How To Play Jazz Guitar

How to Play Jazz Guitar A Practice Guide
If theres one question I get the most from readers and students, its this:
I want to play Jazz guitar. But, how do I go about learning how to play Jazz Guitar?
For many players, learning jazz guitar means learning chords, scales, and arpeggios in all 12
keys; practicing is all technique and no creativity.But to be effective in the practice room, this
isnt the case.One of the biggest mistakes that you can make, is that you spend hours on
technical studies and little or no time on performance studies.After all, for most of us, you
wanted to learn how to play jazz guitar in order to jam tunes, with backing tracks or other
people.If jamming tunes is your goal, then practicing tunes is the best way to achieve that goal.
Therefore, any effective Jazz guitar practice routine will contain a healthy dose of tune study in
its breakdown.In this article, youll learn a number of essential practice elements.
These include, how to study tunes, concepts, technical items, and transcriptions in order to
make learning jazz guitar fun and highly effective.
Contents
Playing Jazz Guitar Means Playing Tunes
How to Learn Jazz Comping
How to Learn Jazz Melodies
How to Learn Jazz Guitar Soloing
The Importance of Transcription
Learning by Doing
Playing Jazz Guitar Means Playing Tunes

For most, if not all, of us, the reason why you want to learn jazz guitar in the first place is to
make music.In jazz, making music playing tunes.Whether youre jamming with friends or with
backing tracks, playing solo guitar, or getting out and doing gigs, each of us makes music in
our own way.So, your practice outline should be geared towards the goal of being able to play
either solo, or with other musicians.One of the biggest pitfalls that I see with players, is that
theyre spending all of their time on learning techniques, such as scales, arpeggios, and
chords, and not spending enough, or any, time learning tunes.Because of this, they can play
up and down many technical devices, often with impressive speed and confidence, but when it
comes to functioning as a guitarist over a tune, things fall apart pretty quickly.Learning how to
play jazz guitar means learning how to play tunes, and therefore learning tunes should be a
part of your daily practice routine.Though there are many sub-elements that you can practice
when it comes to learning tunes, the three main elements are:
1. Comping
2. Melody
3. Improvisation
When playing jazz tunes, youll need to play the chords behind other soloists, and the melody if
youre playing in a group setting.As well, sometimes in a group setting, and for sure in a solo
guitar situation, youll be responsible for playing the melody, in either a single-note or chord
melody arrangement.Lastly, many of us are interested in learning how to solo in a jazz context,
and so learning how to improvise is the third element in your practice routine when it comes to
learning tunes.These elements are placed in order from the item you spend the most time on,
comping, to least amount of time, improvisation, so you can organize your practicing to reflect
the amount of time you spend on each during performances.Youll now break down each
element further to learn how you can apply them to your practice routine.Thisll allow you to
focus your time in the woodshed, and learning how to play jazz guitar in an effective and
confident manner at the same time.
How to Learn Jazz Comping

Comping is at the top of this list of elements to study as its the item that will occupy most of
your time when youre jamming tunes with other musicians.While youve probably learned
chord shapes in your studies, you might stopped at one type of chord shape, or dont dig into
rhythms or chord vocabulary in your woodshedding.In order to develop your comping skills,
youll need to explore these items over tunes to prepare yourself fully to jam with other people.
So, check out the exercises and concepts in this section in order to expand your harmonic skill
set, as well as build your confidence when it comes to comping in a jazz situation.For more info
on building a strong harmonic foundation, check out my Easy Jazz Guitar Chords and Jazz
Guitar Chords The Complete Guide lessons.
Jazz Guitar Chord Voicings

Heres a list of chord types thatll expand your ability to comp over tunes, as well as learn about
jazz harmony and the fretboard at the same time.You dont have to learn every chord type to
be able to comp on a jazz tune, you just need to have confidence with the chord shapes that
you do learn.So, you can go deep into any one of these chord types, such as working on Drop
2 chords and learning as much about those chords as you can on the guitar.Or, you can dip
your toes a bit into each of these chord groups, and then apply a bit of each into your chord
work in a jam or gigging situation.Either way is fine, so explore both ways in the practice room
and see what works best for you.Remember, the goal isnt to learn a lot about chords, its
about learning chords for the purpose of jamming on jazz tunes.Keep that goal in mind and
youll reach your harmonic goals in the woodshed in no time.
Drop 2 Chords
Along with their closely related cousins the Drop 3 Chords, Drop 2 Chord Inversions are some
of the most popular and commonly used voicings in jazz guitar.
They are easy to play, dont require a lot of stretches, and because of their jazzy sound,
theyve become favorite comping and chord soloing tools for players such as Joe Pass, Ed
Bickert, Wes Montgomery and George Benson.
In this lesson, you will learn how build, play and apply Drop 2 chords to common jazz
harmonic situations as you bring these classic chords off the page and onto your fretboard.
What Are Drop 2 Chords

One of the biggest questions I get from students and readers about jazz guitar chords, is How
do you build a Drop 2 chord?The name Drop 2 comes from the fact that in order to build
these chord shapes, you take a closed position chord, 1-3-5-7, and drop the 2nd note from
the top down an octave, forming the interval pattern 5-1-3-7.Here is how that looks like on the
fretboard to help with visualizing this chord construction.
When you lower the 2nd note of

any closed-position chord by an octave, you will then produce the following four interval
patterns for each inversion.
Root Position R-5-7-3
1st Inversion 3-7-R-5

2nd Inversion 5-R-3-7
3rd Inversion 7-3-5-R
Notice that the 3rd and 7th, as well as the root and 5th, are always next to each other in any
inversion.This can help you in visualizing the intervals within any Drop 2 chord shape you
are learning or playing on the fretboard.Lastly, this formula works for any chord type you can
think of, you just have to alter the interval qualities to fit that chord type.For example, a root
position Drop 2 7th chord is built R-5-b7-3, a m7 chord would be R-5-b7-b3, etc.The intervals
change to match the chord you are playing, but the order of the intervals always remains the
same.To help you take these shapes from the page and onto the fretboard, lets take a look
at 12 different, 4 per string set, drop 2 chords for all of the common chord qualities used in
jazz.Each of these groups of Drop 2 chords is written with a C root, so make sure to move
them to other keys around the fretboard as you explore these shapes further in your jazz
guitar practice routine.
Drop 2 Maj7 Chords

To begin, here are 12 different Cmaj7 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion 3-7-R-5

3rd Inversion 7-3-5-R
Here are four inversions of Cmaj7 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
You can now learn these chords on the middle four strings.
Finally, you can play these chords on the top 4 strings of the fretboard.
Drop 2 7th Chords
Here are 12 different C7 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-5-b7-3
1st Inversion 3-b7-R-5

2nd Inversion 5-R-3-b7
3rd Inversion b7-3-5-R
Here are four inversions of C7 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 m7 Chords
Here are 12 different Cm7 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-5-b7-b3
1st Inversion b3-b7-R-5

2nd Inversion 5-R-b3-b7
3rd Inversion b7-b3-5-R
Here are four inversions of Cm7 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 m7b5 Chords
Here are 12 different Cm7b5 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b5-b7-b3
1st Inversion b3-b7-R-b5

2nd Inversion b5-R-b3-b7
3rd Inversion b7-b3-b5-R
Here are four inversions of Cm7b5 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 dim7 Chords
Here are 12 different Cdim7 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b5-bb7-b3
1st Inversion b3-bb7-R-b5

2nd Inversion b5-R-b3-bb7
3rd Inversion bb7-b3-b5-R
Here are four inversions of Cdim7 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 mMaj7 Chords
Here are 12 different CmMaj7 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-5-7-b3
1st Inversion b3-7-R-5

2nd Inversion 5-R-b3-7
3rd Inversion 7-b3-5-R
Here are four inversions of CmMaj7 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 7#11 Chords
Here are 12 different C7#11 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-#11-b7-3
1st Inversion 3-b7-R-#11

2nd Inversion #11-R-3-b7
3rd Inversion b7-3-#11-R
Here are four inversions of C7#11 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 Maj7#11 Chords
Here are 12 different Cmaj7#11 Drop 2 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-#11-7-3
1st Inversion 3-7-R-#11

2nd Inversion #11-R-3-7
3rd Inversion 7-3-#11-R
Here are four inversions of Cmaj7#11 on the lowest four strings of the guitar.
Drop 2 Chord Exercise 1 Qualities
The first exercise you can use to internalize Drop 2 chords is based on finding chords that
are only one note different from other shapes, and then moving between these chords on the
fretboard.
Here is a favorite example of this exercise that covers 5 different chord types in one exercise.
Try playing these chords using Drop 2 shapes in C, before moving them to other keys on the
fretboard.
As well, you can use any string set, and any inversion, to outline these shapes, just stick to
the same one for each time through the exercise.
So, if you play the first Cmaj7 chord as a 1st inversion on the middle four strings, keep that
same outline as you then move to the other chords in the exercise, meaning you play every
chord as a 1stinversion on the middle four strings.
Here is another progression that I like to use where the second chord is built by altering one
notefrom the first chord shape.
Lastly, here is another chord progression you can use to learn and memorize various types of
Drop 2 chords in the practice room.
Once you have worked through these three progressions in various keys and in all inversions
on different string sets, try coming up with your own progressions to work Drop 2 chords in
the woodshed.
Drop 2 Chord Exercise 2 Major ii V I VI Chords

This exercise brings a practical application of Drop 2 chords to your practice routine, as you
outline major key ii V I VI changes using Drop 2 voice leading.
When doing so, you being on any iim7 Drop 2 chord, such as the root position in the example
below, and then move to the closest V7 chord, Imaj7 and VI7b9 chord in that area of the
fretboard.
Here is how that looks on the neck of the guitar.
When doing so, you will always use the following inversions for each chord.
R-2nd-R-1st
1st-3rd-1st-2nd
2nd-R-2nd-3rd
3rd-1st-3rd-R
This order of inversions is the same for major and minor ii V I vi progressions, and so its
worth memorizing as you take this exercise further in the woodshed.
Once you have worked out the example above, try moving to the other inversions of Dm7 on
the top-4 strings and voice leading the chords from there through the progression.
Then, move on to different keys on that string set, and onto other string sets before applying
these shapes to a full tune in your studies.
Drop 2 Chord Exercise 3 Minor ii V I VI Chords
You can then repeat the previous exercise with minor key ii V I vi chords, as you can see in
the following example.
Again, once you have these shapes down in various keys and on a few string sets, try taking
them to a tune such as Autumn Leaves, which has both major and minor ii V I changes in
order to hear and see how these chords apply to a musical situation.
How to Play Drop 3 Chords for Jazz Guitar
Drop 3 Chords are some of the first voicings that guitarists learn when they begin to explore
jazz guitar.
These voicings are great for duo and solo situations, but they get a little muddy when you use
them with a bass player, so be careful when and where you use Drop 3 Chord Inversions, you
dont want to step on your bass players toes!
For this reason, most players will use Drop 3 Chord Inversions when playing solo or Duo with
no bass player, and then use Drop 2 Chords or other similar voicings when theres a bass
player in the ensemble.
So make sure to learn both Drop 2 and Drop 3 Chords, so you never find yourself in a situation
where your chords sound too muddy or too thin, and with both sets of voicings under your
fingers youll be ready for any jazz situation.
In this lesson, you will learn how build, play and apply Drop 3 chords to common jazz harmonic
situations as you bring these classic chords off the page and onto your fretboard.
What Are Drop 3 Chords

