Beginner Jazz Guitar: Start Your Jazz Guitar Journey Here

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Though you might not believe it yet, there are proven steps you can take to learn jazz guitar, improve your knowledge of jazz theory, and elevate your jazz guitar playing skills to new heights. This beginner jazz guitar course will go over the jazz guitar basics you need to get started!

It may seem like magic, but all that’s required is a finetuned mixture of passion, dedication, time, and jazz guitar best practices to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

The only thing separating you from becoming that jazz player is time and process.

You need time and a process to develop and grow into the jazz guitar player you want to be.

This article will not help you time travel, but it will provide a process for achieving meaningful, measurable progress in your jazz guitar playing.

We’ll explore fundamental aspects of guitar playing, jazz theory, and how jazz theory applies to the guitar. We’ll explore

  • The things you need to know or consider before starting jazz guitar
  • Jazz guitar chord basics
  • Jazz chord progressions you need to know
  • Fundamentals of jazz language and improvisation
  • Jazz guitarists you should check out!

If you find this article helpful and are ready to get serious about mastering jazz guitar, learning jazz standards, and embodying the spirit of a bonafide jazz guitarist, then you should check out the Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle.

When you join, you’ll get access to the Jazz Guitar Accelerator course, built to help you master jazz on the fretboard.

Want to improve in 30 days or less? Check out the Inner Circle.

Why Do You Want To Be a Jazz Guitarist?

Let’s start with a question. What brought you here? What made you want to learn how to play jazz guitar? 99 times out of 100, your answer will have a strong emotional component.

It was some emotional connection with the music of one or perhaps many of the jazz greats who first exposed you to the jazz world. For me, it was John Coltrane playing on My Favorite Things.

Despite the allure, many musicians shy away from jazz. They might feel that jazz is too hard or just out of reach. However, despite popular myths and the attitudes of gatekeepers, jazz is accessible.

You can learn jazz no matter what playing level you are at. Whether you are a music student, a casual hobbyist, or a lifelong jazz lover who is finally ready to learn, jazz is for you.

Even if you only have half an hour a day (or less) to learn it, the right process will get you results. Many people spend hours practicing the wrong stuff or practicing passively, wasting their precious time.

So, let’s start with the big picture and break down the essential musical skills you need to play jazz guitar.

Essential Music Skills You’ll Need To Play Jazz Guitar (What Are the Jazz Guitar Basics?)

So, let’s break it down into manageable bite-sized categories. What hard music skills must you develop to become fluent in jazz guitar?

“Music” can be broken down into three parts:

  1. Pitch or what notes you play (both harmony and melody)
  2. Duration or how long or short the notes you play are in time (rhythm)
  3. Amplitude or the shape, color, loudness, and softness of the notes you play (feel)
  • You are strengthening your sense of harmony and melody by strengthening your understanding of pitch.
  • You are building a strong rhythmic foundation for learning jazz guitar by strengthening your understanding of duration.
  • You are developing a sensitive yet powerful jazz style by strengthening your understanding of amplitude.

The best way to understand jazz music and how jazz musicians use pitch, duration, and amplitude to create jazz is to connect directly with the source material and listen to jazz.

Beginner Jazz Guitar: Why You Need To Learn Jazz Standards to Play Jazz

As our name might imply, we believe the best way to learn jazz is to learn the many jazz standards that make up the jazz world. These standards contain all the information you need to learn jazz guitar.

Playing jazz standards connects you directly to jazz’s harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic features, which make jazz stand out as unique music.

Some of the best jazz guitar lessons you’ll ever have will only require you, your guitar, and your favorite jazz recordings.

Check out 20 easy jazz standards you need to know to start building your tune list.

“Jazz Guitars” vs. Guitars: What’s Best For Beginner Jazz Guitar?

Next, consider what kind of guitar you’ll need to play jazz guitar.

You can play jazz on any guitar, but certain guitars have become more popular in jazz than other genres. The type of guitar you use will depend on your playing style, but there isn’t a wrong answer.

Let’s explore the different types of guitars you’ll find in jazz:

Arch-Tops or Hollow-Body Guitars

Traditionally, jazz guitars are hollow-body guitars, which are much closer to acoustic guitars than solid-body guitars like Gibson SGs or Fender Strats. Instead of a sound hole, hollow-body guitars usually have f-holes like violins.

Arch-tops, as they are also known, resonate better than solid-body guitars and have a deep, warm tone, but this feature also leads to occasional feedback issues. When you picture jazz guitarists, you are more likely to picture them playing an arch-top.

Semi-Hollow Guitars

Semi-hollow guitars, like the Gibson ES 335, exist between solid-bodies and hollow-bodies. Tonally, they are a hybrid of their solid and hollow-bodied brethren. They have some resonance but feedback less and are more versatile.

These guitars are favorites of jazz-fusion players like John Scofield and modern jazz players like Kurt Rosenwinkel, but they also work perfectly well for straight-ahead playing.

