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Have you tried learning the Jimmy Wyble etudes? Maybe you’ve even gotten the play-by-play breakdown of the etudes via one of the Sid Jacobs videos... ...but perhaps you’re still wondering: “How do I apply these ideas in my own playing?” Well, you’re in luck because this latest Sid Jacobs videos shows you exactly that! We recorded hours of Sid teaching various topics from single note improvisation to his approach to solo guitar and more. We went through the footage, took notes, catalogued them & compiled this masterclass. This is an exclusive concise take on the actual application of the Wyble etudes. Master jazz guitarist Sid Jacobs will show you how he uses the lessons & techniques from those etudes on two compositions: Blue Bossa - a jam session war song Danny Boy - a beautiful melodic ballad Discover how: Sid uses the melody as the integral structure for his solo arrangement. The importance of triads and how Sid embellishes them What C.E.S.H is & how Sid applies this to create interesting harmonic movement So, if you’ve ever wanted your solo guitar playing to be more than drapped down block chords over a melody, this is the class for you. Although this class will benefit students who have worked through previous classes that cover the Jimmy Wyble etudes, this class also works as a standalone masterclass. Get it now & “Wyble” your solo guitar today! Full video is 24 minutes

In this 90+ minute video lesson, Jake Reichbart starts with a complete solo-guitar performance of the tune in the key of Eb, including a full head, improvisation, modulation up to the key of E and out. He then breaks down the performances into the many elements comprising it. The first discussion shows the many ways you can connect the very first two melody notes, Eb to a high Eb, "squeezing in" scale and bebop notes, adding chord substitutions, intervals, fills (micro improvisation) and more. From there he continues to break down the entire arrangement note for note, chord for chord, but always keeping in mind that any given passage can be played in multiple ways and encouraging the student to create their own versions. The lesson is jam packed with chord substitutions, melodic passages, the use of intervals, bass movement, blended voicings with open strings, essentially all the tools used to create a modern chord-melody jazz guitar arrangement.

The use of delayed resolutions, often referred to as appoggiatura, is an extremely useful device in improvising, composition and arranging. In this class we'll be looking specifically at using delayed resolutions in single note lines, giving the lines greater melodic tension. These alternative note choices will be occurring mostly on strong beats, especially on the downbeat of each measure of music. The use of enclosures or approach note patterns are helpful in delaying the resolution of the target tones. The written examples use common chord patterns such as the major and minor II- V- I to illustrate the use of appoggiatura. The examples are shown in both long and short meter II-V-I progressions. Another important aspect of this class is the use of jazz phrasing, starting and ending phrases on different parts of the measure. The use of accents combined with syncopation can really make the lines swing. Pairing these rhythmic devices with the use of more interesting note choices occurring on strong beats will invigorate one's single note playing. Getting a firm grip on this seldom-discussed technique will help elevate your single note improvising, providing the player with many new ideas to take from the practice room to the bandstand. Running time: 47 minutes 7 pages of PDF exercises in TAB and standard notation

Paul offers a huge range of picking approaches that have aims to help develop, stronger picking, improved coordination and getting a better sound. He starts with an impressive demo of double-time picking demo in C minor blues which is inspiring. The areas covered by Paul offers is impressive and more fun than reading a book on technique. Exercises include Alternate picking with both down and upstrokes How to avoid getting stuck with any single picking style Fixed number of attacks per note (2,3,4 etc), with different stroke combinations Combining different note groupings Single vs. double time picking Four finger combinations without repeating the different feels involved with pickling / slurring / hammer-on and pull-offs. Playing scales in different harmonies: E.g. 3rds, Playing all adjacent string pairs Two strings exercises Things to be aware of left hand form Economy / sweep picking with different down / up strokes How to play fast Why three notes on a string is his favored approach string plucking borrowed from classical techniques Lots of pattern ideas What I found impressive is that throughout Paul encourages the viewer to take his examples and modify them - making your own on variations. As I followed along, I found myself not only developing new moves, but also understanding the potential for composition while practicing these techniques. Paul demonstrates in this video various picking techniques that initially feel counter intuitive (e.g., consecutive up-up and down-down strokes), but once applied, can be develop your playing in new directions. His video has already helped me to think about my picking choices and even helped in developing lines.