One of the most common questions I get from students and readers about jazz chords, is How
do you build a Drop 3 chord?The name Drop 3 comes from the fact that in order to build
these chord shapes, you take a closed position chord, 1-3-5-7, and drop the 3rd note from
the top down and octave, forming the interval pattern 3-1-5-7.Here is how that looks like on the
fretboard to help with visualizing this chord construction, notice that each Drop 3 chord has a
string skip between the lowest two notes as this is a characteristic of these shapes.
When you lower the 3rd note of any closed-position chord by an octave, you will then
produce the following four interval patterns for each inversion.
1st Inversion 3-R-5-7

2nd Inversion 5-3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-5-R-3
These formulae works for any chord type you can think of, you just have to alter the interval
qualities to fit that chord type. For example, a root position Drop 3 7th chord is built R-b7-3-5,
a m7 chord would be R-b7-b3-5, etc. The intervals change to match the chord you are playing,
but the order of the intervals always remains the same.
To help you take these shapes from the page and onto the fretboard, lets take a look at 8
different, 4 per string set, Drop 3 chords for all of the common chord qualities used in jazz.
Each of these groups of Drop 3 chords is written with a C root, so make sure to move them
to other keys around the fretboard as you explore these shapes further in your jazz guitar
practice routine.
Drop 3 Maj7 Chords

To begin, here are 8 different Cmaj7 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion 3-R-5-7

2nd Inversion 5-3-7-R
Here are four inversions of Cmaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
You can also play these Drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.
Drop 3 7th Chords
Here are 8 different C7 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b7-3-5
1st Inversion 3-R-5-b7

2nd Inversion 5-3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-5-R-3
Here are four inversions of C7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 m7 Chords
Here are 8 different Cm7 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b7-b3-5
1st Inversion b3-R-5-b7

2nd Inversion 5-b3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-5-R-b3
Here are four inversions of Cm7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 m7b5 Chords
Here are 8 different Cm7b5 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion b3-R-b5-b7

2nd Inversion 5-b3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-b5-R-b3
Here are four inversions of Cm7b5 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 dim7 Chords
Here are 8 different Cdim7 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-bb7-b3-b5
1st Inversion b3-R-b5-bb7

2nd Inversion b5-b3-bb7-R
3rd Inversion bb7-b5-R-b3
Here are four inversions of Cdim7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 mMaj7 Chords
Here are 8 different CmMaj7 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion b3-R-5-7

2nd Inversion 5-b3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-5-R-b3
Here are four inversions of CmMaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 7#11 Chords
Here are 8 different C7#11 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b7-3-#11
1st Inversion 3-R-#11-b7

2nd Inversion #11-3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-#11-R-3
Here are four inversions of C7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 Maj7#11 Chords
Here are 8 different Cmaj7#11 Drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-7-3-#11
1st Inversion 3-R-#11-7

2nd Inversion #11-3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-#11-R-3
Here are four inversions of Cmaj7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 Chord Exercise 1 Qualities
The first exercise you can use to internalize Drop 3 chords is based on finding chords that
are only one note different from other shapes, and then moving between these chords on the
fretboard.
Try playing these chords using Drop 3 shapes in C, before moving them to other keys on the
fretboard.
So, if you play the first Cmaj7 chord as a 1st inversion with the root on the 6th string, keep that
chord as a 1stinversion with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 3 chords in the practice room.
on different string sets, try coming up with your own progressions to work Drop 3 chords in
the woodshed.
Drop 3 Chord Exercise 2 Major ii V I VI Chords

This exercise brings a practical application of Drop 3 chords to your practice routine, as you
outline major key ii V I VI changes using Drop 3 voice leading.When doing so, you begin on
any iim7 Drop 3 chord, such as the root position in the example below, and then move to the
closest V7 chord, Imaj7 and VI7b9 chord in that area of the fretboard.Here is how that looks on
the neck of the guitar.
R-2nd-R-1st
1st-3rd-1st-2nd
2nd-R-2nd-3rd
3rd-1st-3rd-R
worth memorizing as you take this exercise further in the woodshed.
Once you have worked out the example above, try moving to the other inversions of Dm7 on
the top-4 strings and voice leading the chords from there through the progression.
Drop 3 Chord Exercise 3 Minor ii V I VI Chords

the following example.Again, once you have these shapes down in various keys and on a few
string sets, try taking them to a tune such as Autumn Leaves, which has both major and
minor ii V I changes in order to hear and see how these chords apply to a musical situation.
How To Play Drop 2 and 4 Chords On Guitar
Though not as commonly used as Drop 2 and Drop 3 chords, Drop 2 and 4 Chords can offer
variety when comping using the 6th and 5th strings as the lowest notes of any voicing.
Often used in solo and duo situations, when there is no bass player, Drop 2 and 4 Chords offer
a full-sounding voicing that can be used in place of any Drop 3 Chord you know when you
are looking to bring a sense of variety to your chord playing.
Now, grab your guitar and lets get started with learning how to build, play and apply Drop 2
and 4 chords to your jazz guitar comping and chord soloing phrases.
What Are Drop 2 and 4 Chords

Since these shapes are less commonly used than other jazz guitar chord voicings, lets begin
by looking at the intervallic structure of each inversion of Drop 2 and 4 chords before taking
them to the fretboard.The name Drop 2 and 4 comes from the fact that in order to build these
chord shapes, you take a closed position chord, 1-3-5-7, and drop the 2nd and 4th
notes from the top down and octave, forming the interval pattern 1-5-3-7.
Here is how that looks like on the fretboard to help with visualizing this chord construction,
notice that each Drop 2 and 4 chord has a string skip between the middle two notes as this is a
characteristic of these shapes.
When you lower the 2nd and 4th note of any closed-position chord by an octave, you will then
produce the following four interval patterns for each inversion of Drop 2 and 4 Chords.
1st Inversion 3-7-5-R

These formulae works for any chord type you can think of, you just have to alter the interval
qualities to fit that chord type.For example, a root position Drop 2 and 4 7th chord is built R-5-
3-b7, a m7 chord would be R-5-b3-b7, etc.The intervals change to match the chord you are
playing, but the order of the intervals always remains the same.To help you take these
shapes from the page and onto the fretboard, lets take a look at 8 different, 4 per string set,
Drop 2 and 4 chords for all of the common chord qualities used in jazz.Each of these groups of
Drop 2 and 4 chords is written with a C root, so make sure to move them toother keys around
the fretboard as you explore these shapes further in your jazz guitar practice routine.
Drop 2 and 4 Maj7 Chords

To begin, here are 8 different Cmaj7 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion 3-7-5-R

Here are four inversions of Cmaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
You can also play these Drop 2 and 4 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.
Drop 2 and 4 7th Chords
Here are 8 different C7 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-5-3-b7
1st Inversion 3-b7-5-R

2nd Inversion 5-R-b7-3
3rd Inversion b7-3-R-5
Here are four inversions of C7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 m7 Chords
Here are 8 different Cm7 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-5-b3-b7
1st Inversion b3-b7-5-R

2nd Inversion 5-R-b7-b3
3rd Inversion b7-b3-R-5
Here are four inversions of Cm7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 m7b5 Chords
Here are 8 different Cm7b5 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion b3-b7-b5-R

2nd Inversion b5-R-b7-b3
3rd Inversion b7-b3-R-b5
Here are four inversions of Cm7b5 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 dim7 Chords
Here are 8 different Cdim7 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-b5-b3-bb7
1st Inversion b3-bb7-b5-R

2nd Inversion b5-R-bb7-b3
3rd Inversion bb7-b3-R-b5
Here are four inversions of Cdim7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 mMaj7 Chords
Here are 8 different CmMaj7 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
1st Inversion b3-7-5-R

2nd Inversion 5-R-7-b3
3rd Inversion 7-b3-R-5
Here are four inversions of CmMaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 7#11 Chords
Here are 8 different C7#11 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-#11-3-b7
1st Inversion 3-b7-#11-R

2nd Inversion #11-R-b7-3
3rd Inversion b7-3-R-#11
Here are four inversions of C7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 Maj7#11 Chords
Here are 8 different Cmaj7#11 Drop 2 and 4 chords, which have the interval structure:
Root Position R-#11-3-7
1st Inversion 3-7-#11-R

2nd Inversion #11-R-7-3
3rd Inversion 7-3-R-#11
Here are four inversions of Cmaj7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.
Drop 2 and 4 Chord Exercise 1 Qualities
The first exercise you can use to internalize Drop 2 and 4 chords is based on finding chords
that are only one note different from other shapes, and then moving between these chords on
the fretboard.
Try playing these chords using Drop 2 and 4 shapes in C, before moving them to other keys
on the fretboard.
So, if you play the first Cmaj7 chord as a 1st inversion with the root on the 6th string, keep that
chord as a 1stinversion with the lowest note on the 5th string.
Drop 2 and 4 chords in the practice room.
on different string sets, try coming up with your own progressions to work Drop 2 and 4
chords in the woodshed.
Drop 2 and 4 Chord Exercise 2 Major ii V I VI Chords

This exercise brings a practical application of Drop 2 and 4 chords to your practice routine, as
you outline major key ii V I VI changes using Drop 2 and 4 voice leading.When doing so, you
being on any iim7 Drop 2 and 4 chord, such as the root position in the example below, and
then move to the closest V7 chord, Imaj7 and VI7b9 chord in that area of the fretboard.Here is
how that looks on the neck of the guitar.
R-2nd-R-1st
1st-3rd-1st-2nd
2nd-R-2nd-3rd
3rd-1st-3rd-R
worth memorizing as you take this exercise further in the woodshed.Once you have worked out
the example above, try moving to the other inversions of Dm7 on the top-4 strings and voice
leading the chords from there through the progression.
Drop 2 and 4 Chord Exercise 3 Minor ii V I VI Chords
the following example.Again, once you have these shapes down in various keys and on a few
string sets, try taking them to a tune such as Summertime, which has both major and minor ii
V I changes in order to hear and see how these chords apply to a musical situation.
One way to practice any chords in this list is to pick a tune, then pick a type of chord, say
Drop 2, and then pick a string set, such as 4321.From there, you can work out one way to
comp over that tune using Drop 2 chords on the top 4 strings, memorizing those shapes and
practicing them with a backing track in your studies.
Common Jazz Rhythms for Comping
While learning chord shapes is important when learning how to comp, studying specific
rhythms is also important when developing your ability to comp over jazz tunes.By working on
rhythms, youll ensure that you arent caught flat footed on a jam when someone calls a Bossa
Nova groove, or when the band plays over the barline, or other creative rhythmic
approaches.Heres a list of 5 essential jazz rhythms that you can practice to better prepare
yourself for real life rhythm-guitar situations.
Quarter Notes Freddie Green Style
Dotted Quarter Notes
Charleston Rhythm
Bossa Nova Rhythm
Samba Groove
Once you have a rhythm picked out to focus on in your studies, pick a tune and apply that
rhythm over that tune with a metronome or jam track.From there, take that same rhythm to
other tunes, other tempos, and other voicings, as you prepare yourself to effectively and
comfortably apply that rhythm to a jam situation.To take your rhythms further, check out my
eBook Modern Time: Rhythmic Fundamentals for the Improvising Musician.
Jazz Chord Lines and Phrases

