The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Never mind ?
    Last edited by Etcher; 01-10-2020 at 04:36 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Do you think the approach should be different to learning when playing solo?

    Are there other forumers who have learnt/ are learning mainly for their own amusement?

    thanks
    Darren
    No*, and yes, most players.

    * perhaps more solo guitar.

  4. #3

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    Hi Darren

    Welcome aboard.

    I'm in a similar-ish position. I play (non-jazz) electric guitar in a band, or two, and have done so for 40+ years. But in parallel to that, I also play fingerstyle guitar - I love ragtime, country-thumb-picking, ragtime blues, and so on. Over the last few years this has been a real passion. And though I've done a dozen or so solo gigs, most of my finger-picking time is spent playing for my own amusement - there's little better than sitting outside of a summer's evening playing some mellow acoustic.

    And in parallel to all of that, over the years I've often tried to learn to play jazz guitar - gypsy jazz / early swing, mainly- but have always spectacularly failed to get anywhere. I'd love to add chord melody - with the ability to improvise - to what I'm doing.

    So I'm giving it another bash, with a different methodology this time. I think in these early stages there isn't a great deal of difference in what I'm learning (or trying to learn) regarding whether the ultimate aim is to play solo or in a band. I've come to realise that what's lacking is my chord knowledge, my song knowledge (melodies and changes), and my feel - give me a single chord to play over and I don't sound jazzy in the least. So these are my areas of focus and, in my view, it'll only be later on when the solo v band tracks diverge.

    Regards
    Derek

  5. #4

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    If playing for ones self means playing by ones self, maybe consider taking up finger style technique. Then you can get some bassliness and a more cohesive music from one guitar.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by wengr
    If playing for ones self means playing by ones self, maybe consider taking up finger style technique. Then you can get some bassliness and a more cohesive music from one guitar.
    Do you know of any lessons, books or vids teaching this approach. It’s something I would be interested in. I am playing kind of fingerstyle. Thumb for bass strings, fingers for high.

    thanks
    Darren

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    My aim is really to play by myself for my own amusement.
    Probably playing in a group is healthier.

    It can be a vocation, or for fun, or seen as a form of making a living with others...and you might be able to turn it on and off, you know, like a weekend off.

    But as a compulsion...that's different.

    When you get to the point where chord progressions are just interrupting your practice...you'll know.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Hi all, first post although I’ve lurked in the past. I’m starting to teach myself jazz guitar whilst also learning fingerpicking. Previously I’ve been a plectrum, jangly kind of player! My aim is really to play by myself for my own amusement. A lot of advice about learning jazz guitar seems to assume you’re going to be playing in a band. Do you think the approach should be different to learning when playing solo?

    Also I’ve always been a rhythm kind of player, more interested in melody than lead. I love the mellow sound of jazz chords which is the main reason jazz appeals to me. Are there other forumers who have learnt/ are learning mainly for their own amusement? Any advice?

    thanks
    Darren
    Learning for your own amusement and learning on your own are two different things. I think to a great extent people learn music in order to please themselves rather than others (or at least in addition to the social aspects of learning and playing music), even when they're playing with and/or in front of other people. So, yes, learning for your own amusement is actually an important part of learning, period.

    If it's all about extrinsic motives and value, at some point it'll feel like torture. I don't practice and study just because I want to reach some goal. I practice and study because it's interesting and fun in and of itself. It's also great to be able to just play a tune on your own creating your own harmony behind your melody, and not need a rhythm section in order to execute a complete song.

    That said, my experience and observation is that people who don't participate in some sort of ensemble hit walls in their progress and get frustrated. So I don't think it's a good idea to learn mainly by yourself, even if your ultimate goal is to be an entirely solo player. In that sense, I think whether your goal is to be an ensemble or a solo player, I think the method is basically the same.

    I don't think that means you have to literally be in a band or perform on stage. It's valuable to get together with one or two other players on a regular basis for some stretch of time, or take some lessons with a teacher who jams with you a bit and can show you the tricks of the trade as far as solo/chord-melody playing goes. or even participate in online study groups (such as the ones here) where people post recordings/videos and give feedback to each other. But if you just sit in a room by yourself with books and youtube, you're gonna get stuck.

