Jazz guitar
Jazz means seventh chords instead of plain triads, a swinging groove and solos that follow the chord changes. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and comping you can hear and practise.
1910s80–240 BPMseventh chordsswing
What is jazz
Jazz was born in New Orleans in the early 20th century and within a hundred years went from dance bands to complex improvised music. The guitar started out keeping time and then became a full solo instrument.
Jazz guitar has three roles: comping (short chords in rhythm), melody and improvisation. Seventh chords replace triads, the rhythm swings, and a solo is built so that the tones of the current chord land on the strong beats.
Signature chords
The central move in jazz is the ii–V–I: Dm7, G7, Cmaj7 in C major. Below is the turnaround Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, G7 that leads back to the top. Notice how much softer and warmer seventh chords sound than plain C, Am, Dm and G.
Scale for soloing
All the chords in this progression come from C major, so the major scale is the basis for soloing. Below it is shown from the 8th fret; the solo on this page uses the same notes a little lower on the neck.
Techniques
Seventh chords
The seventh degree is added to the triad: B in Cmaj7, F in G7. The sound becomes richer. Tap Cmaj7 and compare it with a plain C major.
Swing
Eighth notes are uneven: the first is longer and the second shorter, like a triplet “DA-da”. The rhythm below is swung - hear how the chords land on beat one and on the “and” of two.
Chord tones
A good jazz solo hooks onto the chords: their tones land on the strong beats, most often the third and the seventh. In G7 they are B and F. Tap the chord and try to sing those two notes.
Comping in the jazz style
Four bars: Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, G7. Each chord sounds twice - on beat one and briefly on the “and” of two. The bass walks in quarter notes and the drums swing on the ride.
Jazz-style solo
Over Dm7, an arpeggio D, F, A, C; over G7, a descent with a chromatic F sharp; at the end it resolves to E and C over Cmaj7. Play it swung and take your time.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these recordings and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Miles Davis - “So What”. Just two chords and the Dorian mode: the simple harmony gives the soloists lots of freedom. Hear how they build phrases on one mode.
- Wes Montgomery - “Four on Six”. Melody and solo in octaves played with the thumb - the signature warm sound of jazz guitar.
- Django Reinhardt - “Minor Swing”. Gypsy jazz: the rhythm guitars play “la pompe”, a sharp accented stroke on every beat, while the lead guitar flies over the top.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
How do I start playing jazz guitar?
With seventh chords and the ii–V–I in one or two keys. Play them swung with a metronome and listen to jazz records at the same time: the language of jazz is learned by ear.
What is a ii–V–I?
A progression through the second, fifth and first degrees of a key. In C major it is Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7. It appears in a huge number of jazz standards, so it is learned first.
What scale should I play in jazz?
Start with the major scale and chord arpeggios. What matters more than the scale is which notes land on the strong beats: aim for the tones of the current chord, especially the third and the seventh.