Dm9 (D minor 9) is a great jazz guitar chord I keep coming back to. It’s a shape that works in a lot of different musical situations, and I use it often in my own playing. If you’re looking for a great-sounding minor chord voicing, this one is for you. In this lesson, I’ll walk … Read more
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
One of the easiest ways to improve your jazz guitar playing is to pick one new chord each week and really get to know it. This week, we’re focusing on the Cmaj9 chord—a lush, versatile voicing that sounds great in tons of jazz situations. What Helped Me Actually Learn Jazz Chords Back in college, I … Read more
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