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So, continuing in our tradition of jazz guitar lessons for free on this blog, here’s something that is a fun and easy way to start creating your own jazz.

Use the traditional twelve bar blues formula. This simple, open eneded form has generated more blues and jazz tunes than anyone can count. It’s based on what is known as the ‘Primary Chords.’ There are three ‘Primary Chords;’ they are I, IV and V7.   These are roman numerals and they stand for the chord built on the first note of a scale, the chord built on the fourth note of a scale and the chord built on the fifth note of a scale.

In the key of C Major, then, the ‘Primary Chords’ would be CM, FM and GM. Following the diagram here, you can see that you would use the I chord for four measures, the IV chord for two measures, the I chord again for two measures, the V7 chord for two measures and finish off with two measures of the I chord.

The idea here, is that one instrument takes a solo each time through and ‘jams’ or improvises using the scale pattern for  the key you are in, in this case C major. The other instruments play a supporting role, often playing chord patterns throughout. In the diagram, I have shown some suggested chord patterns that would be used in each measure, changing the chord when needed. (Ignore the fact that there are rests in the measures and just play through with the same chord pattern until the chord changes.)

The Twelve Bar Blues

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As I said previously, a good mastery of  guitar scales is needed to be fluent in jazz improvisation.

Movable Minor Scale Pattern for Guitar

Since all scales are basically patterns, this is not as hard as it sounds. Again, the technique is to just learn the pattern and move the starting finger to the note that corresponds to the name of the key you want to play or jam in. Refer to my previous post on the major scale pattern for a chart showing the notes on the sixth string.

For every major, there is a minor and so here is the movable minor scale pattern. Note that this is the ‘natural’ minor. Everyone likes the ‘harmonic‘ minor best but that will be another post.

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Image by Tony the Misfit via Flickr

To be a fluent improviser in jazz, it helps to know your scales really well. Fortunately it’s not all that difficult; scales and chords are really just patterns, and the cool thing is, on guitar it so easy to just move these patterns to whatever key you’re in.

This is a C major scale because the 2nd finger begins on the 8th fret which is C. The inportant thing here is to just learn the pattern. Check out the fingerings on the bottom and you will see that it is a fairly simple pattern. If you want a scale for a different key, just move the 2nd finger to that note and do the exact same pattern;

After you learn the pattern really well, practice jamming and making up some riffs or melodies using the notes of the pattern. Put some swing into your rhythm and you will sound like a guitar hero. Here are the notes on the 6th string so you can change to any key;

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So here’s another in a series of  jazz guitar lessons free right here on this blog. So just what is meant by the term swing? (Music-wise, that is.)

Well, swing is a musical performance practice indiginous to jazz and also a lot of pop music to come after. It has to do with how the 8th notes are played and you must get a grip on this to be in the groove. Take a look at this table of basic rhythms for music;

The Basic Rhythms

In classical music, the 8th notes are played evenly; 2 on a beat, but in jazz, the first 8th note of a pair (the one directly on the beat) is made longer and the second one  is then shorter.  The two 8th notes are then just like the quarter note with an 8th note as a triplet rhythm. This rythm is best understood as if you took an 8th note triplet and tied the first two 8th notes together. Tied notes become one note that has the duration of both the notes added together.

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