Jazz Guitar Duo

Jazz chords are, in my opinion, the most beautiful and eloquent chords available to guitarists. They are the true meaning of class. The sound aside, these chords are a great way to build your chops up and form you into a guitarist that knows their fretboard.

You may know scales and understand how to connect them but chords add a new element to this equation. In fact, we will be using scales in our lesson today to build chords. One of the reasons so many guitarists choose to learn jazz guitar, whether they use it or not, is simply due to the fact that you need to learn music theory in order to use them properly.

We won’t be diving into the music theory of chords in this newsletter but we will give you some neat ideas on how to make the connection between chords and scales.

As a quick prelude, I want to cover one thing that you might come across when dealing with chords in the future: Roman Numerals. I highly suggest that you check out this site. Print off one of their charts and know all of your Roman Numerals up to 24. You will find when reading and understanding where chords are located on your fretboard, this is an essential thing to know.

The good news is you have some time to get acquainted with them as we won’t be including this numbering system in today’s newsletter.

Triads.

A chord is technically defined as any three or more notes played simultaneously. A triad is the most basic and simplistic of all chords and it consists of three notes built up in thirds (more on that in a minute.) It is essential to learn and master triads before moving onto larger, more complex chords.

Most of the larger chords are actually built from triads, which makes those chords easier to learn if you already know the basics of chords. Do not underestimate these little bundles of sound! They will add a whole new vocabulary to your chord voicings. In other words, you’ll have plenty to practice.

Before you freak out and start wondering, “What is all this theory about?”, I have some encouraging words for you: anyone can learn this. Yes, knowing music theory helps but the way we’re going to tackle this challenge requires only one prerequisite… know the notes on your fretboard (or at least the low E and A.) It is an asset to any guitarist and you can get caught up by clicking here.

Believe it or not, chords are actually created from scales. This explains all of the build up in the last two months of our articles.

Jazz Legend Joe Pass

That’s right, all of that work leads up to this very point in time where I get to tell you that one of the reasons scales are so important is because we create chords from them. Are you excited? You should be because this is going to open up a new door for you.

Let’s start off by taking a look at the C Major scale, which is an extremely easy scale to remember. In case you forgot, the order of notes goes like this:

C D E F G A B C

Each scale has a numbering system that indicates each note. This numbering system is just as simple as the scale itself and goes like this:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8/1

…Every scale numbering system is the same, it just has different notes. Those numbers are called the degree of the scale. The most important note of any scale, chord, or key is the 1st degree, which is in this case is C.

The first degree is almost always referred to as the “Root” but its technical name is actually the “Tonic.” We won’t be getting into the technical names of the degrees in this newsletter. This note is always smooshed down on the bottom of any chord or scale.

Now that we have some of the terminology under our belts, we’ll take a quick second to look at what we’re about to learn. There are four different kinds of triads and each has three different ways to play it. The four different sounding forms of triads are:

1. The Major triad
2. The minor triad
3. The augmented triad
4. The diminished triad.

So your probably wondering how these chords are made and how you can play them. The answer to both questions is simpler than you think.

To build triads, we use the scale degrees. A Major triad is built from the root (C), the third degree (E), and the fifth degree (G). We refer to any Major triad from a Major scale as (R, 3, 5). It’s the quick reference for jazz musicians.

When you say those numbers instead of the notes, every member of the band knows exactly what you’re talking about, even if their instrument is tuned in a different key(because they’ll just apply it the scale that’s in their own key.)

From this new chord, we can shift around the notes to get different tones but still have the same chord name. This little trick is known as triad inversions. There are three different inversions for each of the four chords. Why three? Because there are three notes in a triad, allowing for three different combinations.

We already know one inversion and that’s the root position (R, 3, 5.) The next inversion is called the first inversion (3, 5. R.) See how it shakes up the order a little bit? The last of the possible combination is called the Second Inversion (5, R, 3.) No matter the order, they are all considered to be a C Major triad.

Now we move onto the other chords that we mentioned. I will save you the stress and technical lingo of how they came about and give you the degrees instead. They are as follows for each chord:

1. The Major triad (R, 3, 5)
2. The minor triad (R, b3, 5)
3. The augmented triad (R, 3, #5)
4. The diminished triad (R, b3, b5)

Note: If you see a “b” or a “#” before any of the degrees, it means that the note is either a flat (b) or sharp(3). For instance, the minor triad consist of the notes C, bE (E flat), and G.

All of those chords follow the same inversion rules. This allows you to manipulate them into the sounds that you like and construct them to fit around the space in which you are playing on the fretboard.

Triad shapes.

Now we can get to the actual application of triads. The beauty of these simple yet effective chords is how easily accessible they are. You only need to remember the shapes of the four different chords and you can move them all around the fretboard with ease.

You can learn the shapes for playing on different strings as well, which can give you up to 288 different chord choices on a 24 fret guitar! Let’s start with the shapes found on the low E string:

Diagram One - Triad Shapes

… With triads, you only play the notes that you are fingering. In other words, there are no open strings or it’s technically not a true triad anymore.

