Sussex Jazz Guitar prep work is here for 24th August class. Remember this class starts at 10.30am until 1pm! It’s half an hour earlier as I’ve got to shoot off to play my guitar at Rye Jazz Festival. So here are just some things to be aware of and if you haven’t already, just stuff to get under your fingers..
So we’ll be looking at chord movements, introducing contrapuntal concepts and soloing single note lines using wide spaced out intervals. We’ll be developing a way to solo and create chord melody style playing using the concepts I’ll be introducing in the class.
But first, here’s some things to be aware of so that I can introduce these concepts without back tracking over the basic foundations. So here’s some things to try…
1. Play major scales on one string, especially C, F and G major.. try more keys if you have time!
2. Memorize the sequence of harmonised chords in a major scale. This was covered in the first class, so see previous blogs to recap.
It’s basically…for example in G major…
I Gmaj7
II Amin7
III Bmin7
IV Cmaj7
V D7
VI Emin7
VII F#min7b5
3. We played these in position as arpegios in the first class in June. Now play them as chords up and down the chord neck.
Focus on the 6,4,3,2 string sets
If time, try strings sets 5,4,3,2 and 4,3,2,1
Once you work on this, it will be a good start for what I will introduce.
Now, remember when we built chords off the root, 3rd, 5th, 7th of a given chord?
Focus on what the chord from the 3rd will be for different chords…
Cmaj7 ……………..Emin7
Dm7……………….Fmaj7
G7……………….Bm7b5
Gmaj7…………….Bm7
Am7……………….Cmaj7
D7……………..F#m7b5
Fmaj7……………….Amin7
Gm7…………….Bbmaj7
C7…………….Em7b5
We will be using this info for chord substitutions and passing chord concepts! AAARRRGGGHH! Don’t worry, not as hard as it sounds! You wait till we get to Tritone Substutions… (Theyre easy too, once explained simply and applied in a thoughtful way!)
Check out the video below to work on.
And always remember, don’t worry if you don’t get it all. As working on these things will open little windows of light into your guitar skills and understanding of jazz guitar.
The main thing I’m trying to instill in you in these classes, is developing a focused way of practicing by exploring a concept using as many different approaches as possible!
You may be realising this by now, when in the first class we took the arpeggios and…
1. Went up em all!
2. Down em all!
3. Up one / down the other!
4. Down one / up the other!
Or with the second class…
1. 1235 on em all!
2. 5321 on em all!
3. 1235 on one / 5321 on the other!
4. 5321 on one / 1235 on the other!
It’s like my catch phrase (in a Bruce Forsythe voice)
“We go up one” Crowd replies “Down the other!”
“We go down one” Crowd… “Up the other!”
Good game, good game
Oh dear, little bit carried away, but I’m very enthusiastic about Sussex Jazz Guitar School. Now check out this video!
