FretDojo Jazz Guitar Tips With Greg O'Rourke

In this live session excerpt, Ryan and Greg discuss just which jazz songs and song forms to learn first for those who are early in their jazz guitar journey. Utilizing the '80/20 rule', these tunes will teach you the common chord progressions, turnarounds and song forms to enable you to play thousands of other songs!

Join hosts Ryan and Vin as they interview legendary guitarist and educator Rodney Jones of the Julliard School of Music on this episode of the Fret Dojo podcast

Joins Greg as he chats with one of Australia's leading classical guitarists, and an old friend, Daniel McKay.

Join hosts Ryan and Vin as they interview jazz guitarist and educator Dr. Davy Mooney of the University of North Texas on this episode of the Fret Dojo podcast.

Fret Dojo instructors Greg O'Rourke and Ryan Dillahay sat down with Rotem Sivan, just a few weeks before his new release in Jan 2024!

In this exclusive interview, Greg and Vin chat with Beth Marlis, long time professor and current Vice President of Musicians Institute

In this exclusive interview, Vin and Ryan chat with legendary jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno

In this exclusive interview, Ryan pulls back the curtain on his evolution from blues to jazz. You'll hear how this recent college grad, and student of one of the most highly regarded jazz guitarists and educators in the country, made the leap into full-time musicianship, hustling gigs across town.

Choosing the right picking style is one of the mostly hotly debated topics in jazz guitar. Tune in today where we'll have an in-depth discussion on the different picking approaches for jazz guitar.

On today's podcast, Greg and Vin interview one of jazz guitar's leading player and educators, Barry Greene.

On today's podcast, Greg and Vin interview one of jazz guitar's leading player and educator, Sheryl Bailey.

GET THE PDF FOR THIS LESSON HERE: https://www.fretdojo.com/pdf In this episode I’m going to show you the ultimate fast path to building fingerstyle guitar technique with these three handy fingerpicking exercises for guitar. These 3 simple fingerstyle guitar exercises will quickly enable to develop your fingerpicking accuracy and speed on guitar, regardless of what style of guitar you like to play! Whether you like to play jazz, rock, pop, classical or country, you’ll find this lesson useful. I’ll also show you the core principles of good fingertstyle technique to set you up for success and so you avoid injuries when it comes to fingerstyle guitar. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below this video. Peace, Greg O’Rourke Founder, FretDojo World Leader in Online Guitar Education https://www.fretdojo.com

Explore exciting new creative dimensions of harmony and improvisation techniques through the magic of triads. Presented by acclaimed UK based jazz guitarist Ant Law who recently featured as a special guest on the FretDojo Youtube channel. This lesson is the first video from our course series 'Mind Expanding Triad Trip with Ant Law' which was recently released in the FretDojo Jazz Guitar Academy. To find out more about the Academy and to sign up to get instant access click here. https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer ► Get your FREE PDF Worksheet for this lesson here: https://www.fretdojo.com/pdf/ ► Become a FretDojo Patreon here: https: https://www.patreon.com/fretdojo Greg O'Rourke Founder, FretDojo Innovation in Online Jazz Guitar Education www.fretdojo.com *For more guitar lessons, tips and FREE stuff visit http://www.fretdojo.com

In today's episode, Carol Orr has the pleasure of interviewing Sydney-based guitarist, Jeremy Sawkins. Jeremy has been an active member of the Australian jazz community since the early 1980’s. As well as being a composer/bandleader, Jeremy has shared the stage and recording studios with many notable musicians. Having performed all around Australia, he has also performed in Europe and Asia.  After graduating from the N.S.W. Conservatorium of Music in 1984 (with an Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies), Jeremy joined his former teacher, Dr Roger Frampton (late) in the band ‘Intersection’. The band performed in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. They recorded one album, independently released by Frampton - ‘A breath of fresh air’.  Since then Jeremy has led many of his own groups, his current being ‘Jazz Organism’, the Jeremy Sawkins Trio and Quartet. All groups have had many performance opportunities in Sydney (and Ireland) since 2003. Jeremy has been with Miroslav Bukovsky’s (A.R.I.A. award winning jazz/world music) group ‘Wanderlust’ since 1996. He has toured Europe twice with the group (1997-98) performing at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival and the JVC Jazz Festival in Rome (to name a few). In 1999 the group toured China and Japan, performing at the Beijing and Shanghai International Jazz Festivals and the Sweet Basil Jazz Club in Tokyo.  You'll really get to know Jeremy and his love of music in this episode. He shares a couple of great tracks and demonstrates some great reharmonization and substitution techniques used in his music. If you want to join my online jazz guitar academy with a complete pathway of step-by-step courses to improve your jazz playing, take a look by clicking here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Here's some ways you can develop your jazz guitar playing: For jazz guitar beginners: Check out my 30-Day Jazz Guitar Challenge: https://www.fretdojo.com/30-day-jazz-guitar-challenge/ For my complete collection of courses for a low monthly fee, go to this link: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/