The shapes that you see above can move around to any note on the low E string or A string and it will form the “root” of the chord you want to hear. Pretty cool stuff eh?

Pictured below are the shapes for any triad with a root on the fourth string:

Diagram Two - Triad Shapes

Last but not least, here are all of the triad shapes with the root on the third string:

Diagram Three - Triad Shapes

Once you learn these basic shapes, you can move into their inversions and start to build your own triads. Due to the large number of notes, you can create some pretty cool triads that form outside of the bounds of what we just covered.

Practice strumming them without hitting other strings and get used to picking out each individual note. Triads are usually used for rhythm/solo combinations in jazz guitar so having the proper technique to be able to both strum triads and pick them is essential.

Jazz Rhythm

Jazz chords can either make you cry or simply want to get up and dance. However, the chord is only as good as the right hand that is strumming it. Having a feel for the music is essential to being able to produce a product that sounds good and fits that genre of music.

When playing jazz rhythm, guitarists usually use a very fast tempo in conjunction with accented beats. Translated, they play fast music and really hit the strings at certain times. Mind you, this isn’t used for every kind of rhythm played in jazz, just one subtype.

We could write a book on the various kinds of rhythms a jazz guitarist can use for different moods and still not cover everything!

For our purposes today, we’re going to look through the basics of building a solid jazz rhythm.

First, you need a pattern to work from. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. Practice it slowly so you don’t miss any strums and work your way up to a reasonably fast tempo.

When you listen to fast jazz, there are a lot of chord changes that take place in a short amount of time. If you’re not used to switching chords with that kind of intensity, I recommend that you run through your major chords until you can manage a switch time of 1-2 seconds.

That won’t happen over night but is easily attainable if you work towards it and get comfortable with the chords. In the past, I have heard stories of guitarists who practice in the dark. They say this allows them to know their chords so well that they can focus on the sound that they want to produce. It might just be the trick to get you more comfortable with your instrument.

When strumming, don’t be afraid to mix it up by accenting different beats. This can be done by hitting the strings slightly harder on the beats. You can do this on an upstrum or a downstrum… it doesn’t really matter.

When you have fingers that aren’t in use, you can use them to mute strings, or use them to add to the beat. They can actually serve as a great percussive tool to add to your arsenal of effects.

Picking out the notes is also very useful when playing jazz guitar. Don’t be afraid to slide around your fingers and make sudden stops, so long as it fits with the music.

Another neat little trick is to lightly lift your fingers off the fretboard every so often just as you hit the strings. It makes the music sound more percussive and put together. Here is an example of what a fast jazz rhythm can sound like:

…All I’m doing is simply holding down the first three (sometimes four) strings with my first finger and letting the rhythm do the rest of the work. Every now and then I’ll place my third finger three frets up and do a hammer on or pull off for effect. You can do this too!

Perhaps it won’t sound like the above example at first but as always, with time and practice you too will sound as good as any musician out there.

Putting it into practice

Now that we have the basics covered, it wouldn’t be complete without some more classic jazz chords for you to play and enjoy.

Here are some of the nice classic sounds and an example of them in action. Have fun!

Diagram Four - Jazz Chord Progression in B Flat

Note: Do not play your low or high E strings for any of the above chords.

Written by Elmore Music

Unfortunately there are relatively few dedicated jazz guitar courses available, however Chris Standring’s “Play What You Hear” home study jazz guitar course is well worth checking out and Elmore Music have also released a very reasonably priced jazz guitar course.

How To Play Jazz Guitar - Part One

Fear is a common trait amongst guitarists. You may be sitting at your computer right now thinking, “He’s insane, what could there possibly be for me to be afraid of besides the odd poke from my guitar string?” The fear I’m speaking of has nothing to do with a physical fear, rather, the fear of trying something that you know you’re not good at.

The perfect example of a genre that evokes the most heart retching fear out of many guitarists is the thought of playing jazz guitar. There are so many different chords that have names many of us can’t even pronounce, coupled with flawless technique, lightning fast speed, sense and feel of emotion and knowing the theory behind it all. Who wouldn’t be a little freaked out?

It’s one of the few areas of music that encompasses so many individual disciplines. Now the question remains, “Why on earth would I want to learn something like this?” The beautiful sounds set aside for a moment, the answer is quite simple: To build your skills.

If you stop and think about this situation for a second, you’ll realize that it really doesn’t hurt as much as you think it does. Practicing a chord like Em7-5 or A9+11 really isn’t as bad as you may perceive it to be. In fact, it’s really just a weird name and that’s all that separates it from a more popular chord like E minor or A minor.

I won’t lie, if you want to get serious about your guitar and learn these skills you will get frustrated and it won’t be easy. The good news is I guarantee that you will improve with practice and most importantly, no one can hear you if you practice quietly in your bedroom!

Every professional musician I have seen or heard knows this material, whether they use it or not. The techniques spill over from other genres that we have covered and the things you will learn from jazz are easily applicable to all kinds of styles.