One of the biggest issues guitarists face when learning chords, is learning shapes on the
fretboard, but when it comes time to applying these shapes to a tune in a jam, they fall flat.
These chord shapes sound too technical, and lack the vocabulary needed to interact with the
soloist in a musical way.To avoid this happening to you, spend time learning jazz chord lines
and phrases, and building your harmonic vocabulary in the same way that youd study single-
note lines in your practicing.There are many great compers and chord soloists out there that
you can study, but three of the best are Ed Bickert, Joe Pass, and Lenny Breau.
To expand your chord vocabulary, pick a chord line or two, you can transcribe them or learn
them from a book, and work those lines over any tune that youre studying.This could mean
that every time the chords for the line you learned, ii-V-I for example, comes up, you apply the
chord line you learned to those changes to hear how that line sits over different parts of the
tune.If youre unsure of where to start when it comes to learning chord lines and phrases,
check out my 141 Jazz Guitar Licks article.
How to Learn Jazz Melodies
When it comes to learning melodies on the guitar, there are two main approaches that you can
take:
Single-note melody lines
Chord melody arrangements
As well, melody lines are a great resource for improvising.All of the notes in the melody fit over
the progression, and can be used as quotes, or as the main source of melodic content when
soloing over any jazz tune.Whenever youre learning a new tune, keep in mind that its the
melody that makes the tune.Jazz tunes will often have similar, or the exact same, chord
progressions to other tunes, and so its the melody that makes each tune unique.Some of the
greatest advice I ever received, and that Ill pass along to you, was from my teacher Roddy
Ellias.In one of our lessons, Roddy told me that someone should be able to walk in on my
soloing over a tune mid solo, and without hearing the melody, know exactly what tune Im
playing.You dont have to quote the melody all the time.But, having a deep knowledge of the
melody, as well as be able to be creative with the melody section of a tune, will only enhance
your ability to be musical as a jazz guitarist.
Read more about this approach to learning melodies in my lesson, Learn Jazz Standards A
Complete Practice Guide.
Where to Learn Melodies

One of the roadblocks many guitarists face, is theyre unsure of where to learn melodies on
the fretboard.Or, they learn one position of a melody and then find it difficult to adapt that
position when it comes to jamming on tunes in a gig situation.There are a number of ways that
you can study any melody to ensure that you can always reference it in any part of the
fretboard, transpose it to other keys, play it in different octaves, and internalize melodies all at
the same time.Heres a list of ways that you can practice melodies in your jazz guitar practice
routine.
1. Learn the melody in a lower octave.
2. Learn the melody in an upper octave.
3. Learn the melody in frets 1-4.

6. Learn the melody on one string at a time.
7. Place your finger on a random note and play the melody by ear.
8. Learn the melody on the top 2 strings only, as preparation for a chord melody.
As you can see, learning a jazz tune on guitar means much more than just learning one
position of that melody and moving on from there.You dont have to run all of these exercises
for each tune you learn, though you might want to do that.Instead, learn tune A with steps 1-3,
then tune B with steps 4-6, and tune C with steps 7-8, allowing you to cover every step, but not
get bored with one melody in the woodshed.
Improvising With Melodies

One thing that many guitarists forget to draw upon in their jazz guitar soloing ideas is the
melody.I like to call melodies the scale of the tune, as the notes of the melody will work over
each chord, much like a scale would when played over chords diatonic to that scale.Because
its diatonic to the tune, you can use the melody as the basis for your soloing ideas when
exploring tunes in your studies.You can do this by playing the melody exactly as written the
first time through, and then alter the melody to bring a sense of creativity and improvisation to
the melody line in your playing.Here are examples of how you can alter melody lines when
soloing in a jazz setting.
1. Alter the rhythm.
2. Take notes out of the melody line.
3. Add a few notes to the melody line.
4. Add chords between the phrases.
5. Add licks between the phrases.
6. Add passing notes, enclosures, approach notes, and other chromatic notes.
7. Sequence a section of the melody and work it around the chord changes.
8. Solo with the exact rhythm of the melody line, but improvise the notes.
The melody can be a useful resource when it comes to learning how to improvise of jazz
tunes, and is often an untapped resource in your playing.By exploring melody lines from a
soloing perspective, youll increase your ability to play that line, and bring a strong connection
between your soloing and the heart of the tune at the same time.
Chord Melodies
As the guitar is a multiphonic instrument, harmonizing any melody line you learn is not only an
option, but its essential for those looking to dig deeper into tunes in their studies.There are
three main ways that you can practice and learn chord melodies in your playing, besides
studying or memorizing written out chord melody arrangements.
Theses approaches are:
1. Play chords between melody lines.
2. Harmonize every note in the melody.
3. A mixture of approaches 1 and 2.
As you can see, these three approaches will get you where you want to go when it comes to
arranging and playing chord melodies.So, experiment with each as you might find you are
drawn to one or the other in your playing, or that some tunes work better with one of these
approaches and not with others.No matter how you approach them, learning chord melodies
will bring a sense of maturity to your melody lines when applying them to tunes in your setlist.
How to Learn Jazz Guitar Soloing

Soloing is at the bottom of the list of the three important concepts to study when learning how
to play jazz guitar.Though its often the most enjoyable aspect of playing jazz, in a practical
sense its the aspect that you spend the least amount of time on when jamming or in a gig
situation.This isnt to say that soloing isnt important, or that you shouldnt spend time on
learning how to improvise.
But, if you cant comp over a tune, and you dont know the melody, then you wont be able to
function in a jam, and all the soloing chops in the world wont help.When it comes to practicing
improvisation, many of us dive straight into scales and modes on the guitar.While these
concepts are important, there are other elements that you need to study, including arpeggios
and vocabulary, in order to avoid sounding like youre simply running scales.If you take one
thing away from this section on how to learn jazz guitar soloing, its:
Scales are the beginning of your study of jazz soloing concepts, not the end.
If you keep that in mind, youll use your scale knowledge to build a strong understanding of the
fretboard, then build upon that foundation as you study arpeggios and vocabulary from there.
Jazz Guitar Modes and Scales

When it comes to studying jazz improvisation, for many this begins and ends with a study of
scales and modes.Scales and modes are important, but they should be seen as the beginning
of an understanding of jazz soloing, not the end result.Scales are effective tools for outlining
changes, and for translating the jazz language on the guitar, but watch that you dont fall into
the trap of simply running scales over chords in your solos.In order to ensure you learn scales
in a musical, practical, fashion, here are 9 exercises you can explore in your studies.
1. Play scales ascending over a tune.
2. Play scales descending over a tune.
3. Play one scale up and the next down over a tune.
4. Play one scale down and the next up over a tune.
5. Add chromatic passing notes to scales over a tune.
6. Add enclosures to scales over a tune.
7. Add common Bebop patterns to scales over a tune.

8. Work scales with specific rhythms over a tune.
9. Repeat these exercises with one and two-octave scale shapes.
As you can see, theres much more to learning jazz scales beyond running those shapes on
the fretboard.Dont give up on scales, but dont treat them as a magic formula for becoming a
great jazz guitarist either.When learning how to play jazz guitar, you need a strong
understanding of scales and modes, but they need to be the foundation that you build up from,
not as an ending point for your soloing studies.For more information on how to build a strong
foundation with Jazz Scales and Modes, check out my Complete Guide to Jazz Guitar
Scales lesson.
Jazz Guitar Arpeggios

Though theyre easier to learn on guitar as compared to scales, arpeggios are more difficult to
solo with as youll need to apply one shape per chord change in your solos.As well, while
arpeggios are the most direct way to address any chord change, they can sound a bit stale if
you dont move beyond playing arpeggio A over chord B in your lines.Because of this, its not
only important to learn arpeggios, but to apply them to tunes in a creative and musical
fashion.Here are some examples of how to learn arpeggios over tunes in your studies.
1. Learn ascending arpeggios over a tune.
2. Learn descending arpeggios over a tune.
3. Play one arpeggio up, then one arpeggio down over a tune.
4. Play one arpeggio down, then one arpeggio up over a tune.
5. Add chromatic approach notes to each arpeggio tone over a tune.

6. Add enclosures to each arpeggio note, one at a time, over a tune.
7. Practice 3 to 9, 5 to 11, and 7 to 13 arpeggios over a tune.
8. Do all of these exercises with one and two-octave arpeggio shapes.
As you can see, moving beyond simply learning arpeggio shapes is essential when learning
how to play jazz guitar, as thisll make your arpeggio lines more musical when soloing.
For more info on how to build a strong understanding of Jazz arpeggios, check out my
Complete Guide to Jazz Guitar Arpeggios lesson.
Studying Jazz Guitar Vocabulary

Studying jazz vocabulary can mean learning lines from your favorite players, but it goes deeper
than that.Breaking down lines into their smallest concepts, then applying those concepts to
other harmonic situations is essential when learning jazz vocabulary.By studying vocabulary in
this way, youll not only learn the vocabulary, but youll bring a personal touch to that
vocabulary at the same time.When analyzing lines and solos for common jazz vocabulary,
keep an eye out for these common concepts.
1. Chromatic Approach Notes
2. Chromatic Passing Notes
3. Diatonic and Chromatic Enclosures
4. Scale and Arpeggio Patterns
5. 3 to 9 Arpeggios
6. 5 to 11 Arpeggios
7. Chord Substitutions
8. Chromatic Approach Chords
9. Chromatic Passing Chords
10. Lines that reoccur in the same solo
Once youve picked one or two items that you want to add to your own vocabulary, apply
those items to other keys, scales, octaves, arpeggios, and chords in your practice routine.To
take your study of Jazz Vocabulary further, check out my Intro to Jazz Guitar Vocabulary and
Intermediate Jazz Guitar Vocabulary lessons.
The Importance of Transcription

