, it helped clear that up. I appreciate the help.