Blog - Jazz Guitar Lessons
Welcome,
This blog covers different topics with several useful lessons both for beginners, intermediate and advanced jazz guitar players.
Whether you're looking for tips on playing jazz guitar, this blog surely has the information you crave and will help you expand your music knowledge and technical skills.
Here below many tutorials grouped into several distinct categories:
Jazz Guitar Licks and Transcriptions
Teacher Spotlight - Jazz Guitar Lessons
Cheat Sheets, Methods, Posters, eBooks
The content is regularly updated so don't hesitate to subscribe to the newsletter to receive the latest posts.
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List Of Jazz Standards And Keys
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-08-31
- 3 comments
A“standard” or “jazz standard” is referring to a popular music piece and/or jazz music composition that is held in continuing esteem and is frequently used in musical repertoire.
Many of these “jazz standards” were not necessarily originally jazz compositions. Music publishers include the term “jazz standards” in a description or a title they nearly always are referring to compositions used as the basis for improvisation or jazz arrangements.
You will find in this post a non-exhaustive list of jazz standards and their original keys to practice at home or in jam sessions.
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Triad Arpeggios - Guitar Lesson For Beginners
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-08-25
- 2 comments
Arpeggios are surely the most important tools to master when you want to start improvising. They create a more harmonized sound when played with their corresponding chord. They are very helpful to easily outline the chord changes in solos and improvisations. This guitar lesson focuses on the most basic forms of arpeggios made out of three notes called "triad arpeggios".
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Jazz guitar chord voicings - II-V-I progression - 5 Exercises
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-06-26
- 0 comments
You will find in this page 5 exercises to learn to play different jazz guitar chord voicings over the most used chord progression in jazz, the famous II-V-I sequence.
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New eBook available | 50 exercises for jazz guitar | II-V-I voicings
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-06-20
- 0 comments
A new eBook is available for download. It contains 50 exercises with guitar tabs and standard music notation that will show you how to use different types of voicings over a II-V-I progression. This PDF eBook will help you to understand how the main jazz guitar chords are built (minor 7, major 7, dominant 7, diminished 7, half-diminished, augmented, 7b5, drop 2, drop 3, inverted, altered, extended and rootless chords) and how to apply chord substitutions (diatonic sub, tritone sub and diminished substitutions). -
Minor Pentatonic Scales Over II-Valt-I Sequence - 5 Jazz Guitar Licks
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-05-17
- 0 comments
In this lesson we will see how to use the minor pentatonic scale over a II-Valt-I sequence. The principle is simple, it consists in playing three minor pentatonic scales spaced apart of 1 semitone one from the other. This way you will bring out interesting colors to your jazz lines.- II chord: Play the minor pentatonic scale starting on the 5th degree of the II chord. This way you will highlight the fifth (5), the minor seventh (b7), the root (R), the ninth (9) and the eleventh (11) of the minor II chord. (Exemple for Cm7 play G- pentatonic).
- V chord : Play the minor pentatonic scale up a half step starting on the #9 of the V7alt chord (Ab-pentatonic over F7alt for example). Therefore, you will play the main altered tones of the V7alt namely #9, #11, b13, b7, b9.
- I chord : Play the minor pentatonic up a half step again starting on the 7th of the I maj7#11 (Example with A minor penta for Bbmaj7#11). Thus, giving the 7, 9, 3, #11 and the thirteenth of the I chord.
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Sookie sookie - Grant Green - Transcription
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-05-10
- In Licks & Transcriptions
- 0 comments
Here is a free transcription of the famous soul-jazz tune "Sookie sookie" by Grant Green.
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Jazz Up Basic Guitar Chords - Guitar Lesson for Beginners
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-27
- In Guitar Practice Tips
- 2 comments
Generally, when a beginner start to learn to play guitar, he tackles open chords (up the guitar neck), those found in many popular songs.Then, come the bar chords (major, minor, dominant 7) a little hard to master. But all these chords do not have a very interesting sound and are not mostly used in jazz music.
That's why in this lesson for jazz beginners we will take the main basic guitar bar chords to transform and enrich them so that their sonority is richer, exciting and better suited to jazz concept.
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The Tritone Substitution - Guitar Lesson With Theory and Tabs
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-13
- 2 comments
The tritone substitution sometimes referred to as dominant chord substitution is one of the most popular harmonic technique found in jazz and other styles of music.