In this next podcast, Carl Orr interviews the very accomplished guitarist, Damien Cooper. Damien is a freelance London based guitarist who has held the Guitar 1 chair on Thriller live since 2009, and has been a member of Dr Hook from 2015. Originally from Australia and after 20 years of playing and touring around Australasia with acts covering styles from jazz to rock to cabaret, Damien relocated to London. Since then he has been an in demand player on both the London scene and abroad. Theatre credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Scandinavian tour), Hedwig And The Angry Inch (London), Godspell, Dancing In The Streets (UK and European tour), Never Forget (London dep), Top Hat (London Dep), The Book of Morman (London Dep)Tina the Musical London Dep and various shows at the London Palldium including Bill Kenwright’s Dream On and Magic Fm's Christmas show. Damien has also toured, recorded and worked with a variety of different artists including Denise Pearson, Jimmy Somerville, Dr Hook, Kim Wilde, Beverley Knight, Lemar, Anastacia, The Shires, James Morrison, Ronan Keating, Andrea Triana, MC Mystro, Rick Astley, Gabrielle, Alfie Boe, Boyzone, Macy Grey, Peter Andre......and more. This episode highlights the importance and discipline of rhythm guitar, which is a huge strength of Damien's and a real tribute to his success as a working musician. There are also some great tips shared by both Carl and Damien about improvisation in a live performance setting. If you want to join my online jazz guitar academy with a complete pathway of step-by-step courses to improve your jazz playing, take a look by clicking here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Here's some ways you can develop your jazz guitar playing: For jazz guitar beginners: Check out my 30-Day Jazz Guitar Challenge: https://www.fretdojo.com/30-day-jazz-guitar-challenge/ For my complete collection of courses for a low monthly fee, go to this link: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/

Get the PDF and Backing Track for this lesson HERE: https://www.fretdojo.com/pdf ► Become a FretDojo Patreon here: https: https://www.patreon.com/fretdojo ► Start Your FretDojo Jazz Guitar Academy Membership here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer In this FretDojo episode our special guest Stuart King is back to talk about one of the most important practice techniques for any jazz guitar improviser - melodic development techniques. This will enable you to sound much more musical when you improvise on guitar and is a technique you should practice daily. Stuart King is a FretDojo Approved Guitar Instructor - if you're interested in getting direct one on one coaching with Stuart via Skype/Zoom please contact us at support@fretdojo.com to book a lesson. Greg O'Rourke Founder, FretDojo Innovation in Online Jazz Guitar Education www.fretdojo.com *For more guitar lessons, tips and FREE stuff visit http://www.fretdojo.com

Get the PDF and Backing Track for this lesson HERE: https://www.fretrdojo.com/pdf ► Become a FretDojo Patreon here: https: https://www.patreon.com/fretdojo ► Start Your FretDojo Jazz Guitar Academy Membership here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer In this FretDojo episode we’re going to cover a very cool jazz guitar warmup which I call the ‘Almost Slurred Scale Exercise’ – a multilayered exercise to work out your speed, phrasing, position shifting, slurs and more – and also help get those creative juices flowing for your jazz guitar practice session. Enjoy! For more guitar tips, resources and FREE stuff visit https://www.fretdojo.com

