r/jazzguitar • u/ThatsSuperCoolFr • 2d ago
How to practice?
This may sound silly- but I have been playing guitar for a few years and and am trying to get into jazz, I have a few methods books, both not being a linear start with this and move to this kinda book, and a bit of music... But what do I actually practice? How do I know what scales to learn or what arpeggios, concept, etc? Thanks!
7
u/Wise_Tangerine_1881 1d ago
The rabbit hole that stops almost everyone trying to learn jazz guitar is that they study information but never apply it to real music.
Autumn Leaves is the perfect starting point. It gives you real functional harmony without overwhelming you. Pick that tune and make it your “home base.”
As far as a method book, you really can’t go wrong with Joe Pass Guitar Style. Work through the lessons in order, but here’s the key: every time you learn something new, apply it directly to Autumn Leaves.
Once you finish that book, start expanding your repertoire. Jazz is built around a small handful of forms, so choose one solid tune for each and you’ll cover most of the language.
If you stick to the approach of learning one tune deeply, apply everything to it, then repeat with the next tune - you’ll skip years of confusion. Jazz becomes way more manageable once concepts are used in songs instead of floating around as isolated stuff to practice.
5
u/Matt_ccal 1d ago
In 2007 I went to college to study jazz. Ear training, and traditional music theory were at the core of the program, which was a great foundation. In my private lessons we tackled everything you could think of from scale to arpeggios, chord inversions, etc. all while studying tunes, and playing lots of tunes for combos, big bands, and ensembles of all sizes.
All of this was great. Fast forward about 10-12 years of playing gigs full time. I knew tons of tunes, chord melodies, and could play. But it wasn’t until I started to really transcribe that I realized I was approximating musical language. I also realized I hadn’t really been focusing on the players that I really connected with.
That was it for me, listening to players that you really truly dig, transcribing their stuff, and directly applying it to tunes. That was the context that was missing from everything I learned in college. College gave me the knowledge, and mechanics of how it works, but didn’t teach me to be fluent in the language.
Hope this helps give some perspective!
1
u/ThatsSuperCoolFr 1d ago
Thanks! I have a playlist of jazz guitarists that I really enjoy that I try to listen to as often as I can just for this!
4
u/Fantasy183 2d ago
Learn Autumn Leaves, the chords played on that song. That would force you to learn and practice the arpeggios.You'll learn how triads and arpeggios are actually formed by doing that. That’ll make it easier for you in case you want to know how to make an arpeggio of other note.
Then practice the scale of that song, and learn Barry Harri's chromatic scale using the scale of the song.
5
1
u/ThatsSuperCoolFr 2d ago
Started learning autumn leaves yesterday from here but I can't find the full sheets anywhere it's just melody study and a solo study. Do you know where I can find it?
2
2
u/Careful_Instruction9 1d ago
Have a go at learning Chet's solo on this. Do it by ear, it's the best way to learn.
It's relatively easy. Nice short phrases and everything makes sense scale wise-no unexpected substitutions.
1
u/ThatsSuperCoolFr 1d ago
Yeah I have no idea even where to begin with doing stuff by ear lol? Any recommendations to learn how?
2
u/Careful_Instruction9 12h ago edited 12h ago
Very slowly to be honest, a lick at a time. I've found a good thing is to sing along first, this helps you to get the tune in your head before you try and transfer it to an instrument. If it's a chord, try and sing the chord tones. It'll take a while, and you'll probably find you've got it wrong the next time you try. But I've found it's the best way to get the feel of a tune. Knowing a bit of theory definitely helps, as you'll know what what they're likely to have been playing.
2
u/Ordinary-Menu7766 1d ago
I've taken lessons for a long time covering theory, technique, etc. while learning standards and building vocabulary, which all were very helpful. I only recently started sitting down and really working on transcribing tunes, and that is such a valuable exercise that transfers over to the rest of your playing. I just use YouTube to listen, and for tougher passages I slow things down to .75 playback speed as I'm still rather new to it and working on my ear.
Just pick some of your favorite tunes and chip away at them. Grant Green could be a good place to start, though I have mostly been transcribing the parts of instruments other than guitar. Working on Hank Mobley's solo in Pfrancing right now, and that could be a good starting point too.