Solid-body Guitars

If you ask a random person on the street to picture an electric guitar, they will most likely picture one of these.

Popular in almost every genre, these guitars are versatile and have fewer feedback issues. However, they are less resonant and tonally vibrant than their hollow or semi-hollow compatriots.

Though they aren’t as common in jazz, solid-body guitars do have their uses in the genre. Telecaster jazz is a real thing! Just ask jazz guitarists Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, or Julian Lage.

Acoustic and Classical Guitars

Steel-string acoustic guitars and nylon-stringed classical guitars also have their place in jazz. Bossa Nova typically uses the nylon string sound. Niels Klein, Pat Metheny, and Julian Lage have all played jazz on acoustic guitar. The classical guitar tone lends itself nicely to Latin-Jazz styles.

Beginner Jazz Guitar 101: Jazz Guitar Chords Crash Course

To start learning jazz tunes on your guitar, you’ll need to know some basic 7th chord shapes to begin internalizing jazz harmony and playing them on your instrument. Remember, as a chordal instrument, your primary role as a jazz guitarist in a jazz combo is a vitally important one.

You must create a clear and supportive harmonic environment for the other instrumentalists you play with.

So how do you get there? You’ll need to be able to play the four basic jazz guitar chord qualities commonly found in jazz standards. These jazz chords are:

  1. major 7th chords
  2. dominant 7th chords
  3. minor 7th chords
  4. half-diminished chords

Most jazz tunes are made from these four jazz chord qualities. If you learn these jazz chords, you can play nearly any jazz chord progression. Plus, you’ll know how to play any major key’s diatonic chords.

If you want to dive deeper into 7th and more complex chords, check out our Ultimate Guide To 7th Chords.

Essential Jazz Guitar Chord Qualities, Voicings, and Inversions

What’s the ultimate goal?

The ultimate goal should be to know all 7th chord voicings for all chord qualities and in all inversions. This is a big task that will take some time. However, you will get there if you take it one step at a time.

Let’s start with a root position chord voicing for Cmaj7.

This Cmaj7 voicing is one of the more common jazz guitar chord shapes (and one you’ll likely use often). As a basic 7th chord, we know that there are four notes in it—C, E, G, and B. From this chord voicing, we can build out three other inversions of this chord.

This will give you four unique chord shapes for this jazz chord in four different areas of the guitar neck.

Let’s start the process with the first chord shape in our beginner jazz guitar course:

Beginner Jazz Guitar: Root Position Voicing for C Major 7 on the B String Group

Take note of the layout:

  • Your pointer finger is on the root (C)
  • Your third finger is on the 5th (G, making this a power chord!)
  • Your middle finger is on the 7th (B)
  • Your pinky is on the 3rd. (E)

Let’s learn the next inversion of this chord. To do so, we need to move every chord tone on each string up to the next note in the Cmaj7 chord.

  • Our C will move to E
  • Our G will move to B
  • Our B will move to C
  • Our E will move to G

When we do this, we get the 1st inversion of this chord, which we can spell as a Cmaj7/E:

Jazz Guitar: First Inversion of C Major 7 on the B String Group

If you repeat this process, you’ll arrive at the second inversion of this chord: Cmaj7/G.

  • Our E will move to G
  • Our B will move to C
  • Our C will move to E
  • Our G will move to B
Jazz Guitar: Second Inversion of C Major 7 on the B String Group

Let’s do it again to get our 3rd inversion of this chord, which we can spell as a Cmaj7/B.

  • Move the G to B
  • Move the C to E
  • Move the E to G
  • Move the B to C
Jazz Guitar: Third Inversion of C Major 7 on the B String Group

Now you know this 7th chord voicing and all its inversions on this string group! So, what’s next? We must go through the same process for all the commonly encountered jazz chord qualities in this string group.

We’ve already covered Cmaj7, so let’s explore C7, Cm7, and Cm7b5. These are the other chord qualities you’ll encounter when playing jazz guitar. You’ll have 16 unique jazz chord shapes when we finish this process.

Converting CMaj7 to C7

There are a couple of ways to learn the inversions of the other chord qualities. However, I suggest starting with this one:

Ask yourself, “Which note makes a Cmaj7 different than a C7?”

If you don’t know, there is a way you can use the name of each chord to find out. Cmaj7, as the name implies, is built from a C major triad. This is also the case for a C7. These chords contain a C, an E, and a G.

However, the difference lies in the fourth note. The Cmaj7 has a major 7th interval in it between C and B. A C7 has a minor seventh interval in it between C and Bb.

One way to learn C7 on the same string group as Cmaj7 is to change all the Bs to Bbs. All the other notes are the same. So, if you already know the root position and all the inversions for Cmaj7, you only need to change one note in each to learn C7:

Jazz Guitar: C7 on the B String Group with all inversions

Converting C7 to Cm7

We can continue this process to learn Cm7 on the same string group.

What is the only difference between a C7 and a Cm7? Hint: you only need to change one note to change a C7 into a Cm7.

