Let's Learn Jazz Guitar

[Liarspoker]

Ok, so I normally play fingerstyle guitar but I played with a pick recently and it was so sloppy so time to get back into playing with a plectrum for a bit.

To help other guitarists that want to learn jazz I thought that this thread might be a good idea. Sure, we'll see.

So since jazz is a listening art let's put away the books and do this aurally as much as we can.

Here is a little Grant Greene lick that I picked out from his Django recording from Idle Moments.

It's in tab purely because many starter jazz guitarists can't read yet. So there is part of your practise for the next while. Learn to read.

You'll notice a nice little II V I lick at the end. I landed on the A but you can land wherever you like.

The G7 to C9 is known as a short II V and is functional in this case as it heads back to the I chord.

Let's take this short II V lick through the circle of 4ths or 5ths. Your call. Try both. Let's really memories this luck so that we can plug it in anywhere we see a short II V I.

So that's 2 things to practise.

1) Learn to read
2) Take the II V I lick through either or both circles

Notice also the rhythm of the short lick. An 8th note rest on beat 1 followed by an 8th note upbeat followed by a triplet.

That's a classic jazz rhythm. It also works great with the upbeat 8yh note on the & of 4 and the triplet on beat 1.

Also notice of GG simply plays a standard Fm arpeggio at the start. Nothing fancy.

More soon

[AllanAllen]

Did you pick that fingering on purpose?

Found the other two working through the circle. The second one lays really well on the fretboard. Forgive the slop.

https://youtu.be/p7yaZ3f4s2Y

[Liarspoker]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for your question.

The honest answer is that this is the fingering I used to work it out and didn't think too much about any other fingerings.

I'll take a look later today as the better half is home this morning.

Thanks also for your video. I think that you are staying in F with different fingerings which is cool but over the next few days let's take the II V I fingering, second last bar and take it through the circles.

The idea is that this lick will become so ingrained that we can pull it out at will over any short II V I. As you know music can move fast so it has to be instantaneous.

We can use this lick as a basis for improv but first things first ....

Edit: also once the lick is learned in free time let's play it with a metronome. Start with a very slow speed and make sure each note is perfect in its sound and timing then slowly increase the speed.

[AllanAllen]

I took the whole line through the circle, that's how I found the other fingerings. A short video seemed easier than writing it all out.

Thanks!!

[Liarspoker]

I tried a few other fingerings but I like the one that I wrote for the short II V I since all the notes are in one position. I added an extra note on the upbeat of 4 to encircle the note on beat 1 of the second bar.

Just did this but have to collect the kids now.