#azjazzlessons #6: How to Play Jazz Blues Like Barney Kessel

For jazz guitarists & jazz improvisors: 

#azjazzlesson #todayIlearned

So I'm trying to learn something new everyday by documenting what I learned from watching a YouTube video. Today I looked for something from Barney Kessel and watched this blues performance.

Barney Kessel

Introduction Ideas

1) Use guide tones to punctuate double stop melody lines
2) Top note pedal point with lower moving lines are great for blues phrases
3) Use bass pedal point with constant structure major triads to lead into main melody section

Melody Statement
4) Harmonize melody with block chords for a fuller sound in a trio setting
5) Use single note phrases between block chord melodies

Soloing Ideas
6) Create intensity by playing repeated sweep-picked phrases
7) Create more relaxed statements using bluesy phrases
8) Be open to hitting the fretboard as a rhythmic fill idea between chord melody ideas
9) Use 3 notes voicings to punctuate blues single note lines
10) For high energy soloing, use tremolo picking on chords and a more chord melody approach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZlYmWne4sk

#barneykessel #jazzsolo #improvisation #jazzguitar #guitar

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If you're interested to learn more in depth, lessons are available worldwide via Skype & in person in Kuala Lumpur.

Register for the 2-month jazz guitar masterclass here:http://www.azsamad.com/jazz

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Jazz Guitar Lesson: 5 Minutes to Create a Cool Jazz Guitar Lick

Are you tired of playing jazz standards only to hear the same boring old licks you played again and again?

You know how it goes. You learn one lick from a YouTube video and then another from a guitar magazine, all these random things. Then, you don’t really know what you’re doing. Everything is random!

Do something epic in 5 minutes

But what if you could use just 5 minutes to create a new jazz guitar melody that you can use. Imagine if this was something so simple that you can do this again and again so that you’re never in a rut?

Welcome to the 5 step guide jazz lick rut buster: 

Pick a scale - This could be any scale. For instance, a major scale, a Dorian scale, a pentatonic scale, altered, whole tone - basically anything you want.

Select 4 notes from the scale - You can pick 4 different notes or repeat some notes. The important thing is that we’re choosing only a fragment of the scale instead of the entire scale. This avoids our line sounding like a boring scale exercise. You can choose to write a scalar line or a line that has skips and leaps (more fun!).

Choose an arpeggio - Pick 3 notes of an arpeggio, that is from the same scale. Later on, you can mix different scales but this is for another lesson.

Connecting it all - Connect the arpeggio to the scale and play around with it until you find a rhythm that sounds good to you. You can either start with the scale or the arpeggio. For more adventurous jazzers, try both to get two different lines.

Practice - play it again and again until you get the flow of this new line.

Tada! And there you have it, a new musical idea for your jazz guitar explorations.

BONUS STEP: Play the same line in a few keys or in the same key but sequence diatonically. (This take more time but can produce epic results.)

Interested to discover more? Learn how the great improvise in the jazz guitar masterclass: http://www.azsamad.com/jazz

Brought to you by Az Samad, dedicated to helping you become a better improvising jazz guitarist.

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Jazz Guitar Lesson #3: Jazz Guitar Triads

It's 2013 and it's the year of epic guitar! 

To help more guitarists, there will be weekly free guitar lessons posted on the site. These lessons will include:

• A Video Lesson
• Audio MP3 Version of the Lesson
• FREE Downloadable PDF with notated examples & TAB

Every month will alternate between:
1) Jazz guitar
2) Fingerstyle guitar
3) Beginner guitar   

January 2013 is jazz guitar month! The focus will be to help aspiring jazz guitarists learn their craft better. 

If you'd like more tips before next week's lesson, check out my Jazz Guitar 101 page here: http://www.azsamad.com/jazzguitar101

This is a part of a 4-part lesson series in January 2013:
Part 1: Walking Bass Lines For Jazz Guitar: http://www.azsamad.com/jazz1
Part 2: Jazz Guitar Chords: http://www.azsamad.com/jazz2

Here's the 3rd lesson. Enjoy! 

Audio Version:
 

[Click here to download the 'Jazz Guitar Triads' PDF File]
[Click here to download the 'Jazz Guitar Triads' PDF File]

[Additional Resources]

Jazz Guitar 101: http://www.azsamad.com/jazzguitar101
[Blog Post with PDF] [15 Jazz Guitar Chords You Must Know]

If you missed last 2 weeks of lessons, check them out here:
Part 1: Walking Bass Lines For Jazz Guitar: http://www.azsamad.com/jazz1
Part 2: Jazz Guitar Chords: http://www.azsamad.com/jazz2

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[ACTION STEPS] How can you learn this better?

1) Learn to play the arpeggios
2) Learn to connect the arpeggios and compose/improvise simple solos
3) Learn to use the triads over different songs
4) Learn 2-octave triad arpeggios (for intermediate jazz guitarists)
5) Learn 3-octave triad arpeggios  (so you really learn to move across the fretboard!)

Other songs to check out:
Stella By Starlight
Have You Met Miss Jones
Beautiful Love
The Days Of Wine and Roses
Fly Me To The Moon  

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Join my newsletter for a FREE 7-song acoustic guitar MP3 compilation
& to be updated of new blog posts, videos, upcoming shows & exclusive content.

Upload your music for free at ReverbNation.com
 

100% privacy and I promise never to spam you.
_________

❤ If you liked this post, please Like it or Tweet it! =)

Tweet