To convert a C7 into a Cm7, change all the Es to Ebs:

Jazz Guitar: Cm7 on the B String Group with all inversions

Converting Cm7 to Cm7b5

We need to take our Cm7 chord shapes and change one last note to get our final chord quality. To create this chord, we must flat the 5 (hence the b5). Take every G and make it a Gb:

Jazz Guitar: Cm7b5 on the B String Group with all inversions

If you followed this process, you now know how to play four voicings each for all the essential chord qualities (maj7, 7, m7, m7b5) for C. Where do you take it from here?

Next, you need to play these shapes from every other note so that these shapes are memorized all over the fretboard for every note!

Beginner Jazz Guitar 102: Jazz Chord Progressions

After learning some jazz guitar chords, the next step is practicing jazz chord progressions! We need to learn diatonic chords (and chord scales!) to start this process.

You should practice these chord shapes diatonically by playing chord scales for every major key.

The following chord scale uses the same root position chord shape and only changes quality (3rd, 5th, and 7th) depending on the scale degree (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viiø).

Jazz Guitar: Diatonic 7th chords in the Key of C major

However, root position 7th chords aren’t as physically practical on the fretboard as other voicings. However, this exercise will help you see how this chord scale sits on the neck.

For an added challenge, try playing the same diatonic chord scale, but keep it in one area of the neck using inversions. This will keep you localized to one area and test your knowledge of the different shapes.

There are many variations of this exercise. However, here is one example using chord shapes from the list above:

Jazz Guitar: Diatonic 7th chords in the Key of C major using inversions.

While getting comfortable with this, you’ll also want to practice applying these voicings and inversions to actual chord progressions found in jazz standards.

It’s the next step for any aspiring jazz guitar player.

Beginner Jazz Guitar: Tackling ii-V-I Jazz Chord Progressions on Guitar

The ii-V-I progression is, without a doubt, the quintessential jazz chord progression.

Many jazz standards are written entirely with ii-Vs that move around different tonal centers. By mastering the ii-V-I and its minor variant (the minor iiø-V-i), you’ll be familiar with maybe 75% of jazz tunes before even learning them.

When referring to ii-V-Is, we are referring to chord relationships. Everything relates to the I, or tonal center. Therefore, the ii is the chord built off the second scale degree, and the V is built off the fifth scale degree.

Explaining the Major ii-V-I Progression

With diatonic ii-Vs, the ii chord is minor (hence the lowercase Roman numeral), and the V chord is major (hence the uppercase). More specifically, the V chord is dominant.

ii-V-I progression in C

ii-Vs don’t have to be diatonic. Sometimes, the ii chord is dominant and would be written like so: II to show that it is major. In this case, the progression would be II-V-I or D-G-C.

Let’s go through major ii-Vs in all 12 keys. Below, we’ve broken them into two groups of six.

  • Major ii-Vs in C major, F major, Bb major, Eb major, Ab major and Db major:Major ii-Vs in six keys: C to Db
  • Major ii-Vs in F# major, B major, E major, A major, D major, and G major:Major ii-Vs in six keys: F# to G

Play through these progressions using the voicings you learned in the previous section!

Explaining the Minor iiø-V-i Progression

The minor iiø-V is a common variation on this particular chord progression. It is primarily used to resolve minor i chords instead of major I chords (though this isn’t always the case).

Minor iiø-Vs are not diatonic because the chord built from the fifth scale degree in minor keys is minor, not a major chord like in this progression. The dominant chord in minor iiø-Vs is borrowed from the melodic minor scale, which has a dominant V chord.

minor iiø-V-i progression in C-

For more on borrowed chords, check out our article on modal interchange.

Play through the minor iiø-V-i progression in all twelve keys using the voicings we learned in the previous section. We’ve grouped these iiø-Vs into two groups of six:

Minor iiø-Vs in C minor, F minor, Bb minor, Eb minor, Ab minor, and Db minor:

minor iiø-Vs in six keys: C- to Db-

Minor iiø-Vs in F# minor, B minor, E minor, A minor, D minor and G minor:

minor iiø-Vs in six keys: F#- to G-

Beginner Jazz Guitar: Applying Jazz Chords to the Jazz Standard All The Things You Are

After getting familiar with major and minor ii-Vs in all twelve keys, apply the jazz chords you’ve learned to actual jazz tunes. Here are the changes to the first eight measures of All the Things You Are.

Harmonic Analysis of All The Things You Are

The tune starts on the vi chord in Ab. You’ll notice a major ii-V to Ab in the first line (Bb-7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7). The second line has a minor iiø-V (D-7b5 – G7b9) but resolves to C major. This is a modulation from Ab major to C major.

Now, let’s apply some of the shapes and chord inversions from above:

Jazz Guitar: Using chord inversions over All the Things You Are.

Check out this article to get deeper into the i-V-I progression. For more on other jazz chord progressions, check out these nine jazz chord progressions you need to know.

