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I N T R O D U C T I O N T O

Jazz Guitar

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CONTENTSIntroduction

Chapter 1Tuning .................................................1Plectrum technique .............................2Practise tips .........................................2

Chapter 2Scales .................................................5Arpeggios ............................................6Chords .................................................7

Chapter 3Approach to improvising ..................10Example solo .....................................13

Chapter 4Chromaticisms (little lls andcommonly used ideas) ......................15Keeping time .....................................15

Chapter 5Boom chicking ..................................17Voice leading .....................................18Walking bass lines .............................20

Chapter 6Moving on .........................................21

AppendixChord diagramsNotation diagram

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NTRODUCTION

I would start by saying that this book and accompanying CD are not intended asan in depth analysis of jazz guitar playing. Rather they offer the rudimentaries ofsome of the many facets of the jazz guitar such as technique, improvisation andaccompaniment. The reason for this is to assist busy people, who may have little

formal musical training, and who want to make quick progress without wadingthrough lengthy and detailed books.

The purpose of this book is to help others. Since I had no formal musical trainingmyself and started playing quite late in life, I thought the hurdles faced by myselfand how I subsequently overcame them may be useful to others. However, thisbook is not meant as a substitute for a good teacher, as that would be a bold claim.Neither is it meant to do away with any other educational material. Its main thrustis to provide an easy to follow method for playing, with emphasis on fun.

The guitar is a complex instrument and has many roles in jazz, so I have dividedthe book into these distinct aspects of playing. There is a logical progression tothe chapters, but for the more advanced student, the book can be dipped intoaccording to needs and interests. For the absolute beginner I recommend goingthrough chapters one and two. For those wanting to move straight onto impro-vising move on to chapter 3. For those with only an interest in accompaniment,chapter 5 offers many useful devices.

Above all else, remember to have fun.

I

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Chapter 1 The BasicsThe basics of playing; tuning, plectrum technique and effective practise, should be coveredby all beginners, before moving on to actual playing of scales, or melodic ideas (sometimesreferred as licks).

Tuning Tuning a guitar can serve as a useful ear training session. It is always worth remembering

that jazz is an aural tradition, that has been passed on down though the generations. Manygreat players claim they could not read music and instead relied on their ears, grabbing anyopportunity to sharpen and hone their aural skills.

Electric tuners are essential at a gig because of the background noise of venues. Otherwiseyou can use a tuning fork pitched to A which is on fret ve on the rst string. The followingmethod has the advantage that it tunes the guitar in the middle of the neck, where most jazzis played on the guitar. Also, by pegging half the strings to just one, a more even tuningis achieved. This method also allows you to bend strings to test for and obtain optimumtuning.

1 Tune the top string, on the 5th fret to A using the tuning fork

2 Tune the A on the 2nd string on the 10th fret to the A on the 1st string on the 5thfret.

3 Tune the A on the 3rd string on the 2nd fret to the A on the 1st string on the 5th fret.Note they are an octave apart.

4 Tune the A on the 4th string on the 7th fret to the A on the 1st string on the 5th fret.Again they are an octave apart.

5 Tune the E on the 5th string on the 7th fret to the E on the 2nd string on the 5th fret,an octave apart.

6 Tune the A on the 6th string on the 5th fret to the A on the 4th string on the 7th fret,an octave apart.

Confused? See the fret board diagram in the appendices.

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PractisePractise is the undisputed champion of progress. It lays the foundations of how you play,and how well you play. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized. Practise regularly,within an allotted time frame and with purpose. Do not dismiss doodling, which has acreative role to play, but needs to be kept to a minimum if quick progress is the goal.

Repetition is the mother of perfection. Practise is a personal experience and is what manyof us probably spend most of our playing time doing. How and when it is done probablyvaries considerably, but a universal truth is that repetition is the tried and tested methodfor reinforcing memory. There are many approaches to repetition, but I have alwaysfound that continually being aware of even the smallest physical processes, helps to clearthe pathways for speeding up the memory process. For example, close your eyes whilstpractising and try to visualise your ngers connecting with your strings, being aware of thepressure you apply and the strength of each note played.

Always use a metronome when practising. Set the click either to play on every beat oron beats two and four of the bar, known as the back beat. Start on a deliberately slowtempo, gradually increasing the pace by a couple of notches until you have played thephrase at least fteen times. For difcult ngerings, slow everything down to a snails paceand get it right, before speeding up. If you practise things too quickly to start with, youwill programme in scuffs and other unwanted sounds. Remember to practise every day,buildings it into your lifes routine. It is said that little and oft is better than long andirregular practise sessions. I would add that consistent practise leads to consistent progress.