On today's podcast, Carl Orr shares an insightful interview with one of Australia's stars on guitar, Bruce Mathiske! Bruce has been touring the world and composing for the guitar for the last thirty years. He has studied Classical and Jazz guitar and received his Diploma of Music in improvising, arranging and composing. He has been described by the Sydney Morning Herald as “The Authentic Guitar Virtuoso”. His use of the guitar to become its own orchestra, and his unique style of playing bass, rhythm and melody simultaneously has led to standing ovations and sell-out concerts all over the world. Bruce’s recording catalogue includes 25 predominately solo/original albums and he also composed the music score for the Australian Geographic documentary series “The best of Australia” as well as numerous television productions for ABCTV and various other documentaries. You are going to love this episode with Bruce. He shares some real gems such as his theory of athletics and pure creativity on guitar and also some great practical examples of solo guitar arrangements during the show. If you want to join my online jazz guitar academy with a complete pathway of step-by-step courses to improve your jazz playing, take a look by clicking here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Here's some ways you can develop your jazz guitar playing: For jazz guitar beginners: Check out my 30-Day Jazz Guitar Challenge: https://www.fretdojo.com/30-day-jazz-guitar-challenge/ For my complete collection of courses for a low monthly fee, go to this link: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/

► Get your FREE PDF Worksheet for this lesson here: https://www.fretdojo.com/pdf/ ► Start Your FretDojo Academy Membership here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer ► Become a FretDojo Patreon here: https: https://www.patreon.com/fretdojo In this session I take a look at some of Charlie Christian’s vocabulary, and how you can easily use this to make a convincing jazz solo that still sounds fresh and relevant today! Video Sections: 00:00 Intro 00:48 Lick Demonstration - Full Tempo 01:16 Lick Demonstration - Slow Tempo 01:45 Lick Analysis 05:21 Triad Example Ideas over Bb7 07:36 Substitution Analysis 09:07 Triads on Jazz Blues Exercise (with corresponding PDF) 11:01 Exercise Example - Full Tempo 12:30 Wrap Up This material will instantly spice up your jazz guitar improvisations to make them sound more authentic, and will help you open up the creative soloing possibilities on guitar. Make sure you subscribe to my channel to be advised when future live sessions will be happening! https://youtube.com/c/FretDojo Happy woodshedding!

In this fantastic session, Ant shares some tips and inspiration for jazz guitar players of all levels and lets us in on his unique way of playing with his guitar tuned in 4ths! Ant’s been described as “An innovator" and “A gamechanger" by The Guardian. Based in the UK, Ant lives in London where he leads the Ant Law Quintet.  In 2013 their debut album 'Entanglement' was released to great acclaim, followed by 'Zero Sum World' (with Whirlwind Recordings) in 2015 and 'Life I Know' (withEdition Records) in 2018, receiving 5 star reviews and airplay across the UK, Europe, and Australia.  Ant plays in Tim Garland's band with Jason Rebello & Asaf Sirkis, featuring on various albums including 'ONE' which was shortlisted for a Grammy and won the Jazzwise Best Album award. He has worked with other notables Cory Henry, Thomas Gould and is featured from time to time in “Total Guitar", “Guitar Techniques" & “Guitarist” magazines. In the latter he recently made a list of “10 Astounding Virtuosos". Ant’s fourth album was just released this year on July 24th the sleeper wakes.  Show notes: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast019/ If you want to join my online jazz guitar academy with a complete pathway of step-by-step courses to improve your jazz playing, take a look by going here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Here's some ways you can develop your jazz guitar playing: For jazz guitar beginners: Check out my 30-Day Jazz Guitar Challenge: https://www.fretdojo.com/30-day-jazz-guitar-challenge/ Find out more about Ant Law here: FB live streams on FB artist page: https://www.facebook.com/AntLawGuitar/live NEW ALBUM: https://orcd.co/sleeperwakes Other albums, sheet music, backing tracks: https://antlaw.bandcamp.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAy_Wjp5adEDQMsNVDyX8fQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antlawguitar/