Beginner Jazz Guitar: Adding Jazz Rhythms To Your Chord Comping

You likely don’t want to play whole notes for each measure when comping in the rhythm section. The best way to internalize the nuances of jazz guitar rhythm is to listen to the players you want to sound like.

The way George Benson might comp rhythm on a blues will be quite different from how Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, or Mike Stern might comp one. And those are just some famous jazz guitarists.

You can (and should) take inspiration from jazz pianists as well.

There is also the question of which jazz style you should try to emulate and internalize. There are various modern jazz styles, and then there is the long and historied progression of traditional jazz guitar.

Here are some rhythms to get you started when comping over changes (we’ll use the jazz chords from the jazz standard All the Things You Are Again).

Be sure to set a metronome on beats 2 and 4 to help you practice good swing feel:

1. One Measure Rhythm: Basic Beat 3 Anticipation

One Measure Rhythm: Basic Beat 3 Anticipation

2. One Measure Rhythm: 8th Note Comping

One Measure Rhythm: 8th Note Comping Over First 4 Bars of All The Things You Are

3. Rhythm Combination:

Rhythm Combination Comping Over First 4 Bars of All The Things You Are

4. Two Measure Rhythm: Anticipating the Next Chord

Two Measure Rhythm Anticipating the Next Chord Over First 4 Bars of All The Things You Are

Jazz improvisation is more than just solos. If you want to dig more jazz guitar chords, check out 20 jazz guitar chords you need to know.

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE...

If you struggle to play amazing jazz solos and want to learn the secret strategies the pros are using to improvise, our free guide will get you on the right track.

Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide Ebook Cover

Beginner Jazz Guitar 103: Jazz Guitar Scales Crash Course

In the beginning, nearly every guitar player starts by learning pentatonic scales. These five-note scales sit well on the fretboard, are usually played two notes per string, and are a staple of guitar basics. After pentatonic scales, a guitar player usually learns about the major and minor scales.

Many guitar players stop here and never learn the modes within the major scale, let alone scales beyond, like the melodic minor scale, harmonic minor scale, harmonic major scale, or symmetrical scales like the diminished scales and the whole tone scale.

There are many jazz scales guitarists should know, but that’s not the point.

The big takeaway is that jazz guitarists must understand the relationship between scales, chords, and keys.

Understanding how scales and chords relate in different keys will help you supercharge your jazz guitar improvisation skills, which we will cover in the next big section. Knowing what you are playing and why it works is way more powerful than guessing and hoping for the best!

That’s why we need to review the major scale modes first.

The Modes of the Major Scale (Learn this First!)

If you don’t understand modes, then you should take some time to learn more about them first.

Check out our article on understanding musical modes for more information. However, a brief rundown will get you thinking right about them.

Below are diatonic (meaning from one key) triads (meaning three-note chords) in the key of C major. When I color code the root, 3rd, and 5th of each diatonic triad, you might notice something familiar about the position of these chord tones as you move from C to Dm to Em, and so on.

Jazz Chords and Scale Relationships: Diatonic Traids in the Key of C with Scales Highlighted
  • The notes in red start on C and end on C: [C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C].
  • The notes in blue start on E and end on E. The blue notes are in the same sequence as the red ones, but they start at a different point, going from E to E: [E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E].
  • The notes in green start on G and end on G. Like the notes in blue and red, they are in the same sequence but start on a different note in that sequence: [G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G].

So, hidden within the key of C major, there are seven scales. Each one of these scales starts on a different note in C major.

That explains modes theoretically, but what’s the best way to learn them on the guitar?

That gives us seven modes of the major scale, or seven different scales we can play when we encounter different chords in a song:

  1. C Ionian (C major) [C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C]
  2. D Dorian [D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D]
  3. E Phrygian [E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E]
  4. F Lydian [F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F]
  5. G Mixolydian [G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G]
  6. A Aeolian (A natural minor) [A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A]
  7. B Locrian [B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B]

The following guitar scale diagrams show you all seven modes of C major in two octaves, starting on the big E string. Here are two things to keep in mind:

  1. The lowest C we can play on the low E string starts on the 8th fret, so we begin the sequence there.
  2. These are isolated scale shapes. You can access multiple modes from a single position on the guitar, depending on which finger you start with and which scale pattern you choose.

C Ionian (Relates to the I Chord)

C Ionian or C major Guitar Fretboard Diagram

D Dorian (Relates to the ii chord)

D Dorian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

E Phrygian (Relates to the iii chord)

E Phrygian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

F Lydian (Relates to the IV Chord)

F Lydian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

G Mixolydian (Relates to the V chord)

G Mixolydian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

A Aeolian (Relates to the vi chord)

A Aeolian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

B Locrian (Relates to the viiø Chord)

B Locrian Guitar Fretboard Diagram

If you want a comprehensive breakdown of modes and how to apply them to the fretboard, check out the Inner Circle’s Jazz Guitar Accelerator Course. It’s designed to give you everything you need to master the fretboard.

