The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1
    Follow me as we take a different approach by reverse engineering this Jazz thing. (An approximation)

    What do musicians play? Tunes
    What does the audience hear? Tunes
    What do we call a group of tunes played? A set
    How many sets in one gig? 2
    How long does a set last? 45 mins
    How long does a group take a break? 30 min
    How long is gig? 2 hours.
    How long is the average tune? 5 minutes
    45 minute set divided by 5 minute tunes equals? 9 tunes (round up to 10)
    Tunes played in one gig? 20 tunes
    How many tunes needed to play 4 gigs with no overlap? 80 tunes
    What are your favorite top 80 tunes? Fill in the blank _______
    Who is your favorite guitar player? Fill in the blank_______
    Off the top of your head, write down all the tunes you've listened to this guitar player play. What are they? Fill in the blanks_________
    Did the number of tunes exceed 80? Yes or No

    Now, take your top 80 tunes you love the most and start building a binder.
    You need a few lead sheets of that tune. Put them and all the rest of these print outs in the binder.
    You need transcriptions from a variety of musicians for that tune (different instruments)
    You need to go to mDecks and buy the product at the bottom of this post
    Create a YouTube playlist for many versions of one tune. For instance, a "Stablemates" playlist. Save as many video versions of that tune as possible inside the playlist
    Download as many versions of that tune into a music app on your phone. I use YouTube Premium (under $12 a month). For instance, 20 different versions of Stablemates
    Download YouTube backing tracks of one tune into your YouTube playlist. 2 or 3 different tempos, different keys, etc.
    Transcribe your favorite solo of that one tune and do your own analysis of what's going on. Note by note. Sing it. Sing it in the car. In the shower. Internalize it.
    Rinse and repeat that 80 times.

    Focus your effort.
    Beware of shiny objects to distract you. Squirrel.
    If someone calls a tune you don't feel comfortable on. Play it, do your best, but flush it if YOU don't like the tune.
    I don't like Autumn Leaves, ATTYA, Stella, All of Me, etc. Can't stand them. So I don't play or think about them.
    And, because I know the difference between Vocation and Avocation, I don't care if other dudes don't agree.
    There is an entire universe of musical expression to be explored in 80 tunes.

    I remind you. Write down as many tunes, off the top of your head, your favorite guitar player has recorded.
    I assure you it's less that 80. Yet, you've spent years enjoying his work.
    80 is plenty.
    80 is four gigs with zero overlap.

    Focus.
    Beware of shiny objects.
    Distractions.
    80 tunes, your binder, your playlists, and a universe of improv possibilities.


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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    There's also a lot of transcribed solos of well known jazz guitarists (many by wolf Marshall). It's great to dive in and hear yourself playing jazz.

    All of the Robert Conti materials have been a huge leg up for me.
    Last edited by fleaaaaaa; 08-13-2022 at 09:59 AM.

  4. #3

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    As a novice I don't have nearly as much advice to offer as an experienced player but the one thing I would say is no matter how overwhelmed you feel, DO NOT give up. I was paralyzed by discouragement. It just seems there are so many hoops to jump through just to get some forward momentum. You need to learn at least 17 jazz chords, then arpeggios for each chord, jazz related scales, names of the chords and their extensions, names and locations of notes of the fretboard and be able to find them instantly, learn "elementary" improvisation and chord melody playing.

    Those are just some of the hoops you have to jump through. Even though that may be daunting, keep at it. It will start to fall into place. For some, it will come in a few weeks, for others it may take months. That's OK. There seems to be an initial hump that, once over, things will start to come a little easier. You'll be amazed how much you'll learn.

    It's a great feeling to know you're beginning to conquer the jazz "beast." LOL!! But seriously, it's doable for most musicians. I've always thought talent was overrated. Hard work can take you just as far if not more so. There you go...pearls of wisdom from a total beginner. Take it with a grain of salt.

  5. #4

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    my head can’t handle lists of things
    to do
    i find it dissempowering
    hey it’s cool everyone learns differently
    for me
    I just break it down to a minimum

    I just learn one tune or one lick or
    one whatever

  6. #5

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    What a great post, it's very similar to how I started to build a repertoire a year ago when I switched back over to guitar after decades playing bass in jazz combos and big bands.

    My goal was to memorize 20 heads and comp over any unfamiliar tune on the spot. That isn't difficult given how formulaic jazz standards are. I would highly recommend Jens Larsens videos for those trying to work up to being a gigging jazz guitarist.

