All Jazz Guitar Courses

Using clusters and fourths for a contemporary sound - Post bebop started around 1959, with new records like “Kind of blue” by Miles Davis, “Jazz of space ages” by George Russell, “Giant Steps” by John Coltrane, and one year after “This is our music” by Ornette Coleman. These innovative landmark records contain plenty of modal jazz, quartal chords, clusters, and more. After those great albums, monster musicians like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, plus Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner, contributed with new chord ideas and new scales, similar to the ones that contemporary classical composers used at the dawn of the 20th century. In an easy way, I’m trying to teach you how to use these modern sounds: chords stacked by fourths with the addition of open strings, quintal chords over thirds chords, plus clusters(formed by seconds), and how to apply to simple blues forms, jazz standards and bossa novas. These are my investigations on these areas, based on my experience playing with many greats over the globe. Today, this material is a must if you want a contemporary , modern sound. No doubt about it. All the best! Juampy Running Time: Just under an hour 6 written pages in standard notation and TAB

Juampy provides a range of tools to help the musician to play solo guitar. Starting with the tune “Autumn Leaves” Juampy offers fundamental performace ideas gradually introducing more approaches. Some of the fundamentals he begins with include: Memorising the melody Memorising the chords Soloing techniques within solo guitar Employing diatonic harmonies as passing phrases. Guide tones to create phrases and develop melodic lines. Generating ideas from the Melodic Minor scale. Developing intros and endings to songs are demonstrated as a way of developing a repertoire. Working within or outside of a harmonic center is one of the applications that can be applied to developing intros/ outros. Juampy describes some of the techniques used especially by guitarists as diverse as Lennie Breau, Chet Atkins, Ralph Towner and Jim hall. He gives examples of their signatures sounds, such as Lennie Beau’s use of harmonics within an arrangement. Juampy also provides a wealth of modern harmony ideas, such as: clusters in the style of Herbie Hancock and / or Bill Evans. quartal harmony dimninished and augmented tonalities. Juampy also spends time exploring a range of voicings, including: inversions Drop-2 voicings rootless voicings and three-note voicings. He shows how to simultaneously play the bass and melody lines. While playing bass / melody lines, he also demonstrates how to provide interesting contrapuntal lines while keeping it swinging. He makes this accessible to anyone willing to do the work. Juampy’s skill is in presenting all of this material in an accessible way that makes you want to try to employ his examples. Within a short time, you will be developing more interesting arrangements which could be the beginning of developing your own repertoire. ( written by Mike Bryant ) In this video lesson for the prestigious educative site mikesmasterclasses.com I show you my investigations, ideas and experiences on solo Jazz guitar from simple to complex, step by step. Take your time in this beautiful genre, and you will gain a lot! New harmonies, chords and guitar harmonic understanding at a minimum, and the best thing of all is the fact that your guitar tone will begin to “resonate” because when you are alone in front of people, your guitar is your only voice, and it shall start to get stronger of course. In the lesson, you will learn new voicings for your chord melodies, 2 line ideas, how to improvise and comp at the same time, autocomping, intros and outros, modern harmony like quartal chords and clusters, and overall concepts and advice for get better in this style. Standards, blues and bossa nova are covered here. Best regards, Juampy Juarez This class if over an hour long and includes 12 pages of written material in standard notation and TAB.

How to play lines and chords at the same time This video lesson is based upon my experience playing in trio, duo and solo settings. In those settings, you need to comp behind yourself, or auto comp, finalize your phrase with a chord, and play improvised chord melodies or arrangements. I show you the techniques behind mastersplayers like Lenny Breau, Ed Bickert, Jim Hall and John Stowell. All of them excel at the art of solo guitar and auto comping. Joe Diorio's innovative II V I will also be covered. Besides those topics, we learn to see the guitar like an orchestra or big band, with no more single lines versus chords. We will try to integrate both of them because there are many things to do with this polyphonic concept. Guide tones, guide chords, comping with a single line, counterpoint, two line, clusters, quartal and quintal harmony, and much more are included. The student will take a look at the harmony of legendary piano players Bill Evans and Mcoy Tyner, the fathers of the modern harmony in jazz. Hope you enjoy this video a lot, All the best! Juampy Juarez

