Kyle 
The major pentatonic scale is a great starting point for major pentatonic guitar improvisation, especially when playing over the blues. The only problem is that it can start to sound a little too happy once you really get going with it. There’s a lack of that feeling people expect from the blues, and this is … Read more
One of the biggest challenges for jazz guitarists is learning how to play the changes. In other words, how do you make your lines clearly follow the chord progression instead of just running scales over everything? A simple place to start is by practicing arpeggios for each chord and learning how to move between them … Read more
What Are Shell Voicings on Guitar? Shell voicings are one of the best and simplest ways to get started with jazz guitar. They’re easy to understand, easy to play, and you can usually learn them pretty fast. Honestly, I didn’t learn shell chords until fairly late in my own journey. I could already play bigger … Read more
What Are Chromatic Scales? Chromatic scales are 12-tone scales made up of every tone in our Western musical system. They’re only made up of 12 half steps. And they’re an essential tool for both learning how to play your guitar linearly. You’ll also understand how to do things like make alterations to scales or chords. … Read more
If I could go back and whisper one thing into my younger guitar-playing ear, it’d be this: “Spend more time with the pentatonic scale on guitar.” I know what you’re thinking—isn’t that a blues or rock thing? I used to think the same. Especially as a jazz-focused player, I brushed off pentatonics early on. I … Read more
The Dm11 chord is one of those guitar voicings that instantly adds a modern, open sound to your playing. Whether you’re comping in a jazz combo or arranging solo guitar pieces, the Dm11 chord on guitar offers rich color with very little effort—especially if you use a rootless voicing like the one I’m about to show you. Let’s break it down. What Is … Read more
If you’re looking to level up your jazz playing, learning the right Cmaj7 guitar chord voicings is a great place to start. In this post, you’ll learn one of the most useful and versatile Cmaj7 shapes, how it fits into a ii V I progression, and how to connect it with a scale and melodic line that … Read more
The G minor major 7 chord (often written as Gm(maj7) or G minor/major 7) is one of the most dramatic and tense sounds in jazz guitar. It shows up in minor key tunes, especially at the end of minor ii V I progressions, and creates a beautiful sense of unresolved tension. In this post, you’ll learn: What Is a G … Read more
If you’re looking to add tension, color, and voice-leading options to your dominant 7th chords, the D7#5b9 chord should be in your toolkit. In this post, I’ll show you a rootless voicing that moves beautifully through a minor ii–V–I, plus a matching altered scale cell you can use to improvise. As always, I’ll break down how it works, when … Read more
The Am7b5 chord (also called A half-diminished) doesn’t show up in every tune—but when it does, it’s essential. Most often, you’ll find it right at the beginning of a minor ii–V–I progression, and it serves as a great entry point into more advanced jazz harmony and improvisation. In this lesson, I’ll walk you through the chord voicing I use … Read more