How to Play All of Your Jazz Guitar Scales One of the most common questions I get asked by jazz guitar students (or jazz students in general) is this: “What scales do I need to know for jazz guitar?” Sometimes it comes in different forms: It’s a simple question – and one that sometimes creates … Read more
The melodic minor scale is one of my favorites. Maybe even the favorite. I didn’t learn it until I was in college, but once I learned how to use it, I was hooked. It’s got some interesting options for soloing in minor keys. Kind of a unique sound you don’t get from your other minor … Read more
The harmonic minor scale is a great tool for improvising and playing melodies in minor keys. It’s a similar finger pattern to the natural minor scale you probably already know. But it’s just a little bit more colorful. One of the great things about the harmonic minor is that it’s the easiest way to play … Read more
Minor Pentatonic Scale for Jazz Guitar As I went through college, I didn’t give enough credit to the minor pentatonic scale. Don’t get me wrong – I spent a lot of my time and energy on developing my soloing skills. I worked hard on learning to play the changes and develop my jazz vocabulary. But … Read more
Ever since I started playing jazz guitar, I’ve loved playing solos. To me it was the fun part of jazz band… like batting practice if you’re a baseball player. As I got better though, something was definitely missing. The only real tool I had was the blues scale in those first few years… and the … Read more
Welcome to our guide on major scales for guitar. Major scales are a foundational skill in all styles of music, and they’re absolutely essential if you want to be able to play jazz guitar. Major scales are your main source for understanding music theory, creating melodies, understanding chord progressions, and improvising. Let’s take a look … Read more
Major pentatonic scales for guitar are the easiest and fastest way for you to get started playing solos and sounding good right away. It’s almost like having a shortcut to sounding good when you play solos. I remember when someone finally showed me this scale, it was like a lightbulb finally lit up in my … Read more