Do your improvised solos sound like scales going up and down? Do you ever feel lost when you’re playing lines? Do you feel a gap in your fretboard knowledge? If you answered yes to any of these, then this latest masterclass from Andy Fite might hold the key to the next logical stage in your playing! Andy Fite continues his logical and comprehensive exploration of the fretboard. Andy distills his years of experience to save you valuable practice time. Learn to master your melodic patterns via their smallest building block: between two notes. Andy shares patterns including ascending and descending 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 7ths. With variations that include: the pattern itself, 2 notes; the pattern as a palindrome, 3 notes; the pattern reversed on the second step, 4 notes. According to Andy: "The purpose of the thing is to develop greater freedom, flexibility and focus in one's melodic improvising." In addition to the core masterclass video, you will also receive Andy’s beautiful composition, ‘Song for the Fifth of April’ notated in both TAB and standard notation. This piece demonstrates the how Andy utilises melodic patterns to create a melodically strong solo guitar piece. 3 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB. Full video is 37 minutes Soundslice Enhanced

In this lesson, using "Out of Nowhere" as a learning vehicle, Jake Reichbart offers a straight forward approach to performing solo jazz guitar. While every aspect of jazz guitar is covered, from bebop phrasing through countless chord substitutions to walking bass, the most important message in this lesson is "keep the rhythm going". The lesson is not intended to offer a specific "method", such as drop chords or inversions. Instead, the student is encouraged to start performing with whatever chordal and melodic vocabulary they already have! Jake Reichbart's approach is accessible and done in a light conversational style that will immediately engage the student. Jake creates one of the most in-depth song workshops available anywhere for solo guitar in this video. " Out of Nowhere " is a popular song composed by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman first recorded in 1931 by Bing Crosby and later the same year by Al Bowlly. The chord progression has been used in several later songs, such as Alexander Courage's "Theme from Star Trek", Tadd Dameron's "Casbah", Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia" Gigi Gryce's "Sans Souci" and Lennie Tristano's "317 East 32nd Street.” “Out of Nowhere” has been recorded by artists ranging from singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Frank Sinatra, to instrumentalists such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Django Reinhart and John Coltrane. Jake is a prolific recording and YouTube guitarist with a vast repertoire of fingerstyle instruction tunes available online. In this video he explores a range of approaches applicable to any song, including: Melodies + basslines = harmony Polyphony Rhythmic ideas Intervallic ideas Fills between lines (‘micro-improvisations’, as he calls them.) Arrangement approaches. No tablatures are offered as Jake improvises arrangements each time he plays. He takes a different, more functional approach – showing you how to play melodies using specific voices to get through the tune. He introduces rhythmic tool simply by playing a simple root notes bassline against the song’s melody. This creates an instant basic fingerstyle arrangement. To expand, he demonstrates setting up pre-planned, arpeggiated basslines that can be used over any song. Jake suggests having about six to a dozen pre-planned bassline patterns. This idea provides the player with countless variations to play any song multiple times without ever sounding the same. This is an invaluable advice that enables the guitarist with fresh arrangement ideas for each chorus. Jake demonstrates many good thumb / finger independent exercises to provide arranging ideas using two melodic lines. Harmonically, he demonstrates how combining two simple parts can give the illusion of something complex happening. This approach can also be useful for generating harmonies, as Jake explains that notes played closely together can create harmony over time – as opposed to stacked-note (vertical) harmony. Another rhythmic idea is setting up a mental grid so you commit to a rhythm for the song. Jake also describes different intervallic approaches that will help the viewer to generate their own arrangements. He does this while minimising unnecessary music theory, which makes his ideas immediately accessible. Jake offers a wealth of playing approaches that can help each player generate many variations within any given song. ‘Out of Nowhere’ is a beautiful song to work with, but this video is actually a masterclass in solo fingerstyle playing as well as tune arranging. Highly recommended.

Genil is a gifted Brazilian guitarist who demonstrates comping with the use of artificial harmonics. He uses Miles Davis’ composition “Blue on Green” to demonstrate different approaches in this half-hour video. Genil refers to playing with harmonics as ‘diving into the electric lap piano realm of pianistic voicings’. He shows that different effects on any chord can using harmonics. He cites some of the main benefits of working on harmonics including: using harmonics can extend any chord into additional chord voicings, like fractals of itself; The usage of artificial harmonics enable to play on the guitar pianistic voicings (inversions) that would be impossible to do otherwise harmonics allows the guitarist to create a cool Fender Rhodes-type sound. Early in the video Genil explains the advantage of harmonics as "expanding the harmonic possibilities of the guitar through the use of artificial harmonics." Genil has a vast range of influences and plays with a range of influences from classical composers such as Chopin, Scriabin and Tchaikovsky to jazz guitarists such as Lenny Breau, Jim Hall and Joe Diorio. Genil’s intelligent course provides a fantastic introduction to expanding your note choices through the use of harmonics.