Plectrum techniqueHolding and using a plectrum correctly is fundamental to accurate and efcient playing,and will hold you in good stead for the rest of your playing years. I have seen many variedand unusual approaches to this, and some from very accomplished players, so while I guardagainst saying anyone one method is right or better, the fundamentals are going be verysimilar.

The plectrum is held between the forenger and thumb, at the centre of the pick. Somepicks will have a hollow area which provides more grip. Thickness and size of pick isdown to preference, but a bulky pick may feel clumsy with very light gauge strings, andvisa versa. Unfortunately, plastic is the most common material used to make picks, andsometimes produces a slightly unnatural sound. However, they are cheaper and more

durable than many picks made from other materials.

If the guitar had just one string, then the up and down stroke would be ideal under allconditions. As we all know the guitar usually has six strings, so the up and down stroke isnot always or necessarily the most efcient approach. However, it is the generally acceptedmethod and works well in most situations. Situations where it is less efcient are whenplaying rapidly across the strings, such as running up or down an arpeggio. Down strokesare generally played on the beat and up strokes off the beat. There are innovators of pick

a lw a y s p r a c t ise w i t h a p u r p o se . . .

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technique who offer alternatives to the up-down technique, and I would recommend theserious student to explore this area. Below are some exercises to build the up and downtechnique.

ExercisesStudy, play and learn the exercises below, using the following method:

1 Listen to the exercises, one to six on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually

increasing the speed.

Symbols: = down stroke, = up stroke

Ex 1 Warm up

Ex 2 Speed exercise

Ex 3 Large intervals

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Ex 4 Arpeggio (Dm7)

Ex5 Argeggio with triplets(note pick strokes)

Ex 6 Inside strokes

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CHAPTER 2OverviewScales, arpeggios and chords are the ingredients of music. How they are put to together, iswhat makes music. Jazz explores the relationships between these elements probably morethan any other style of music, which is why it fascinates and absorbs the musician. Whilst

jazz is an aural tradition passed on through the generations, it has a uniquely expressivelanguage rich in musical dialogue. It is this language, which denes jazz, and gives it itsdistinctively recognisable sound. It is also an evolving music, and for it to evolve it needsnew life, energy and ideas, and these come from the great innovators, such as Charlie

Parker and John Coltrane, whose brilliance shifts the momentum up a gear, onto a new andexciting plane.

The RelationshipChords comprise several notes played in unison. If you separate out the individual notes ofa chord in ascending or descending order, you have an arpeggio. Every chord belongs to afamily of chords that share the same key centre. A key centre is dened by the sharp orat notes it uses. All the notes common to a key are known as a scale. A mode is simply ascale but starting on a different note. There are many different scales, that t many differentkinds of chords. To learn them all is a gargantuan task, especially for the guitar with its

unusual geography. In my view, it is only necessary to learn a few scales that are commonlyused in jazz, and to know the theory of their origins, in order to play effectively. Once thesehave been learnt, acquiring the language is the next step.

ScalesA major scale comprises seven notes, and is associated with the major chord of the samekey. For example, the C major scale is directly related to the C major chord. Luckily forguitar players, many scales (and chord shapes) are moveable i.e. the same scale patterncan be played at a different position up or down the neck, which makes playing in differentkeys much easier. So if you want to play the E at major scale, you simply shift up three

frets (a minor third) from the C major scale. A common mode in jazz is the dorian scalewhich starts one note or degree above the tonic of the corresponding major scale. Forexample, the D dorian starts on the second note of the C major scale. Likewise, the Gmixolydian scale, which starts ve notes above the tonic. The importance of these threemodes will become apparent when we look at chord progressions later.

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1 Listen to exercises, seven to nine on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually


Ex 7 C major scale

Ex 8 D dorian scale

Ex 9 G mixolydian scale

ArpeggiosArpeggios are the notes of a chord is ascending or descending order. These notes are oftenreferred to as chord tones. They are generally a bit more difcult to play than scalesbecause the notes are spaced further apart. These spaces are referred to as intervals. Theirimportance in jazz needs to be understood. During an improvised solo, a player will bereferring to, or outlining the chords as they occur, and one of the simplest ways to do this iswith arpeggios. Of course an experienced player is not playing just arpeggios, but as withscales, they are the building blocks of the jazz language and therefore need to be learned.