Auto-comping is a neologism that I use for a new technique that I've been developing. Auto-comping is thinking of the guitar in a Polyphonic way, like a pianist, a big band or an orchestra. The auto-comping offers us many artistic possibilities, such as playing very simple lines and then filling in with chords. Very simple lines that remain sounding while dense chords appear. Also, a few notes like guide tones, soloing with chords, chords with voice leading, etc. I think that the first player that used these techniques was the genius Lenny Breau. Other great players that use auto-comping or self-comping are Ed Bickert, Jim Hall, Ron Eschete and Vic Juris. These ideas are useful for trio and solo setting, as well as for composing and improvising. I love the modern Jazz harmony like clusters and quartal chords, but auto- comping can be used in more traditional ways as well. I have included 2-line ideas with this as well. Thanks for listening and watching! Juampy Juarez 13 pages of written material including standard notation and TAB Running time: 55 minutes

Pandiatonic is a name penned by the great theorist and composer Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995). This system is based upon the use of every interval, triad, chord, etc. that is inside tonality but has no tonal functions. Another device is using series and melodies or chords with big intervallic leaps. Masters like Stravinsky in classical music and Bill Frisell in Jazz love Pandiatonic. Let’s put our hands to work and try to apply these great ideas to the guitar. There are still many cool resources belonging to modern classical music that are not in use in Jazz, Fusion and Rock guitar. Written materials in standard notation and TAB. Running Time: 58 minutes

Hello Dear Student, In this video lesson I’m teaching my ideas on open string clusters, getting the most that I can from open strings mixed with chords that usually don’t carry open strings. The aural sound that happens is only possible on guitar, so it’s a good tool for comping, composing, chord melody, and finally for improvising. Actually, when you want to play with these shapes, you need take care of your right hand first, trying that the volumes sound the same, and stretching your left hand due the clusters. So these chords are a very good exercise for technique of both hands. I’m in love with these sounds . For me, it’s very exciting to finish a line or melody and add one of these beautiful chords. It sounds like a modern piano player but also a contemporary guitar player. So again we are in the league of post bebop players. In the video lesson you can learn to apply these chords to standards, blues, bossa novas, intros, endings and solos. Hope you enjoy a lot as I did. All the best, Juampy

What is it about really good jazz playing that makes standards sound lyrical, fresh, and interesting? I have found that having very strong basic intrumental skills is essential. I'm referring to excellent tone production, rock solid time, awareness of swing, digital independence and fluency (left hand), adequate right hand coordination and strong aural "visualising" of chord changes. The playing should sound effortless, and this takes time and repetition. But how about the material itself? The good jazz players not only know the melody and the changes thoroughly, they know what progressions can be added in between the regular changes to create interest and drama. These embellishments (or choices) are as vital to the improvising as they are to the comping or chord soloing. Sometimes a new chord, or chords, replaces the original one. However, our emphasis will not primarily be "far out re-harm's" but rather "really getting the tune happening." Harmony books and chord scales are a help, but songs are what we play. In thirty years of professional playing I have performed many standard tunes with accomplished players. The ideas that I will share with you are definitely "field tested;" they are derived from extensive listening to the best pianists, guitarists and orchestrators as well as my own creative experimenting. The purpose of this class is to heighten your musical qualities and creativity . 5 Standard Notation Songs Including: "It's You or No-One" "Move" "It Could Happen to You" "I'll Remember April" "There is No Greater Love" "Manhã de Carnaval" Arranged by Jon Wheatley

John Stowell will share his knowledge and help you embrace inside and outside chord substitions, improvising with triads, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales to access interesting colors. He will also take you through the exploratioin of new chord voicings and using open strings in chord voicings. This Master Class will be broadcast live from the Cadenza Academy in Portland, OR . Other Guitar Lessons from this series include: Thinking Outside the Box part II Thinking Outside the Box part III

