What if I told you jazz guitar chords could be simplified? That you don’t need to struggle or have a PhD in music theory to understand how chords work? Now on the surface, chords are one of the most overwhelming parts of learning jazz guitar. Tricky finger patterns that feel unnatural to your hands. Chord … Read more
Learning how to play jazz chords can be intimidating for guitar players. Especially at first. There are a lot of numbers and symbols you might not have seen before. And if you’re mostly used to playing open chords… … things like Eb, Db, Gb are going to be kind of scary. I get it. This … Read more
Jazz guitar chord shapes can be overwhelming to learn – especially after you get past the easy stuff. There’s so many options out there. There are tons of resources for learning jazz guitar chords. And it can be hard to know what to focus on for your next steps. Should you be focusing on shell … Read more
5 Reasons You Should Be Learning More Jazz Guitar Chords Chords are an important part of playing jazz guitar – and if you only learn a handful of jazz guitar chords, you’re selling yourself short. When you only know a few chord shapes, it can help you get through tunes or even rehearsals and gigs. … 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
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
When you’re playing jazz guitar, chords are kind of the most important part of your job. Whether you’re playing in a big band rhythm section, jamming with friends, or playing solo guitar in your room… You’re going to find yourself playing a lot of chords. And that’s a good thing. Chord shapes are a fun … Read more
I was first introduced to shell voicings for jazz guitar after high school. During my audition for a jazz camp, the guitar instructor pointed out that the chords I was using at the time were kind of clunky. I had repeated notes in my voicings that didn’t need to be there. And I wasn’t sure … Read more
Drop 3 chords for jazz guitar were actually one of the first things I really learned. And as it turns out, they’re a pretty great first set of chords to know. My very first jazz guitar teacher showed them to me as a part of his own movable chord system (which had another shape in … Read more
You don’t need tons of complicated chord shapes to play jazz guitar… although that’s what you’re going to find with most jazz guitar books and lessons out there today. Do a quick search for “easy jazz guitar chords” and you’re gonna find a big list of chords to learn and memorize… and it seems like … Read more