Kyle My Top 5 Jazz Guitar Practice Tips We all know we’re supposed to practice if we want to get better at playing jazz guitar. That part is obvious. On the surface it’s pretty simple: If you want to get good at jazz guitar, you need to spend time… practicing jazz guitar. But sometimes we run … Read more
Unlock Your Jazz Improvisation Skills 3 Easy Jazz Improvisation Exercises For Beginners Getting started jazz improvisation can seem scary at first. That’s why it’s important to find jazz improvisation exercises designed specifically for beginners to help you get started. Whether you’re new to playing guitar in general, or just new to jazz… learning to improvise … Read more
The internet can be super helpful for learning jazz guitar – it’s easy to find great lessons and advice for beginners if you know where to look. Some of my favorite teachers have courses available through Truefire or My Music Masterclass. (I don’t have any monetary interest in either of these sites… I just think … Read more
So you’re getting better at jazz guitar. You’ve mastered easy jazz guitar chords, and even gotten comfortable with drop 3 voicings. Drop 2 chords just might be the next step for you. After all, you need a better jazz guitar chord vocabulary – there are sounds you’re just not getting out of your guitar. Plus … Read more
Minor 7b5 arpeggios are an important pattern for jazz guitar. There’s just no way around it. And they’re also the pattern a lot of my students love to hate. These patterns are a little awkward at first, and don’t flow as easily as the minor 7 arpeggios did. And to rub some salt in the … Read more
If there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we’re all looking for ways to get better at jazz guitar. It’s natural – everyone wants to find an edge, or that one thing that will take us to the next level. And sometimes it really is that simple. You luck out. You learn … Read more
When I was growing up, I never knew that Christmas jazz guitar albums even existed. My parents had their christmas albums that they liked, and for the most part, that’s what we listened to. I never really had any complaints about the music, it was just what we listened to every year. The main albums … Read more
I got told not to play jazz guitar voicings with the root above the 7th of the chord, because it sounds ugly. Is this true? Or is it something I can do sometimes? – Jeff H. It really depends. On the musical situation, who you are playing with, and what you’re trying to do. There … Read more
What is the best way to play triplets with a pick? There are 2 options listed in the Berklee “Modern Guitar” method. Is there one that you prefer? Or is there a different approach that’s better? – Tim As far as practicing triplets with a pick goes, it really depends on what you want to … Read more
I never thought too much about how to learn jazz guitar. It just kind of happened. One day, I found out there was a band in my middle school where I could play guitar before school. The class was called “jazz band.” I didn’t know what jazz was and I didn’t care. I just wanted … Read more