The Secret Weapon of Modern Jazz Improvisation My friend John Stowell showed me this arpeggio many years ago.He has been playing these sounds coming from Melodic Minor scale for decades. I have been in love with this device for the first time that I listened t. Because I love wide intervals its fit perfect to me. Arpeggios are great for avoid scales, if you take a close listen to mostly Jazz and Fusion masters like Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Shorter ,Herbie Hancock, and John Coltrane, they don't use scales.They use arpeggios, triads and other more ceative patterns with wider intervalls than minor or major second. Using only one kind of arpeggio looks weird but it works well.Because the Minor Maj 7 th sound represents not only the Melodic Minor, if not also the Harmonic minor, also the fourth mode of Harmonic major scale, and The Simmetrical augmented scale. In this video lesson I'm tried to explore all the possibilities coming from the previously mentioned scales.Besides that, I teach another devices that I play like string skip's patterns and my invention “the borders of the position's scale” among triads from each scale plus examples using original arpeggios mixed with the new one Minor major 7 th . Have fun! Juampy Juarez January 2019 8 Pages PDF (Standard Notation) Running Time: 59min 45sec Attachments Include: the minor major 7 arpeggio pdf Cmelodic minor #5 patterns Coltrane's pattern Major triads Harmonic minor scale Major triads Melodic minor Minor maj7 mix with originals pdf Patterns (String Skipping)

Solo guitar gigs can overwhelming and scary. There’s no one there except you and your guitar, on stage or in a corner of a restaurant. You’ve called upon your inner Joe Pass and Tuck Andress but it’s still not enough... Enter the world of guitar looping! By playing a tasteful comp, recorded live (none of that pre-recorded backing track stuff), you can add an edge of energy to your solo sets. Randy Johnston is here to help you. In this latest masterclass, you’ll discover how to get a solid time feel so that your comping is swinging and solid. Swing and groove is everything so if you want to lock into the pocket, this class is for you. Randy will share some very practical real world tips on using a looper for your solo sets (and show you the exact guitar looper of his choice and why he uses that model.) In addition to the practical looper tips, Randy shows you exactly how to practice and develop musical comping chops. People talk about using the metronome but not many will show you how to really practice with it. We all have heard about practicing with the metronome on 2 & 4 but why does Randy also practice with the metronome on all 4 beats? Find out in the class. This is an info-packed, actionable and usable class (just like any of Randy’s videos). No filler material, just a solid 33 minutes of info that you can use immediately in your next practice session. Even if you’re not going to use a looper, this class will help you tune up your rhythmic comping chops. 2 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation (Rhythmic Notation, Chord Chart and Chord Block Diagrams). Full video is 33 minutes

Upcoming classes are usually released in a few weeks.

In this masterclass, discover Sid Jacob’s personal takeaways from exploring Jimmy Wyble’s Etude Five. Sid explains his fingerings, how the voices move to both address the harmony and how it creates strong contrapuntal melodic phrases. You’ll also get to watch as Sid stretches out on the piece using the lessons that Jimmy Wyble has embedded in the composition. Jimmy himself said that: “I think number five is my favorite because it best seems to exemplify the title - Classical/Country. It has a kind of funky country feeling for most of the piece, but one part - section B - gets a very classical sound.” By learning this etude (even in small segments), you will develop: contrapuntal (two-part) guitar technique technical facility for both hands interesting ways to outline chord changes solo guitar technique beyond standard chord melody Even if you don’t sight read, the newly tabbed version of the etude will help you navigate through your favorite sections of this piece. If you enjoy Sid’s playing or have worked on any of Jimmy’s other etudes, this is a great addition for your next practice session! 6 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation (Jimmy’s original notation of this etude). 3 Pages in standard notation & TAB (Brand new) Full video is 10 minutes Soundslice Enhanced

Sid Jacobs is a master of solo guitar playing! This time, he dissects the Gershwin tune, "It Ain't Necessarily So". This classic from the musical Porgy and Bess is beautifully constructed melodically, harmonically and even rhythmically. Sid shows us the subtle nuances in the melody and slowly builds the arrangement from the ground up. Typical chord melody arrangements tend to simply put a chord voicing on top of a melody. Although this works, it is not as elegant as what Sid does. Sid Jacobs is attentive of the bass motion, guide tones and the melody harmony relationship. You will not only learn his arrangement but also discover his solo guitar interpretation skills and arranging techniques. This 20-min masterclass will teach you: When (and when not to) harmonize every note of the melody How to use open strings to connect phrases Creative ways to make your solo guitar arrangements flow Beautiful ways to combine clusters, shell voicings and fills In addition, you’ll also hear Sid’s humorous musical jokes that the Hendrix chord, the Jim Hall chord and even what the Sid Jacob chord might be. If you want to improve your solo guitar arranging skills, this is a great masterclass to get today. Full video is 20 minutes Soundslice Included

" You Stepped Out of a Dream ", after being written in 1940 became not only one of the most popular jazz standards, but also the theme song of actress Lana Turner, often played when she made a dramatic entrance to a nightclub. Sid Jacobs makes his dramatic entrance with his characteristic humor as he describes his “rolling chords” solo guitar approach. He shows how he uses his right hand to create beautiful-sounding arpeggios. Sid describes a ‘gift from the guitar’ – something that happens when the guitarist combines fretted notes with open strings. This creates two timbres. He further demonstrates these ‘mini-orchestrations’, as he describes them, through the use of clusters, for example when an F note is played simultaneously with an E note. This creates wonderful textures and a hauntingly beautiful style that will lead to creating new chord melodies. Sid talks about building arrangements starting with shell voicings (root, third and seventh) and then moves on to incorporating chord extensions. Sid's philosophy about soloing is to emphasize the melody. He feels that whole point is to ‘serve the music’, as opposed to being over-preoccupied with what scale to play over a chord. He describes melody as “something to hang some feelings onto…” saying that “the chord symbols don’t exist without the melody”. Other topics covered by Sid include: Voice leading Melodies, chords and fills as arranging tools Altered chord tones This video is beautifully filmed and lit and Sid’s humor and skillful playing provide a wonderful way to learn this important jazz standard. 3 Pages in standard notation & TAB Full video is 32 minutes Soundslice Enhanced

