beginner jazz guitar improvisation lesson

8/19/2019 Beginner Jazz Guitar Improvisation Lesson

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/beginner-jazz-guitar-improvisation-lesson 1/4

www.jamieholroydguitar.com

Beginner Jazz Guitar Improvisation Lesson

This lesson teaches how to improvise over major ii-V-I chord progressionsusing jazz scales and rhythms. Each of these exercises must be practicedwith either a slow major ii V I backing track or using a metronome.

All the examples are in the key of G major, but they should ultimately bepracticed in all 12 keys and in different positions across the guitar fingerboard.

Major ii V I Scales

The diagram below indicates three two octave scales which will be used toimprovise over the major ii-V-I chord progression. Practice these scalesascending and descending slowly in eighth notes, with a light right hand touchand firm left hand control.

This should be done until the point where you can smoothly switch betweeneach scale without making a mistake ten times in a row. This will ensure thatthe correct amount of technical fluency is needed to move to the next step.

The harmonic formula is shown under each scale and will need to bethoroughly learnt to complete the exercises in this lesson.




Jazz Guitar Improvisation Rhythm 1

Now that each scale can be played through smoothly, it is now time to look athow to use them in a stylistic and coherent way. In any kind of music, themost important element is rhythm, not harmony.

Therefore, common jazz rhythms will need to be ingrained to the harmonybefore the improvisation “sounds like jazz”. The first example shows acommon jazz rhythmic syncopation pattern in which the scale starts on theand of four, instead of beat one.

Practice this rhythm over each chord continuously as demonstrated in theexample below.





The second jazz rhythm pattern is demonstrated in the lower of the twooctave A Dorian scales shown at the beginning of the lesson. Note that itstarts on the 6th of the chord as opposed to the root, like in the first example.

This example is certainly more challenging the first, but this is a classic pieceof jazz language which needs to be ingrained. This will ensure that the entirerange of the guitar is used and will also develop finger strength by playing onthe lower strings.

Apply this rhythm through each of the chords in a continuous way asdemonstrated in the first example.


The final jazz rhythm is a shorter melodic idea that starts on the 5th of thechord. Ensure that this rhythm starts on the 5th degree of each scale for thenext two chords to ensure that the exercise is played correctly.

Note that the first two notes should be played staccato.




Jazz Guitar Improvisation Lines

The final step of this lesson teaches how to combine the different rhythms andscales together to form jazz lines. The first example switches between all 3rhythms in a numerical order. Straight out of the box, this produces a melodic

and coherent jazz line.

The second line starts with the second rhythm, then goes to rhythm 1 andgoes back to the rhythm 2 again. There are no set rules when combiningthese rhythms. Try to combine them in a way in which you can connect eachscale without making any big intervallic jumps.

The rhythmic and harmonic examples in this lesson are for study purposes,but once they can be played and understood, students should experiment with

the harmony and rhythm to create their own ideas.

For example, each of the exercises starts on a specific scale degree. Try toplay the same rhythms starting on different scale degrees. This would beharmonic variation.

An example of rhythmic variation could be starting rhythm #1 on one and forexample. The broader and more long term concept of this lesson is that isteaches how to hear different harmonic and rhythmic possibilities so thatthese devices are available to you when improvising.

beginner jazz guitar improvisation lesson

Documents