    My practice routine these days consists of flipping open my gig binder of 40-ish standards and comping through them like I'm on the gig. I then try to play through the head without reading it to see where it falls on the neck most naturally( this require being able to sing the head or be familiar with it be ear). Even just 30 minutes on 1 or 2 standards is enough to make progress. It's important to know what you're going to practice before you sit down, and how what you're practicing leads you to your long term goal.

    My 3 revolving routines involve:

    1. working on standards
    2. Learning chord melody from a favorite jazzer (Joe Pass or Kreisberg)
    3. Learning a difficult passage or bop head

    These 3 routines develop repertoire, train finger independence (chord melodys are played fingerstyle), and calibrate pick technique (fast lines and heads)

    Also, it's great to hear other people say they just don't want to play certain popular standards anymore. I don't go looking for deep cuts in the real book to throw people off, but I also just don't want to hear blue bossa, satin doll or ATTYA again unless it's reharmed into borderline free jazz.

  7. #6

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    Good post. That's a helluva lot of work for ONE tune. Learn all the instrument parts? Multiple transcriptions? Create a YT playlist? Save multiple different video versions? Download backing tracks to play over? Of ONE song? Then REPEAT 80 times?

    I'm not criticizing the method at all! It's very thorough. And proper. It will not doubt produce fantastic results. But if someone is "frustrated", I'm not sure a megalist of things to do for ONE song (then repeated 80 times) is going to make them any less frustrated?

  8. #7

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    I've always done this since I started. I find the tunes inspirational so I focus on the ones I like and try to develop them. While disregarding the ones I don't like.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
    I've always done this since I started. I find the tunes inspirational so I focus on the ones I like and try to develop them. While disregarding the ones I don't like.
    Exactly.

    I grew up the son of a fine artist and art gallery owner in Scottsdale, Arizona. He represented many artists using different mediums to express themselves. Some mastered watercolors, other bronze sculpting, or pastels, or oil. Some were realists, other modernists. But they were all artists. None felt obligated or looked down on because they weren't proficient in other mediums. They honed in on their thing, and mastered that.

    The problem, as I see it, is Jazz school. The idea that you have to be ready at all times to play all tunes in any key at any tempo. It's simply not realistic.

    Assuming the goal is performing in front of a paying, non-musician audience, and conceptualizing a set from their point the view, 80 tunes you really love is better than skimming a 1000 tunes just to check off a block.

    Bruce Lee said something like, "It's better to practice one kick a thousand times, versus a thousand kicks once."

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by ruger9
    Good post. That's a helluva lot of work for ONE tune. Learn all the instrument parts? Multiple transcriptions? Create a YT playlist? Save multiple different video versions? Download backing tracks to play over? Of ONE song? Then REPEAT 80 times?

    I'm not criticizing the method at all! It's very thorough. And proper. It will not doubt produce fantastic results. But if someone is "frustrated", I'm not sure a megalist of things to do for ONE song (then repeated 80 times) is going to make them any less frustrated?
    Frustration stems from over analysis of the entirety of jazz theory. The vastness of the jazz forest can be simplified by cutting down one tree at time. One pound of pressure over your entire body isn't felt, one pound of pressure in the right spot can kill you. You get the picture.

    By focusing on one tune at time, you isolate the variables of jazz theory to just one set of changes. You internalize your expression to just this one song form. And, taken from the view of the audience, which I'm assuming you're focused on performing "for", a gift of your expression to them, a deep relationship with the tune they're listening to shines through. It has meaning to them yet they'll never know how much care you put into becoming intimate with that one tune.

    Now, if being a hobbyist, which is great too, is your goal. Then here and there, skimming, jumping around, looking for the next thing and the next, is perfectly cool.

    For the young musician, a frustrated one, you have trees to cut down. You have your axe. There is the entirety of the forest in front of you. It's dauting. But the only way you can get enough trees felled to construct your cabin, a shed, and pole barn for your animals, is cut down one tree at time. The right trees for your goal. 80 should get you your homestead and years of enjoyment.

    I assure you if you swing at one tree, then go to another tree and start swinging, then another, you'll never chop down one. That's frustration.

  11. #10

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    Oh god it’s that bald guy who keeps popping up in YouTube adverts.

    he seems to have a good grift going there

  12. #11

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    i agree ....

    but can you change the
    ’cutting down the forest’ metaphor
    to something a bit more sustainable

    lets not be cutting down any more forests please !