Beginner Jazz Guitar 104: Jazz Guitar Improvisation

If you’ve ever taken jazz guitar lessons, you’ll know there is a strong emphasis on improvisation. Now that we’ve covered chords and scales, we can discuss approaching the infamous jazz guitar solo.

Experienced jazz guitarists make it seem like magic, but there are fundamental rules that all jazz players follow to play convincing solos. When practicing improvisation, you want to be sure to do the following to make sure your solos are strong:

  • Outlining the Chord Progressions With Chord Tones
  • Using Scale Maps To Apply Specific Scales to Chord Changes
  • Learn Jazz Licks (By Ear) and Apply Them

What Makes Jazz Language Jazzy?

What characteristics come to mind when you think about jazz solos you like? Lightning-fast 8th note runs? Expressive and creative playing over a ballad? Playing outside the changes? Jazz language is diverse, but there are some key characteristics you need to be aware of.

  1. Chromatic Passing Tones
  2. Chromatic Approach Tones
  3. Enclosure Figures

Chromatic Notes

C major bebop scale

Jazz improvisers use chromaticism to add color and momentum to their jazz lines. Scales like the bebop major, bebop dominant, and bebop minor scales utilize chromatic notes (chromatic passing tones) to help keep chord tones on strong beats and enhance the momentum of 8th-note lines.

The major bebop scale above has a chromatic passing tone between A and G, or the 6th and 5th scale degrees. This helps keep chord tones (yes, the A can be a chord tone—think Cmaj6) on downbeats and sets the improviser up to start on C again at the beginning of the next measure.

Chromatic approach tones target a chord tone (root notes, thirds, fifths, or sevenths) by first playing a note a half step away from the target note.

Early bebop pioneers like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie didn’t formally “decide” on the rules governing bebop scales. Rather, later jazz musicians looked back on bebop language and retroactively described how early players were navigating changes.

Enclosure Figures

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Enclosure figures target important chord tones like the root note, the 3rd, the 5th, and the 7th by first playing the adjacent notes. These adjacent notes can be diatonic (from the parent scale) or (chromatic just a half step away).

Above, we see three enclosure figures. The first one targets the root note (C) chromatically by first playing B and Db. The second one targets the third (E) diatonically by first playing D, then F. Finally, the last enclosure figure targets the 5th (G) chromatically by first playing Gb, then Ab.

Outlining the Changes By Playing Chord Tones

There isn’t a shortcut to playing over chord changes, but there are ways to optimize your practice sessions so you aren’t wasting time.

The important chord tones that distinguish one chord quality from another are the 3rd and 7th. In diatonic chord progressions, the 3rd and 7th will always be two diatonic notes.

The 3rd determines whether or not the chord is major or minor, and the 7th determines whether or not the chord is a dominant, minor seventh, or major seventh chord.

Though the root and 5th matter, they are less important than the 3rd and the 7th.

The following example is not intended to be a “solo.”

Instead, it is an exercise to get your brain thinking about chord tones as you play in time. As before, we are using “All the Things You Are” for the harmony. Try this with a backing track and a metronome on beats 2 and 4:

Chord Tone Exercise for All The Things You Are Targeting the 7th
Chord Tone Exercise for All The Things You Are Targeting the 3rd

Guide Tones: Targeting the 3rd and 7th

Chord Tone Exercise for All The Things You Are Targeting the 7th and 3rd
Shell Voicings (Guide Tones + Bass Notes)

You can also practice playing through the chord progression using shell voicings or shell chords. Shell chords contain only the basic elements you need to identify a chord’s function: a root, third, and seventh.

Here is a shell chord for an F-7 chord:

  • 7th: Eb
  • 3rd: Ab
  • root note: F
Shell Chord voicing for F-7

Here are shell voicings applied to the first eight measures of All the Things You Are:

shell voicings applied to the first eight measures of All the Things You Are on guitar

Moving to 7th Chord Arpeggios (adding in the root and 5th)

Notice how this will start to sound more like a solo as the voice leading between notes moves in 3rds:

Chord Tone Exercise for All The Things You Are Targeting the Rt, 3rd, 5th, and 7th

Using Scale Maps To Apply Specific Scales to Chord Changes

Lead Sheets: Key Center Map of All the Things You Are

Another way to approach improvisation is to think about the tonal centers of a tune rather than the individual chords. This helps you chunk together how a tune changes as you move through the form. For example, you’ll encounter four keys or tonal centers in the first 16 bars of All the Things You Are.

  • Blue: Ab
  • Green: Cmaj
  • Red: Eb
  • Yellow: Gmaj

When you think of it this way, you can plug in the appropriate modes of the major scale for each key into each section.

Here are the first 8 bars with the appropriate modes plugged in (notice we will play through two key centers: Ab and C):

Scale Map For The First 8 Bars Of All The Things You Are

The Inner Circle’s Jazz Standards Club has detailed scale maps for many of your favorite jazz standards, with a new standard added each month!

Learn Jazz Licks (By Ear) and Apply Them

Though you must practice playing chord tones, arpeggios, and scales over various jazz tunes, your solo playing will sound like an exercise if you only focus on this.