Besides working on tunes, the other most important aspect to learning how to play jazz guitar
is studying the playing of legendary guitarists.This has been a common approach to learning
how to play jazz throughout the history of the genre.From Wes Montgomery learning Charlie
Christian solos, to Miles Davis writing down Parker lines live in New York clubs, great players
have learned from the players that came before them.Because of this, spending time
transcribing solos is essential for any serious jazz guitarist, and something that can be done
right from the beginning of your jazz explorations.
If youre new to transcribing, start with just a short phrase, learn it by ear and work it around the
fretboard to understand how to apply it to various musical situations in your playing.If youre a
more advanced player, learning whole solos is the way to go, as well as running those solos
through the exercises described below.Whichever approach you decide is fine, as long as you
spend time learning by ear in your practice routine youll be able to learn directly from the
greatest players on the instrument.
How to Transcribe a Jazz guitar Solo

After youve picked a solo to transcribe, the next step is to sit down and begin transcribing that
solo onto the guitar, or writing it out if you decide to put it on paper.I prefer to write out all of my
transcriptions, mostly so that I have a record of them in the future, but that step is up to you.As
long as you learn the solo, and take it through the exercises in the next section, youll get a lot
out of your time spent with any transcription.Besides learning the solo along with the recording,
you can take steps to integrate your voice with the transcribing process, which creates a
deeper connection between your ears and hands.Heres a step-by-step approach to
transcribing any jazz solo.You dont have to use every step if you find some dont work for you,
but try them out and see how these approaches fit into your own transcribing workout.
1. Sing the transcription along with the recording.
2. Sing the solo, line by line is fine, while you comp the chords on guitar.
3. Sing one line at a time, and find the notes on the fretboard from your voice.
4. Play one line at a time along with the recording to check your work.
5. When you have one chorus, work it with the recording to ensure you are playing it correctly.
6. Finish the transcription in the same manner from here.
If you find that listening to the solo and playing it works for you, by all means go for it.But, if
youre looking for a new way to transcribe, or have trouble transcribing, then use these steps
as they can make learning any transcription much easier for you.
Studying a Jazz Guitar Transcription

While its important to learn how to play any transcription, this is just the beginning when it
comes to working on the material found in a transcription in your studies.By breaking down the
transcription into lines, studying one chorus at a time, analyzing rhythms, and working these
items into your own solos, youll ensure that you get the most out of any transcription.Speaking
of time, theres no rush to learn any transcription.If youre digging this deep into a solo, it might
take you 2 to 3 months to learn the transcription, then another 3 to 4 months to study it
properly.At that rate, 1 to 2 transcriptions per year is a good pace to keep in order to get the
most out of any transcription you study.Here are a number of exercises that you can do in
order to take any transcription further in the practice room.
1. Play it with a metronome at various tempos.
2. Play it with a backing track from memory.
3. Play it with the original recording from memory.
4. Sing the transcription with the recording and a backing track.
5. Play each line in all 12 keys and apply them to your soloing practicing.
6. Play a line from the solo and then improvise the rest of the tune from there.
7. Play one chorus from the solo, and then improvise one chorus, alternating over the tune.
8. Play the same rhythm as the transcription, but you improvise the notes.
9. Practice one chorus, then the whole transcription, in 12 keys.
As you can see, learning the transcription with the recording is just one option when it comes
to studying great players.
By digging deeper into any transcription, youll not only learn the notes of the transcription, but
youll incorporate the vocabulary, articulation, and phrasing from the solo into your own playing.
Most Important Lesson Learning by Doing

One of the best lessons Ive learned, and the most important item to take away from this
article, came about five years into my jazz guitar studies.Up until that point, I believed that if I
learned every chord, scale, and arpeggio known to man, then one day Id wake up and sound
like Wes Montgomery.Not quite.What ended up happening, was that I was great at playing
technical items, but when I soloed it sounded like a collection of scale and arpeggio
exercises.As well, when I comped it sounded like I was just running inversions over the chords.
Nothing was musical.Then one day it dawned on me, if I want to learn how to play jazz guitar,
then I need to practice the elements that make that possible melodies, soloing, comping.This
was the biggest turning point in my studies, and this approach has helped my students take
their playing to the next level, without wasting five years running scales, arpeggios, and chords
only like I did.
If you want to sound good playing tunes, then you have to spend time playing tunes in the
practice room. Throughout this article, youve learned how you can apply technical and musical
concepts to tunes in your studies.But, besides running exercises over tunes, you need to
spend time each day playing tunes in your practice routine.This means putting on a backing
track and playing the melody to a tune from memory, then soloing over that tune in the same
way you would on a jam or gig situation.As well, this means putting on a famous recording of
any tune youre studying and comping behind the melody and solos on that track, in the same
way you would if you were in a jam situation.By spending time each day working tunes from
both a technical and performance perspective, youll ensure that you have the tools needed to
sound confident the next time youre jamming with friends.The next time you practice, spend a
third of the time on technical items over tunes, a third of the time jamming tunes, and a third of
the time transcribing lines from a famous solo.This three-pronged approach will get you to the
next level in your playing quickly.Itll also make learning how to play jazz guitar fun, as youll
walk away being able to play tunes on the guitar, something thats directly applicable to your
long-term goals.
How to Play Jazz Guitar Checklist

To sum up this article, here are the key items that you can use as a checklist in the practice
room to make learning how to play jazz guitar both fun and effective.
1. Learning jazz means studying melodies, comping, and soloing.
2. Always work on tunes in your studies.
3. Study tunes from a technical and performance perspective.
4. Developing strong vocabulary is just as important as learning technical items.
5. Transcribing is an essential aspect of any jazz guitar practice routine.
Being mindful of these 5 items will help you dig deep into any tune youre studying, and
prepare yourself for any jazz jam or gig situation.
Learning how to play jazz guitar can seem like a daunting, and sometimes boring, task.
But, with the right approach in the woodshed, you can make that task easier and more
enjoyable at the same time.
Learn Jazz Standards A Complete Practice Guide
One of the best ways to develop an organized, practical, and effective practice routine is to
learn Jazz Standards.
Jazz Standards are a universal language you can use to communicate with other Jazz
musicians.
Even if youve never met those musicians before a jam session.
Theyre also the backbone of the rich history of Jazz recordings, as every great Jazz musician
has performed Standards throughout their careers.
For myriad reasons, these American Songbook tunes have found their way into the Jazz
lexicon, and are here to stay.
Because theyre an important aspect of learning how to play Jazz, Standards make up the core
of any efficient practice routine.
Working chords, scales, arpeggios, and licks is a good way to learn about the guitar.
But, working those same devices through Standards is the best way to learn how to play Jazz
music.
In this lesson, youll expand your Jazz repertoire, work these tunes in the practice room, and
build fretboard knowledge along the way.
Playing Standards can seem intimidating at first.
But, with the right practice approach, youll be jamming over your favorite Jazz Standards with
confidence in no time.
Learn Jazz Standards Contents
101 Essential Jazz Standards

Learn Jazz Melodies
Learn Jazz Chord Progressions
Jazz Improvisation Exercises
Jazz Sight Reading Exercises
Learn Jazz Standards by Ear
101 Essential Jazz Standards

When it comes time to learn Jazz Standards in the woodshed, one of the hardest decisions to
make is choosing the right tunes.There are hundreds, if not thousands, of possible Jazz
Standards that you could choose from.So, how do you go about choosing the right tunes to
study in your practice routine?
Thats not an easy question to answer, but you can start by breaking down these tunes into
categories to study.Thisll not only help you manage your practice routine, itll provide variety in
your repertoire list.
When working through the Jazz Standards below, dont feel like you have to learn them all in
once, or all in order.
If youre new to Jazz guitar, start with the jam session Standards, as these are the tunes most
likely to be called on pick-up gigs.Then, work on studying one tune from each section in the list.
Thisll expand your repertoire, and ensure that you have a well-balanced set list for any jam or
gig you play on guitar.These 101 Jazz Standards isnt the be all and end all of learning Jazz
tunes.But, itll give you a solid idea of the various categories of tunes to study, as well as
suggestions for tunes to work on when building your repertoire.
Jazz Standards Ballads

If theres one area in any guitarists repertoire thats usually thinner than the others, its
Ballads.
While its challenging to play fast tunes from a technical standpoint, Ballads offer a more
musical challenge on the fretboard.To interpret, personalize, and create an interesting
arrangement of any Jazz Ballad takes maturity on the instrument.
You can hear this mature approach to Ballads in the playing of the great Jazz guitarists, such
as Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and others.
Though ballads are musically challenging, you dont have to wait until youre an advanced
player to work on them in your studies.Start today, that way youll be able to develop your
Ballad techniques as you grow as a player.Thisll get you over that hump in the practice room
sooner than later.Here is a list of 11 Jazz Ballads that are commonly called on gigs to choose
from in your studies.
Body and Soul
Easy Living
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
I Cant Get Started
I Could Write a Book

In a Sentimental Mood
Misty
My Funny Valentine
My Romance
Round Midnight
When Sunny Gets Blue
Jazz Standards Bebop Tunes

While Ballads offer a creative challenge, Bebop Tunes will stretch your technique and ability
to play heads and blow at faster tempos.Even if you dont plan on playing Bebop tunes in a jam
session, or on stage, these tunes make great vehicles from study on guitar.Bebop heads will
increase your single-note guitar techniques, and push your ability to play at up tempos at the
same time.As well, they often contain fast-moving chord changes, which will develop your
soloing skills over popular Jazz chord progressions.The list below contains 9 Bebop tunes that
are often called at Jazz jams, and that are solid vehicles for study in the practice room.
Anthropology
Confirmation
Donna Lee
Bouncing With Bud
Hot House
Jordu
Joy Spring
Salt Peanuts
Yardbird suite
Jazz Standards Blues Tunes

Though theyre third alphabetically on this list, the Jazz Blues chord progression is the most
important form in Jazz.Though its only 12-bars long, the Blues has been the blueprint for
countless Jazz tunes.Its also usually the first tune called when jamming with new musicians in
a jam or gigging situation.Because of this, having a number of Jazz Blues heads under your
fingers is essential for any developing Jazz guitarist.To help you sort through the long list of
tunes to choose from, here are 8 essential Jazz Blues heads to learn on guitar.
Au Privave
Bags Groove
Billies Bounce
Birks Works
Blue Monk
C Jam Blues
P.C.
Straight No Chaser
Jazz Standards Brazilian Jazz Tunes

Theres something very cool about Brazilian Jazz tunes on guitar, they just sound right.With a
relaxed swing feel, at any tempo, beautiful melodies, and engaging harmony, Brazilian Jazz
tunes are essential repertoire for any Jazz guitarist.While you may not learn all of these tunes,
having two or three Brazilian Jazz Standards under your fingers is worth working out.Not only
will this fill out your repertoire, itll help you develop your rhythm, comping patterns, and
picking-hand technique at the same time.
To get you started, here are 8 classic Brazilian Jazz tunes to choose from when exploring
Bossa Nova and Samba in your studies.
Black Orpheus
Corcovado
Girl From Ipanema
How Insensitive
One Note Samba
So Danco Samba
Summer Samba
Wave
Jazz Standards Guitar Jazz

