40 min - Harmony 
40 min - Improv 
40 min - Chord Melody 

[3rd Month]

Class 5

Class 6

20 min - Review of material 
40 min - Harmony
40 min - Improv
20 min - Jam / Recording/ Analysis (REVIEW of 3-month progress, next steps etc.) 

WHAT YOU GET:

Learn how to sound awesome on a song
Learn it inside-out & master the song
Recordings + Critique of your playing in every class.

Some of the concepts we will be covering in the classes:

1. Improvisation
Arpeggios
Phrasing Concepts
Building Lines
Approach Notes

Basically, you'll learn how to create lines that sound Jazz AND you'll understand how it works! 

Here's an example of how you use triads in your lines:
 

2. Comping
Voicings 
Voiceleading Concepts 
Walking Bass Lines 
Bossa/Samba Grooves
Melodic Comping

Don't just sound like you learned some chords from a book! You'll learn the chord voicings that the Pros use AND how they use it! After every class, you'll be one step closer to voicing mastery! 

Here's 3 videos that give you an idea of some of things you'll get to learn (but even more in-depth and personalized when you're enrolled in the course!):

How to Play Walking Bass Lines:
 

 How to Play Jazz Guitar Voicings:

How to Use Melodic Comping:
 

3. Chord Melody

3 (THREE) Chord Melody Studies - one every other class

Choices:

Autumn Leaves
Beautiful Love
Blue Bossa
Misty
Satin Doll
Stella By Starlight
Someday My Prince Will Come
My Favorite Things

You'll learn how to play idiomatic Chord Melody arrangements inspired by Solo Jazz Guitarists like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Ted Greene and Ben Monder!

[NOTE]: The arrangements will be specific to your level so if you can already play a chord melody version of the song then you'll learn how to take your arrangement to the next level! 

Here’s how my lessons have helped previous/current students:

"I have been a guitarist for almost 10 years and thought I could just get by with chords and melody. Learning from Az has been an amazing experience, every lesson has multiplied my knowledge of music and just went I thought I learned enough about a particular thing, he amazes me with his depth of knowledge and wisdom. I always look forward to the next lesson, never knowing what I may learn and discover every session. Az Samad's lessons are tailor made for anyone, be it an aspiring musician, a music enthusiast or an advance player, he has always something to offer and in spades. He is a brilliant maestro but an equally great mentor if not better!!"

Benjamin Khong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(Completed The Jazz Guitar Masterclass Course in Oct 2013)

__________________________ 

"Az is a guitar genius.Studying jazz guitar with him is a most eye-opening, musically-inspiring journey. His really unique approach to common musical challenges never fails to amaze me. What's best is Az teaches one "how to fish instead of giving him/her a fish", i really appreciate how he teaches one how to apply concepts, how to approach musical raw material and how to practice - which is knowledge that I can apply throughout my musical journey in life. His teaching style is really great too, as he is really friendly, concise and to-the-point. What's really cool too is that Az can make genres like funk sound really good on a classical guitar hahaha ! Az's mastery of any musical material he is working on is so admirable. I daresay Az is my most favorite guitar teacher !  :D"
Sapphire Ng, Music College Student, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

__________________________ 

"My lessons with Az was one of my most fruitful and provocative experiences in my 'guitaring' adventures. Being a guitar teacher myself, i noticed that Az's teaching technique is comprehensive and he would always managed to keep 'boring' subjects interesting and fun for the students. I was always excited to attend his classes although it would take 5 hours to reach his apartment (I'm from Penang, by the way!)!! Besides being an awesome performer, he's a great teacher and he'd emphasize on details of techniques from various perspectives. Flexibility is his 'middle' name and I'm happy that each lesson is somehow customized to my needs rather than a fixed or rigid syllabus. Thanks Az! "
Richard Leong, Professional Guitar Teacher, Penang, Malaysia

__________________________

"Can't wait to practice guitar and add these tools you've given me into my songwriting. You're an AMAZING teacher and guitarist, hands down!"  
Grace Sng, Emerton Records Artist, Vancouver, British Columbia 

__________________________

 "I'm a 30-something, tone deaf IT professional and a father of 3 kids under 6. My previous music education ended after my third piano class when I was about 8 and the only other instrument I played and was decent at in school was the triangle. If Az can teach me to play the guitar like a warrior mariachi and tell apart mexican and spanish finger styles, imagine what magic he can work for you and your guitar. His brilliance on stage is only overshadowed by his patience and creativity in teaching. He doesn't just show you the techniques, he makes you fall in love with the guitar."
Wu Han Ngeow, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

__________________________

"I have been playing for about five years before enrolling with Az Samad. I have gone to a few guitar classes before but I remained stuck in a rut. It was frustrating.