Though jazz guitar solos are made of chord tones, scales, and arpeggios, there is much more to the jazz language than those constituent parts.

You should listen to various versions of All the Things You Are and learn how other players have approached the changes. You can also take pieces from solos over different tunes and plug them into your solo.

This will work as long as the musical context is the same (the same chord progression).

Here is a video to get you started with playing over the ii-V-I chord progression. And, here are four lines to play over All the Things You Are.

Jazz Guitar Chord Melodies—The Next Step!

Another staple of jazz guitar is the chord melody. Playing a chord melody on guitar requires that you know a few things:

  1. You know the melody inside and out (you know it in many different positions and on different string groups
  2. You are familiar with many triad and seventh-chord voicings and inversions, allowing you to support the melody with harmony effortlessly.
  3. You’ve practiced playing different voices simultaneously on the guitar (to play the melody while also playing a bass line or counter-melody).
  4. You are comfortable playing bass notes under your chords or jazz lines.

For more on playing chord melodies, check out our article on playing a chord melody in three steps.

Listen To These Jazz Guitarists To Find Your Own Jazz Guitar Sound!

You should know the following guitarists, but this list is incomplete. There are many, many other influential jazz players you should check out to help cultivate your jazz sound.

Swing and Early Bebop Guitarists:

  • Charlie Christian: Check out “The Genius of the Electric Guitar.”
  • Freddie Green: Check out “Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings with Joe Williams” and “April in Paris.”

Hard Bop and Cool Jazz:

  • Jim Hall: Check out “Concierto” and “Undercurrent” with Bill Evans.
  • Grant Green: Check out “Idle Moments” and “Matador.”
  • Kenny Burrell: Check out “Midnight Blue.”
  • Wes Montgomery: Check out “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery” and “Smokin’ at the Half Note.”
  • Joe Pass: Check out “Virtuoso,” “For Django,” and “The Trio” featuring Oscar Peterson and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.

Post-Bop and Fusion:

  • John Scofield: Check out “A Go Go” and “Still Warm.”
  • Pat Metheny: Check out “Offramp,” “Bright Size Life,” and “Still Life (Talking).”
  • Mike Stern: Check out “Upside Downside” and “Time in Place.”

Modern/Contemporary Jazz:

  • Peter Bernstein: Check out “Brain Dance” and “Signs LIVE!”
  • Bill Frisell: Check out “Blues Dream,” “Gone, Just Like a Train,” and “Good Dog, Happy Man.”
  • Kurt Rosenwinkel: Check out “The Next Step” and “Deep Song.”

The Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle Can Help You Accelerate Your Jazz Guitar Playing

If you found our beginner jazz guitar article helpful and want more, you must check out the Inner Circle. Our Jazz Guitar Accelerator Course will help you optimize your time in the practice room, master the fretboard, and improve your jazz guitar playing.

There are also courses for other instruments, too (all you horn players out there)!

Improve in 30 days or less. Check out the Inner Circle and trust the process.

TAKE YOUR JAZZ PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

We help musicians of all instruments start improvising confidently over jazz standards in just 30 days without mind-numbing hours of practice or the overwhelm.

TAKE YOUR JAZZ PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

We help musicians of all instruments start improvising confidently over jazz standards in as little as 30 days without mind-numbing hours of practice or the overwhelm.

“Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.”
WYNTON MARSALIS

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OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ STANDARDS LIKE A PRO

A step-by-step guide for how to effectively learn jazz standards so you’ll feel confident playing them, and won’t forget them.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Welcome to LearnJazzStandards.com! We’ve created this page so that you (and any visitor to LearnJazzStandards.com) will understand the terms and conditions that govern your use of this website. If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions, which together with our privacy policy comprise our (LearnJazzStandards.com’s) entire relationship with you.

Exclusion of Liability

The content found on any page of this website is for your general information and use only, and it is subject to change without notice. Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

Indemnity

By accessing our website, you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses including legal fees arising from or in connection with your use of our website.

Copyright Laws & Intellectual Property

This website contains some material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions. All logos, trademarks, and other intellectual property found on LearnJazzStandards.com are the property of their respective owners. They do not indicate ownership, affiliation, sponsorship, or any other relationship with LearnJazzStandards.com. In addition, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse those websites, and we have no responsibility for the content of those linked websites.

Unauthorized Use

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States of America. Any unauthorized use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offense. Thanks, and enjoy LearnJazzStandards.com!

Return Policy for Products

Refund Policy

For play-alongs and eBooks:

Because these are digital downloads, and not returnable, we have a strict no refund policy. All purchases are final and cannot be reversed. Please be sure that you fully understand the product you are purchasing and what is and what is not included. Of course, if you ever have any questions about a product feel free to contact us or visit our FAQ page.

