Kyle If youâre a guitar player, youâve probably heard of the CAGED system. You might have heard it in passing, and wonder what the big deal is. If youâve 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 âTop 100 Albumsâ 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 Iâm working on jazz I tend to prefer using my fingers instead of a pick. Is that ok? – Nicholas Itâs 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
Welcome to our guide on major scales for guitar. Major scales are a foundational skill in all styles of music, and theyâre 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. You could even say … 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. Itâs 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
Honestly, knowing the notes on the guitar fretboard was something I took for granted at one point. When I started learning jazz guitar, I didnât know that it was important to know the notes on the guitar⌠I just did what my teacher told me to do. This led to me âjust knowingâ where the … Read more
Drop 3 chords for jazz guitar were actually one of the first things I really learned. And as it turns out, theyâre 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
Jazz guitar chords can really look intimidating the first time you take a look at them, but really, you only need a handful of easy jazz guitar chords to get started. You see, jazz guitar chords aren’t any harder to learn than the chords you already know. They’re just different patterns than you’re used to. … Read more
Imagine you’re trying to learn how to juggle. Would you start out by trying to juggle three balls at once? Probably not, because thatâs way too much to handle at first. You’d start with one, focusing on its movement, trying to get the arc just right, and making sure youâve got the fundamentals of the … Read more
It can start to seem like thereâs way too much you need to learn before you can even really start to play a solo. Itâs overwhelming. But it really doesnât have to be that way. Thereâs an easier way to get started and still sound great playing over backing tracks, or with a band. You … Read more