John will present a simple hands-on explanation of melodic minor applications over all chord qualities (major, dominant, minor, half diminished, diminished) and easy ways to apply them immediately in soloing. Applications of these substitutions will get new colors and sounds into your playing and help you think outside of the box. Melodic Minor Applications, taught by renowned jazz guitarist John Stowell, is a comprehensive course designed to help guitarists master the melodic minor scale and its many applications. The course is aimed at intermediate to advanced guitarists who want to develop a deeper understanding of the melodic minor scale and learn how to use it to create dynamic and melodic solos. Throughout the course, John Stowell breaks down key concepts such as the modes of the melodic minor scale, chord progressions, and improvisation techniques, providing detailed explanations and demonstrations of how these concepts can be used to create melodic and harmonically rich solos. The course includes a detailed video lesson. Whether you're an intermediate guitarist looking to develop your understanding of the melodic minor scale or an advanced player looking to take your solos to the next level, Melodic Minor Applications is an essential resource for any guitarist looking to master this essential scale. Note: There are no written materials for this class View clip from this class View John playing How Deep is the Ocean

In this special 2-1/2 hour class held live from the Cadenza Academy in Portland, OR, a select number of developing jazz guitar students will record duets with Jazz Master John Stowell. John discusses an overview of his recording philosophy before the project. Topics covered include: Ideas you should keep in mind during recording sessions arrangements, mic techniques, repertoire and variety (tonal areas, time signatures, tempos, composers and eras, etc.). After the recordings, John will then evaluate the experiment and help the students to plan for the next recording.

In this jam-packed class on Solo Guitar Concepts, John will cover Chord Melody Components: How to Develop Unusual Chords (both wide and close intervals, open string voicings), Creating Cadences with Unusual Voicings, Internal Movement Inside a Chord, Pedal Points, Isolating Individual Notes in a Chord, and Employing Fragments of a Chord to Suggest the Harmony. In addition, he will teach Right Hand Techniques: Demonstration of Pick/Finger Combinations to Isolate Individual Notes in a Chord and Play Double Stops or Triads on Non-Adjacent Strings. Also, John will hold a Disucussion and Demonstration of Note Duration in an Arrangement (staccato vs. legato). Other topics include: Demonstration of Playing in Time, Rubato, Pulse with No Fixed Meter, Combinations of all Three Techniques. Demonstrations of Walking Bass Lines in an Arrangement. Dicussion/Dissection of a Chord Melody Arrangement. Demonstration of Modulations inside and Arrangement. Whew! This class was streamed live from the Cadenza Academy in Portland, OR.

Join John Stowell for another advanced jazz guitar class where he shares his knowledge and helps you embrace inside and outside chord substitutions , improvising with triads, harmonic and melodic minor scales to access interesting colors. This high quality video was recorded by Morgan Curtis. Other Guitar Lessons from this series include: Thinking Outside the Box part I Thinking Outside the Box part III

In this class John demonstrates and explains pianistic devices (isolating/separating notes in the chord, close interval inversions,etc.) and how to apply them to the guitar in the accompaniment role. Also explained and demonstrated are open string voicings, inner voice movement, playing over the bar line, developing a rhythmic vocabulary as it applies to comping. The devices/techniques are played in the context of simple tunes to demonstrate real world applications. Guitarist Mike Pardew performs with John during some of the class.

John Stowell with Ulf Bandgren This is an informal hands-on discussion of different approaches and strategies for the guitar duo format. Among topics covered are conventional solo/accompaniment ideas, simultaneous improvisation and counterpoint, bass lines, chordal ideas, bass lines and pianistic voicings, and some extended harmonic concepts. The dialogue on camera is unscripted and informal, and Ulf and John's different but complimentary approaches to teaching and playing bring many interesting ideas to light. View a clip

In this advanced jazz guitar class, John Stowell illustrates using harmonic and melodic minor substitutions to build new solo lines over major, dominant and minor chords. Included with this class are two original compositions of John's, which comprise these techniques, written in standard notation as well as TAB. Other Guitar Lessons from this series include: Thinking Outside the Box part I Thinking Outside the Box part II