The goal of this information-packed class is to learn and understand many useful mechanisms that can lead to improvisation in a Baroque style. This time we are going to examine some easier to memorize geometric patterns on the fingerboard making them more directly applicable in improvising. This class will continue our look at 3 part harmony and contains the following topics, techniques, and devices: 8th note bass melodies below a 6th interval Inner lines between 10ths and other intervals Intervallic triad voicings (wide skips between the bass voice and the middle voice) Approach notes into all 3 voices of triads IV V I progression in both major and relative minor chromatic lines in inner and lower voices contrary motion and finger teams staggered voices/delayed entrances secondary dominants rhythmic displacement melodic minor usage brief discussion of the Bach Lute suites and suggested recordings If you've wanted to understand how improvising in a Baroque-inspired style might be possible then this series is for you! It will help the guitarist in broadening their chord-melody technique. 12 pages of PDF material in standard notation and TAB with fingerings

Burning tempos! You either hate them or love them. Some players seem to have all the chops in the world and have those blazing Pat Martino runs sorted. Meanwhile, us mortals seem to struggle anything remotely beyond 200bpm. How can you finally hang with those trumpet or sax players at your next jam when they call Cherokee or Donna Lee? Well, you’re in luck as you have Paul Bollenback on your side. In this masterclass, it’s all about the real stuff that you gotta practice to get those burning chops. Paul breaks down the actual concepts and practice routines that he personally uses to develop up-tempo burning bop chops. Paul shares how he feels the time (so that it’s not stressful) to rhythmic concepts and even actual strategies to get flowing phrases. This masterclass will give you a lot of tools to survive and thrive at high tempos. It may seem impossible but Paul relates his own experiences and struggles learning to play at up tempos on the bandstand. He shares his unique insights that come from an experienced performer. As you watch this, you will gradually see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, this is not a quick fix. You won’t magically get light speed chops instantly BUT if you want lasting strong jazz centric up tempo skills, this masterclass will be a worthwhile investment. If you’re into long term solid technique that will help bring fiery excitement to your playing, get this class now! 3 Pages of PDF materials with table of contents & 2 examples in standard notation & TAB Full video is 41 minutes

Watching the greats like Jim Hall and Joe Pass comp on standards is like watching a masterclass. Their choice of tasteful voicings and embellished harmonic choices add a touch of class to the performance. The only challenge is actually being able to catch every detail of their playing. The difficulty is in hearing and understanding their harmonic choices especially when the voicings are buried in the audio recording or when those YouTube video shots are too far away from their fretboard! Worry no more! In this latest masterclass by jazz guitar master Jay Umble, you will discover how he approaches two classic compositions, Out of Nowhere and Solar. Jay shares how he combines, uses and artfully connects various voicing types including chromatic embellishments, standard jazz voicings, quartal harmony and tasteful intervallic voicings. Shot with close ups to help the aspiring jazz comper, you will be able to see how Jay plays these chords in detail. The difference between this masterclass and a typical jazz chords class is that this is all about application. You will not only be able to play the voicings, but you will also understand the logic behind the choices & how he makes these beautiful choices. In these two jazz standards , Jay shows how to move beyond the basic chord changes. Concepts explored include: quartal harmony polarity pedal tones contrary motion modern chord systems two note voicings and more! You get 3 choruses of comping voicings for each of the tunes! Voiceleading and taste guide Jay’s comping. You’ll not only be able to use these voicings the next time you play the tunes but also have a practical “jazz chord licks” palette for your next performance or jam session. Your newly acquired vocabulary will work on many similar tunes! Everything is demonstrated slowly and explained clearly by our patient and detail oriented master. You will be able to get these under your fingers. It’s almost like being in a room with Jay and him showing you these in person. In addition to the close-up video shots & explanations, you will be able to follow the example using the accompanying PDF handouts with chord diagrams clearly notated for your study. If you’ve ever: had any problems getting your comping skills together, been stuck playing the same Drop-2 and shell voicings every time you play standards, had problems connecting chord voicings from one to the other, ...this is the masterclass for you! 9 Pages of PDF materials in chord diagrams. Full video is 1 hour 15 minutes