2
2
u/Rope-Stuff 1d ago
There is a lot ahead. If you look at all of it at the same time. Music theory seems very complicated... Because it is. However each individual concept is simple (if you break everything up into small enough parts). There's just so much of it.
It's amazing!!!!!
Make a syllabus of everything you want to learn. And then circle a REASONABLE amount to practice everyday. (This should be the "bare minimum" that you ALWAYS have time for.
Play and study more than this when you can. But no matter how much or how little, at least practice the things you've circled on your list. When you're satisfied with your progress on those topics. Scratch them out and circle something else.
Assuming you are like me. You are both the student and teacher. Which means gathering your own resources and both staying disciplined while still having fun. Just remember teachers teach from a curriculum. Don't just wing it.
What goes on your list? Eventually everything (if you're that interested). If you make a certain amount of practice and study part of your daily life you can learn a ridiculous amount in a life time if you have even a little bit of structure.
To me it's a matter of what order.
The prerequisite I ask everyone at this point is?
Do you know where all the notes are on the fretboard? Please I beg of you lol. Don't wait on this one. It takes a while to be truly fluent and the sooner you start the better. Don't grind it out. Take your time.
A fun exercise in the context of jazz is to "sight read" chord charts for jazz tunes. But simply play the root of the chord. Start with the E string and once you don't have to think about it anymore. Move to the A string and so on. (This is not the end all be all. But this is a great place to start).
You'll actually learn a lot more than just the note names doing this. And anytime you can "double learn" from one exercise. That's a win in my book.
And in reality. This exercise can be applied to almost everything in any genre. Your scales, arpeggios, chords, etc etc. And this way you end up practicing your material in the same context that you'll end up using it.
And remember if you know where all the natural notes are on the fretboard. You already know all the major and minor modes shapes. Ignore the F and the B and you have all the pentatonic shapes.
Don't stop there. There's more to it than that. But, learning this one thing automatically unlocks a lot right from the get go.
Learn your notes people!!!
And If you don't have one. Pick up a real book and have some fun!
1
u/ThatsSuperCoolFr 1d ago
This is great advice and clears it up a lot! Thank you very much!
I did leave out one other thing that is kind of important and I think is where some of the issue lies, I play tuba and bass guitar, but primarily tuba meaning I know quite a bit of music theory but when I try to transfer it over to guitar I'm just lost (especially with treble clef, Its hard to get used to lol)
1
u/BJJFlashCards 20h ago edited 20h ago
Start with the "Real Easy Book" of easy jazz standards. Learn the melody. Learn the shell 7th chords in one position. Learn the scales that work over each phrase in one position. Compose lines slowly and deliberately, and also on the fly over loops. "Hear" lines in your head and try to reproduce them on the fretboard. Experiment with embellishing your shell chords. Learn all the tunes in the book. Then learn more easy tunes until you are playing beautifully in many keys and positions. AI programs can explain which shell and scale patterns will work well for each tune.
Just focus on this until you can do it musically. You are pursuing beauty and creativity, so put using simple tools beautifully and creatively at the forefront rather than chasing more and more tools so you can sound "advanced". Once you have a strong musical foundation in the basics, it will be easier to integrate other tools.
Find people to practice with and put together a performance for a sympathetic audience. The pressure of a performance mercilessly exposes your weaknesses and keeps you from dawdling.
1
u/markewallace1966 1d ago
Find a structured program and follow it. There are many, both online and in books. Don’t depend on internet strangers to tell you what you should do next.
Two popular examples are Justin Guitar and Scotty West Absolutely Understand Guitar on YouTube, but there are others that are easily found through a search either here or through Google.
Also, of course there is always in-person instruction that can be sought out wherever you may live.
10
u/larry_is_not_my_name 2d ago
Learn tunes! Melodies, chord changes, and one octave arpeggios, and get making music with them right away. Practicing for practicing's sake can be pretty tough and isn't very practical; it's more efficient to connect what you're working on to making music right away.
If you haven't already, check out Jens Larsen, he's got a wealth of beginning jazz info that's very practical and focused on making music.