Lecture/demonstration discussing a number of cutting edge techniques necessary to play on the highest level. The focus will be on many of the new and somewhat controversial ideas that need discussion and clarification including: Fingering concepts - replacement fingerings, barred fingerings, shifting vs. string crossings; Intonation - three forms of intonation; Tone production - use of fingers, weight-placement-speed triangle, smooth bow changes; Vibrato - expanding the expressive palette; Practicing - the art of progress; Musicianship - how to bring it all together. Streamed live and recorded at the ISB 2009 Convention at State College, PA.

Join Jeff Antoniuk during his inDepth Jazz Clinics live from the National Music Center in Washington, DC. From 1 - 1:50 PM Jeff will present Jazz Theory 101. This class will be dealing with concepts like the circle of fourths, II - V - I progressions, and chord scale relationships. YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS STUFF IS to take the class! That is what the class is all about. From 2 - 2:50 PM Jeff will follow up with Jazz Theory 201. This class will be dealing with concepts like minor II - V - I progressions, diminished chords, and a few advanced chord scale relationships dealing with altered chords. This is a first-time collaboration promotion where both of these classes will be offered for one price. Read about Jeff and what a wonderful performer and gifted teacher he is on the Masters page or on his site.

Join Jeff Antoniuk during his inDepth Jazz Clinic for How To Practice. While there are some specific techniques for sax and flute, the majority of this class offers excellent advice for all musicians. Included is how to structure your practice time, what to practice, how to practice and even what not to practice! View a clip from this class that applies to all View a clip for sax players about pitch window

Join Jeff Antoniuk and guitarist Geoff Reecer during his inDepth Jazz Clinic on Style and Song Analysis. Two songs, Little Sunflower and Blue Monk are analyzed with regard to structure, harmony and melody, and used as a guide to apply to other songs. This class applies to all instruments.

Guitarist Jay Umble holds his first Mike's Master Class where he conveys his ideas on modern harmony and harmonic concepts. Read more for a detailed outline. 1. Modern Harmonic Systems a. C Dorian Harmonized Scale b. Major and Minor Parallel Chordal Systems 2. Blurring the Harmonic Nature of Chords 3. Bossa Nova Rhythm Concept with application on a Standard Tune 4. Parallel Voicing Concepts for ii - V7 - I Progressions 5. Modern Comping with the Blues a. Using a common tone on top for entire chorus b. Pianistic voicings c. Other voicings - 12 bar example d. Applying the Altered Dominant Matrix System 6. Modern ii - V7 - I Progressions 7. Harmonic Set-Ups View a second clip from this class

Many guitarists find it difficult to operate within the altered dominant world of sound. Jay explains his highly unique approach to improvising over altered dominant chords. This system is conceptual and will instantly unify the entire guitar fretboard. Once this system is understood, it will change your playing forever. This Master Class concept can be applied to any genre! -- The system is comprised of three Alt. Dom. Matrices -- Triad grouping within the systems -- Common Alt. Dom. voicings within the systems -- Less common voicings within the systems -- Repeatable concepts -- Poly-rhythmic concepts -- Playing off the chord concepts -- Sequential concepts -- Random Alt. Dom. concepts As usual, Jay provides tons of material - 12 pages including TAB! View a clip from this class

In this Master Class Jay connects the entire neck from the dominant 7th perspective. He uses the root key of C7 (C7, C9, C11, C13) and covers each position in depth. Improvisational concepts discussed include: - ii minor perspective - major triad up a step - major triad down a step - playing off the chord - importance of intervals - inside / outside ideas - symmetrical ideas