As a jazz musician, my early training (and it seems most people’s training) concerned itself with matching the improvised melodic line to whatever chord is happening, in a strict vertical sense.” - Andy Fite Have you ever felt your guitar playing was like paint by numbers? Use this arpeggio over this chord! Play that lick over those changes! What if you could really hear & control EVERY NOTE over any chord progression? How would it feel like to be in charge of your melodic lines… rather than be chained by cliches? A follow-up to the brilliant masterclass “Into Tonal Beauty: Escaping Chord Grips”, Jazz Comic Philosopher Andy Fite goes deeper into this topic by adding the chromatic neighbors for the seminal chord progression that defines tonal music. Go deeper into tonal beauty as Andy Fite shares: Every possible chromatic neighbor embellishment to the original examples from part 1 of this masterclass (and how to practice the examples!) a) I-IV-I-V-I (closed position) b) I-IV-I-V-I (open position) Prelude No. 8 from his set of 24 from 2004 that paints an exquisite melodic landscape for us to appreciate the musical artistry possible from internalizing this concept. If you want to really hear chord progressions clearly and control the harmonic clarity of your melodic improvisations - this is the right masterclass for you. Take your guitar playing to the next level today. Come and follow Andy Fite into Tonal Beauty once again! 3 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation Soundsliced versions of Prelude No. 8 (standard notation with adjustable tempo, looping for effective practice and study) Full video is 43 minutes

Are you bored of jazz standards? Are you bored at least of playing those songs the same way each time? Wouldn't it be great to have a creative way of approaching those familiar tunes? So many songs are played the exact same way at every gig! Same tempos, same keys. It can get boring after awhile. For touring jazz guitar master John Stowell, one of his personal approaches to keeping jazz standards fresh is by purposely creating arrangements that include modulations. It’s not just about modulating but also about considering the color and relationship between the two keys (or more) in your arrangement. In this master class, you will see how John applies this concept to 3 beautiful compositions: The Day of Wine and Roses You And The Night And The Music Isfahan On the standard, The Days of Wine and Roses, watch as John goes through the chord changes and his personal voicing choices for his take on this tune. Then, discover how John plays his arrangement of this piece in two keys. He then explores the two other tunes in a similar way. Learn these wonderful pieces directly from John and add them to your repertoire today! If you want to get your arrangements of jazz standards to be more interesting or challenging, this musical exploration of modulation will multiply your mastery. You will find out how playing songs in different keys adds a unique dimension to familiar standards. In addition to the main lesson, you will also receive “The John Stowell Real Book”. This is a 19-page collection of John’s personal favorites, including handwritten arrangements and reharmonized changes to his favorite songs. If you’ve ever met or performed with John, you’ve probably seen at least parts of this collection before. If you haven’t met John in person, this is a treasured resource that you can use to apply the concepts covered in this master class. Learn the songs here for your own shows and also for your future jams (perhaps even with John Stowell himself!). Suitable for intermediate and advanced guitarists, this masterclass will help you add another dimension to your arrangements immediately. This is a practical class that you can digest the concepts quickly in 28 minutes. Then, you can revisit your favorite segments to learn John’s voicings or lines on those tunes. Get the "key" to another level of creativity and modulate now! 19 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation (lead sheet style) Full video is 28 minutes

What if you could master all the modes of the major scale with just a few fingerings? Imagine being able to confidently improvise & play jazz melodies ALL OVER the fingerboard! Move over CAGED fingerings, 3 note per string & other scale fingering methods, here comes Randy Johnston’s new Tetrachord Scales masterclass! In this 27-minute masterclass, discover how you can use specific 4 note patterns to create all the modes of the major scale. You will pay close attention as Randy explains step by step how to approach this concept. As with all of Randy’s classes, there is no filler material here, just all pure instruction straight from Randy to you. In fact, this is one of Randy’s SECRET weapons to learn jazz melodies all across the fingerboard. Watch as Randy demonstrates how to play the melody of Solar all across the fingerboard using one fingering concept. If you’ve ever struggled learning melodies, this course will be one to help you get your fretboard knowledge together. 3 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation (Chord Block Diagrams). Full video is 27 minutes Video of Randy Johnston Trio Live at Smalls

Brazilian jazz guitarist Genil Castro continues his exploration of artificial harmonics (inspired by the beautiful playing of guitar legend Lenny Breau) in this master class. In Part I, Genil taught us the most important aspects of this technique and the musical applications for it. Now in Part II, we get into the finer aspects of what Genil calls ‘electric lap piano’. Part of the Lenny Breau style artificial harmonics technique is the ability to play close voicings that would be usually almost impossible. The added challenge is to really understand the concept of plurality (how different voicings can have multiple applications) and the actual voicings that are created by adding an artificial harmonic as part of the chord. In this master class, find out: 1) Pluralities as applied in this context 2) Bill Evans type of voicings that you can use 3) Major and minor II-V-I voiceled voicings examples 4) How to put everything together into music If you’ve checked Part I of this series, Part II is an essential continuation for the serious jazz guitarist. Together, both videos will give you a unique look into Genil’s take on these concepts and help you achieve these sounds on your guitar today! This masterclass includes Soundslice enhanced notation of all written examples so you can can loop, slowdown and study each example as you go through the video. 17 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB Soundsliced versions of the transcription (standard notation with adjustable tempo, looping for effective practice and study) Full video is 31 minutes

