The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #76
    I bought this book but have no idea how to "use" it - common problem with jazz books.
    Anyone here ever have any luck? What did you do with it, from page 1? Can anyone share an example or write-up of what "working through it" meant for them?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #77

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    I worked with it from time to time, 1st thing I like is how Joe Pass makes the lines follow the chords with "positionnal playing"; 2nd things my ears like how it sounds and it influenced some of my own lines in a good way, the way Joe is using the alterations on dominant chords is great too, and he helped to work my reading skill (that I need to work cause I'm a typic bad reader guitarist but I improve since many years everyday so maybe one day I will be a solid reader).

    Dive into it I'm sure it can help you in many ways but open your ears when you play (at first play the chords to internalize the harmony if you are not familiar with those chord changes).

    (I don't use any backtrack cause I don't need but if you need it, backtrack the chords would not be a bad idea , at a slow tempo if you are a bad reader).

  4. #78
    Quote Originally Posted by itsmyname
    Dive into it I'm sure it can help you in many ways but open your ears when you play (at first play the chords to internalize the harmony if you are not familiar with those chord changes).
    I think it might just be too advanced for me? IDK. I'm very used to playing real book standards. I can play my major/dominant/minor 7/9 chords each 2-3 places on the neck. I know where I need to flatten or raise the 5, I know where the 6 is, etc...

    But the book just confuses me. The first page shows a lot of info about how to build chords (not on the guitar neck, just in theory) and pages 2-3 show different progressions. Are you supposed to just PLAY these? Are you just supposed to read it? Are there certain grips you're supposed to use? I don't really "get" it, am I just playing and listening for sounds or am I supposed to be practicing a specific series of grips or type of voice leading?

    The thing missing from books like this, imo, is some basic description saying "HERE is what the next few pages are going to tell you, THIS is HOW to use the book" so that the reader understands their role in the communication. But I guess guitar players are not known for their great written communication skills....

    It may be back to Leavitt for awhile, see if I can start back at the beginning and get out of Vol 1 this time.

  5. #79

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    If you know the usefull chords to play the chord changes all along this book, you can avoid the first pages and go directly to the lines examples in the next pages.
    The first pages are there in case someone have never played those chords and never knew how to build those.

    I think if you have got those chord changes "in your head", I mean being able to hear in your heads the chords, then all the written lines that Joe Pass shows should not be a big problem.(this is very important , same when playing a standard, to improvise better you need to hear all the chords in your head according to me).

    The point of the book is to give concrete example of how Joe Pass is building solo lines on the chords, if you analize the lines, you will find arpegios, scales, alterations, embellishment etc...And you will HEAR some lines that you will be able to use cause you will find those really cool.

  6. #80
    I see. With that in mind, I think there are other books that might help me more. I've got these chords, but would like to improve my voice leading on a good many of them with inversions and alterations.

  7. #81

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    I suggest turning straight to the blues exercises and play through them until you are comfortable with them. Not memorized (thought that wouldn't hurt) but you get what he's doing with each key moment in the blues progression, the connections between his lines and the harmony, etc. Then maybe go back and look at some of the more theoretical sections, then hit the Rhythm Changes examples and play over them.
    I think of the book as more like a "reference grammar" for Joe's particular jazz language.

  8. #82

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    It sounds like access to a good jazz guitar teacher would help you glue the pieces together? Easy to do nowadays with Zoom or whatever.

    If you’re looking at voice leading, applied to jazz guitar, you might find this Berkeley book worth your time.
    Sorry! Something went wrong!

    the link works, weird!

  9. #83

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    Jens Larsen made a thoughtful video on how to use Joe Pass Guitar Style:



    His take is similar to Lawson's: skip ahead to the blues and rhythm changes solos and use them to build vocabulary. Practice them in two- or four-beat chunks, concentrating on the forward motion. Pay attention to his phrasing. Integrate those chunks into your own playing in more rhythmically realistic playing.

  10. #84

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    It sounds like access to a good jazz guitar teacher would help you glue the pieces together? Easy to do nowadays with Zoom or whatever.

    If you’re looking at voice leading, applied to jazz guitar, you might find this Berkeley book worth your time.
    Sorry! Something went wrong!

    the link works, weird!
    I'd recommend finding a teacher who can read and play jazz guitar to help you navigate this book.

    This book was one of my first introductions to playing jazz. I could already read standard notation on classic guitar for a few years and was studying harmony at the local community college when I went through this book with my guitar teacher. It was a very helpful introduction to typical jazz guitar chord grips and harmony. This book might be impossibly dense for a guitarist who does not have some knowledge of standard notation and at least diatonic harmony, along with the guidance/context that a good teacher provides.