My first real experience dealing with major 7 arpeggios for guitar was in a college jazz improvisation class. While the jazz guitar teacher I had worked with through high school was great, he just didn’t think about playing solos that way… Now don’t get me wrong, he could absolutely play arpeggios. He just seemed to … Read more
I was first introduced to shell voicings for jazz guitar after high school. During my audition for a jazz camp, the guitar instructor pointed out that the chords I was using at the time were kind of clunky. I had repeated notes in my voicings that didn’t need to be there. And I wasn’t sure … Read more
Newer students of mine are always asking for some jazz guitar practice tips that might give them an edge. “What kind of routine should I be following?” “How long should I be practicing for?” “How do I get everything done? There are so many skills and songs to keep up with.” So, there’s no one … Read more
Ever since I started playing jazz guitar, I’ve loved playing solos. To me it was the fun part of jazz band… like batting practice if you’re a baseball player. As I got better though, something was definitely missing. The only real tool I had was the blues scale in those first few years… and the … Read more
For me, jazz improvisation was never something that was scary. Partly because I didn’t know much about it, and partly because It just seemed cool to be able to play solos… so that’s what I wanted to do. I was also really lucky – my middle school jazz band director strongly encouraged everyone to improvise… … Read more
If you’re a guitar player, you’ve probably heard of the CAGED system. You might have heard it in passing, and wonder what the big deal is. If you’ve 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 ‘Top 100 Albums’ 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 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
Welcome to our guide on major scales for guitar. Major scales are a foundational skill in all styles of music, and they’re 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. It’s 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