It involves replacing a dominant seventh chord with another dominant seventh chord located a tritone (or augmented fourth) away from the original chord's root.
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Stella by Starlight - Jazz guitar chord melody lesson
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-11
- 1 comments
A new video is online on the youtube channel. It is a quick jazz guitar chord melody arrangement with chord diagrams of the famous jazz standard "Stella by Starlight" (Victor Young).
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What's a Half-Diminished Chord (m7b5)
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-07
- 2 comments
This guitar lesson explains what is m7b5 chord, how to play it on guitar and how to apply it in common harmonic contexts as major and minor II-V-I progressions.
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List of Musical Intervals - Music Theory
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-06
- In Music Theory
- 2 comments
What is an Interval ?
An interval is the distance between two notes, each one is represented by a number (1,2,3,4,5,6,7...) and a prefix related to its quality ("M" for major, m for minor, "P" for perfect, "d" for diminished and "A" for augmented). There are five different qualities.
An interval can be melodic, when the tones are successive (played one after the other) and harmonic, if the notes are stacked (played simultaneously). Knowing the name of each interval on guitar and on any other instrument is very important.
Intervals are essential elements of music theory. Intervals are very useful to understand how chords and scales are built. This article shows you how to make the difference between them.
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Extended Major 7th Chords | Guitar Diagrams & Voicings
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-04-01
- 0 comments
Seventh chords (aka four-note chords) represent the backbone of jazz harmony. It is common to extend them with extra tones. These other notes form the upper structure of a chord which includes the 9th, 11th and 13th.
Adding extensions to chords help to get off the beaten tracks and provides some new harmonic colors to your playing (chord soloing, comping, and arrangement).
This lesson provides useful extended major 7th chord shapes to apply to your playing.
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Chord Substitutions For Guitar
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-03-25
- 0 comments
Chord substitution is to replace a chord by another one to add more harmonic interest to a piece, a song or a chord progression.
In jazz music, this technique is widely used by composers and improvisers.
It can be useful to reharmonize a chord sequence or a jazz standard.
This lesson will help you better understand what is the diatonic chord substitution.
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Walking Bass Lines With Chords And Solo Lines - Guitar Lesson | Bb blues jazz progression
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-02-20
- 0 comments
This lesson is about a 12-bar blues in the key of Bb included two guitar transcriptions with tabs : a guitar walking bass line for the accompaniment and a guitar improvisation to solo over.
Note that this study is based on a common blues jazz progression? but with a descending chromatic progression in bars 7 & 8 using three dominant 7th chords (Bb7, A7, Ab7) to approach G7 at the end of the bar 8.
Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | % |
Eb7 | Edim7 | Bb7 A7 | Ab7 G7 |
C-7 | G7 | Bb7 G7 | C-7 F7 |
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NEW PDF eBook available | 11 blues-jazz progressions for guitar | Chords and comping studies
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-02-12
- 0 comments
A new printable PDF eBook is available. It's about 11 blues progressions for jazz guitar with tabs, analysis (with roman numerals), explanations and audio files, divided into four chapters :1- Blues progressions and variations
2- Chord studies
3- Guitar walking-bass studies
4 -Rhythm patterns -
Minor and Major 6 chords on Guitar | 24 Diagrams and Voicings
- By jazz-guitar-licks
- On 2017-02-04
- 0 comments
Understanding and playing 6th chords—both major and minor—is a powerful way to add richness and color to your guitar playing.
These chords are versatile and frequently used in jazz, blues, rock, and pop music, offering a melodic and harmonic depth that goes beyond standard major and minor chords.
This lesson provides 24 guitar diagrams and voicing charts to play major 6 and minor 6 chords on guitar.
