The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    A friend asked me go to get started down the jazz guitar path. Below was my advice to him. I’ve edited out some personal details. I did not mention getting a teacher because he is an accomplished guitarist.

    I tried to keep the advice simple and “doable”. I don’t profess to be a “jazz guitarist” nor an expert on jazz education. It’s just the way I feel coming from a rock/blues background.. Any other wisdom to add? The following was an email follow up to a brief conversation we had on a non jazz gig.


    Learning jazz guitar has been a great hobby for me. Challenging but rewarding. I have purchased dozens of books, videos, online lessons while there is something to be taken from all of them at the same time they can be a tremendous time waster. It is really easy to get distracted from the goal, which is to play some jazz standards. Then you are playing "jazz" and not just some exercise on a guys YouTube channel. I’ve gone down dozens of rabbit holes and now realize it’s all about learning songs. There are lists out there..”the first ten jazz standards you should learn” and the songs on them are picked for a reason. Autumn Leaves will be on every list.

    First and foremost you have to like the repertoire and like I said I love those old jazz standards. I’m more into the melodic aspect of jazz rather than the crazy bebop of say Coltrane.

    So it’s all about learning songs. And also concentrating on one song at a time. Really learn the melody in a few places on the fingerboard and memorize the changes. Really know that song. And listen to versions. Spotify is great for this…when I’m learning a new standard I’ll search in Spotify and listen to dozens of versions to get the song in my head. Also listen to the great singers sing these tunes.

    Autumn Leaves is often picked as a first tune because it contains several of the most often used cadences in jazz standards. The ubiquitous 2-5-1s in both major and minor. Also it’s a great song.

    I also mentioned the concept of “shell voicings”. These are usually three note chords that are used to accompany others. They are sparse for a reason. They often contain the root, 3rd and 7th of the chord. Because they are sparse they can be played percussively for good rhythm feel and attack (see Freddie Green). Also they don’t contain the chord’s upper extensions so you stay out of the way of the soloist or singer.

    Speaking of 3rds and 7ths…a good idea is to notate the 3rds and 7ths on a chart. If you play just these two notes as a double stop you will hear the whole harmony of the song… you don’t even need the root! Especially when there is a bass player.

    Also a good game plan for soloing over a jazz standard (or really any song for that matter) is to target the 3rds and 7ths of the chord of the moment. One general rule is to resolve the 7th of the preceding chord to the 3rd of the next chord.

    Regarding chord melody; it can be as simple as learning the melody. (a well played melody can stand on its own) and then adding a root or third or seventh of the chord when you can squeeze it in. I haven't seen this explained better than by Bill Frisell in this video. It’s well worth the watch. Start at 2:40












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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Does he know the major scale up and down the neck and how to pull arpeggios from it? That’s where I would always start. You can get REALLY far not knowing the basics, but once you get to jazz you need that foundation.

    Other than basic technical skills and musical theory (knowing what 2 5 1, major, minor are). It’s just a matter of listening to jazz and learning your favorite songs. Then listening to the solos for ideas for your own improv. Easy to spell out but it’s years of work.


    All the YouTube videos and forum arguments can’t save you from the time you must spend practicing.

  4. #3

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    This situation seems fairly common. It applies to me, anyway. Players of any style may find themselves attracted to jazz at some point.

    Of late I've decided to approach things in direct and practical ways. I ask myself - what do jazz guitarsts do? It seems to me that they comp, improvise melodic solos, play solo guitar/chord melody, and read (to one degree or another). So, I intend to organize my practice time accordingly (to one degree or another).

  5. #4

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    And no offense, but I'm not sure that one has to "love" the old standards and show tunes etc. It's probably best not to hate them, though. There are a lot of jazz originals by now and one can write their own. You should probably like the blues quite a bit.

    And again it's merely a personal opinion, but I think that starting with bebop is actually a good idea. I could always be wrong though.

  6. #5

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    Its too complicated sorry..... and I know it isn't exactly complicated lol, but it has enough suggestions for him to see a click bait video on you tube that says e.g. '10 reasons not to use shell voicings' and the same old problem comes back.

    I don't think you can go wrong with working through this free book from this very website:

    The Beginner's Guide To Jazz Guitar (Free eBook)

    it has all you say in your email and gives you a great platform to go off and comp and solo on standards. Its also in tab as well as notation.

  7. #6

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    I'm an accomplished guitarist in non-jazz genres. I needed a teacher and have learned so much more having someone guide me through it. Youtube is tough when you don't even really know what to look for. It's too much and too many opinions, and beginners (to jazz) will end up with a lot of bullet points they've learned but not fluidity between them. I think a teacher is super important to begin with.

    Also, how well does this person know the fretboard? I can fly around without really knowing note names or intervals in rock. When I want to land on an Eb for jazz I really have to think harder. Being accomplished as a player is a great start, but jazz asks for a whole different set of skills.

  8. #7

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    I think Ballads are a beginners best friend. Simpler changes, slow enough tempo, very melodic which helps with hearing changes and solos, and there are just so many I really love as a listner: Misty, But Beautiful, My One and Only Love, Isn't it Romantic, Cheek to Cheek, tons of others. I think the ones we can hum along to are a very accessible place to start.