As guitarists, its not only important to study the compositions of Jazzs greatest composers,
but also those of Jazzs greatest guitarists.Learning how these guitarists approached
composition will provide you insights into their understanding of harmony and melody.
As well, youll be able to see how they visualized their fretboards, which can open up new
avenues of exploration in your own guitar practice routine.
Though not all other musicians will know these tunes, so they wont be called that often at jam
sessions, you can call them on your own gigs as a bandleader.To help you dig into these
compositions, here are 9 Jazz tunes written by guitarists that you can add to your repertoire
list.
A Go-Go John Scofield
Bright Size Life Pat Metheny
Careful Jim Hall
Chitlins Con Carne Kenny Burrell
Chromozone Mike Stern
Four on Six Wes Montgomery
Ralphs Piano Waltz John Abercrombie
Solo Flight Charlie Christian
Walk Dont Run Johnny Smith
Jazz Standards Jam Session Classics

Here is the meat and potatoes of any Jazz repertoire list jam session essentials.Though
this isnt a complete list of the most common Jazz jam tunes, knowing these Standards will
give you enough material to get through any Jazz jam session on guitar.If you only have time
to study one area of tunes on this list, start here.After learning five or six of these tunes, move
on to other categories to expand out from there in your Jazz Standards studies.As well as
being jam session essentials, these tunes also offer popular melodic and harmonic devices
thatll make learning other tunes easier down the road.Heres a list of 14 Jazz Standards that
you can learn and bring to your next jam session set list on guitar.
All The Things You Are
Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
Cherokee
Days of Wine and Roses
Impressions
Have You Met Miss Jones

Killer Joe
Satin Doll
Softly As in a Morning Sunrise
Solar
Stella by Starlight
Summertime
Take the A Train
Jazz Standards Latin Jazz

Along the same lines as the Brazilian Jazz Standards, working on Latin Jazz tunes will not
only increase your repertoire, but will expand your musical knowledge at the same
time.Working montuno patterns on guitar, among other challenges, will greatly expand your
rhythmic fundamentals.As well, improvising over Latin Jazz Standards can pose technical
challenges, both from a tempo and chord progression standpoint.And so working on Latin Jazz
tunes will provide an all around positive practice room experience.Here are 7 Latin Jazz
Standards to get you started in your studies of these fun, and great sounding, tunes.
Afro Blue
A Night in Tunisia
Caravan
Con Alma
Manteca
On Green Dolphin Street (Swing-Latin)
Sabor
Jazz Standards Modal Jazz

Though theyre often studied by beginning Jazz guitarists, due to their slow-moving harmonic
rhythms, Modal Jazz tunes offer their own unique challenges on the bandstand.While some of
these tunes have only one or two chords, others over more difficult chord progressions to
navigate in your comping and soloing.As well, keeping track of the form when playing Modal
Jazz standards can be tricky for any level of guitarist.Its not uncommon for people to call a
Modal tune on a jam, thinking itll be an easy tune to play, and then they get lost in the form
halfway through.So, focus on the form when learning these tunes, as thats often where the
challenge lies in playing Modal Jazz music.Here are 10 tunes to study when building up your
Modal Jazz repertoire.
Blue in Green
Cantaloupe Island
Chameleon
Footprints
Little Sunflower
Maiden Voyage
Milestones (New)
My Favorite Things
So What
Take 5
Jazz Standards Modern Jazz

This is a bit of a catchall title used to group together Jazz tunes written after 1965 or so, which
is a lot of ground to cover.Though they arent Fusion tunes entirely, Modern Jazz Standards
cover a wide-range of styles in their compositions.Because its such a long period of time to
cover with one label, working on Modern Jazz tunes will often mean different things to different
players.To help you expand your repertoire into this musical realm, here are 9 Modern Jazz
Standards that are often called on Jazz gigs.Because they feature odd forms, difficult
melodies, and tough chord progressions, you probably wont get these called on you in a jam
session.But, having a few of these tunes under your fingers will expand your technique, and
give you a few Modern Jazz options to call when you have time to rehearse a band before any
Jazz gig.
Dolphin Dance
S.P
Infant Eyes
Lucky Southern
Sing a Song of Song
Some Skunk Funk
Speak No Evil
Pee Wee
Portrait of Tracey
Jazz Standards Pre-Bebop
What might surprise you about this list of Pre-Bebop Standards is that some of these tunes
are actually Pre-Bebop.Though they were written almost 100 years ago these tunes have
remained in the Jazz repertoire to this day.With the exception of one or two of these tunes,
every one of these Jazz Standards could be called on any Jazz gig or jam session.Because of
theyre popularity, working these Jazz Standards will give you a solid foundation in the popular
Jazz jam repertoire.To help you get started with these important tunes, heres a list of 8 Pre-
Bebop Jazz Standards that you can add to your repertoire list.
All of Me
Cotton Tail
Dont Get Around Much Anymore
Georgia on My Mind
Honeysuckle Rose
I Got Rhythm
Indiana
St. Louis Blues
Jazz Standards Waltzes

While many tunes youll play on a Jazz jam session or gig are in 4/4 time, not all of them are
in this common time signature.Jazz Waltzes are some of the most beautiful tunes written for
the genre.As well, they open up your understands of how different time signatures effect your
approach to comping and soloing on the guitar.Learning how to play Jazz Waltzes will not only
allow you expand your understanding of time signatures, itll add rhythmic variety to your set
list.Having at least one Waltz in your repertoire is essential for any Jazz guitarist.To help you
bring a 3/4 tune into your repertoire, here are 8 Jazz Waltzes that you can explore in the
practice room.
A Child is Born
Alice in Wonderland
All Blues
Bluesette
Someday My Prince Will Come
Up Jumped Spring
Waltz for Debby
West Coast Blues
Now that you have a solid list of tunes to choose from in your studies, you can now explore
effective exercises to learn Jazz Standards.
Learn Jazz Standards Melody

The first thing to study when learning Jazz Standards is the melody.
This is because the melody is the tune; its what makes a Standard sound unique.There are a
number of tunes that use the same or similar chords, so the melody is what differentiates any
Jazz Standard.While its important to learn the melody first when studying Jazz Standards,
thats easier said than done for guitarists.Roadblocks such as range, positions, and fingerings,
come into play and make it tough to know exactly where to play any melody on the fretboard.
To help you develop your ability to quickly and thoroughly learn any Jazz melody, here are a
number of exercises that you can apply to your Jazz practice routine.
How to Read a Lead Sheet Melody on Guitar

Before you learn a melody on the guitar, youll need to know how to interpret what you see on
the page as compared to the fretboard.Because the guitar sounds one-octave lower than
written, playing melodies as written in lead sheets is often too low on the fretboard.So, the first
thing to do when learning any Jazz Standard melody is to take it to two octaves.After doing so,
youll know whether you can play it as written, or if its better to transpose it up an octave on
the guitar.
Learn melody in written octave
Learn melody one octave higher
Heres an example of this approach to the first four bars of the Jazz Standard After Youve
Gone.First, heres that phrase in the written octave, in notation and on the fretboard.
Next, heres the same line one octave higher.
As you can see and hear, the second line cuts through the band much more clearly.Though
the first example is fine, its not out of range to play; the second version is easier to hear.When
learning any melody, learn it in two octaves.From there, you can choose one over the other.Or,
in the Wes Montgomery approach, use one octave for one section and the other octave in a
different section.
Learn Jazz Standard Melodies Positions

As well as learning Jazz melodies in two octaves, its important to learn melodies in multiple
positions on the fretboard.Thisll open up your neck, as well as ensure you can always
reference the melody in any position.Start by working any melody in the following positions on
the fretboard.Doing so will cover the first half of the guitar, and allow you to always have the
melody under your fingers on the neck.
Within Frets 1-4
Within Frets 5-8
Within Frets 9-12

If youve tried these positions out, youll realize that keeping the melody in one octave is not
normally an option.So, feel free to alter the octave as necessary when working melodies in one
position on the fretboard.
Single String Melodies
A more unconventional, though highly beneficial, exercise is to learn melodies on one string at
a time.When doing so, youll pick a string, and then play a melody on that string only.Again,
change the octave when necessary to make this exercise possible.Go slow at first, as
fingerings will become an issue with melodies on one string.Watch that you dont get caught
playing every note with one or two fingers.Try to use all four if possible.Though it seems a bit
unorthodox, one-string melodies will get your ears involved in the learning process.
As well, youll never be lost with a melody on the fretboard as youll have it under your fingers
on each string in all areas of the neck.
Jazz Melodies as Improvising Vocabulary

One of the best improvisational tools that players overlook is the melody.The melody is the
scale of the song; it already fits over the chord progression.So, working melodies from an
improvisational standpoint will not only increase your creativity, itll help you nail chord changes
at the same time.To begin soloing with melodies, start with the following exercise.
Memorize a Jazz Standard melody
Put on a backing track and play the melody
Each chorus start to alter the melody
Change the rhythm, add notes, take notes away
But, always keep the melody at the core of your solo
By working melodies this way, youll internalize them to the point that youll never forget
them.As well, youll bring a sense of the melody into your solos.One of the best exercises I
ever did came from my teacher Roddy Ellias.He would step out of the room in our lessons and
tell me to start soloing over a tune.When he walked back in the room he wanted to know
exactly what tune I was soloing over right away.This isnt too hard with a tune like Stella by
Starlight.But, with a Jazz Blues tune, or Rhythm Changes tune, its much more difficultGive this
exercise a try, and work melodies into your solos in jam sessions.Everyone loves a good
melody, and itll connect your solos to the tune.
Both can go a long way when playing a successful solo.

