Joe Pass Guitar Instruction Books

**MarkRhodes** · 01-05-2017, 11:08 AM

There's a lot of 'em out there.

Joe Pass Guitar Method
Joe Pass Guitar Style (-the one co-authored by Bill Thrasher. I believe Carol Kaye was the original publisher of this and she still recommends it to students who are ready for it.)
Joe Pass Guitar Chords: Learn the Sounds of Modern Chords & Progressions
Joe Pass Omnibook
Joe Pass On Guitar (<<<I think this book is based on instructional video--now on DVD--- Joe did. He did four or five of those, I think.)
Joe Pass Virtuso Standards Songbook Collection
Joe Pass Collection (-a dozen transcriptions)
The Best of Joe Pass: A Step-By-Step Breakdown of The Styles and Techniques.... (Wolf Marshall)
Joe Pass Chord Solos
Mel Bay's Complete Joe Pass (a collection of five Joe Pass books published by Mel Bay, including the one of duets with Herb Ellis)
That's not a complete list either.

Given that a) Joe Pass was among the greatest jazz guitarists and b) he put out a lot of instructional material, in English no less, why is that we don't talk much about it? (Notice, I'm not saying we never talk about or no one here mentions Joe Pass. But it seems to me there is very little talk about the method of a certifiable great who put out a shelf of instructional material, none of which is hard to find or expensive.)

**unknownguitarplayer** · 01-05-2017, 11:35 AM

The original orange book (I think it's the one with Bill Thrasher) is a gem. When it first came out, I was a teenager and intimidated because it didn't do much explaining, so you had to read the musical examples and hear the concepts. It wasn't as immediately rewarding as the only other alternative at the time, Mickey Baker. Years later I went back and started playing through the book and was blown away by how much music is crammed into those pages. The examples really do reflect Joe's style and a lot of them are right off of his records in the For Django period. It's a goldmine.

**lawson-stone** · 01-05-2017, 11:53 AM

The example solos on I-VI-II-V, blues, and rhythm changes in Joe Pass Guitar Style would be a great forum study group exercise.

I have also wondered why Joe Pass gets so little sustained attention. When mentioned, many seem almost to feel obligated to criticize his tone on a couple of albums. Recently I literally listened to every JP album I own, which is nearly all of them, and yes, heard a few with poor tone, but overall was impressed at how rich his playing sounds. For example, "Intercontinental" has one of the cleanest, warmest tones I've ever heard, but I never hear that album talked about. His "Hamburg" album also features some really lush tone, again, virtually unremarked on.

**MarkRhodes** · 01-05-2017, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by unknownguitarplayer

The original orange book (I think it's the one with Bill Thrasher) is a gem.

Yes, that's "Joe Pass Guitar Style." It originally came with a cassette of Joe playing some of the examples. Later, that material was transfered to CD and Carol Kaye played several more examples from the book than Joe could fit on a cassette back in (I think) the early '70s. That book is stuffed with good stuff.

I know at least one member here---Dutchbopper---is well versed in JPGS because (IIRC) he posted a video of himself playing a blues solo from it. Quite well, as is usual with him. (His blog may---again I say MAY--contain tab for a few choruses of that solo. No tab in JPGS.)

**rlrhett** · 01-05-2017, 04:12 PM

I have both the Guitar Chords and Chord Solos books. They really are a pair and should be sold that way. I'm really getting a lot out of them. Having done both Conti and Vignola's chord melody material, it is really nice to see JP's favorite "grips". They are prettier sounding than Conti's. Somehow there are no duds, and you instantly sound way more musical using them.

However, there are issues. For example, in Guitar Chords he will say that the following FOUR chords form such and such progression, and then there are only THREE chords illustrated. There isn't much discussion or explanation in either. Are the "Major Tonality" chords all substitutions for a C Major chord? Not sure. Three chords will be presented on the same line, are they meant to be played in sequence? Are they somehow related or just randomly illustrated together? Again, not sure. The Guitar Chords has standard notation and grids, but the Chord Solo only has standard notation. I am working on my sight reading of standard notation, but it is still slow going. It would have been nice if the grids from "Guitar Chords" had been used in "Chord Solos". I've been playing through "Misty" and notice that the arrangement strays quite a bit from the original melody. Beautiful, but hard to get into your ears without audio to go with the standard notation. Etc.

