The D7#9 chord is one of the most recognizable sounds in jazz, blues, and funk — gritty, colorful, and packed with tension. But if you’ve only played it from a chord chart, you might be missing how much power it has in your comping and soloing. In this post, we’ll break down: What Is a D7#9 Chord? … Read more
What is a Gmaj7#11 chord? The Gmaj7#11 chord is one of the most beautiful and modern-sounding voicings in jazz guitar. Built on a G major 7th chord, the sharp 11 adds color, tension, and a hint of ambiguity — without sounding harsh. Here’s what it includes: That sharp 11 is the key. It replaces the … Read more
The Dm7 chord (short for D minor 7) is one of the most useful voicings in jazz guitar. In this lesson, we’ll cover a versatile Dm7 guitar shape that works on the top four strings — perfect for comping or solo guitar. You’ll also learn how to voice-lead it into a full ii–V–I progression, how … Read more
The G7b9 chord is one of my favorite ways to add instant tension and color to a V7 chord. Whether you’re comping through a jazz standard or looking to spice up your ii–V–I progressions, this rootless voicing sounds rich, feels great under your fingers, and is easier to move around than you might think. Let’s … Read more
The Cmaj13 chord is one of those sounds that instantly makes things feel smooth, rich, and… well, jazzier. But instead of throwing a big, messy 6-note chord at you, I want to show you a rootless voicing that keeps things simple, sounds pro, and fits into real playing situations. Let’s break it down. What Is … Read more
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
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
There are many tools available for learning to play scales on guitar, and most of them are rooted in traditional music education. Some focus on reading notation, while others rely on tablature (TAB), which is essentially a simplified version of notation for guitar. However, in my experience, the best tool for any guitar player is … 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