Learn Jazz Standards Chords
After learning to play the melody, guitarists need to work on nailing the comping over Jazz
Standards.Being able to play the chords to any Standard may not be as fun as soloing over
that tune, but its practical.As a guitarist, youll spend 90% or more of your time comping behind
melodies and solos.So, having a strong command of comping over any Jazz Standard you
learn is essential.To help you build your comping skill set, here are three approaches you can
take in the practice room over Jazz Standard chord progressions.
Voice Leading Exercises Level 1
If youre new to Jazz guitar chords, then working root-position voicings is the way to go.But,
that doesnt mean that you have to jump around the fretboard between each chord.Instead,
you want to aim for smooth and minimal movement between chords.This minimal movement is
called voice leading.It means that you move the voices, notes, with a minimal distance
between each voice.Heres an exercise that you can do to apply voice leading your Jazz
Standard chord progressions.
Pick a tune to work on
Play the first chord with a 6th-string root

Move to the next closest shape for the next chord
Repeat through the tune
Repeat all steps from the 5th-string root first chord

Heres an example of this exercise applied to the opening phrase of Stella by Starlight.
You wont always be able to avoid jumps when working with root-position chords.
But, you can make those jumps minimal on the fretboard.
This exercise will also set you up to begin working on chord inversions in the next section.
Voice Leading Exercises Level 2
After working through root chords, or if youre at a more advanced level, you can work chord
inversions through Jazz Standards.In the following exercise, youll approach it the same way
as the first, though now youre moving to inversions on each chord.This is the best way to work
voice leading into your comping, as you can alter only a few, or sometimes one, notes between
chords.
Play the first chord in root position
Move to the closest next chord inversion
Repeat through the whole tune
Repeat starting on other inversions of first chord
Heres an example of how to work inversions over the first four bars of Stella by Starlight.
As you can see, youll need an understanding of chord inversions to work this exercise.But, if
you go slow, and have a chord dictionary handy, you can use this exercise to learn chord
inversions.Try it out, even if you dont feel ready.Use the chord dictionary when needed, and
build your comping skills and chord knowledge over Jazz Standards at the same time.
Guide Tones 3rds and 7ths

When you can play chord inversions through any Jazz Standard, youre ready to take it up a
notch by learning guide tones.Guide tones are the essential notes of any chord, in most cases
the 3rd and 7th.These two notes may be small shapes, but they can sound any chord
progression when applied to a Jazz Standard.Though theyre important shapes, theres no
root, making them tough to learn when first working guide tones in your studies.To help you
apply guide tones to Jazz Standards, heres an exercise you can work on in the woodshed.
Pick a string set 34 or 45
Play the 3rd and 7th of the first chord

Move to the next closest 3rd and 7th for chord two
Repeat through the whole tune
Repeat on other string sets and fingerings
Heres an example of guide tones over the first phrase to Stella by Starlight, one position on
the 4thand 3rd strings.
Though theyre easy to play on the guitar, only two notes, seeing guide tones on the fretboard
can take time.Without having a root in the chord, youll have to know the 3rd and 7th for the
underlying changes.This will take practice.But, with time, youll be able to see and play guide
tones over any Jazz Standard on multiple string sets.Then youll really be nailing the changes
in your Jazz guitar comping.
Learn Jazz Standards Improvising

One of the biggest mistakes musicians make when learning Jazz Standards is thinking:If I
know all my scales and arpeggios then Ill be able to solo over any Jazz Standard.While
knowing these technical devices is important, practicing improvising is something that every
Jazz musician needs to do.Improvisation is a learned skill, and so practicing soloing will make
you a better soloist.Working scales and arpeggios on your instrument is great for learning the
instrument.But, unless you apply those devices to tunes in your studies ahead of time, youll
never be able to convincingly solo over tunes in a jam situation.To help you build your soloing
chops, and build your ability to outline chord changes, here are a number of important
exercises to work on in the practice room.
Arpeggio Exercises
The first device to work on when practicing improvisation over Jazz Standards
are arpeggios.Because theyre built from chord tones, arpeggios are the most direct way to
outline any chord progression in your solos.The following variations can be applied to any one
or two-octave arpeggio shape for each chord in a Jazz Standard.Start by playing through each
without any time, then with a metronome, and finally a backing rack over a Standard.
Arpeggios Ascending
Arpeggios Descending
Alternating One Up and One Down
Alternating One Down and One Up
After working out the arpeggios to any tune youre learning, put on a metronome and solo
using only arpeggios over the changes.Because they use chords tones, arpeggios will sound
the changes even without a band to back you up.If you can sound the tune without a band,
using arpeggios or other devices, then your solos with a full band will be that much stronger.
Scale Exercises
As well as working on arpeggios over Jazz Standards, you can work scales over each chord in
any tune youre learning.When doing so, you can use the same variations that you applied to
your arpeggio workout.
Scales Ascending
Scales Descending
Altering One Up and One Down
Alternating One Down and One Up
Dont forget to practice soloing with scales over Jazz Standards in your studies as well as work
them with a metronome.Its easy to get caught up spending all your time with technique, and
not leaving time to work soloing in your routine.But, soloing is a learned skill, just like scales
and arpeggios.So, practicing soloing will build your ability to apply any technical device to a
real-life jam situation.
Mixed Exercises
Lastly, you can mix both scales and arpeggios in your studies to build a well-rounded
approach to soloing over Jazz Standards.The following variations should be applied to one and
two-octave shapes over any Jazz Standard youre learning in the practice room.
Arpeggio Up and Scale Down
Scale Up and Arpeggio Down
Arpeggio Down and Scale Up
Scale Down and Arpeggio Up
Because these mixed exercises cover more ground on the fretboard, and rhythmically, its
tough to work them with a backing track.So, work them out with a metronome first.Then, when
youre ready, put on a backing track and solo with both devices over the tune.This way, youll
get both a technical and creative workout with these exercises in the woodshed.
Vocabulary Exercises
As well as working more technical items over Jazz Standards, such as scales and arpeggios,
you can expand your vocabulary over tunes in the woodshed.To do so, you can use the
following exercises to add the Jazz language to your solos in both an accurate and musical
fashion.Heres the first exercise, which sets you up to use language in your solos.
Pick a short line to work on (2-4 bars)
Find a tune where you can apply that line
Put on a backing track and solo over the tune
When those chords come around, play the line
Once you can do that with confidence, and accuracy, youre ready to move on to the second
half of this exercise.
Use the same tune and line
Begin to alter the line change rhythms, notes, etc.
Focus on getting into the line smoothly
Aim to move out of the line smoothly
Play parts of the line then add your own material
As you can see, learning licks and adding them to your solos is only the first step.When you
can integrate them into your phrases smoothly, and alter them in the moment, then lines
become personalized.Moving beyond quoting lines in your solos will ensure you have
an understanding of vocabulary, without becoming a line player at the same time.
Out of the Box Improvisation Exercises
Besides working on the traditional improvisation exercises above, you can also step outside
of the box a bit with these soloing exercises.Each exercise is designed to get you out of your
soloing habits and into new areas of creativity.They might seem a bit strange at first, but give
them a try.You might be surprised to find you get absorbed into these types of exercises,
spending hours in the woodshed without realizing it.Here are six out of the box Jazz
improvisation exercises to check out over Jazz Standards.
Solo only within one octave
Solo only in frets 1-4, 5-8, or 9-12
Solo on one string at a time
Solo on two strings at a time
Solo with one fretting-hand finger only
Solo with one rhythm only, i.e. triplets or 8ths
As you can see, these exercises will open up new doorways in your soloing explorations.And,
at the same time, theyre fun to work on in the practice room.Give them a try; some might be
easier to attempt or more to your liking than others.But, with time, youll be able to use these
exercises to break out of habits and pet tricks in your Jazz Standard solos.
Learn Jazz Standards Sight Reading
Jamming with other Jazz musicians means learning tunes ahead of time, but it also means
being able to read tunes in a jam session or on a gig.Theres nothing more stressful than
having a chart dropped in front of you on the bandstand and youre sight-reading chops arent
up to par.But, if youve sharpened your reading skills, then sight-reading in a jam or on a gig
can be an enjoyable experience.If youve shied away from learning how to read music because
you thought it meant working on reading studies, or working on boring textbooks, this isnt the
case.If youre playing in a Big Band, then yes youll need to work on reading more complex
lines and changes.But, if you want to learn to read in a combo jam situation, then you need to
practice practical, musical, exercises.Not only practical reading exercises beneficial, theyre
usually a lot more fun to work out in the woodshed.As well, for guitarists, learning how to sight-
read Jazz Standards means reading chords, melodies, and soloing in real time.To help you
build your ability to jam tunes at sight, here is a break down of how to approach these three
areas of sight-reading in your studies.
Sight Reading Chords. The first side of sight-reading to work on is reading chords.While
you may feel like reading melodies should be your priority, as a guitarist youll spend most of
your time comping chords in a jam session.
Therefore, making sure you can read chords at sight will ensure you can function in a Jazz jam
situation.Because you probably know how to read chord changes better than single notes, you
can dive in and challenge yourself with the following exercise.
Pick a tune to read that you dont know
Put on a backing track
Comp the chords along to the track at sight
Aim to be able to nail the chords by the end of the track
With each new tune, shorten the time it takes to nail the chords
Its a pretty straightforward exercise, but one that emulates a real-life reading situation.If you
can get it to the point where you can accurately play the chords by the end of the first chorus,
or even second, youre ready to sight-read chords in a jam situation.
Sight Reading Solos

The next exercise will focus on helping you to play solos at sight over Jazz Standards.This is
a skill that many players put off developing in their studies.Its one thing to be able to work on
soloing over one tune for a long period in your studies.But, its another thing all together to be
able to outline chord changes when sight reading, and sound musical at the same time.Theres
nothing more frustrating than nailing the comping at a jam session only to fall on your face
when it comes time to solo.To help you get over this hump, you can work on the comping
exercise above just replace soloing with comping.But, if you need a bit more study to get to a
level where soloing in real time is possible, check out this preparatory exercise.
Pick a tune you dont know
Play the root notes on the top two strings for each chord
Play the triad for each chord from the 4th, then 3rd, string roots
Play one-octave scales for each chord from those same strings
Solo with no tempo using arps and scales over the chords
Put on a backing track and solo in time with these devices
Though its not sight soloing, this exercise will build your ability to outline changes for tunes
you dont know.Then, taking that knowledge to a sight-reading situation will be much easier
when youre ready to take that step.Learning to sight solo is an important skill to have, though it
can take time to build up in your playing.So, start today.
Grab a tune you dont know and jam on it, or work out the prep exercises.The sooner you
begin, the sooner soloing at sight will be easy to do in your playing.
Sight Reading Melodies
Youll notice that reading melodies, notes on the staff, is last in this list of exercises.
This is because, as a guitarist, youll be comping and soloing more often than playing
melodies in a sight-reading situation.Not to say it wont happen, but if theres a sax,
trumpet, trombone, or vocalist in the band, chances are theyll take the head and youll
comp.So, its important to learn how to read music on guitar.
7 Reasons Why You Should Learn to Read Music on Guitar
If youre reading this article, then you are interested in improving one of the most
underdeveloped, areas of any players tool belt.
Reading music on guitar.While there are other articles, some Ive written myself, that dig
into how to read music on guitar, many of us need to begin with asking ourselves:
Whats the point to reading music on guitar?
If youre like many other non-reading guitarists, youve probably felt at one time or another that
you should learn to read, that it would be helpful, but that you cant exactly say why its
worth spending that much time in the woodshed to gain this skill.
Because you should is not a good enough reason to learn how to read music, it needs to be
more practical than that to motivate you and benefit you in your playing.
This article lays out 7 practical reasons to learn how to read staff notation on guitar, each of
which will provide you with incentive, motivation, and real world examples of where not
knowing how to read will hold you back, and learning how to read will open new doors in your
Jazz guitar journey.
All of which are better incentives than, because I should.
Take some time to read through this article, it might open your eyes to new reasons to
explore reading in your studies, or just reinforce reasons you already knew but that havent
been enough to push you into learning to read on guitar yet.
After youve read the article, grab your guitar, your favorite method book or book of notation,
and start the tough, but highly beneficial, journey to reading music on guitar.
Reason 1 Build Confidence at Jam Sessions