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1 Listen to exercises, ten to twelve on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise and gradually increasing the

speed.

Ex 10 C major arpeggio

Ex 11 D minor arpeggio

Ex 12 G dominant arpeggio

ChordsChords, sometimes referred to as harmony provides the springboard for musical ideas in asolo. This means that the notes of a solo will have a strong relationship to the chords.

The basic chord is comprised of the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes of the scale. For example,C major 7, is spelt C, E, G, and B. These are referred to as the chord tones. There are

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three main chord types; major, minor and dominant. The differences between them arethe sizes of intervals (number of notes) between the chord tones. The easiest way todemonstrate this is by taking a major chord and then showing how the minor and dominantare formed from it. Starting with the C major 7, lower the seventh note B to B , to form theC dominant 7. If you lower, the third note as well, E to E , you form the C minor 7. See the

illustration below.

C major 7 = C E G B C dominant 7 = C E G B

C minor 7 = C E G B

Chord ProgressionsA song will comprise several chords, which are strung together into a progression, and thetask of the improviser is to create a solo that ows and integrates with the progression. Asthe chords change, or the key modulates so the improviser adapts by playing notes to reectthe changes. Understanding, and recognizing commonly used chord progressions is key touid improvising. A common progression in jazz, which demonstrates this idea, is the II V Iprogression.

The numbers in a chord progression simply represent the notes of the scale. If you take theC major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A and B), and form separate chords within the same key fromeach note, you arrive at the harmonised C major scale. As you can see from the example

below, the II V I of C major is Dm7, G7, Cmaj7.

Harmonised C Major Scale:

I II III IV V VI VII Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7 5

If you take each chord in the II V I progression in isolation, you can improvise using therelevant scale and mode. Starting with the Dm7, you can play the D dorian scale (seechapter on scales), then progressing to the G7, apply the G mixolydian and so on. You canof course simply play the C major scale over all the chords and it will work ne. However,a more interesting or melodic approach might be to outline the changes as they occur bypaying attention to the notes which change with the chords. This will create a distinctlystronger sound. For example, a common device is the seventh degree, falling to the third.Look at the exercises below to understand how this works, then create a backing track tohear how it works.

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CHAPTER 3 Approach to Improvising How you approach improvising may be determined by how you dene improvisation. Tohelp explain this a useful analogy is between learning a language and learning jazz. If amusical note is a word, then a sentence is a musical phrase, and a story is a solo. Languageshave rules, such as grammar, which may determine word order for example, which helpscreate meaning. Jazz has similar conventions, which also make statements, sometimes quiteliterally, such as the last phrase of a solo expressing nality.

When we respond verbally, the process seems automated. However, it is our training inhow to speak as children that allows us to articulate a response. The rules of languageare burnt into the synaptic pathways, from the earliest age, which allows us to speak withapparent spontaneity. Learning jazz is a similar process. It has grammer, spelling, phrasesand it is interactive. Like a language, there are many approaches to its acquirement, butimitation would seem to be a universally accepted method. Learning licks or phrases bygreat artists is a good starting point to develop a feel for the language.

Licks?Just as in the cut and paste commands of a computer, licks can be applied to music. The

best way to apply them is directly to a tune. Start with a simple tune such as a blues. Theinternet is a good source for licks. There are also many books devoted to the subject. Use ametronome, starting with a slow tempo and play the lick twice, increasing the speed by justa couple of notches until your have played the phrase ten times. Make sure it is thoroughlylearnt before applying it. Put any notes that are causing difculty under the microscope,and play with slow deliberation. Create your own backing track of the blues with a taperecorder, using a metronome. Start with just the rst four bars, repeating the phrases untilthey sit comfortably under the ngers.

As explained in Chapter 2 with the II V I examples, try to nd a chord tone (root, 3rd, 5th,or 7th) within the lick that leads up or down to a chord tone in the next chord. See if youcan apply the principle of sevenths falling to thirds. For example, if you are playing B 7going to E 7, the note A descends to the note G. These exercises need to be practisedeveryday in an even and methodical fashion, until they can be applied instantaneously.When choosing licks that will become part of your repertoire, Joe Pass used to say, if youdont like it your wont remember it.

So where is the creativity in that, you ask? Well, over a period of time, your skills in

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applying the language will become so automated, it will leave more room to begindeveloping more interesting ways of self-expression and articulation. Also, spontaneity willbecome more apparent. It should always be in the back of your mind that spontaneity andcreativity is the ultimate goal.Try the exercises below.