The beautiful sound of Lenny Breau style harp harmonics has mesmerized generations of guitarists. From fingerstyle legends like Chet Atkins to guitar gurus like Ted Greene, Lenny’s influence is undeniable. Even in the younger generation of YouTuber guitarists covering fingerstyle arrangements by Tommy Emmanuel, you can hear these harp harmonics everywhere! Dreamy, atmospheric and sometimes impressionistic - this technique along with the use of colorful jazz chord voicings enables guitarist to get out from typical ‘drop voicing’ sounds. Brazilian jazz guitarist Genil Castro, a master at this style makes his Mike’s Master Classes debut with the first of two videos guiding us through this technique. The focus in these videos is not just on how play artificial harmonics (you can find those kind of videos online) but how to MUSICALLY apply the technique and expand your harmonic vocabulary. It’s not enough to be technically proficient - you have to be harmonically aware to really maximise this sound. In this master class, you will discover: The two essential aspects of playing artificial harmonics How to play the scale runs using this technique The orthodox Lenny Breau technique (Genil shares details of how Lenny does it differently) Musical applications of the technique on Stella By Starlight and the Ivan Lins song, Septembro. If you’d like to really gain control of this technique and incorporate it smoothly into your playing, this master class is for you. Get it now and expand your guitar’s harmonic vocabulary today. This masterclass includes Soundslice enhanced notation of all written examples so you can can loop, slowdown and study each example as you go through the video. 17 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB Soundsliced versions of the transcription (standard notation with adjustable tempo, looping for effective practice and study) Full video is 30 minutes

"The chords of a song, I want to say, are NOT the harmony. The harmony is something more like a road, and the chords merely the signs marking the way." - Andy Fite From Jazz Comic Philosopher Andy Fite comes this new elegant masterclass, “Into Tonal Beauty: Escaping Chord Grips”, If you’ve been playing chords using the standard drop chords thinking, this masterclass will help you get out from that frame of mind. Say farewell to chord grips as your fingers fluidly connect the individual voices that harmonize perfectly. On describing the origins of this approach, Andy recalls: "When I went to music school at the University of Pittsburgh many years ago, I was required to take secondary piano. I never became a competent pianist, but the experience did give me an appreciation of voice leading, and that appreciation wound up being a great source of inspiration, and of a richer harmonic conception than I think I could have developed with the chord grips I had learned studying guitar, and with the chord-scale conception that dominated jazz education." Get ready to wander into tonal beauty as Andy Fite shares: A little system for playing any chord in every possible place (this is so simple, you’ll be seeing the fretboard clearer than ever!) The seminal chord progression defining tonal music (and how to systematically examine the possible fingerings for it): a) I-IV-I-V-I (closed position) b) I-IV-I-V-I (open position) The first prelude from his set of 24 from 2004 that presents a beautiful melodic exploration of harmony (our video editor couldn’t stop playing this piece on his classical guitar right after he watched the video for the first time) If you dislike long videos with too much information AND... prefer shorter videos with the right wisdom, delivered efficiently to your mind (and your fingers), this might just be the PERFECT masterclass for you. Why not let Andy help you become a better guitarist in just 28 minutes? Get this masterclass now to find out how! 1 Page of PDF materials in standard notation Full video is 28 minutes

Let’s continue to develop your skills to sound like two (awesome) guitarists playing at the same time! Jimmy Wyble’s two-part playing has influenced many guitarists over the years. John Stowell has mentioned Jimmy’s influence on his playing in interviews (and even his Mike’s Master Classes videos). Adam Levy, David Oakes and of course Sid Jacobs have cited Jimmy’s influence in their playing as well. We are blessed to have the legacy of Jimmy’s legendary Etudes that document his thinking and process. This masterclass continues what Sid Jacobs started in the first video where he covered Etude #1 . In Etude #2 by Jimmy Wyble, you will learn how Sid Jacobs takes apart each measure of this 14 bar masterpiece. Watch Sid transform each bar into contrapuntal vocabulary that you can apply to other pieces. Sid also demonstrates some cool rhythmic variations that add spice to Jimmy’s etude. You will not only learn how to play the piece (with specific left and right hand fingerings) but also be able to apply the concepts to other common jazz chord progressions. This masterclass will provide you with the tools to develop your ears, hands and harmonic vocabulary into the next level. Just like in the previous etude, (for the first time ever) you will be able to use the Soundslice enhanced notation of Etude #2 so you can loop, slowdown and study each measure alongside Sid’s world class performance of the piece. You will learn a lot from Sid’s musical interpretation of the piece. Master the fundamentals of contrapuntal playing with Sid Jacobs today! 4 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation Soundslice Included Full video is 36 minutes