Have you ever been to a Jam session, either at a friends house or at a club, and somebody
puts a tune in front of you and asks you to play the melody on this one? How did you do?
Or if you havent been in this situation yet, count your lucky stars, how would you do in this
situation?If you struggled, or feel you would struggle, then you are not alone.
Many guitarists, even Intermediate Jazz improvisers and compers, would struggle to read
a melody in real time in a jam session and nail it.Its tough, on a good day.
Being in this kind of situation can be demoralizing as a player, and take away from the good
work youre doing as a soloist and comper over the same tune, and in other tunes on that jam
session.
Learning how to read music on guitar, notation only no tab, will help build your confidence to
go into a situation such as a jam session and nail any lead sheet melody put in front of
you.Jam sessions can be intimidating situations for many players, especially those new to the
situation, and not being able to read can often add to the nervousness on stage or in the jam
room.By getting your reading chops up, youll get rid of a lot of this nervousness, increase your
confidence when reading melody lines, and turn a possibly embarrassing situation into a fun
and creative moment with other musicians.Have you ever had a bad reading experience at
a jam session? Share your story in the comment section and let us know how you got over it in
your practice routine.
Reason 2 Expand Your Practice Material

When learning how to play Jazz guitar, the reality is that much of the written literature, such
as method books, transcriptions, tunes, etc., are written only in standard notation.Since there
are many more instruments in the Jazz world, Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano, to name a few,
that only use notation and not tab, you will find that many great method books and
transcriptions only come in standard notation. Not being able to read cuts you off from
this rich collection of practice material. Being able to read music on guitar allows you
to benefit from this written collection of books and transcriptions, opening new doors to your
playing and practice routine at the same time.When I was coming up, because I could read
music at a high level, I was able to take any Sax, Trumpet, or Piano book and study it in my
practice routine.This allowed me to quickly and easily digest influences from other
instruments and performers that I would have missed out on if I could only read tab, or read
no music at all.Even when it comes to Jazz guitar books and transcriptions, many of these
publications were only written in standard notation, and still are to this day, which again are
locked behind a closed doorif you cant read the notation they are written in.
If youve ever found a method book or transcription that you would love to work with in your
studies, opened it up, realized it was only in notation and put it down, then learning how to read
music on guitar will immediately add benefit to your playing and practice routine.
You could even use these great books to teach yourself how to read, as I did with violin books,
theCharlie Parker Omni Book, and reading melodies out of the Real Book.
Once you can read music, there are no limits to what publications you can use in your
practice routine, which is worth the time spent learning to read worth it many times over.
Reason 3 Increased Fretboard Knowledge
One of the most overlooked reasons for learning how to read music on guitar is that as you
learn to read you are digging deeper into your knowledge of the fretboard.You cant read
music in real time if you dont know your fretboard, meaning notes, scales, arpeggios, chord
tones, extensions, etc., as these all come up when reading tunes, transcriptions, or other
written music on guitar.If you learn how to read music for no other reason, let it be to build your
fretboard knowledge, which can be a big reason why many guitarists struggle when learning
how to play Jazz guitar.Being able to see any key signature, any scale or mode, any arpeggio,
or any chord shape on the guitar, in all keys, in the moment, is a huge help when soloing and
comping in any Jazz guitar situation.Learning how to read will show you where your weak
points are on the fretboard, helping you to plug those holes, and directing you to focus on
those weak areas in your practice routine.
Its a win-win practice situation.You will learn how to read music, which gives you all the
benefits explained in this article, and become more comfortable and familiar with the
fretboard at the same time.You cant go wrong there, no matter which way you look at it.
Reason 4 Keep Your Transcriptions Alive

Have you ever learned a cool line from a recording, or learned an entire transcription, put the
work in to memorize the line or solo, then a few weeks later promptly forgot that
material?This happens to all of us, and there is one way to ensure this never happens to
you again.Learn how to read music on guitar. Its that simple.If you can read music, then you
can write out any line or solo you transcribe, keeping records of all your hard work for future
study.As well, when tackling a new tune down the road, youll be able to reference your
licktionary of transcribed lines and use them in our future playing, or quickly grab that perfect
Wes Montgomery line that would fit over those tough changes you are studying.There
is nothing more frustrating on guitar than putting in a lot of work on a transcription, or
gathering a solid collection of transcribed vocabulary, and not being able to keep a written
record for future reference.Writing out transcribed lines and solos also prevents you
from wasting time relearning these ideasby ear when and if you need to access them down
the road in your playing. Wasted time in the practice room is not something most of us can
afford, do your best to avoid it.
Though it may be a tough slog, you can also use transcribing to teach yourself how to
write and read music.Get a starting point from a method book if need be, then try and use
that knowledge to write out transcribed lines in your practice routine.You wont get it perfect the
first time, but you will learn from your mistakes, teaching yourself to read and recording your
transcriptions for future reference in one go.
Reason 5 Quickly Learn Fake Book Tunes
One of the biggest roadblocks placed in front of you when you cant read music on guitar, is
that Fake Books such as the Real Book are only written in standard notation with chord
symbols on top of each measure.Because of this, if you cant read music on guitar, then you
are forced to learn tunes by ear when you want to add to your Jazz repertoire, which can be
tough to do, especially when first starting out on the instrument.
By learning how to read music, you will open up a huge realm of possibility when it comes to
learning tunes, adding tunes to your repertoire list, and jamming with other musicians.
While there is often a saxophonist or trumpet player in Jazz groups, at jam sessions or
incommunity combo sessions, this isnt always the case.And people get sick or miss
rehearsals and jams for many other reasons, leaving you to handle melodies from time to
time.This is tough if you cant read music, to say the least.So, by learning to read, you will be
able to quickly and confidently learn the melody line for any tune you are studying in a
combo class, friendly jam session, or just for the fun of learning new repertoire.
As well, by learning to read melodies at home in the woodshed, you will increase your ability
to read melodies in real time at jam sessions and combo rehearsals, which as you saw in the
first point of this article, can be highly beneficial to your playing experiences.
Reason 6 Share Your Music With Others

You might not write original music, not yet anyway.But if you do, then learning how to read
music is essential for sharing that music with other musicians, in the jam room or just with
people around the world who might dig playing what you write.I have a friend who is a
very talented Jazz guitarist.Hes always been into learning standards, but he also enjoys
coming up with tunes of his own.This was a great addition to his gigs and jam situations, but he
didnt have the tunes written down, and so teaching the tunes to other musicians took time
and effort away from rehearsals, and made it almost impossible to play them on a gig unless
a rehearsal was involved.
All this changed when he learned how to read music and began inputting his tunes into
notation software to print out for his band mates.
After getting his reading down, hes been able to bring lead sheets to jams, quickly teach other
musicians his tunes in rehearsals, and stop wasting time that could be better used when
jamming and rehearsing with others.If you have a good tune idea, have a collection of tunes
youve written out that you want to jam, or might want to explore original composition in the
future, then being able to read music will allow you to do so with as fewest headaches as
possible.
Reason 7 Participate in Big Bands
This last reason is not for everyone, but if you have ever wanted to read in a Big Band then
learning how to read music on guitar is an essential skill to have in those situations.You will
often encounter written lines for guitar in Big Band charts, and if youre in a rehearsal band,
you may not have much time to work out those lines before the conductor counts off the tune.
Learning to read music will prevent wasted rehearsal time, and keep you in the good
graces of the band leader and your fellow band mates.
There is nothing more frustrating for other Big Band musicians than when the band is
cooking in rehearsal, and then the guitar line comes up and theres silence, or worse, a bunch
of wrong notes.This can bring a productive rehearsal to a stop very quickly, and nobody will
be happy about it.Getting your reading chops together will raise your level of playing in Big
Band jams and gigs, and showcasing those skills in a rehearsal situation will often lead to other
band members calling you to play in other bands and on other gigs as they know you can
handle your stuff on the bandstand.Even if you cant quite sight read a tough Big Band chart in
the moment, take it home and use your reading skills to get it up to par for next
rehearsal.Most band leaders can forgive a few errors when sight reading tunes, especially on
guitar, but not many will allow you to keep making the same reading mistakes over and over
before they decide to replace you in the band.Learning to read music will prevent this type
of awkward situation from ever happening to you.
But, at the same time its important to prioritize your practice routine so youre best prepared to
function in a real-life situation.Besides learning how to read notes on the staff, which is a whole
other topic of study, here is an exercise that you can do in order to build your sight-reading
chops.
Pick a tune you dont know
Read the melody in the given octave
Read the melody one octave higher
Begin to add fills to the melody
Add chords between phrases or under notes if possible
By working this exercise, youll study sight-reading melodies in a practical way.Youll be able to
read in any octave, as well as learn how to make a melody sound musical and arranged even
when sight-reading.When you can do that, reading melodies in a jam session becomes a
whole lot more enjoyable.
Learn Jazz Standards Transcribing
Theres no more important approach to learning Jazz Standards than transcribing.Spending
time listening to a melody, chord progressions, or improvised solo, and learning them by ear
produces sizeable results in the woodshed.Beyond learning what notes to play, repeated and
intense listening teaches you how to hear subtle nuances in the music.This ability to hear
music with greater detail is a huge help when jamming with other musicians.If you can
transcribe chords, youll always know where the piano player is in the form, even when they
deviate from the written chords.Then youll rarely get lost in the form, or if you do get lost youll
quickly get back on the form.If you can transcribe single notes, hearing when the sax player
uses steps outside, or uses a chord substitution, becomes doable in real time.Then, you can
react by going with their new harmony, or playing a counter harmony to their lines.Reacting to
rhythmic cues and interacting with the drums becomes easy after youve written out melodies
and chords, both notes and rhythms.Thisll allow you to always been in time with the band,
never get off the beat, and really lock in with the rhythm section.Its this level of hearing and
interaction that you want to strive for when jamming with other Jazz musicians.And transcribing
Jazz Standards will get you there faster than any other exercise in the practice room.In this
section of the lesson, youll study a number of exercises that you can use in your routine to
help you increase you ability to hear Jazz music in real time.As well, after working these
exercises, youll be able to quickly learn any Jazz Standard chord progression or melody just
by listening to it.No Real Book needed.Transcribing can be a difficult skill to develop, and many
players struggle with it in the woodshed.But, with time, effort, and determination, youll be able
to reach your transcription goals, and bring your heightened sense of hearing to the
bandstand.
How to Learn Jazz Melodies by Ear

