Learn to Play Jazz Guitar

If you have been trying to learn to play jazz guitar, you are in good company! Jazz melodies and tracks have been popular for decades now, and interest in the style keeps growing. One of the most attractive features regarding jazz is the amount of freedom jazz allows to the musicians who play it. A large part of the style is based on manipulating the basics of music in a creative manner.

One of the first things to understand when you are trying to learn to play jazz guitar is that there are certain chord formations and chord types that make music sound "jazzy". These chords include:

• Major Seventh
• Major Sixth
• Major 6-9

While this list is by no means all inclusive, major seventh chords are especially known for their role in jazz. Specific chords that are also known for being popular in jazz include:

• G7
• G9
• G7+11
• Cmaj7
• Amaj7
• Bmaj7?
• Cm7

One of the most used scales in modern music is the Pentatonic scale. This scale lends itself well to the improvisation that is a big part of jazz music. A pentatonic scale contains only five notes, while a basic major scale contains seven notes (for example, C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, B). The major pentatonic scale uses the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes of the scale. For example, the C major scale would be C, D, E, G and A. This can be applied to any major scale. For minor scales, the 1st, minor 3rd, 4th, 5th and minor 7th notes are used.

Pentatonic scales are popular with jazz players for three main reasons:

1. They are simple to remember and even easier to experiment with than full major scales.
2. A player can make quick work of the entire scale because it is two notes shorter than regular scales. It also lends itself nicely to arpeggios for this very reason.
3. The scales work well with fretboard techniques like hammer ons.

Think of your favorite jazz song. Can you remember any part of the song that repeats over and over in different ways while rising up and down a scale? If you can, this section might be an arpeggio. An arpeggio is when chords are taken apart and played in line. For example, playing four notes of a scale and then playing them in reverse can be counted as an arpeggio.

Arpeggios are also common in jazz guitar for the following reasons:

1. When playing longer solos, repetition can help a player keep it together. It can also help make the improvisation a player does sound like it is actually planned.
2. In fact, improvising using arpeggio sequences can make for better sounding solos.
3. The chord progressions used in arpeggios can be easily molded. Think that a few notes in between might sound good? Go for it - arpeggios give players the freedom to experiment while still giving them a form.

Learning to play jazz can be a fulfilling experience for both new and experienced players. Here are a few tips to make the experience easier:

• Jazz involves having fun and experimenting. As a result, don't forget that sometimes it is okay to go off in your own world and play what you would like to play.
• Sometimes reading a book can help. Consider picking up a copy of a jazz guitar book, such as the Beginning Jazz Guitar book from Amazon.com. Sometimes reading something on paper before playing it can be a big help.
• Brush up on your chords and notes. movable chords can be especially helpful. Jazz may be about having fun, but it's also about being methodical. Learning music theory can help you become better able to break established rules.
• Learn from the experts: look for tabs by popular artists so that you can practice what they have done.

Jazz guitar can be a fun musical style to play. At the same time, the style can teach you many of the rudimentary elements of the guitar and music theory in general. Keep your mind open and you never know what you may learn!

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