The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    First I am fairly new to the forum and I have gained much from reading the posts. A little background for context. I have played the guitar for over 30 years off and on. I staretd at a young age with formal lessons first with a teacher learning from the mel bay guitar books. Then I started studying classical guitar at the age of 13 at a local university. I actually went to the University and attended as a music performance major for two years but I became discouraged with this for several reasons. Two of the main reasons were that I was to immature and did not have any good mentors and I had no ear training at all and a really lousy ear at that so I failed terribly in solfege and transcription.

    I really became discouraged and thought I did not have what it took to make music my career. During these formative years I also played and was self taught on rock, metal and blues genres again with the discouragnmet of not having any ear training or understanding of how to gain that skill. I could never figure things out from records very well. Because of my classical training I had great techincal ability and can sight read very well and I know the fretboard as it relates to where all the notes are. My understanding of theory was basic but I have enough to build on that and the theory part of learning jazz is going well.

    I have continued to play/doodle off and on for about 30 years. In this time I have gone a few years without touching a guitar but I have never went any of this time without owning one. During this time I was never consistent in playing genres or really trying to develop mainly because of life and family commitments.

    During the last 10 years I have wanted to learn jazz and have tried to learn a few times but got discouraged and stopped. In the last two years I got to a place in my personal liife where I have the time and desire to pursue learning jazz. During these two years I have finally realised how important ear training is and have started working on that, it is really hard for me and still after about 1.5 years of pretty consistent practice I struggle but I have seen improvement. So in the last few months I really started puttting in time to learn jazz. I have read this forum a lot and watched several youtube videos. I have several books that I bought over the years including Jamey Aebersold vol1, how to play jazz and improvise vol 24 major and minor and vol 54 maiden voyage. I learned about these books when I was in University from my classical guitar teacher.

    So what I would like feedback on is has anyone used these methods and have any opinions on if these are a good route to learning the artform of jazz. Just a little more information in order to get good feedback for this quesiton or any other advice. My struggle is trying to balance learning songs vs learning all the techincal aspects to improvise (scales, Appregios, chord extensions) and how to focus my practice time so as not to just play excercises but actually make music plus improve not just solo over jazz blues progression with major/minor blues scales.

    I have finally had the aha moment that you have to follow the form and outline the harmonic progression in your soloing you to make jazz you can't just stay in a diatonic center and noodle on a scale to sound musical plus it gets boring and tedious. I can read very well and it is easy to learn melodies that way and I can comp chords at basic level again form a lead sheet but it still takes me a long time to figure out a melody by ear and I still my only get 80% to 90% percent of something easy like say blues by five. I feel like I should continue to learn as much as I can with my strengths while contuing to work on my ear but I get discouraged when others say learn everything by ear don not rely on lead sheets or real book which I have a copy of.

    I have tried to put away all the books and just learn from the records but when you can only learn a couple of bars or a handful of notes in 30- 60 minutes results seem so far in the future like forever. I want to progress but I want to have fun and play music as well. I want to develop my ear so that maybe some day I can transcribe some licks. melodies and solos but with only about 1 hour per day for practice time just doing this is discouraging. Any advice to assist me in my journey would be appreciated. My current goal would be to play 10 tunes really well melody interesting chord comping and improvise over them musically/jazzy thanks

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Wow.

    edit: to be more clear. with this kind of introduction, all the teachers should fight to death for you.

  4. #3

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    One direction would recommend to get to playing music fairly quickly are the materials from Robert Conti:

    Source Code DVD Series Archives • RobertConti.com
    Ticket To Improv DVD Series Archives • RobertConti.com
    Advanced Improv Archives • RobertConti.com
    Play Pro Chord Melody Today Archives • RobertConti.com
    Just Jazz Guitar Chord Melodies • RobertConti.com
    https://www.robertconti.com/signatur...-arrangements/


    These materials will get you up and running by playing music, and are great for self-teaching. As you get momentum in your practice, you can go back to the materials you already have and probably be much better equipped to make progress with them.

    Search through these forums and you will find some study group threads as well as other discussion about Conti and his materials.

    Tony

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by mdale10128

    I have several books that I bought over the years including Jamey Aebersold vol1, how to play jazz and improvise vol 24 major and minor and vol 54 maiden voyage. I learned about these books when I was in University from my classical guitar teacher.

    So what I would like feedback on is has anyone used these methods and have any opinions on if these are a good route to learning the artform of jazz.
    I learned classical violin as a child and once I was in my early 20s picked up guitar and started with jazz. The first 3 Aebersold volumes I purchased are the 3 you mention. I also picked up a chord book that showed the common 6th and 5th sting chord grips for most of the chords used in jazz standards.

    After learning the songs in Maiden Voyage, I was able to take lead sheet music and other sources like The Real Book, come up with a chord progression that I felt "worked", recorded that into a looper, and play the melody and solos over that. (trying to learn about 2 - 3 jazz standards a month).

  6. #5

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    Absolutely! I started studying with Aebersold books in 1989.

    It was piano, but that shouldn’t matter for it was jazz. Aebersold’s sold a gazillion of those books, so I can’t be the only successful student.

    But a musical career, that’s not possible unless you’re a successful teacher with a lot of students.

  7. #6

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    Thanks to everyone for the replies and sorry for the long rambling introduction and first post. I look forward to learning from the forum on my journey.

  8. #7

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    I wish you lot of luck and fun on the journey. Aebersold books are great. In my case it was for sax, I'm self taught on guitar but the lessons from Ae translate to any instrument.

    What I will add, with regards to soloing, since you have an excellent music background otherwise it seems, is this. Learn and play the melody first. Then, start 'wandering' away from the melody line. Just hear the tune and play notes that 'make sense'. And, play the melody line with an altered rhythmic pattern. I'm being very basic here but working off the melody line is a great way to start soloing. And, when you get lost, you will, come back to the melody. Never a bad idea.

    Other than that, you will get lots of excellent guidance on this forum.

  9. #8

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    Hi @mdale,
    Sounds like a good teacher would also be helpful for you! Find one in your area, or I highly recommend (JGF member) Pete Sklaroff, who offers online lessons and who is a fabulous (and patient!) teacher!

    And have fun!

    Marc

  10. #9

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    I would like to second robert conti's materials.

    I recommend starting with ticket to improv 1 and the comping expo (rhythm guitar for jazz)