What if you could sound like two (awesome) guitarists playing at the same time? The contrapuntal sounds of Jimmy Wyble’s two-part playing have influenced many guitarists. Greats like Howard Alden, Larry Koonse, Steve Lukather, John Stowell, Adam Levy, David Oakes, and of course Sid Jacobs (among many others) have cited Jimmy’s influence in their playing. We are fortunate to have the legacy of Jimmy’s legendary Etudes that document his thinking and process. In this masterclass, discover how Sid Jacobs uses Etude #1 by Jimmy Wyble as a launchpad into different harmonic & contrapuntal possibilities. You will not only learn how to play the piece (with specific left and right hand fingerings) but also be able to apply the concepts to other jazz standards like Stella By Starlight. This masterclass will provide you with the tools to develop your ears, hands and harmonic vocabulary into the next level. For the first time as well, you will be able to use the Soundslice enhanced notation of Etude #1 so you can loop, slowdown and study each measure alongside Sid’s world class performance of the piece. 2 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation Full video is 17 minutes

Virtually all jazz guitarists are accustomed to the idea of staying out of the way of the bassist and/or the pianist in an ensemble setting. However, often in smaller settings, the guitarist must take on the roll of the pianist and bassist. While comping chords with the root in the bass and playing with rhythmic confidence can get the job done, a guitarist who has mastered the art of playing bass lines and comping chords simultaneously can add a whole new dimension to duos with a vocalist, a horn player, another guitarist, or many other configurations that lack a bass player. If you’ve ever wanted to be able to add bass lines and chords to your comping in different jazz settings, or if you have the basics down and want to bring your playing to the next level, this class is for you. Any guitarist attempting to play bass lines must realize the crucial importance of the bass role in an ensemble so we will first make a thorough study of creating bass lines in four different typical jazz styles and grooves: 4/4 walking swing tunes, jazz waltzes, jazz ballads, and bossa novas. We will next explore the addition of chords to each style, using primarily the simple but all-important shell voicings. This class offers a clear, systematic approach, helpful suggestions for gaining fluency with the concepts and the physical techniques, and plenty of examples and exercises for practice. The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar covers: five principles for creating strong bass parts three techniques for building walking bass lines techniques for one-chord-per-bar and two-chords-per-bar full length composed bass line on the chord changes of “Autumn Leaves” demonstrating different techniques bass lines on static chords upbeat notes and “chickety gongs” to enhance rhythmic drive and variety bass lines “in two” broken swing bass lines playing walking bass, “in one,” dotted quarters, and broken swing on jazz waltzes lyrical ballad approach basic bossa nova bass lines shell voicings for use with bass lines adding color tones/upper extensions to shell voicings discussion of right hand technique exercises for getting started combining chords and walking bass lines additional techniques for embellishing chord accompaniment to walking bass lines adding chords to bass lines “in two” and broken swing bass parts using half step approach chords and tritone substitute chords to harmonize bass lines using pedal tones with chords two full length real-world examples of walking bass and chord performances on “Autumn Leaves” and an F blues different techniques for adding chords to bass lines on jazz waltzes ballad approach combining bass and chords preliminary exercises for gaining rhythmic fluency and confidence for combining bass and chords on bossa novas full length example of bossa nova comping with bass on the chord changes to “Blue Bossa” additional examples of rhythmic variations for chord accompaniment 123 minute running time includes 30 pages of written examples and exercises All musical examples from the video are provided in music notation, tablature, and chord grid form. Each example performance is shown in close-up view and titled and numbered for easy navigation.

With materials taken from my longer class, The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar , this class focuses on one specific subject: the technique of playing bass lines and chords together on bossa nova style tunes. Written musical examples and closeup demonstrations of these examples are taken directly from the full-length video, but the majority of the video was rerecorded for this streamlined version. This shorter, lower-priced class is designed for guitarists who may not be ready to dive into exploring all the aspects of Brazilian guitar styles and who just want an introduction to the basics of creating effective, great-sounding bossa nova accompaniment that combines idiomatic chord voicings and comping rhythms with bass parts. If you’ve ever been puzzled by what comping rhythms to play on a bossa or how to get that lovely flowing syncopation that Brazilian guitarists get in their accompaniment parts, this class is for you. Bossa Nova Bass-ics first looks at each of the two concepts separately, then combines them step-by-step in a logical, easily comprehensible way. This class is not recommended if you plan to purchase (or already have purchased) The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar because the materials in this class will be redundant. Bossa Nova Bass-ics covers: Basics of creating bossa nova bass lines Shell voicings for use with bass lines Adding color tones/upper extensions to shell voicings Discussion of right hand technique Preliminary exercises for gaining rhythmic fluency and confidence for combining bass and chords on bossa novas Full length example of bossa nova comping with bass on the chord changes to “Blue Bossa” Additional examples of rhythmic variations for chord accompaniment 31 minute running time Includes 7 pages of written examples and exercises All musical examples from the video are provided in music notation, tablature, and chord grid form. Each example performance is shown in close-up view and titled and numbered for easy navigation.

