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
Dominant 7 Arpeggios for Jazz Guitar Sometimes I feel like I spent half of my time in college working on dominant 7th arpeggios. Learning how to play them. How to apply them to ii V I progressions. How to alter them and create “outside” harmonies. There’s a good reason for this… dominant 7 arpeggios are … Read more
My first real experience dealing with major 7 arpeggios for guitar was in a college jazz improvisation class. While the jazz guitar teacher I had worked with through high school was great, he just didn’t think about playing solos that way… Now don’t get me wrong, he could absolutely play arpeggios. He just seemed to … 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
Newer students of mine are always asking for some jazz guitar practice tips that might give them an edge. “What kind of routine should I be following?” “How long should I be practicing for?” “How do I get everything done? There are so many skills and songs to keep up with.” So, there’s no one … 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
For me, jazz improvisation was never something that was scary. Partly because I didn’t know much about it, and partly because It just seemed cool to be able to play solos… so that’s what I wanted to do. I was also really lucky – my middle school jazz band director strongly encouraged everyone to improvise… … Read more
If you’re a guitar player, you’ve probably heard of the CAGED system. You might have heard it in passing, and wonder what the big deal is. If you’ve been looking for ways to simplify your learning process, it might even seem like the magic bullet that will take your playing to the next level. There … Read more
“Could you recommend a list of entry-level jazz guitar recordings that would be helpful for someone getting started with jazz guitar? I find the ‘Top 100 Albums’ lists a little overwhelming.” David Absolutely, here’s a list of ten essential recordings to get started with jazz guitar: Wes Montgomery – “Smokin At The Half Note”: This … Read more
I find that when I’m working on jazz I tend to prefer using my fingers instead of a pick. Is that ok? – Nicholas It’s totally OK if you prefer using your fingers instead of a pick, and there are plenty of great players throughout jazz history that use a pick, or they use their … Read more