Taking up jazz guitar

[Jocko]

Good morning, I just joined this forum as way to guide me through Jazz guitar and of course get some questions answered through the forum. I have been building guitars for 20 years and have been playing classical and flamenco guitar for many decades. Decided to add some jazz to my studies and find it pretty difficult. Hope to get some help through this forum.

[Jimmy blue note]

Hey there. Welcome!
Lots of advice here in this community. My own experience/advice is listen to a lot of music, with so many resources at your fingertips. Because playing jazz is so much about hearing and listening, learning to hear yourself and your playing in relation to others, the sharper and more informed your ears are, the better they'll guide your hands and ideas as you grow as a player.
Personally I listen to the jazz programs on the streaming NY station WKCR where some of the most informative disc jockeys bring the broadest range of thoughtfully presented recordings. It's an education in itself.
Schedule | WKCR 89.9FM NY
Learn patiently, create a good inventory of the skillset needed (it's unique) and if possible find a mentor to keep these elements in balance as you advance as a player and lover of the music.
Get to know your voice, get to hear yourself and your own singing voice as you learn the craft of making melody and your relationship to harmony. Learn to make a metronome your friend so you can think in, with and against the beat. Be patient and let your love for the music guide you. Listen to horn players as much as if not more than guitarists.
Good luck and welcome.

[Bobby Timmons]

To play jazz, you have to be able to navigate chords. So the very first exercise I am going to recommend for you is 1-6-2-5. Practice this chord pattern 1 chord per bar and 2 chords per bar. Practice chordally with different inversions, and practice melodically with arpeggios or scales. Practice with a metronome in different tempos. Practice in every key, major or minor. The goal is to get all this under your fingers, in your ear and brain, and in good time. Cuz if you can't do that, there's no way to can do a tune! This is level 1. Something my teacher showed me and I've determined it's probably the most elementary exercise for jazz. There used to be a Joe Pass video about this up on youtube, but it's been down for a while.

[Spook410]

Hello Jocko. There are some very good players and teachers in this forum. It's a good group and I think you'll enjoy your interactions.

One thing I would note is that it's not only what many think of as traditional jazz. There are many kinds of jazz like bossa nova and gypsy jazz and others. And so many good things to listen to. Lots to explore. And yes. It's kinda hard. But rewarding and fun.

[pingu]

I hope this helps you
It sure helped me !

the main thing to concentrate on
is making the changes happen
in your lines …

say you’re playing over
||Dm7. | G7. |C6. | A7. ||

I was just meandering around
without really making the changes

then a very wise teacher Dave Cliff showed me ….
play these notes

up D F A C down B A G F E

this means you’re landing on the E note …. over the C6 chord

now you’re making the changes
and your line has a destination
(the 3rd of C)

this one simple line changed it all for me years ago
thanks again Dave !

[Tal_175]

It's easy to overlook this in the beginning but when people say jazz is a language and you need vocabulary to play it (both chordally and melodically), they mean it. Everything you learn, be it guide tones, chord tones, a rhythmic figure, tritone sub or new chord voicings etc should be seen as another piece of vocabulary in the language.

There is a minimum critical mass of vocabulary that needs to be mastered in order to start playing jazz convincingly. After that it's a lifetime of working on the fundamentals to chase the genius of the masters.

[sgosnell]

You can't learn to speak a language without hearing it spoken. I think the most productive way of learning jazz is to listen to lots and lots of it.

[Jimmy blue note]

You can't learn to speak a language without hearing it spoken. I think the most productive way of learning jazz is to listen to lots and lots of it.

Amen
Listen to a lot, come to really love it and feel it
Go to live music (of any quality) and see it as a process. Don't confuse the process with the product. You'll know what this means as you begin your immersion.

[A. Kingstone]

Hear the upbeats.

[Litterick]

Next Exit: Autumn Leaves

[jazznylon]

Enjoy the journey!

[Moonray]

When I was teaching guitar [way in the rear view mirror now] I'd get calls from
people saying they wanted to learn to play "a bit of jazz guitar" [or words to that effect]

After many years of experience I learned to say "you can't learn a bit of jazz guitar, you either do it or leave it alone'

I found this saved me a lot of trouble and stress and perhaps gave the caller to understand what would be entailed.

Hard ball eh! Just like in the real world...whatever that may mean.

[AllanAllen]

When I was teaching guitar [way in the rear view mirror now] I'd get calls from
people saying they wanted to learn to play "a bit of jazz guitar" [or words to that effect]

After many years of experience I learned to say "you can't learn a bit of jazz guitar, you either do it or leave it alone'

I found this saved me a lot of trouble and stress and perhaps gave the caller to understand what would be entailed.

Hard ball eh! Just like in the real world...whatever that may mean.

I remember listening to an interview woth… I think, the hired gun in Smashing Pumpkins. He said one day he heard Johnny Smith and was floored, found a teacher and the guy said something like “I’ll give you lessons, but you won’t play jazz for at least five years.”

Two things struck me, the professional musician got a teacher and said he was right, it took about 5 years for him to sound like a jazz player.

OP, you can have a lot of fun. Get a teacher, or get a book, I like the Mickey Baker one, set a routine and stick with it. Everything is hard, but it all gets easier with practice.

[Bop Head]

Do not forget that the OP says he has been playing classical and flamenco for years so he is not coming out of nowhere. There is a certain amount of technique already and an ear.

[sgosnell]

Five years? Hell, I've been trying to play jazz guitar for over 60 years, and still can't do it very well.

[AllanAllen]

Five years? Hell, I've been trying to play jazz guitar for over 60 years, and still can't do it very well.

Do you have a teacher? Are you on a tour bus 8 hours a day with nothing better to do than read the Parker omnibook before you play the enormodome with the Smashing Pumpkins.

[fleaaaaaa]

Five years? Hell, I've been trying to play jazz guitar for over 60 years, and still can't do it very well.

I'll be sure to carve out 60 years in the diary

Or maybe I'll just stick to blues

[AllanAllen]

I'll be sure to carve our 60 years in the diary

Or maybe I'll just stick to blues

Come now, once you get a taste, the blues just aren't as sweet.

[fleaaaaaa]

Come now, once you get a taste, the blues just aren't as sweet.

It's my first love, what can I say

[sgosnell]

De gustibus non est disputandum

[fleaaaaaa]

De gustibus non est disputandum

Above says
"There's no disputing for tastes"
I translated it

That's true I like indie, pop punk, new rock, old rock, blues, funk, soul, some pop and yes jazz which apparently if you're into you should place higher than anything else for some reason, but really it's all just music.

[Kirk Garrett]

Come now, once you get a taste, the blues just aren't as sweet.

I really love jazz blues….

[fleaaaaaa]

I really love jazz blues….

Me too. Kenny Burell and Howard Roberts bluesier side are my favourite recordings. Adding those elements to my regular blues playing helped me evolve.

Wonderful stuff

[Reg]

Good morning, I just joined this forum as way to guide me through Jazz guitar and of course get some questions answered through the forum. I have been building guitars for 20 years and have been playing classical and flamenco guitar for many decades. Decided to add some jazz to my studies and find it pretty difficult. Hope to get some help through this forum.

Hey Jocko... if your interested in jazz guitar, you need jazz guitar technique. Your classical and flamenco skills will help....and speed up the process, but playing jazz is very different. I have some handouts that I've posted before
but do so again if your interested.

[mr. beaumont]

I really love jazz blues….

Jazz without blues is like carne asada marinade without fish sauce.

(Really.)