For 30 Days to Better Jazz Playing eCourse

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing. 14 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
  • This guarantee lasts 14 days, which completely covers almost half of the course, enough for you to observe its’ effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 2 weeks. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

For Inner Circle Membership

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing. 30 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
  • This guarantee lasts 30 days, which is enough for you to observe the membership’s effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 30 days. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

Rights of use

All digital products are for the use of the individual customer only. Redistribution or reselling of our digital products is strictly prohibited and a violation of United States and New York State law.

PRIVACY POLICY

At Learn Jazz Standards LLC, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important.

Here are the types of personal information we may collect when you use and visit LearnJazzStandards.com, and how we safeguard your information. We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Log Files

As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL or Shaw Cable), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.

Cookies and Web Beacons

We may use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a popup once in your visit, or the ability to log in to some of our features, such as forums. We collect this information to help send you only pertinent content that we believe you are interested in and will benefit from.

We also use third party advertisements on LearnJazzStandards.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP, the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed.

This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

DoubleClick DART cookies

We also may use DART cookies for ad serving through Google’s DoubleClick service, which places a cookie on your computer when you are browsing the web and visit a site using DoubleClick advertising (including some Google AdSense advertisements).

This cookie is used to serve ads specific to you and your interests (“interest based targeting”). The ads served will be targeted based on your previous browsing history (For example, if you have been viewing sites about visiting Las Vegas, you may see Las Vegas hotel advertisements when viewing a non-related site, such as on a site about hockey).

DART uses “non personally identifiable information.” It does NOT track personal information about you, such as your name, email address, physical address, telephone number, social security numbers, bank account numbers or credit card numbers. You can opt-out of this ad serving on all sites using this advertising by visiting http://www.doubleclick.com/privacy/dart_adserving.aspx

You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.

Deleting cookies does not mean you are permanently opted out of any advertising program. Unless you have settings that disallow cookies, the next time you visit a site running the advertisements, a new cookie will be added.

Email Addresses

If you share your email address with LearnJazzStandards.com via the contact page, we will only use it to contact you, and will NOT add you to any lists or newsletters without your consent.

In addition, if you sign up for the free newsletter, your email address will only be used to send special offers and updates from LearnJazzStandards.com. Addresses are recorded and kept secure through MailChimp, which we use to distribute information to our subscribers. Neither MailChimp nor LearnJazzStandards.com will give or sell your address to any third party, nor will you be added to any additional lists.

Right to Be Forgotten

If at any point you wish to be completely deleted from our databases, whether it be as a newsletter subscriber or an account holder on learnjazzstandards.com, you have the complete right to do so.

Contact us, and we will ensure your data is cleared from our system.

Data Control Contact

If you ever wish to reach out to us regarding the use of your data, we are reachable at [email protected]. Additionally, you can use our contact page, to reach out any time.

In short, your information is safe with us, and we greatly value your trust.

Thanks for using Learn Jazz Standards!

Terms of Use

Welcome to LearnJazzStandards.com!

We’ve created this page so that you (and any visitor to LearnJazzStandards.com) will understand the terms and conditions that govern your use of this website.

If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions, which together with our privacy policy comprise our (LearnJazzStandards.com’s) entire relationship with you.

Exclusion of Liability

The content found on any page of this website is for your general information and use only, and it is subject to change without notice.

Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose.

You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

Indemnity

By accessing our website, you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses including legal fees arising from or in connection with your use of our website.

Copyright Laws & Intellectual Property

This website contains some material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

All logos, trademarks, and other intellectual property found on LearnJazzStandards.com are the property of their respective owners. They do not indicate ownership, affiliation, sponsorship, or any other relationship with LearnJazzStandards.com.

In addition, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse those websites, and we have no responsibility for the content of those linked websites.

Unauthorized Use

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States of America. Any unauthorized use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offense.

Thanks, and enjoy LearnJazzStandards.com!

Return Policy for Products

Refund Policy

For play-alongs and eBooks:

Because these are digital downloads, and not returnable, we have a strict no refund policy. All purchases are final and cannot be reversed. Please be sure that you fully understand the product you are purchasing and what is and what is not included. Of course, if you ever have any questions about a product feel free to contact usor visit our FAQ page.

For 30 Days to Better Jazz Playing eCourse

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing.

14 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee

  • This guarantee lasts 14 days, which completely covers almost half of the course, enough for you to observe its’ effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 2 weeks. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

Rights of use

All digital products are for the use of the individual customer only. Redistribution or reselling of our digital products is strictly prohibited and a violation of United States and New York State law.

Learn Jazz Standards Messaging Terms & Conditions

Effective Date:

This SMS message program is a service of Learn Jazz Standards. By providing your cell phone number, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing text messages (e.g., SMS/MMS cart reminders, sale notices, etc) from Learn Jazz Standards. These messages include text messages that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system, to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up or any other number that you designate. You give Learn Jazz Standards permission to send text messages to the enrolled cell phone number through your wireless phone carrier, unless and until you end permission per these Terms & Conditions. Consent to receive automated marketing text messages is not a condition of any purchase. Message & data rates may apply.