There are two important reasons why you should learn Jazz heads by ear.The first is
accuracy, as lead sheets will sometimes contain errors.While the second is that it teaches you
how famous Jazz performers interpret melodies in their playing.Often times, beginning Jazz
musicians will learn tunes from the Real Book and play them as is on a jam session.While this
is accurate, the notes are correct, theyre often written in the plainest rhythms possible with no
fills in a lead sheet.But, when you listen to players such as Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane,
and Herbie Hancock play a melody, it sounds nothing like a lead sheet.Learning melodies by
ear will not only get the tune under your fingers, but also teach you how to interpret those
melodies like these great players.
To help you get started with learning Jazz Standard melodies by ear, here are steps you can
take when working them in the woodshed.
Vocal vs. Instrumental Melodies

To begin, youll need to decide if youll transcribe a Jazz melody as played by a vocalist or
instrumentalist.Both will offer a different learning experience, and so should be worked on over
time as you learn more tunes by ear.But, to help you figure out which is best to start with in
your studies, here are a few points to consider when learning melodies by ear.When learning a
Jazz melody from a vocalist youll want to consider the following points.
The melody will be closer to a lead sheet version
There are usually less ornaments fills, riffs, etc.
The range will be smaller compared to some instruments
Youll learn the lyrics as you learn the notes
Youll learn about breathing and phrasing melodies
When working on learning Jazz melodies from instrumentalists, keep the following in mind.
Melodies are usually more openly interpreted
More fills, riffs, and sometimes solos in place of the melody
Range can be expanded beyond lead sheet version
No lyrics to learn
If its guitar or piano theres no breathing
Both will offer you unique approaches to playing and interpreting Jazz melodies.If youre
unsure where to start, do both.A great exercise would be to learn the melody from a vocalist,
then learn the same melody from an instrumentalist.This would give you a comparison to work
from when building ability to interpret Jazz melodies on your own instrument.Its the best of
both musical worlds.
Learning Melodies in Real Time

Besides sitting down and learning melodies note by note, you can challenge yourself further
by working on melodies in real time.There are two sides to this exercise, one with your
instrument and one without.If you want to work with your instrument, here are the steps youd
take to work this exercise over any Jazz Standard.
Pick a tune to learn
Find a recording of that tune
Listen to the melody section
Reset the track and play along with the melody if you can
Repeat until you can play the melody perfectly

As you can see, thats a bit of a challenge compared to working one note or phrase at a time
with your instrument.But, while itll be tough, itll get your ears to new levels very quickly.The
second variation to this exercise uses these steps.
Pick a tune to learn
Find a recording of that tune
Find the first note of the melody on your instrument
Write out the melody by ear from there
Check your work by playing the melody when done
Now, this exercise isnt for everyone as its very challenging.But, for those players will naturally
good ears, or that have learned a lot of tunes by ear, this can push you in new directions in
your studies.Either way, take the challenge and try to work on learning Jazz Standard melodies
with these exercises.You might curse a bit, but youll get there, and the effort will all be worth it
in the end.
Checking Your Work

After youve learned any melody by ear, either piece by piece or with the real-time exercises,
youll want to check your work.You can do this by playing the melody along to the recording to
check your accuracy.The second approach would be to refer to a lead sheet to see if your
notes line up with the music.Either way is fine, the important thing is that you check your note
accuracy before taking the tune to a jam session.Thisll ensure youre playing the melody
correctly, and avoid awkward moments on the bandstand at the same time.
How to Learn Jazz Chords by Ear

Heres where most people struggle when working on learning Jazz Standards by ear.Hearing
melodies is sometimes tough, but mostly doable for most musicians.But, hearing chord
changes and learning them by ear is another challenge altogether.Though you may struggle
with hearing changes, give it a try.Work on hearing one chord at a time, and then check your
work with a lead sheet.From there, build your ears up to the point where you can hear the
chords to full tunes in your studies.Youll never regret spending time working on hearing chord
changes in the woodshed.To help you get started with learning Jazz chords by ear, here are
steps you can take to make this process easier for you in the practice room.
Start With the Bass Line

When learning chord progressions by ear, the bassist is your best friend.During a melody
section, bassists will often play simple, root-heavy bass lines.This makes it easier to hear the
root of each chord in the progression that youre transcribing.
Even if theyre playing a busier bass line, the root will most likely be on the downbeat of a new
chord change.Again, making it easier to hear the chord changes to any Jazz Standard.So,
when learning Jazz Standards by ear, start by getting the bassline.You dont have to memorize
the bass line, or write it all out.Instead, just use it to pick out the root notes for each chord in
the tune.Then, once you have the root notes, youll be able to find the chord qualities for the
changes from there.
Get the Melody Line Down
Heres where knowing the melody line to any Jazz Standard will come in handy.If youve
already worked out the melody line, youll be able to compare it to the bass notes you just
transcribed.By doing so, youll be able to work out some, or most, of the chords in the
tune.Often times with Jazz Standards, the melody contains chord tones, or other diatonic notes
thatll provide clues to the underlying chord qualities.For example, if youve got a G root note,
and the melody line is a Bb, you can try out a Gm7 chord over that bass note.Then, if thats not
the right chord, try Gm7b5, or G7#9, until you find the chord change.If this approach doesnt
work out, then you can move on to the next step.But, a lot of times combining bass notes with
the melody, and a little experimentation, will give you the chords to any Jazz Standard.
Fill in the Blanks

If youve got the melody and bass notes down, but cant figure out the chords, then youll
have to look for a few more clues to help you grab the changes by ear.The first step would be
to look for common chord progressions.For example, if you have the notes A-D-G, that forms a
ii-V-I chord progression in G.But, you wont know if its a major or minor ii-V-I.Sometimes the
melody will provide clues, but sometimes not, or it may not be played over these chords.So,
heres where you use a bit of theory and experimentation to fill in the gaps.
Start by playing Am7-D7-Gmaj7 over the bass notes.
Then, play Am7b5-D7alt-Gm7 as a comparison.
Find the one that fits and youve got the chords.
Between the melody-bass comparison, and filling in the blanks with theory and common
progressions, youll be able to learn most Jazz Standard chord progressions by ear.
Dont Let Inversions Fool You

One thing that can through a wrench into the gears when transcribing progressions are chord
inversions.There are even Fake Books that contain errors because the transcriber heard a
bass note and wrote a chord from that note in root position when it was an inversion.So, if you
hear bass notes such as Bb-C-F, use some theory and common sense to fill in those chords.At
first glance, these chords look like a IV-V-I progression in F.
But, in Jazz, IV-V-I is rarely if ever used in Standard changes.The more common progression
is ii-V-I.So, using some theory, you can infer that its a Gm7/Bb-C7-Fmaj7 chord
progression.This makes a lot more sense, and is a common progression in Jazz, so it would
more likely be these chords.Youd then play these chords with the recording to check your
work, and move forward in the transcription.
Jazz changes move in patterns, which makes them easier to hear the more experience you
have with learning Jazz Standards.Youd be surprised how many tunes you can transcribe just
by being able to hear ii V Is in major and minor keys.
Checking Your Work

Now comes the most important part, checking your work.There are two ways you can do this,
playing with the recording, or checking a lead sheet.If youre ears are more advanced, then
jamming over the recording will tell you if your chords are correct or not.If youre just beginning
to learn Jazz Standards by ear, then checking a lead sheet will be the better option.
Thisll make sure that your chords are correct, and prevent any awkward moments in a jam
session if you all of a sudden start playing wrong chords over a tune.Lead sheets arent
perfect, but they can help you check your work when transcribing Jazz chord progressions over
Jazz Standards.
Backing Track Exercise

One of the best exercises you can do when learning chord progressions by ear is to work with
backing tracks.Here are the steps to work on this exercise in your studies, which can be
difficult to work through at first.But, if youve transcribed a few chord progressions from
recordings, then you should be ready for the challenge.At first it might seem almost impossible,
but stick with it, over time itll become easier.
1. Put on a backing track to a tune you dont know
2. Comp the chords along to the band by ear
3. Give yourself until the end of the track to get all the chords
4. After the tracks over, check your work with the lead sheet
5. Aim to get the chords in less choruses each time
6. Set a goal to be 100% accurate by the end of the track
As you can see, this is a tough exercise.But, itll increase your ability to hear Jazz harmony in
real time.Thisll make jam session that much easier, as you wont be worried about playing a
tune you dont know.You also wont be scrambling for a lead sheet and holding up the band.
Instead, youll ask for the key, maybe the first chord, then confidently comp the chords by ear
from there. And thats a very cool Jazz skill to have.
Learning Jazz by ear is a big challenge for many players, especially beginner Jazz musicians.
But, even if it seems impossible, dont give up. Work on learning one note by ear at first. When
thats doable, learn two notes by ear.
Then build up from there to full melodies and eventually chord progressions.
Youll never regret time spent building up your ear in the woodshed.
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How To Play Jazz Guitar

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How To Play Jazz Guitar

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How to Play Jazz Guitar A Practice Guide

Playing Jazz Guitar Means Playing Tunes

How to Learn Jazz Comping

Jazz Guitar Chord Voicings

What Are Drop 2 Chords

When you lower the 2nd note of

Root Position R-5-7-3

1st Inversion 3-7-R-5

Drop 2 Maj7 Chords

Root Position R-5-7-3

1st Inversion 3-7-R-5

Root Position R-5-b7-3

1st Inversion 3-b7-R-5

Root Position R-5-b7-b3

1st Inversion b3-b7-R-5

Root Position R-b5-b7-b3

1st Inversion b3-b7-R-b5

Root Position R-b5-bb7-b3

1st Inversion b3-bb7-R-b5

Root Position R-5-7-b3

1st Inversion b3-7-R-5

Root Position R-#11-b7-3

1st Inversion 3-b7-R-#11

Root Position R-#11-7-3

1st Inversion 3-7-R-#11

Drop 2 Chord Exercise 2 Major ii V I VI Chords

What Are Drop 3 Chords

Root Position R-7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-7

Drop 3 Maj7 Chords

Root Position R-7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-7

Root Position R-b7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-b7

Root Position R-b7-b3-5

1st Inversion b3-R-5-b7

Root Position R-b7-b3-b5

1st Inversion b3-R-b5-b7

Root Position R-bb7-b3-b5

1st Inversion b3-R-b5-bb7

Root Position R-7-b3-5

1st Inversion b3-R-5-7

Root Position R-b7-3-#11

1st Inversion 3-R-#11-b7

Root Position R-7-3-#11

1st Inversion 3-R-#11-7

Drop 3 Chord Exercise 2 Major ii V I VI Chords

Drop 3 Chord Exercise 3 Minor ii V I VI Chords

What Are Drop 2 and 4 Chords

Root Position R-5-3-7

1st Inversion 3-7-5-R

Drop 2 and 4 Maj7 Chords

Root Position R-5-3-7

1st Inversion 3-7-5-R

Root Position R-5-3-b7

1st Inversion 3-b7-5-R

Root Position R-5-b3-b7

1st Inversion b3-b7-5-R

Root Position R-b5-b3-b7

1st Inversion b3-b7-b5-R

Root Position R-b5-b3-bb7

1st Inversion b3-bb7-b5-R