Master the sophisticated art of linear major chord navigation with renowned jazz guitarist Jay Umble, whose innovative approach transforms how advanced players conceptualize the fretboard. This comprehensive exploration reveals Umble's unique system of viewing major 7 chords through interconnected positions rather than isolated shapes, unlocking a more fluid, modern sound that distinguishes professional performers from intermediate players. Dive deep into practical subsystems including fourth intervals, compound tenths, chromatic approaches, and angular one-pick-per-string techniques that create the spacious, contemporary tone heard in today's top jazz venues. Umble methodically demonstrates how each concept translates across five essential neck positions, ensuring you can apply these ideas seamlessly whether comping behind a soloist or taking the lead at your next gig. Learn to harness positive and negative polarity concepts, deliberately moving outside the key center before resolving with authority—a hallmark of mature jazz expression. Beyond typical scale-based approaches, this course emphasizes chord-form visualization and the micro-to-macro thinking that enables whole-neck soloing freedom. You'll discover how to create angular melodic contours using vertical stacks of fourths, implement Jaco-inspired bass line concepts on guitar, and develop the chromatic tension-and-release techniques that separate journeyman players from true artists. Whether you're looking to modernize your sound for contemporary jazz settings or add sophisticated color to standards, these linear concepts provide the framework for a more expansive, professional approach to major harmony.

Take your harmonic vocabulary to the next level with Jay Umble's advanced exploration of quartal harmony and modern voicing techniques. Building on the foundations of Dorian harmonized scales, this comprehensive course reveals the sophisticated chord voicing methods that separate professional jazz guitarists from intermediate players. You'll master the art of quartal harmony through practical, three-string groupings that unlock the entire fretboard, learning to navigate seamlessly between parallel and chromatic movements. Jay demonstrates how to transform standard progressions like Equinox and Softly As In A Morning Sunrise using spacious, modern voicings that replace predictable seventh chords with sophisticated quartal stacks. These aren't abstract concepts – they're the exact voicings you'll use on the bandstand when you need to add harmonic interest without cluttering the sonic space. The course delves deep into pivotal chord movements, exploring how common tones create smooth voice leading between seemingly unrelated harmonies. You'll discover how to use major 7#5 voicings for unexpected turnarounds, employ strategic chromatic approaches, and develop pianistic comping techniques that add sophistication to static progressions. Jay's systematic approach to harmonic fields teaches you to hear and apply these concepts intuitively, whether you're comping behind a soloist or crafting compelling intros and endings. Perfect for guitarists ready to move beyond conventional jazz harmony and develop a more contemporary, harmonically rich approach to their playing.

Break through creative barriers with a systematic approach to jazz composition that eliminates the waiting game for inspiration. In this comprehensive masterclass, veteran educator Jay Umble reveals his proven compositional techniques that have helped countless musicians develop their writing skills beyond traditional methods. At the heart of this course is the innovative "Alphabetic Junction" technique—a parameter-based system that generates sophisticated chord progressions by mapping musical scales to alphabet letters. You'll learn to construct harmonically rich sequences that flow naturally from one chord to the next, creating the foundation for compelling original compositions. This isn't about following rigid formulas; it's about establishing creative parameters that guide your compositional process while maintaining complete artistic freedom. Through detailed demonstrations using original compositions like "Orange to Grey" and "Infinite Staircase," you'll master Single Tone Variation, Multiple Tone Variation, Single Chord Variation, and Numerical Junction techniques. Each method provides a different pathway to generating fresh harmonic material that would otherwise remain undiscovered in conventional approaches. Perfect for intermediate to advanced players who understand jazz harmony and voicings, this course emphasizes practical application over theory. You'll develop the ability to compose complete tunes—including chord progressions, melodies, intros, and outros—in under two hours. Whether you're writing for your combo, preparing for recording sessions, or expanding your repertoire, these techniques provide reliable tools for on-demand creativity that professional musicians need.