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Guitar Scale Dictionary
This E-book is a printable PDF method including over 700 scale diagrams and formula charts for guitarists. -
Guitar Chord Dictionary
This PDF eBook provides over 550 guitar chord shapes. This is the perfect reference guide to understand how chords are built and how to play them on the guitar neck. -
30 Groovy Jazz Guitar Licks
This downloadable package contains a PDF WITH audio files giving access to 30 groovy guitar phrases mixing jazz, blues and funky licks for beginners. -
172 Arpeggio Shapes For Guitar
This printable PDF is a method dedicated to guitarists of all styles who want to learn build and play the most important types of arpeggios. -
126 Triad Chord Shapes
This handbook for guitar players is intended both for teachers and students. It includes 126 guitar shapes for mastering triads. -
Harmonic Major Scale Chords
this PDF offers diagrams and tabs for guitar to learn the chords of the harmonic major scale. -
Major Scale Harmonization
This package provides a printable PDF with exercises and audio files to learn how to harmonize the major scale with 3 note chords and their extensions. -
30 Minor Arpeggio Licks
This package includes a printable PDF method containing 30 exercises with tabs, staves and audio files for practicing minor arpeggios on guitar. -
II V I Bundle - 170 Exercises
This bundle contains 4 PDF methods for a total of 170 exercises with tabs, staves, analysis & audio files for practicing scales, arpeggios licks & chords over the 2-5-1 progression. -
Diatonic Licks Bundle
This package contains 120 jazz guitar lines based on diatonic modes as Mixolydian, Dorian and Ionian. PDF format with tabs, audio files and analysis. -
30 Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks
In this package you'll get a printable PDF Method with tabs, notation, analysis, scale shapes and audio files for practicing 30 smooth jazz guitar licks. -
40 II V I Jazz Guitar Licks
This pdf method for guitar contains fourteen 2 5 1 jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files. -
50 II-V-I voicings
This printable PDF guitar method provides 50 exercises with audio files, analysis, tab and staves for learning major 2-5-1 chord voicings. -
40 Minor 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
This PDF method contains 40 exercices with tabs, scores and audio files for practicing jazz guitar chords over the minor 2 5 1 progression. -
40 Minor II V I Licks
This guitar method is a printable PDF with tabs, diagrams, theory and audio files providing 40 minor 2 5 1 jazz patterns. -
40 Mixolydian Jazz Guitar Lick
PDF guitar method with tabs, audio files and theory providing 40 dominant jazz guitar lines for teachers and students. -
40 Minor Jazz Guitar Licks
This printable guitar method in PDF format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the Dorian mode. -
40 Major Jazz Guitar Licks
Printable PDF eBook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and intermediates. -
Guitar Walking Bass Lines
This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a PDF files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files -
101 Dominant Arpeggio Patterns
This printable PDF method provides 101 dominant arpeggio exercises with tab, theory and standard notation for the jazz, blues and rock guitarist. -
49 Essential Jazz Lines
This printable eBook method in PDF format provides 49 jazz solo transcriptions of the greatest jazz musicians. Tab, standard notation, audio files & analysis. -
11 Jazz Blues Studies
11 jazz blues chord studies with tabs, standard notation, analysis, and audio recordings and PDF. -
10 Easy Fingerstyle Blues
This PDF with Tabs and audio files provides 10 easy acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar studies for kids and beginners. -
25 Altered Jazz Guitar Lines
This PDF eBook method contains 25 altered jazz guitar licks with tabs, patterns, scale charts and audio files to master, apply and develop the altered scale. -
40 Blues Dominant Patterns
This printable method is available as a PDF file containing 40 easy dominant jazz-blues guitar lines with tabs, standard notation, analysis, audio files and scale charts. -
25 Pentatonic Licks
This jazz guitar method is an eBook available as a PDF with standard notation, guitar tabs, diagrams, analysis, audio files and backing tracks. You will find in this booklet 25 easy jazz guitar lines with theory using common and rare pentatonic scales. -
25 Soul Jazz Guitar Licks
You will find here an eBook available in PDF containing 25 soul jazz and hard bop guitar licks in the style of Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, George Benson. -
25 Diminished Patterns
This eBook PDF with audio files contains 25 dominant diminished jazz guitar patterns using the half-whole diminished scale and diminished 7th arpeggios. -
6 Tritone substitution licks
This Printable PDF eBook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabs/notation, youtube video link and analysis about the tritone substitution. -
10 Minor 7 Arpeggio Patterns
This printable PDF eBook offers 10 easy minor 7 arpeggio patterns with its related YouTube video for beginner guitarists. -
10 Easy Major 7 Arpeggio Licks
This is a printable PDF for beginner jazz guitar players providing 10 easy licks to practice major 7 arpeggios. -
10 Chord Melody Lines
Within this package, you'll discover a set of ten chord melody exercises for beginners. Printable PDFaudio files, a backing track, and a link to the associated YouTube video. -
10 Minor Blues Scale Licks
You'll find here a PDF with 10 easy jazz guitar licks to practice the minor blues scale on guitar.