With materials taken from my longer class, The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar , this class focuses on one specific subject: the technique of playing bass lines and chords together on medium-tempo 4/4 swing tunes. Written musical examples and closeup demonstrations of these examples are taken directly from the full-length video, but the majority of this video was rerecorded for this streamlined version. This shorter, lower-priced class is designed for guitarists who may not be ready to dive into exploring all the aspects of playing bass and chords together and who just want an introduction to the basics of creating effective, great-sounding walking bass lines with chords added to create the illusion of a bassist and guitarist comping together. This class is not recommended if you plan to purchase (or already have purchased) The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar because the materials in this class will be redundant. Walking Bass and Chords Bass-ics covers: five principles for creating strong bass parts three techniques for building walking bass lines techniques for one-chord-per-bar and two-chords-per-bar shell voicings for use with bass lines adding color tones/upper extensions to shell voicings discussion of right hand technique exercises for getting started combining chords and walking bass lines additional techniques for embellishing chord accompaniment to walking bass lines full length real-world example of walking bass and chord performances on “Autumn Leaves” 48 minute running time includes 10 pages of written examples and exercises All musical examples from the video are provided in music notation, tablature, and chord grid form. Each example performance is shown in close-up view and titled and numbered for easy navigation.

Do you REALLY know your triads on the guitar? You may think you do… but wait till you see what Sid Jacobs has in store in this latest master class! Sit in as Sid Jacobs demonstrates how he uses triad pairs to create strong dramatic intervallic lines. Sid shows how he uses these on an original blues composition, Stella By Starlight (Victor Young) and Peace (Horace Silver). You will see Sid play these lines over these 3 compositions and get many ideas for your own lines. In addition to learning how to improvise using these sounds, Sid also shares left hand fingering tips, posture, ideas he learned from Lenny Breau, muscle memory and other insights from his years of experience. This class is great for any guitarist looking to develop a strong personal melodic vocabulary and style. 2 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation. Full video is 66 minutes Soundsliced versions of the transcription (standard notation with adjustable tempo, looping for effective practice and study)

This is a follow-up class to The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar and picks up where that class left off. The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar explained the principles for creating strong bass parts and combining them with chords to create the illusion of a bassist and a guitarist playing together, and Walking Chords for Jazz Guitar continues with a systematic exploration of chord inversions for three-note voicings as well as diatonic passing chords. These additional possibilities will considerably expand the guitarist’s pallet of voicings that are convenient to add to walking bass lines. The three-note voicings are easy to learn and to play and will enable just about any bass note to be harmonized with a chord, giving great freedom and flexibility to the player creating an accompaniment part. Finally, this class explores the concept of adding a chord to every bass note in a walking 4/4 swing bass line. Shorter examples demonstrate the use of inversions and diatonic passing chords in order to fully harmonize a walking bass line. Then, a full-length etude on the chord changes to “Autumn Leaves” is presented as a real-world example of how to put these techniques into practice. It is recommended that guitarists view The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar first before tackling Walking Chords, although experienced guitarists who are already skilled at playing chords and bass lines together will benefit from just this more advanced class. Walking Chords for Jazz Guitar covers: review of the shell voicings presented in The Art of Bass and Chords for Jazz Guitar techniques for building inversions of the shell voicings with the bass notes on the sixth as well as the fifth strings tweaks to the inversions to make them easier to play and/or to make them sound more effective hints to make learning the new voicings easier example applying the new inversions to a walking bass line for more flexibility and creativity examples of diatonic chords for use in major and minor keys that can be used to fill in between inversions short examples of applying the diatonic passing chords to create a “walking chords” effect with a chord on every beat full length etude applying the walking chords to the chord changes of “Autumn Leaves” 56 minute running time includes 21 pages of written examples and exercises All musical examples from the video are provided in music notation, tablature, and chord grid form. Each example performance is shown in close-up view and titled and numbered for easy navigation.

Are your jazz lines becoming predictable? Are you bored of playing scalar or bebop phrases? Come and join Sid Jacobs as he shares his approach to intervallic soloing using 4ths! You will discover how to easily express beautiful modal sounds. Find out how to play these amazing lines that will fit many situations. The best part of the master class is to be able to see how Sid plays these lines fluidly using specific left hand and right hand fingerings. You will be able to hear how Sid phrases these lines as well as study selected examples in the accompanying PDF. Understand and apply these modern ideas to: Modes of the major scale (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian) Melodic Minor modes (Melodic Minor, Dorian b2, Lydian Augmented, Mixolydian b6, Locrian ♮2 and Altered) In addition to learning how to improvise using these sounds, Sid also shares concepts on groove, how to practice and how to create variations on the lines he demonstrates. This is a great class for any guitarist who would like to get out from playing standard scalar, bebop or arpeggio based soloing. 2 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation. Full video is 117 minutes