A jazz primer - for those interested in starting

[nonreglA]

When I first got into jazz I thought: "What in the hell are those guys playing and how do they know what to play? They didn't look like regular chords to me."

 

After years of practice and banging my head against what seemed like a brick wall, the brick wall finally crumbled and I got through to the other side.

 

Playing jazz is first and foremost is all about becoming one with your instrument. If you aren't there yet then it may seem like an uphill struggle.

 

I'd also learn to read standard musical notation if you're truly intent on playing jazz. Tab will only take you so far and won't tie in any of the music theory that you will inevitebly learn along the way.

 

You don't need a lot of notes to make a chord, sometimes only two or three properly selected notes will do the trick. The goal is to be so familiar with the neck, and the notes on it, and the key of the song you're playing, that your fingers sort of automatically go to the right positions to make chords or play melodies.

 

Playing jazz is also about knowing what all the rules are first before you break them. Then if you still feel the need to break some of the musical rules for the sake of the music that's okay but at least you'll know what you're doing and why.

 

There is an exercise I like to practice. Take any song, and play the entire song by staying in the same position all the way through. That means voicing all the chords within a 3 or 4 fret spread. It can be done.

 

The resulting harmony you play will probably sound different but jazzy. I like to play "There Will Never Be Another You" like that. I start with Ebmaj7 on fret 3:

 

Ebmaj7

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

G) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

D) - - - - x - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - x - - - - - - -

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Dm7b5

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - - - - x - - - - - - -

G) - - - - x - - - - - - - -

D) - - - - - x - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

G+7

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

G) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Cm11

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

G) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - x- - - - - - - - - -

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Bbm6

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - x - - - - - - - - - - -

G) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Eb7

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - x - - - - - - - - - - -

G) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

D) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Abmaj7

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

G) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

D) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Fm9b5

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

G) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - -

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Ebmaj7 (same as above)

 

Cm11 (same as above)

 

F9

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - - x - - - - - - - - -

G) - x - - - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Fm9

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

G) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

D) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

Bb13

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

B) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

G) x - - - - - - - - - - - -

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - -

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

 

 

And there you are at the turnaround. You've managed to keep the G note on top of every chord all the way through the first verse. You've also managed to stay in the same position on the neck for the entire first verse. You can do the same thing for the second verse too.

 

It would also probably help to get yourself a copy of the Real Book too.

 

www.nickkepics.com

[Poparad]

Great post!

Your voicing section is spot on, and even before I finished looking at all the chords, I noticed you were maintaning that G on top. Voice leading/melodies in chord voicings are the most important in jazz, whereas in other styles we tend to look for the root of the chord to build our voicings. It took me a while to reach that discovery, but it opened my eyes to how to effectively comp.