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Meisel COM-90 Clip-On Electronic Tuner

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Having a good tuner is a must. I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse than a guitar player whose guitar is out of tune. When I first started learning jazz guitar (still learning…) I went on this mad search for the be-all clip-on tuner to use with my jazz box. It’s [...]

Jam Track Friday

Friday, July 2, 2010

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In lieu of a traditional blog post where I wax philosophical on the musings of being a guitarist, I decided to spend my time today adding a bunch of jam tracks to the site that I’ve been meaning to do for a while. They are all on the Downloads page, and include ii-V-I progressions in [...]

Rhythm Changes Jam Tracks Added

Thursday, July 1, 2010

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As promised in my Rhythm Changes article, I have added jam tracks with the chord changes for a typical Rhythm Changes tune. There are four tracks: two basic tracks and two advanced tracks. The basic tracks are the normal, standard chord progression. No surprises, with one at 110 beats-per-minute and the other at 200. The [...]

4th Chords and Quartal Harmony

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

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As I have discussed in previous posts, traditional harmony/theory constructs chords in intervals of a third. There is another type of chord construction that is quite common in jazz, called “quartal harmony” or sometimes better known as “4th chords.” Quartal harmony is most commonly associated with the modal jazz of the late 1950′s and 60′s. [...]

Learn the Modes, or One Big Scale?

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

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There are two primary schools of thought when it comes to scales and improvisation. The first is to treat each chord as a separate entity and improvise using certain scales/modes over each one individually. I like to think of this as “vertical improvisation” as the player deals with each chord individually. The second is to [...]

What Are “Coltrane Changes”?

Monday, June 28, 2010

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Welcome to what is, perhaps, the hardest aspect of jazz improvisation; what has made many a musician cower in the corner while others step up to the plate, knock back massive grand slams, and take home the hottest girl in the club (hopefully not the girl that came in with the guy now cowering in [...]

What Does It Mean To Make Your Music “More Raw?”

Friday, June 25, 2010

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I was reading a news item somewhere this week where Joe Elliot – lead singer of the rock band Def Leppard – stated that he wants the new DL record to be “more raw.” I’ve heard this a million times in the past but never really paid much attention to it until now. I’m not [...]

Put Dynamics In Your Music

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

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I equate dynamics with emotions, or perhaps better stated, inflection. Just as much as you wouldn’t give a speech in a monotone voice (unless you’re Ben Stein) you probably shouldn’t make a musical statement in a monotone voice, either. In today’s technology-happy world, much of the loss of dynamics in music has to do with [...]

Upper Structure Triad Soloing

Monday, June 21, 2010

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Triads are cool. Without them, Bach probably would have been a hay baler or something to that effect. Without triads, I would probably be writing about air guitar or something mundane like the proper way to stuff your spandex before playing that 80′s high school reunion you got tapped to do. A triad, as you [...]

Why Does Rock Have No Standards?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a rock jam session and been bored out of my skull within ten minutes. First, everyone sets up and tunes, then they play with their gear to make sure it’s tweaked correctly, and then mass hysteria ensues as everyone simultaneously starts to play every lick [...]