Before we really start to lay out the foundation, I want to make two more points. First and foremost, don’t expect to sound great right away. You may progress faster than most or slower. Either way, you have the potential for greatness if you choose to practice it and learn it.

Secondly, I can’t describe how large the genre of jazz guitar is. We could spend two years with one lesson after the other teaching you the things you need to know but unfortunately we don’t have the time for that at the moment.

Take this lesson as an index to any household manual. We’ll give you the getting started tips and list off the things that you should consider learning. This will hopefully build the interest and get the neurons firing.

A classic jazz guitar

Without further a due, let’s move onto the basics of jazz.

Making the bridge from what you don’t know to what you know.

The best way to learn jazz guitar is to simply break it down into baby steps. You have already seen quite a bit of the material we’re about to talk about, it was just in a different form. First let’s recap on the top three areas that make a jazz player rock.

1. They know their chords.
2. They know their scales.
3. They have impeccable rhythm.

…So far we’re on the right track. We’ve covered chords and how to learn new ones, we know the basics of scales and we have done some rhythm. No, we’re not experts in these categories but it’s what you need for the foundation.

What we’re going to do now is expand on each of those categories. In todays lesson, we will take a more in depth approach to scales.

Jazz Scales

So you think you know your scales? This will take you to a completely new level, I guarantee it. The number of scales that can be used in Jazz guitar are astonishing. However, the same can be said for various other genres of music as well.

Looking at what we already have available to us, there are plenty of options we can utilize that will allow you to branch off of familiar scales that you already know.

Before your ego gets too bloated, there is more memorization ahead (after all that comes with music.) One thing many beginners, and even intermediate guitarists fail to realize is that the keys that Jazz guitarists play aren’t unusual from the keys that we play on a regular basis.

Jazz Legend Django Reinhardt

What’s the difference? They utilize their fretboard to the extent that they can play any note that is within that key anywhere on their fretboard. In essence, they “own” the notes.

They accomplish this task by using scale “Positions.” Every scale has five common positions that are numbered from one to five. Look at them as fingering patterns (which can be categorized under the same number as the position.)

You can play these fingering patterns all over your guitar neck, therefore allowing you to hit every note on your fretboard that is in that particular key.

Every scale type has its own set of five different positions that can be shifted to cover every note. A great example of this would be an A Ionian scale (known to many as the major scale) which has five different positions in different locations on the neck. You can shift this position up two frets and locate every position available for the B Major scale.

Now here’s the catch, you cannot use that same fingering pattern for anything other than Ionian type scales. If you were to play a mixolydian scale, you would need to learn the five new fingering patterns to play the scale in its five positions on the fretboard.

The most common position/pattern, and the one that you have seen most frequently on this lesson is the first position. Here is an example of what a first position scale will look like:

A Major Ionian Scale

…In this case, the key is A Major (Ionian.) Take note of the fingerings. You will use that finger to recreate another scale in the Ionian mode that will be in the first position. To do that, let’s first visit all of the various five positions, where they are located, the patterns, and the fingerings.

F Major (Ionian) scale Positions

For our purposes today, we will take the F Major (Ionian) scale and locate all of its positions and fingerings. Let’s examine all five positions of the F Major scale:

First Position:

F major Ionian First Position

Second Position:

F Ionian Scale Second Position

Third Position:

F Ionian Scale Third Position

Fourth Position:

F Ionian Scale Fourth Position

Fifth Position:

Ionian Scale Fifth Position

…Notice how every position and every fingering pattern is different? This may seem like a lot right now, but you have really won 1/7 of the battle.

If you have taken the time to begin to memorize your notes as we have talked about in previous lessons, you should know your low E string inside and out. Every one of the above positions are linked to knowing these notes and frets.

Let’s say I was playing my F Major (Ionian) scale in its third position. However, we want to change keys and play the E Major (Ionian) scale in its third position. All we do is simply move down (or up depending on what key you want) from the key we are currently on.

Since we are on the fifth fret, we go down two spaces and land on our E Major scale which is on the third fret. We can keep the same fingering and pattern, just move it all down two frets. Then you have your E Major scale in its third position.

Jazz Guitarist Jimmy Bruno

Use the above examples as reference points to figure out the other scales. For instance, we know that if we want to play our F Major scale in the second position, it starts on the third fret of our low E string. Figuring out the same scale position for a different key is as simple as counting up or down the fretboard by twos.

The reason why you count by twos is because every fret is equal to a semitone and there are two semitones between each whole tone (Ex: A to B is one whole tone.)

Now you have 35 new scales to practice just by learning the five positions and applying them to every Ionian scale. Pretty cool stuff eh?

In the next part of this how to play jazz guitar series we’ll discuss modes and how to put it all into practise.

Written by Elmore Music

Unfortunately there are relatively few dedicated jazz guitar courses available however Chris Standring’s “Play What You Hear” home study jazz guitar course is well worth checking out and Elmore Music have released a very reasonably priced jazz guitar course.

Read ‘How To Play Jazz Guitar – Part Two‘