| When jazz guitar players improvise, they use the scales, modes, and arpeggios associated with the chords in a tune's chord progression. Jazz guitarists have to learn how to use scales (whole tone scale, chromatic scale, etc.) to solo over chord progressions. Jazz guitar improvising is not merely the recitation of jazz scales and rapid arpeggios. Jazz guitarists need to learn to use these basic building blocks of scales and arpeggio patterns and integrate them into balanced rhythmic and melodic phrases that make up a cohesive solo. Jazz guitarists often try to imbue their melodic phrasing with the sense of natural breathing and legato phrasing used by horn players such as saxophone players. As well, a jazz guitarists' solo improvisations have to have a rhythmic drive and "timefeel" that creates a sense of "swing" and "groove." The most experienced jazz guitarists learn to play with different "timefeels" such as playing "ahead of the beat" or "behind the beat," to create or release tension. Another aspect of the jazz guitar style is the use of stylistically appropriate ornaments, such as grace notes, slides, and muted notes. Each sub-genre or era of jazz has different ornaments that are part of the style of that sub-genre or era. Jazz guitarists usually learn the appropriate ornamenting styles by listening to prominent recordings from a given style or jazz era. Some jazz guitarists also borrow ornamentation techniques from other jazz instruments, such as Wes Montgomery's borrowing of playing melodies in parallel octaves, which is a jazz piano technique. Jazz guitarists also have to learn how to add in passing tones, use "guide tones" and chord tones from the chord progression to structure their improvisations, and create "chord solos" by adding the song's melody on top of the chord voicings. |
Ten Basic Jazz Guitar Chords - Justin Sandercoe The Goal of Improvisation - Steve Giordano Improvise in jazz standard ii V I using pentatonic patterns Jazz Guitar: Improvising using chords, chord tones, and scale tones Jazz Improv part 1 - guitarcollege4u Jazz Improv part 2 - guitarcollege4u Jazz Improv part 3 - guitarcollege4u Jazz Improv part 4 - guitarcollege4u Single String Improvisation - John Abercrombie Jazz Guitar: Jazz Minor Scales part 1 - Larry Coryell Jazz Guitar: Jazz Minor Scales part 2 - Larry Coryell Scott reveals his unique approach to improvising Prev Top Next |