A friend suggested Az Samad whom he saw performing and true enough, his vast musical knowledge and performing experience helped me a lot. My guitar playing improved by leaps and bounds. His approach to teaching guitar is very systematic, helped greatly by his personality that truly inspiring. We started with minor pentatonic before moving to major pentatonic. By my third class, listening to a song became a new experience and I could identify and understood the mechanic behind the songwriting, as if a veil has been removed.

With the help of Line 6 JM4 looper, I practiced what I have been taught and voila, I found myself jamming for hours. The best part was when my wife complimented my playing. Initially she thought it was the stereo.

If you are serious about guitar playing, I recommend my sifu very highly. Go to him and you will be surprised by how fast you can improve. He inspires me to improve and he will do the same to you too."
Hisham Zaman, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

__________________________

"My name is Amirhooman and I major in music and before taking classes with Az Samad I was lost I didn't know how to get my tone how to apply the theory on my playing and much more in one sentence AZ SAMAD WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO PLAY THE GUITAR AND NOT THE GUITAR PLAYING YOU and my playing changed from the first hour of the class. And he is a true mentor."
Amirhooman Hesmati, Music College Student, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

__________________________

"I learnt more than I ever did in the past few months with my previous guitar teacher simply because he (Az) can effectively get the message across while keeping the subject matter simple. You won't regret it!" 
Arthur Song, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

__________________________

"We all know that Az is a great guitarist, but he's an exceptional teacher. Learning guitar with him totally exceeded my expectations. It's not just his attention to technical detail that improved my playing. He adjusted the teachings to my current level of skills and, most importantly, taught me what I want to achieve. Within the first two lessons, I understood the guitar better than I ever had before. I no longer need a chord book. Best of all, I now have the freedom to compose new chord progressions, experiment with new sounds, play around with fingerstyle dynamics, and take my songwriting to a whole new level! Songwriting has become fun again :) Anyone who (like me) has been frustrated writing the same kind of songs over and over again will find new inspirations after learning with Az. You won't regret it."
Lisa Zahran, Singer-Songwriter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  __________________________

"Az Samad is a wonderful musician and teacher. He is familiar with a vast array of guitar styles and techniques from classical to contemporary. What's more, he knows how explain the guitar in simple terms."
Eli Harrison, M.Mus. student, San Francisco, California.

__________________________

"I've gained a better playing sound from Az Samad's fingerstyle short course than from 6 years of classical guitar classes. Az has an incredibly technical ear and vast knowledge of technique which allows him to give lessons that improves your guitar skills from the very beginning. The lessons are structured in a way that allows you to learn new things at a comfortable pace yet flexible enough to accomodate musical experimentation.You'll also produce an original composition by the end of the course, and be equipped to produce many, many more."
Lutfi Hakim, Percussive Guitar Course Student, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

__________________________

"Az has a flawless technique for teaching guitar concepts, and is one of the top guitar players in the Bay Area. I highly recommend him for lessons or gigs!"
Keith Hunter, SJSU Music Education and Trombone Performance major, San Jose, California.

__________________________

"Az Samad is not only an incredible performer but has the ability to explain the techniques behind his phenomenal playing. His knowledge expands from Classical to nearly every contemporary style under the sun. Along with his teaching skills, Az has the ability to truly inspire his students to be outstanding musicians. Mr. Samad's teaching style is perfect for beginner, intermediate and advanced students!"
Alex Upegui, SJSU B.A. in Vocal Performance, San Jose, California.

__________________________

"As a student of many guitar instructors, Mr. Az Samad stands among the greats. His humble and patient approach, along with a wide breadth of knowledge, combines to create a perfect learning environment. Mr. Samad has an innate ability to pinpoint problem areas and focus your practice in a way that is enjoyable and highly productive. Simply put, a lesson with Mr. Samad is a truly 'Azesome' experience."
Mason Hutchinson, SJSU Undergraduate, San Jose, California.