Just from those two books I would say that both would have benefitted from a good editor to work with JP. That is probably why they are not that wide spread. Still, the idea of a study group sounds grand! I think that having several people discussing the material and working on it together would erase most of the shortcomings of the books.

Dutchbopper · 01-05-2017, 04:34 PM

The book JPGS was published prior to the TAB era. These days, publishers will invariably add TABS to standard notation because they know full well that guitar books without TABS do not sell well. TABS are simply what the market dictates. If you require those, "On Guitar" is the better choice, which does feature TABS.

Here's a link to a blues solo from JPGS that I tabbed myself ages ago and recorded in a video:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Some Joe Pass Blues

And here's another link to a video I shot from an etude from "On Guitar". So it is tabbed in the book.

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: In Sync with the Master

And here are a few other transcription vids that contain TABS:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Early Joe Pass: a few transcriptions

Regards,

DB

**Cunamara** · 01-05-2017, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

The example solos on I-VI-II-V, blues, and rhythm changes in Joe Pass Guitar Style would be a great forum study group exercise.

I think you could pick just about any 30 second stretch of Joe's playing and profit from studying that. Great musical ideas just rolled out of him. Just amazing.

I have also wondered why Joe Pass gets so little sustained attention. When mentioned, many seem almost to feel obligated to criticize his tone on a couple of albums. Recently I literally listened to every JP album I own, which is nearly all of them, and yes, heard a few with poor tone, but overall was impressed at how rich his playing sounds. For example, "Intercontinental" has one of the cleanest, warmest tones I've ever heard, but I never hear that album talked about. His "Hamburg" album also features some really lush tone, again, virtually unremarked on.

I'm one of those who grouse about it. Joe's "bad tone" meme comes from the first Virtuoso album, IMHO, where the engineer or the amp were goofed up (depending on who you ask). It's reinforced by a number YouTube videos where his tone isn't so hot, but is that his tone or the recording? Or did he want that tone? Remember he was a big fan of Django whose tone is not warm and round. But all the records I have by Joe, barring some of the Virtuoso tracks, have pretty good guitar sounds. I got the Mosaic box set for Christmas and holy smokes! Lots of amazing stuff there.

His last Gibson, though... my favorite tone of his- that and his ES-175. I was never thrilled by the sound of his D'Aquisto or Jim Hall's.

**LeftysBlues** · 01-06-2017, 12:56 PM

I have had the Red Guitar Style book since 70s it was so daunting to have to read music as well as try and play the examples.
It still is to me and I can play some of the major blues examples verbatim and about 1 of the minor !

Those minor blues unlock a lot of stuff.
Utilizing that stuff however for me was and is impossible I have to get on with what i can do .
Some people have a downer on him because of the popularist stuff on Pablo - a good player i know calls it "showbiz Jazz"
I was amazed as a kid seeing this guy on British TV w Oscar Peterson
My favourite is For Django
Aebersold Jimmy Raney also was and is too much for me ,speed wise alone .Amazing player though
Incredible film of him on Youtube doing There Will Never Be Another You close filmed ,Great improvising

**MarkRhodes** · 01-06-2017, 03:19 PM

I'm going to have to take another run through the "Guitar Style" book. I also have "On Guitar" and took it out the other day. As Dutchbopper pointed out above, "On Guitar" contains tab. It also has short section of "CAGED" grips. Lots of solos in "On Guitar" too---blues, ATTYA, and "Stella." But one reason I want to use "Guitar Style" now is that it makes me read music and I need to improve at that.

**LeftysBlues** · 01-06-2017, 05:17 PM

Wow if you can get through Guitar Style JP thats amazing , i can crawl through the amazing minor blues
Previously I loved Eric Clapton,Peter Green and Mick Taylor and Otis Rush emotional playing if thats the right word ......on minor blues but the great Joe Pass really opened ny ears to harmony on those changes and that helps you later..... for instance on the first chords of Body and Soul to name one tune that Joes stuff will open ,,,,,its kind of the Harmonic Minor scale .i loved the the rock blues guys - they didnt need it we do !
Disclaimer all views just my own
LB

**lawson-stone** · 01-06-2017, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by cyberkrunk

This has been one of my all-time favorite jazz guitar records ever since I first borrowed it from the library around 1984. I still listen to it constantly, and it's one of my standard references for jazz guitar tone. I do think the reverb is maybe a but much, but hey, it's a historical document now. (What would that reverb be? An EMT plate?)

