This week we’re going to look at how to play a G9 chord on guitar, built with the 3rd on the bottom, then the flat 7th, the 9th, and the 5th—low to high. The finger pattern is simple: This is a great shape to use over any dominant 7th chord with a natural 9—like G9, … Read more
Practicing scales and arpeggios consistently might be the single biggest factor in whether or not you improve on jazz guitar. And they should probably be a major part of your guitar practice routines. I’ve written about this before, but the truth is simple: you don’t need to practice for hours. Even 5–10 minutes a day … Read more
When you’re learning how to play jazz, you spend a lot of time learning guitar scale shapes. They’re an important part of learning your instrument, and being able to play melodies or improvise. But one problem a lot of jazz guitar players run into is playing just one or two scale shapes in a solo. … Read more
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to get into jazz guitar. Especially if you’re already pretty good at a different style, like rock or blues. I’ve heard from some of my older students that they always wanted to get into jazz – but it just seemed too intimidating. That there’s too much to learn. They … Read more
5 Common CAGED System Problems for Guitar – And How I Solved Them CAGED system is a powerful tool for guitar players – if you know how to use it. You see, CAGED gives you a framework for creating any scale, chord, or arpeggio. And it’s also a helpful navigation tool for playing all over … Read more
Here’s one thing I know for sure: If I could learn how to play jazz guitar, anyone can. While I had a certain amount of aptitude for playing guitar in general, jazz guitar did not come naturally to me. But with the right approach and a little luck, I found myself on the right path. … Read more
Being in a jazz band as a guitar player is a unique challenge. It’s a completely different animal from playing by yourself, or even in other kinds of groups. And if you’re used to playing rock or other pop music styles, there can be a steep learning curve. Just about everything seems new, even though … Read more
Do You Really Need a Jazz Guitar? One of the fun parts of learning something new is exploring the gear that comes along with it. So it’s only natural that when you start learning jazz, you start looking into jazz guitars. But what is a jazz guitar really? And do you even need a special … Read more
The internet can be super helpful for learning jazz guitar – it’s easy to find great lessons and advice for beginners if you know where to look. Some of my favorite teachers have courses available through Truefire or My Music Masterclass. (I don’t have any monetary interest in either of these sites… I just think … 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