This class addresses psychological performance concepts, methodology (how to) pointers and philosophical concepts relating to the guitar and music in general. Jay shares his insights drawn from 30 years in the music arena. Other topics covered are topics rarely, if ever, discussed. Unlike the standard approach to master classes (i.e., put your finger here and play this chord, etc.) this class series is a discussion about the artistic/philosophical side of music. This class series will have you thinking “why didn’t I know this 20 years ago!” Topics include: • Being professional • Preparing mentally for the gig • Preparing physically for the gig • Finding your own voice • Characteristics of pro players • Believe in what you do • If you want to be a good player • Tightening up jazz standards • How to work with study materials View a clip

This class addresses psychological performance concepts, methodology (how to) pointers and philosophical concepts relating to the guitar and music in general. Jay shares his insights drawn from 30 years in the music arena. Other topics covered are topics rarely, if ever, discussed. Unlike the standard approach to master classes (ie., put your finger here and play this chord, etc.) this class series is a discussion about the artistic/philosophical side of music. This class series will have you thinking “why didn’t I know this 20 years ago!” Topics include: • Right Hand Technique • The Making of a Good Player • Dealing with less than Ideal Circumstances • How To Structure Practice Time • Methodology • Sight Reading • The Journey • Tablature • I Hear Sound • Chord Substitution

Psychology, Philosophy & Methodology for The Jazz Guitarist – 3 This class addresses psychological performance concepts, methodology (how to) pointers and philosophical concepts relating to the guitar and music in general. Jay shares his insights drawn from 30 years in the music arena. Other topics covered are topics rarely, if ever, discussed. Unlike the standard approach to master classes (i.e., put this finger here and play this chord, etc.) this class series is a discussion about the artistic/philosophical side of music. This class series will have you thinking “why didn’t I know this 20 years ago!” Topics include: • Balancing Energy • One of the Big Secrets To Improvisation • Polarity • Giant Steps • Go To School Without Going To School • Hearing • Improv. Substitutions • Expanding Your Awareness • The Most Important Thing

This class on " Giant Steps " provides a comprehensive study into this elusive jazz classic by John Coltrane. With unique clarity, Jay moves through this master class at a relaxed pace giving ample time to grasp each concept. For example, understanding the intervallic structure of the melody allows one to create on the fly with confidence. In the solo section, Jay demonstrates his key to unlocking the Coltrane Matrix, often talking in artistic terms such as primary colors and impressionism. Many jazz tips are thrown into the mix throughout this master class making this a great learning opportunity. For example, if you learn one tune really well, you will advance your musicianship to another level and take that expertise and expectation to every tune you play. No longer will you tremble when someone calls Giant Steps on a gig. You’ll simply nod your head and say, no problem! Class Includes: General Form Melody Considerations Walking Bass Comping Options Chord Melody Soloing Approach 9 pages of written materials in standard notation and in TAB

“Become a sculptor of sound to create any effect you want ”: Jay Umble states this as the aim of this course. Over 88 minutes Jay provides an arsenal of approaches to achieve this sound-sculpting goal. While minor lines are a recurring theme, he includes information that covering harmonic, melodic and rhythmic ideas. From the onset he discusses viewing the entire fretboard as one chord, using G minor7 as a recurring tonality throughout the video examples. Jay starts by identify the fretboard areas guitarists tend to avoid while soloing over a G minor7. Giving a range of approaches, he builds confidence to create solos seamlessly over the neck. There is an emphasises on targeting chord tones so that ultimately the improviser can play effortlessly both inside and outside, deliberately manipulating the solos with what he terms as “random points of entry”, i.e., starting a solo either diatonically or non-diatonically at will. There is a wealth of information about approaches for note decisions on when to play using either a scalar approach (easier for the listener) or intervallically, ( which the human ear tracks less accurately), which allows the guitarist to take more chances. This is where wilder and more ‘outside’ tonalities can be created. Jay also offers ideas on becoming confident even when playing the occasional ‘avoid’ note and how to get away with it! In this comprehensive course, there is also a wealth of information on ideas about on: approach setups – short and long the use altered dominant ideas how to view chord shapes across the neck for greater fluidity the use of fifths harmony for ultra-modern sounds Single-string soloing ideas Becoming familiar with intervals in relation to the root in every position Gaining control over randomness to build more interesting lines. Jay’s approach is friendly and relaxed and these concepts are presented in a way that players will find easy to adapt to their own style. 10 pages of written materials in Standard Notation and TAB Running time: 83 minutes