Advanced Harmony for the Jazz Guitarist

Master the sophisticated harmonic language that separates professional jazz guitarists from intermediate players in this comprehensive exploration of advanced voicing techniques with renowned guitarist Roni Ben-Hur. This course demystifies the diminished chord's role as jazz harmony's most versatile tool, revealing how these "leading chords" create the forward motion and harmonic sophistication that define great jazz performances. Through eleven meticulously structured lessons, you'll discover how diminished chords function as the hidden architecture within dominant seventh progressions, learning to leverage their symmetrical structure across drop 2 and drop 3 voicings. Ben-Hur demonstrates practical applications using jazz standards like "It Could Happen to You" and "Strike Up the Band," showing exactly how master players use diminished substitutions to create seamless voice leading and impressionistic harmonic colors. You'll learn to recognize and apply the crucial relationship between diminished chords and altered dominants, understanding why every diminished contains four different seventh chords just a half-step away. This knowledge transforms your approach to both comping and chord soloing, providing immediate tools for creating sophisticated reharmonizations on the bandstand. The course includes comprehensive fingering patterns for all string sets, systematic inversion exercises, and practical substitution concepts you can apply to any jazz standard. Perfect for guitarists ready to move beyond basic chord changes into the realm of professional harmonic sophistication that defines modern jazz guitar playing.