Beginning Jazz Guitar (Book & DVD) 
asked by lovieduvie on November 28, 2006 12:53 AM
Anyone with a knowledge of basic chords and guitar scale fingerings can dig right in and start learning to play jazz right away. Spanning from the major scale and basic triad theory all the way up to extended chords and the modes, this book features a full-length etude or song to go with every new concept introduced. Beginning Jazz Guitar breaks the age-old tradition of dry, intimidating and confusing jazz books, and provides an actual step-by-step and enjoyable method for learning to play in this style. Clearly organized into easily mastered segments, each chapter is divided into separate lessons on harmony or improvisation. All music is shown in standard notation and TAB, and the CD demonstrates the examples in the book. 96 pages.
Reviews
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I applaud this book and its accompanying DVD most highly. It is well presented and most instructive. I am working actively on this at my own pace. It is helpful and enjoyable. I was so impressed with the material in book one and two after my initial review that I ordered the remaining two books from the publisher (only because they were not available on Amazon). I believe serious students will find this course most gratifying.
reviewed by radar on November 29, 2006 8:36 AM
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Let me start by stating that I own A LOT of guitar related books. Probably close to $1500.00 worth, or more. This beginning jazz book series is the BEST intro to jazz playing that I've found. It's not too easy, but It's not overly dense like most. The author is very smart in the way he teaches you a concept and then has you use it in an etude. Most books just teach you a set of chords or a mode or something, and that's it. You're then stuck with something you've never really applied to a musical context, and is soon forgotten or very dusty in your head. I think of those as REFERENCE books, not method books. Even though some are labeled methods, they are much too dense for actual use. This is a gentle series, it doesn't intimidate.
To absolute beginners, I agree with the author that you should know basic folk and blues techniques before starting this book. It's not so hard that you can't start out right away on it, but I think folks would have an easier time if they did have some basic knowledge first.
Take your time, work with other materials/teacher as well as this, and you and others will be suprised how nicely you are playing shortly.
To absolute beginners, I agree with the author that you should know basic folk and blues techniques before starting this book. It's not so hard that you can't start out right away on it, but I think folks would have an easier time if they did have some basic knowledge first.
Take your time, work with other materials/teacher as well as this, and you and others will be suprised how nicely you are playing shortly.
reviewed by bethness on November 29, 2006 5:51 PM
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I have used this book a lot since I got it, and I have learned much from it. While I at first was quite entusiastic about the book, I am slightly more critical now.
The book proceeds along two tracks, chords and solo. In both cases etudes goes alongside the theory so you can apply what you have leared. But after learning some of the etudes, I started wondering if I had really learned the theory. You learn to play basic triads on any three adjacent strings, and this accompanied by an etude. But as the etude is written in TAB I do not think about whether the chord I play is an d-minor or an A major or any other chord. I found that when I took an old song-book and tried comping using the same basic triads, I had to think about how to form the chord and hence I learned more. For many of the other etudes I got a similar feeling that what I learned was not the chord or the fingering, but to read TAB.
Another strange point is that the book starts out by a short review of the pre-requisite. You are supposed to be familiar with fingering of the pentatonic scale, and basic blues chord progression. But nowhere in the book would lack of such knowledge be an aparent problem.
Still, this is an good book. The basic theory is excellently explained. I have learened a lot from the book. It starts out easy both in construction and voicing of chords and improvisig, proceedin to modes of the major scale.
The book proceeds along two tracks, chords and solo. In both cases etudes goes alongside the theory so you can apply what you have leared. But after learning some of the etudes, I started wondering if I had really learned the theory. You learn to play basic triads on any three adjacent strings, and this accompanied by an etude. But as the etude is written in TAB I do not think about whether the chord I play is an d-minor or an A major or any other chord. I found that when I took an old song-book and tried comping using the same basic triads, I had to think about how to form the chord and hence I learned more. For many of the other etudes I got a similar feeling that what I learned was not the chord or the fingering, but to read TAB.
Another strange point is that the book starts out by a short review of the pre-requisite. You are supposed to be familiar with fingering of the pentatonic scale, and basic blues chord progression. But nowhere in the book would lack of such knowledge be an aparent problem.
Still, this is an good book. The basic theory is excellently explained. I have learened a lot from the book. It starts out easy both in construction and voicing of chords and improvisig, proceedin to modes of the major scale.
reviewed by flow on November 29, 2006 7:01 PM
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It starts with basic triad chords using only 3 notes and 3 strings, and then the author shows how a major triad can be converted to, a minor one or, into a diminished one, by simply moving one note at a time.
He explains other 4-part chords with different voicings for the guitar. So, from the very first book of the series you start to learn some jazz voicings. He explains the basics of chord progressions and he leaves you expecting more. That's the reason why I bought the second book of the series which, among other things, the author explains how to substitute chords.
These books are really interesting and I can see improvement when jazzing some song armonies.
He explains other 4-part chords with different voicings for the guitar. So, from the very first book of the series you start to learn some jazz voicings. He explains the basics of chord progressions and he leaves you expecting more. That's the reason why I bought the second book of the series which, among other things, the author explains how to substitute chords.
These books are really interesting and I can see improvement when jazzing some song armonies.
reviewed by dignified1 on November 29, 2006 7:17 PM
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Excelent! My favorite Book of and favorite series. You will get everythig from technique to theory! I also own the intermidiate and Advance books of this series and they pack a punch! I'm still working on this one and so far the organization and difficulty level have been excellent for the novice jazz player. You do will need some experience (6 to 12 months of practicing) and basic theory (Maybe one semester of music) as the complete novice may get frustrated.
reviewed by papi on November 29, 2006 7:28 PM