ExercisesStudy, play and learn the exercises below, using the following method: 1 Listen to exercise 1 on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually

increasing the speed.4 Create a backing track using the chords below, and play the exercises over the changes.

Ex 16 Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 Eb7

Ex 17Eb7 Bb7 Eb7 Bb7

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Ex 18 Eb7 . /. Bb7

Ex 19 Bb7 . /. Eb7

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Example SoloSolo transcription is a very important part of learning jazz for three main reasons; itstrengthens your musical ear, is a great resource for licks or chops, and shows you howgreat improvisers construct solos, thereby offering an insight into their thought processes.

Every jazz player should be encouraged to transcribe solos from a CD or tape of theirfavourite players. The benets cannot be over-emphasized. Below is a constructed solo,which incorporates some of the ideas already discussed. Learn the solo thoroughly, singingthe notes as you play, then create a backing track and play over the changes.

Exercise20

le a r n so lo s

o f y o u r f a v o u r i t e

p la y e r s . . .

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CHAPTER 4Fills and Frills (Chromaticisms)The geography of all instruments is different. This tends to give each type of instrumenta unique vocabulary. The guitar is particularly guilty of note duplication, which alters thengering of scales or arpeggios in different positions on the neck. This makes the task oflearning the fret board a daunting one. However, the upside is that the guitar is well suitedto playing chromatically (all the notes including the ones in between scale notes). Playingchromatically over changes requires skill, and its probably a good idea not to over do it.

One of the great proponents of this kind of playing is Pat Martino, who takes full advantageof the guitars geography, by playing the guitar in the most physically efcient way. Theresult is a very effective, owing and unique sound.

There are many standard lls or phrases which illustrate how chromaticisms can beincorporated into ones playing. They provide a useful device for starting, ending or llingin between ideas. The beauty of them is that they are easy to play, and can often be usedspontaneously.

Below are some examples of some of them, and how they can be incorporated into licks.

Learn them and then incorporate them into a few of your own ideas.


1 Listen to exercises 20 to 26 on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually

increasing the speed.4 Create a backing track using the chords below, and play the exercises over the changes.

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Ex 20-24 Fmaj7 (Dm7) . /. . /. . /.

Ex 25 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 (C6)

Ex 26 F7 . /. Bb7 . /.

Keeping TimeLosing ones place is a common problem when improvising. You can be playing happilyone minute and the next, panic sets in as you realize that you are no longer in syncwith other band members. I have yet to nd any educational material that focuses on thisproblem, which is surprising given its prevalence among novices.

When you are playing, there are two processes which help in keeping your place; the pulseor beat, and the accompaniment. The beat is a precise record of time and accompanimentplays the supporting role. There are therefore two main areas to focus on to improve time

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keeping. Perhaps the rst thing to focus on is aural training. A lengthy discussion of it isbeyond the scope of this book. There are several aural training books and CDs, and manyadult colleges offer evening classes. A simple exerciseyou can do on your own is to sing thenotes of arpeggios, and licks when you play them. Fit in a few minutes at the beginning ofeach practise session.

Apart from the importance of aural training, time keeping can be improved by practising tofeel beat one of each bar, to develop a sense of where bar lines fall. There are metronomesthat will beep differently on beat one, and this can be very useful. Clap on beat one whilelistening to your backing track. Record a two bar backing track that ends on the rst beat ofthe third bar. Now play and try to land on a note on that beat. This will help develop a senseof bar length.

Finally, listen intently while trying to keep time. Dont play busily, just enough toconcentrate on the music as it ows past. Try to visualise each bar line as it approaches andpasses. Eventually you will develop an inner sense of time keeping.

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CHAPTER 5 AccompanimentThis is a big area, and to do it justice, it would be necessary to devote a book on thesubject. The art of accompaniment is a much under-rated and overlooked area of playing.To be an effective accompanist requires quite a lot of dedication, and its value to youroverall musicianship should make it an essential item in your daily practise routine.

I am going to focus on three types of accompaniment; the old style four-in-a-bar, oftenreferred to as boom-chick and a trade mark of the gypsy jazz guitarists, voice leadingtypically used in a small jazz ensemble, and walking bass lines, used in duo settings, orchord melody (solo) playing.