Message frequency may vary. Learn Jazz Standards reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time, so as to increase or decrease the total number of sent messages. Learn Jazz Standards also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number from which messages are sent and we will notify you if we do so.

Not all mobile devices or handsets may be supported and our messages may not be deliverable in all areas. Learn Jazz Standards, its service providers and the mobile carriers supported by the program are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

By enrolling in the Learn Jazz Standards messaging program, you also agree to these messaging terms & conditions (“Messaging Terms”), our Learn Jazz Standards Terms of Use and Learn Jazz Standards Privacy Policy.

Cancellation

Text the keyword STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to cancel. After texting STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message you will receive one additional message confirming that your request has been processed. If you change your preferences, it may take up to 48 hours for it to take effect. You acknowledge that our text message platform may not recognize and respond to unsubscribe requests that do not include the STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT keyword commands and agree that Learn Jazz Standards and its service providers will have no liability for failing to honor such requests. If you unsubscribe from one of our text message programs, you may continue to receive text messages from Learn Jazz Standards through any other programs you have joined until you separately unsubscribe from those programs.

Help or Support

Text the keyword HELP to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to receive a text with information on how to unsubscribe.

No Warranty

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE MESSAGING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AGREE THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER OF Learn Jazz Standards OR ANY PARTY ACTING ON BEHALF OF Learn Jazz Standards BE LIABLE FOR: (A) ANY CLAIMS, PROCEEDINGS, LIABILITIES, OBLIGATIONS, DAMAGES, LOSSES OR COSTS IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO Learn Jazz Standards HEREUNDER OR $100.00; OR (B) ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES. YOU AGREE EVEN IF Learn Jazz Standards HAS BEEN TOLD OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE OR LOSS ARISING OR RESULTING FROM OR IN ANY WAY RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE Learn Jazz Standards MESSAGING PROGRAM. Learn Jazz Standards AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DELAYS OR NON-DELIVERY IN THE TRANSMISSION OF MESSAGES.

Indemnity

To the maximum extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Learn Jazz Standards, its directors, officers, employees, servants, agents, representatives, independent contractors and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, actions, causes of action, costs, expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, judgments or penalties of any kind or nature arising from or in relation to the these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers.

Dispute Resolution

  1. General. Any dispute or claim arising out of or in any way related to these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, and regardless of when a dispute or claim arises will be resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, BY AGREEING TO THESE MESSAGING TERMS, YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION AND THAT THESE MESSAGING TERMS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO AND GOVERNED BY ARBITRATION.
  2. Exceptions. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, nothing in these Messaging Terms will be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit the right of you or Learn Jazz Standards to: (i) bring an individual action in small claims court; (ii) pursue an enforcement action through the applicable federal, state, or local agency if that action is available; (iii) seek injunctive relief in aid of arbitration from a court of competent jurisdiction; or (iv) file suit in a court of law to address an intellectual property infringement claim.
  3. Arbitrator. Any arbitration between you and Learn Jazz Standards will be governed by the JAMS, under the Optional Expedited Arbitration Procedures then in effect for JAMS, except as provided herein. JAMS may be contacted at www.jamsadr.com. The arbitrator has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement.
  4. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. You agree that, by agreeing to these Messaging Terms, you and Learn Jazz Standards are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action, collective action, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding of any kind.
  5. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
  6. Modifications to this Arbitration Provision. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Messaging Terms, if Learn Jazz Standards makes any future change to this arbitration provision, you may reject the change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to Learn Jazz Standards’s contact information provided in the “Contact Us” section below, in which case this arbitration provision, as in effect immediately prior to the changes you rejected, will continue to govern any disputes between you and Learn Jazz Standards.
  7. Enforceability. If any provision of these Messaging Terms is found to be unenforceable, the applicable provision shall be deemed stricken and the remainder of these Messaging Terms shall remain in full force and effect.

Changes to the Messaging Terms

We reserve the right to change these Messaging Terms or cancel the messaging program at any time. By using and accepting messages from Learn Jazz Standards after we make changes to the Messaging Terms, you are accepting the Messaging Terms with those changes. Please check these Messaging Terms regularly.

Entire Agreement/Severability

These Messaging Terms, together with any amendments and any additional agreements you may enter into with us in connection herewith, will constitute the entire agreement between you and Learn Jazz Standards concerning the Messaging Program.

Contact

Please contact us with any inquiries or concerns at [email protected]

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ STANDARDS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE eGuide “Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way” and follow the 5 simple steps for crushing it with jazz standards.

Learn Jazz Standards The Smart Way Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR IMPROVISING JAZZ SOLOS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE “Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide” and follow the 3 simple steps for improvising amazing jazz solos.

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OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ THEORY LIKE A PRO

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DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Beginner Jazz Guitar: Start Your Jazz Guitar Journey Here" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Beginner Jazz Guitar: Start Your Jazz Guitar Journey Here" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Beginner Jazz Guitar: Start Your Jazz Guitar Journey Here" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart