Chord Melody Masterclass
Guide Tones for Jazz Lines, Comping and Chord Melody
“I'm giving this a 5 star rating because of the content. Although the sound was a bit off, which was somewhat distracting, the material was outstanding. It as if I was let in on so…”
About this masterclass
In this 2006 masterclass, Sid Jacobs demonstrates the real depth of guide tones — the 3rds and 7ths — for building strong solo guitar arrangements, counterpoint, comping, and melodically strong single-note lines. Sid shows the connection between Bach's and Charlie Parker's sense of harmony while taking notes from Bill Evans and Lenny Breau, and explains how to get beyond drop-2 and drop-3 voicings — and stop thinking like a human capo.
What's covered
- Shell voicings and guide tones as the essence of bebop lines — trimming familiar chord shapes down to root, 3rd, and 7th
- The similarities between Bach and Charlie Parker: the 3rd on the downbeat
- Making lines with 7th-to-3rd voice leading, chromatic embellishment, and line clichés
- Comping through a blues with rootless, piano-style voicings
- Lush voicings and cluster chords in the style of Bill Evans, Jim Hall, and Lenny Breau
- Chord melody (or as Sid puts it, melody chord) on All the Things You Are, Have You Met Miss Jones, and Waltz for Debby
- Open strings and orchestration — the two ways the guitar is like an orchestra
This masterclass suits intermediate and advanced jazz guitarists who know about guide tones but haven't fully examined their depth. The newly segmented videos make it easy to locate specific examples for repeated study.
- 13 pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB
- Notes on guide tones for jazz lines, comping and chord melody
- "Waltz For Debbie", "Very Early", "My Bells", and "Frankie and Johnny" — arranged for guitar by Sid Jacobs
Lessons in this masterclass
Lessons
- 1All The Things You Are - Melody Notes as 3rds4m 59s
- 2Blues in Bb and Using the Blues Scale4m 50s
- 3Chord Melody - Waltz For Debbie Peformance2m 46s
- 4Comping Through a Blues2m 39s
- 5Dmin G7 - Something We Learn From Charlie Parker and Bach4m 5s
- 6Guide Tones for Jazz Lines, Comping and Chord Melody1h 18m
- 7Have You Met Miss Jones - Melody and Guide Tones2m 36s
- 8II V I and Using Chromatic Embellishment1m 20s
- 9II-V-I Voicings2m 45s
- 10Individual Notes of The Chord and The Melody3m 2s
- 11Intro - Single Note Improv Solo4m 31s
- 12Making Lines Using Guide Tones1m 31s
- 13Not Getting Into The Math - Just Using Familiar Shapes2m 40s
- 14Not Thinking Of The Scales3m 20s
- 15Outro Performance and Closing Words6m 22s
- 16Putting The Melody On Top and Voice Leading4m 7s
- 17Shell Voicings and Guide Tones - The Essence of the Bebop Lines4m 25s
- 18Similarities between Bach and Charlie Parker2m 28s
- 19Stop Thinking Like A Human Capo7m 27s
- 20The 2 Ways The Guitar Is Like An Orchestra6m 32s
- 21Using Line Cliches2m 2s
- 22Using Lush Voicings1m 51s
- 23When Do Scales Work - Ask Me Now by Thelonious Monk Example3m
Reviews & Ratings
"aha moments galore with "
Love Sid's teaching style and his choice of material and effortless mastery , wonderful helpful lesson
I'm giving this a 5 star rating because of the content. Although the sound was a bit off, which was somewhat distracting, the material was outstanding. It as if I was let in on some of the big secrets that are self evident to great jazz guitarists, but are hidden behind clouds for many of us. This is the kind of lesson that will absolutely improve my playing.
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