__________________________

" My lessons with Az has turned out to be one of the most valuable and worthwhile experience throughout all the time I've spent on the guitar. It is not just the instruction of technique but the impartation of his experiences, thoughts & observations, interjected with humour and good advice that sets him apart from the rest. Highly skilled and an excellent teacher, Az is a must for anyone looking to improve themselves as a guitarist. "
Aidan Chung, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

__________________________

"Az Samad was born to play teach and play the guitar! He is a natural! His style of teaching is easy to understand.Each time I met with him I was amazed at how easily he could get his point across. Every time I asked him a question in class, he was always knew the answer. Az is an excellent teacher! He is patient, kind and an expert at his craft! You will do well to learn from him."
Barbara Ramos, SJSU Music Education Major, San Jose, California.

__________________________

"As a private student of Az, I can simply say that no other private lesson I've attended was as comprehensive for both practical & theory. Not a single minute was wasted. The session I attended filled me full of new knowledge & vision that I later applied to my very own music. 

Az was so helpful that he was even willing to let me organize a group workshop for my guitar community, ACPickers. Everyone who attended the workshop had nothing but good things to say and were satisfied with the overall output! I'm already looking forward for the next one which is coming soon at the end of the year!

Az is not only a great performer - full of sense of humor but also great educator who is willing to teach and share all that he has learnt and experienced!"
Yowech Yong, Guitarist and Music Teacher, Malacca, Malaysia.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How long is the course?

It’s a 3-month course. We meet twice a month, once every 2 weeks.
In total, you get 12 hours of world class guitar lessons.

2. How long are the classes?

Classes last for 2 hours with two formats:
(a) 3 class blocks of 40-mins each.
We cover 3 main areas to help you develop jazz skills: harmony, improvisation & chord melody.
(b) a review session of 20 mins, two 40-min blocks covering harmony & improvisation and a 20-min jam + critique session to help you plan your next steps.

3. Are these group classes?

No. These are all 1-on-1 private guitar lessons. You get 6 private lessons.

5. What will I learn?

In the classes, you’ll learn how to accompany, improvise and play a solo version of the song we study.

6. If I repeat the course, will I learn something new?

Yes, if you repeat the course, you’ll learn new harmony concepts, different ways to improvise and more advanced chord melody arrangements.

7. Can I repeat the course and work on the same three songs?

Yes, you can. Although, I would actually recommend picking different songs so you increase your repertoire too!

8. I'm a beginner in Jazz Guitar. Is the course suitable for me?

Depends. If you've played some Jazz Guitar before, know some scales, arpeggios and licks BUT you're having problems connecting all of it together - then, this is for you. However, if you've never played any Jazz, then I would recommend you taking my weekly one-hour guitar lessons. [Click here for weekly Jazz Guitar Lessons!]

9. Do we work on 2 songs at once or 1 at a time?

We work on 1 song per month. Each month has 2 lessons, each lasting 2 hours. That's a total of 4 hours per song, with a total of 6 classes (12 hours of instruction) on 3 Jazz Standards of your choice (from the given list).

10. What's your musical background? 

I've been teaching & studying jazz guitar for the past 14 years.

I lived in Boston for 2 years where I pursued my Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition and Performance (Summa Cum Laude) from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. Some of my teachers included Mick Goodrick, Jon Damian (teacher to Mike Stern & Bill Frisell), Bret Willmott, Hal Crook, David Tronzo, Rick Peckham and Steve Rochinski.

I also spent 4 years in Berkeley, California and during that time, I obtained my Masters in Music (Jazz Studies) from San Jose State University. My primary guitar instructor was Professor Rick Vandivier and at that time I also studied with John Stowell. I also participated in workshops with Adam Levy (of Norah Jones fame), Julian Lage, Taylor Eigsti and Mark Levine.

I’ve relocated back to Kuala Lumpur since June 2011.

How much is the investment for this course?

You can choose between two options:
Complete Payment (Save RM480) : One-time payment of RM2,700
Installment Payment Plan: Three monthly payments of RM1,060 (Total fees: RM3,180)

Enrollment is limited to 3 (THREE) students at one time. I look forward to help guide you in your your Jazz Guitar journey.

If You're Ready To Take Your Guitar Playing To The Next Level,
If You Want World-Class Jazz Guitar Instruction,
If You Want Personalized Paced Lessons That Focus On You,

Please include:

• Your name and location  
• Your musical background (how many years you've been playing)
• Your favorite Jazz Guitarist
• Your Choices for the 2 Jazz Standards you want to master

I look forward to hearing from you. =)