    John

  9. #8

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    I think most jazz guitar conversations center around playing with others because jazz is a communal music, mostly. It's about interaction.

    But with a busy life, it's not always possible to play with others all the time, so yeah, I've definitely spent a lot of time playing solo guitar, and yes, it's for my own enjoyment a lot of the time. If it's not fun for me, why do it at all?

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Do you know of any lessons, books or vids teaching this approach. It’s something I would be interested in. I am playing kind of fingerstyle. Thumb for bass strings, fingers for high.

    thanks
    Darren
    Hello Darren. It can be hard to make effective recommendations when we don't know what level you are at. Personally I'm getting alot out of this trufire course by Sean McGowen:
    Jazz Walking Bass Guitar Lessons - Sean McGowan - TrueFire

    I like it because its an appropriate level for me - challenging, but doable. There are many recources out there like this, butI think only you can know what's appropriate for you.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Are there other forumers who have learnt/ are learning mainly for their own amusement?
    I presume we all are, otherwise we'd be playing other genre's of music.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Hi all, first post although I’ve lurked in the past. I’m starting to teach myself jazz guitar whilst also learning fingerpicking. Previously I’ve been a plectrum, jangly kind of player! My aim is really to play by myself for my own amusement. A lot of advice about learning jazz guitar seems to assume you’re going to be playing in a band. Do you think the approach should be different to learning when playing solo?

    Also I’ve always been a rhythm kind of player, more interested in melody than lead. I love the mellow sound of jazz chords which is the main reason jazz appeals to me. Are there other forumers who have learnt/ are learning mainly for their own amusement? Any advice?

    thanks
    Darren
    Yeah, Jazz is where all the cool chords hang out. Fingerstyle seems a logical choice. I've been playing mostly with fingers only for many years now, though I am starting to mix it up with picks again. Guitar gives one the opportunity to simultaneously play bass, harmony, and melody or combinations thereof. It's a worthy quest.

    I suggest, FWIW, that you work on songs you like. One at a time. Rinse, repeat.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    I’ve always been a rhythm kind of player, more interested in melody than lead. I love the mellow sound of jazz chords
    Sounds like you mean harmony, not melody. Lead is melody.

  14. #13

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    I do learn for my own amusement. Its very much like fishing. Whenever I catch one, I wanna show it to someone

  15. #14

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    I've been playing in bands for $$$ for 50 years. Now that I'm older, that's drying up and I'm about ready to quit altogether because I find it impossible to play for myself. If I don't have an audience, I don't care about playing and have no reason to learn new material. At this point, I've played almost every song that I might ever be interested in playing. I play in a once a month duo thing and our song list is comprised of well over 400 tunes and we can do them all without charts of any kind - and that doesn't include my personal solo songlist of finger style things.

    I envy those of you who can sit in your room and play for your own amazement/amusement but I've just been doing it too long to enjoy it. Added to the problem is the lack of musicians in this area, especially those who want to play the old stuff that I like (20's thru mid 60s).

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Never mind ?
    Jeez, don't be afraid to ask questions....BOO!!!

  17. #16

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    I assume the answers weren't what he was looking for.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Etcher
    Do you know of any lessons, books or vids teaching this approach. It’s something I would be interested in. I am playing kind of fingerstyle. Thumb for bass strings, fingers for high.

    thanks
    Darren
    Yes there are books for fingerstyle jazz if you are still interested I can point you to some. You may want to check out Martin Taylor at Artistworks. Enough study there for a looooong time.

    And you needn't play in a group. Classical guitarists play most of their music solo. Not all, but most of what they play is solo.

    The challenge with solo jazz guitar is getting off that pick. Sounds like you are already there.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by emanresu
    I do learn for my own amusement. Its very much like fishing. Whenever I catch one, I wanna show it to someone
    That is a really good analogy. I feel exactly the same way, I think it's Human Nature.