What's interesting on the reverb issue is to listen to his recording Eximious made about 12 years later, same format, though. It has ZERO reverb. It's the driest studio guitar sound I ever heard from Joe Pass. Still nice, very tight and clean, but ultra-dry.

**PB+J** · 01-10-2017, 07:06 PM

I've been working on the "blues" in the Chord solo book, and it's pretty damn clever and there are a ton of cool moves. The middle section gets a little....unfocused? That would be my main criticism of Pass, that he's a little more interested in the ornamentation than he is in the bones of the tune. And that would be true of Oscar Peterson too. But me criticizing Joe Pass is like a guy throwing darts at a blue whale. The musical ability Pass shows there is just staggering

**snailspace** · 01-10-2017, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

"Intercontinental" has one of the cleanest, warmest tones I've ever heard, but I never hear that album talked about.

I heard that album on YouTube the other day, for the first time, and was amazed that I'd never heard it mentioned. It's on my "Soon to Buy" list.

**mrblues** · 01-12-2017, 10:06 AM

Joe Pass books -which I know but I think the others also- are fantastic. We all are learning from those in official music schools. I have learnt my first jazz chords from his Chords book, and my first licks form Guitr Style. So JOe Pass Chords, Joe Pass Guitar Style are the most common we use, but I am also using the Blue Side of Jazz. Thats a very cool book, also.

**ginod** · 02-27-2017, 08:51 AM

this book would be good, but no idea where you can get it

**dingusmingus** · 02-27-2017, 12:13 PM

The Joe Pass Guitar Chords book has both grids and notation, right?

Amazon.com: Joe Pass Guitar Chords: Learn the Sound of Modern Chords & Chord Progressions (0884990131056): Joe Pass: Books

**grahambop** · 02-27-2017, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by dingusmingus

The Joe Pass Guitar Chords book has both grids and notation, right?

Amazon.com: Joe Pass Guitar Chords: Learn the Sound of Modern Chords & Chord Progressions (0884990131056): Joe Pass: Books

Yes that's a good book. I learned nearly all my jazz chords out of that one.

I wonder if the OP is thinking of another book which I also have, it's called Joe Pass Chord Solos or something like that. It's notation only. It may have some position/fingering suggestions, but I can't remember.

**Ren** · 02-27-2017, 12:28 PM

I too have a hard time reading stacked chords in chord-melody transcriptions, and I'm an OK single note reader. I think this is because I think of chords as entities unto themselves as opposed to four different notes, even if I do know the individual notes and their functions. For example, take a simple grip like the G 13 b9 voicing x x 3 4 5 4; if I see that written in standard, it takes my brain a while to read the four notes and process it as that grip. But if I see G 13 b9 written above it, then I "get it." So I guess what works best for me at this point is standard notation, but with chords labeled, like in the old Joe Pass chord melody solo book (except that some of those chords are unfortunately labeled incorrectly).

**MarkRhodes** · 02-27-2017, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by dingusmingus

The Joe Pass Guitar Chords book has both grids and notation, right?

Yes! Good call. That's a great book. It's good to experiment with those voicings and discover which movements you like.

We tend to associate the name Barry Harris with movement in comping but Joe was no slouch in that department.

**grahambop** · 02-27-2017, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

I wonder if the OP is thinking of another book which I also have, it's called Joe Pass Chord Solos or something like that. It's notation only. It may have some position/fingering suggestions, but I can't remember.

Just checked Joe Pass Chord Solos. It says most of the chords have the top note on the 1st E string. Where they have a number in brackets underneath, this denotes which string the bass note is on. So from that you can deduce the chord shape if you figure out the notes between.

**lawson-stone** · 02-27-2017, 07:30 PM

There was also a book called Chord Encounters for Guitar that dealt mainly with substitutions and alternatives in the blues progression. Oddly, it has a picture of Joe Pass posing with an OVATION FLAT TOP GUITAR!!!