Boom-chicking This style, although little used in modern jazz, is something every professional jazzguitarist knows how to do. In its most basic form, it involves strumming with downstrokes on each beat of every bar. A very slight emphasis can be played on beats two andfour, which seems to make it swing more. By releasing the ngers of the left hand, thesustain on beats two and four are shortened, the effect of which is to produce a long-shortsyncopated sound, hence the expression boom-chick. Usually, block chords are usedwhich comprise four or more notes, including the root. There are a few proponents of thisstyle who use mostly three note chords, making abundant use of substitutions, in order tokeep the bass moving.

Apart from the gypsy jazz guitarists, many mainstream guitarists still use this style ofplaying, especially during a bass solo, and in the absence of a drummer. It is also widelyused in a big band setting. Below are some examples of chord progressions to help developthis style.


1 Listen to exercises 27 to 29 on the accompanying CD2 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually


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Ex 27 Dm7 G13 Cmaj7 Cmaj9

Ex 28 Gm7 C7 Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 ...9 Eb6 Ebmaj7

Ex 29 Bbmaj7 Gm7 Cm7 F9 Bbmaj9 Gm7 Cm7 F7

Voice Leading Voice leading is the smooth transition from one chord to the next. This usually entailsmaintaining one or two notes common between chords while changing the other notes bysmall intervals in the same or contrary directions to a resolution. This involves the use ofaltered (not common to the scale) or extensions (scale notes other than chord tones). Thesechords are useful in a small band situation and should be played in a punchy or stabbingfashion. They are usually easy to nger and very effective.

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1 Listen to exercises 30 to 32 on the accompanying CD2 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually


Ex 30 Fm9 Bb7 #5b9 Eb6/9

Ex 31 Am7 D7 #9#5 Gmaj7

Ex 32 Fm11 Bb7 #9#5 Eb6

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Walking Bass LinesWalking bass lines played on a six string guitar are usually played together with chordstabs, to provide an effective accompaniment in a duo or while playing solo. This meansthat the bass lines have to be kept fairly simple and on the lower two strings. Once thebasics have been mastered it is quite an easy technique and will come in very handy. It is

best played nger style but with a bit of dedication can also be played with a pick, the latterhaving the advantage of being able to change without a pause between single lines, basslines and so on. Try the examples below.


1 Listen to exercises 20 to 26 on the accompanying CD2 Study the ngerings at your own pace3 Set your metronome at a slow tempo, play the exercise several times gradually


Ex 33 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 . /.

Ex 34 Bb7 Eb9 Bb7 Bb13

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Ex 35 Bbmaj7 Gm7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7 Gm7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7

Moving onStriving towards freedom on your instrument is the ultimate goal of any improviser.Learning and playing licks over chord changes is an important step in becoming animproviser, but without spontaneous creative expression, your solo may sound a littlecontrived after a while. The next step is to add interest with other devices, which shouldbecome part of your practise routine.

Continuing our analogy of jazz improvisation and the spoken language, a solo is similarto a story. It has an introduction, a structure, and expression. Solos often start with a fewintroductory notes, which build to a climax and then taper off. Subtlety, contrast, colour,boldness, expressiveness are all devises used to engage an audience. In a solo, theseelements can be enhanced by the use of dynamics and rhythm. Dynamics adds greater depthand feeling by changing the volume of what is being played. For example, you may wish

to emphasise a particular note, say on beat one as the chord sequence resolves to the tonic.Playing lightly while approaching that note will create greater dynamic effect.Rhythm addsspacial interest and contrasts with long owing lines. It improves the creative aspect ofyour playing, as well as providing you with a breathing space.

Record a backing track of a simple chord sequence, or a few bars of the same chord andplay just one or two notes per bar, creating very simple rhythmic ideas. Try the followingexamples:

Ex 36 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 . /.

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Ex 37 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 . /.

Ex 38 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 . /.

That concludes the book and CD, and I hope it has been useful. I set out to give a broadbrush stroke to the many aspects of playing jazz on the guitar. The idea is to whet theappetite for developing those areas which are of more interest to you. Hopefully, thereis enough material here to keep you busy for a while. The book is also designed for justdipping into once in a while along the journey. There is a wealth of other material available

in other books and on the internet to follow up on all the subjects I have touched on.

Good luck!

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Fret Board Below is a diagram of the notes on a guitar fret board up to the twelfth fret. Flat ( b) notes aresituated one fret below, and sharp ( ) notes are one note above the note in question. For example,on the sixth string, F is on fret 2, and G b is also situated on the second fret. They are the samenote. What determines whether it is a F or G b is the original key signature the tune was written

in.

Notes on the Stave

E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E

tuning guides

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