Explore the bluesy side of jazz by studying the blues concepts of Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis, and more.
In this lesson, you will work on a comping study for a jazz blues in Bb. This 12-bar chord progression built on dominant chords appears in many jazz standards. You’ll get familiar with essential jazz blues chords that you can reuse in other songs. The goal is to help you develop strong rhythm skills and […]
Jazz Blues Chords – Guitar Comping Study Read More »
Cool Blues is a jazz blues composed by Charlie Parker in 1947. It’s a blues in C and one of Parker’s well-known heads built on a simple, catchy idea. In this lesson, you’ll learn the theme of Cool Blues, a solo chorus based on Grant Green’s recording, and one chorus of my own. Recommended listening:
Cool Blues (Charlie Parker) Read More »
Charlie Christian is often referred to as the father of jazz guitar, and for good reason. In the late 1930s, he fundamentally changed the role of the guitar in jazz. Before Christian, the guitar was primarily a rhythm instrument, fighting for volume in big bands. By being one of the first to use amplification, Charlie
Charlie Christian – Grand Slam Solo (F Jazz Blues) Read More »
This Barney Kessel blues comes from a 1974 BBC TV program called The Five Faces of the Guitar, later released on the album Live & Rare. The track is simply titled “Blues“. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to play the theme of this blues and part of the intro. The theme employs half-diminished (m7b5)
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Straight, No Chaser is one of Thelonious Monk’s most famous blues heads. The original 1951 recording is in B♭, but Miles Davis’s Milestones version popularized it in F, which is the key we’ll use in this lesson. In this lesson, you’ll learn the melody of Straight, No Chaser in two octaves. The chord progression of
Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk) Read More »
Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blue is one of the most iconic soul-jazz guitar standards ever recorded. Released in 1963 on Blue Note Records, it’s the title track of Burrell’s album Midnight Blue, with Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on bass, Billy Gene English on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas. If you’re into smooth
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Billie’s Bounce, one of the most iconic jazz standards from the bebop era, was written by Charlie Parker in 1945 and is one of his most famous songs. In this in-depth tutorial, you will learn about the melody and bebop language used in this classic tune. The original recording included Charlie Parker (alto sax), Miles
One of the most common chord progressions in jazz is the blues. A straight 12-bar blues typically consists of three dominant seventh chords (I–IV–V). In jazz, this basic form is expanded with added harmony, such as ii–V–I progressions and more sophisticated turnarounds. Jazz blues also uses a more advanced melodic language and phrasing, which is
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Mr. PC is a classic minor blues standard in C, written by John Coltrane and first recorded on his 1959 album Giant Steps. In this jazz guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play the melody and how to improvise a solo over its chord changes. The tune is dedicated to Coltrane’s longtime bassist, Paul Chambers,
Mr. PC (John Coltrane) – Melody & Solo Read More »
In this lesson, you will learn how to combine chords with a walking bass line over a 12-bar jazz blues in F. The goal is to make the guitar function as both the harmony and the bass. This approach lets you keep the groove moving and outline the chord changes clearly. A walking bass line
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Learn how to bring out the bluesy side of jazz by studying the blues concepts of Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis and more (16 licks and 4 solos).
Jazz Blues Guitar Licks And Solos Read More »
In this jazz guitar lesson, you will learn 11 variations of the minor blues chord progression and 2 guitar chord studies over the minor blues.
Comping over a minor blues tune is an essential skill for any jazz guitarist, as minor blues tunes are some of the most commonly called songs on jam sessions.
Minor Blues Chord Progressions Read More »
Blues is a predecessor of jazz, and both genres have always been heavily intertwined. The type of blues played by jazz musicians is more complex than traditional blues, but both have the same characteristics.
In this lesson, you will learn 6 variations of the jazz blues progression going from the basic original blues to more modern variations like the bebop blues changes.
Jazz Blues Chord Progressions Read More »
In this lesson, you will learn how to play traditional blues rhythm guitar.
You will study an essential blues rhythm riff to add to your blues playing + chords that will help you move beyond open and bar chords.
Blues Rhythm Guitar – Chords and Riffs Read More »
Though closely related in form and harmonic movement to its major blues cousin, the minor blues requires an understanding of a number of new scales and modes when first learning how to solo over this common jazz form. In this lesson, you will learn all the scales needed to improvise over a minor blues. Though
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Listening to Wes Montgomery play jazz can be both a liberating and intimidating experience. For a guitarist still learning the ropes of chord soloing, trying to play like Wes is daunting from the get-go. As far as chord soloing goes, Wes is known for his incredible speed, rhythm, and musical sensibility. Using familiar shapes, most
Wes Montgomery Chord Solo – Jazz Blues & Yesterdays Read More »