In today’s podcast, Carl Orr, FretDojo's current Artist in Residence, interviews one of the most fascinating and original guitarists on the planet today, Nicolas Meier. With his unique style that is a blend of Metheny-esque jazz and Turkish inspired world music, Nicolas has toured extensively around the world with his band the Meier Group. This wonderful band (featuring sax maestro Gilad Atzmon and Dave O’Higgins) won the overall prize for ‘best band’ at the Juan-les-Pins jazz festival! His recent album Kismet is a wonderful heady mixture of Flamenco, jazz, Latin and Middle Eastern music. His prodigious jazz talent is matched by his other great passion: playing heavy metal guitar in his scorching group ‘Seven7’. For the last three years, Nicolas was the guitarist in guitar supremo, Jeff Beck’s band, with whom he toured all over the world, performing at major venues and festivals. He has recently recorded a stunning album with the A-lister rhythm section of Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets) and Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Frank Zappa etc). You'll really love this episode with Nicolas not only sharing his story but also talking about his compositions, how he wrote them and the compositions by other musicians who influenced him. If you want to join my online jazz guitar academy with a complete pathway of step-by-step courses to improve your jazz playing, take a look by clicking here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Here's some ways you can develop your jazz guitar playing: For jazz guitar beginners: Check out my 30-Day Jazz Guitar Challenge: https://www.fretdojo.com/30-day-jazz-guitar-challenge/ For my complete collection of courses for a low monthly fee, go to this link: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/

In today’s podcast, Carl Orr, FretDojo's current Artist in Residence, introduces us to incredible guitarist, Ian Date. Ian is originally from Australia and has played on more than 70 albums either as a sideman or a leader. He has performed and recorded with people such as multi-instrumentalist James Morrison and legendary guitarists Tommy Emmanuel and Martin Taylor. Ian has played at festivals and events all over the world, from the South Island of New Zealand to Iceland via Asia and South Africa. Firmly rooted in the jazz tradition and equally at home on the acoustic or electric guitar, critics have described his playing as, “endlessly inventive, lyrical and always swinging.” Ian currently lives in County Cork, Ireland where he continues his musical journey. You will really get to know Ian in this fantastic interview where he shares his humble self-taught beginnings on guitar, his well-rounded background in a wide range of musical genres and his unique perspective on jazz improvisation as an art form. Also during the show, Ian shares some of his most loved tracks 'You Don’t Know What Love Is', 'Bouncin’ with Bud' and 'Royal Garden Blues'.

In today’s podcast, I’m sharing with you a fantastic session where my good friend and current FretDojo Artist in Residence Carl Orr interviews Nigel Price, one of the hottest jazz guitarists in the UK scene. Nigel Price has a career spanning more than 25 years has become widely acknowledged as one of the hardest working musicians in the business. Starting his professional career after a spell in the British infantry in his early 20s, Nigel toured Europe with various reggae and funk bands before settling on a solo career and turning his attention to jazz. With early influences include Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Nigel honed his craft by attending gigs and sitting in with the players of the time. Nigel has played on more than 50 albums including 7 as a leader, spent ten years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, was a member of James Taylor’s band, JTQ, for 3 years and performed with the legendary David Axelrod. I think you’re really going to enjoy this interview, where Nigel shares some real nuggets of wisdom when it comes to not only improving your skills as a jazz guitarist, but also about being on the road as a working musician and some skilful ways to balance the demands of his musical career and family life.

On today's podcast, Carl Orr gets us behind the scenes with one of jazz guitar's hottest young players, Rob Luft. Rob is an award-winning 26-year-old jazz guitarist from London whose virtuosity has been compared to that of six-string legends John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola & Paco De Lucia. Praised by The Times for performances with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2015, who said he was destined ‘to achieve great things in the future’. Rob was subsequently the recipient of the 2016 Kenny Wheeler Prize from The Royal Academy of Music in association with Edition Records, and he also received the 2nd Prize in The 2016 Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival. His debut album, “Riser”, was released on Edition Records in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim from the European jazz media. John Fordham wrote in The Guardian that it’s a “very sophisticated debut, but given Luft’s old-soul achievements since his early teens, we should have heard it coming”. On the back of the success of his first album, Rob was nominated for a string of awards – Breakthrough Act in the 2018 Jazz FM Awards, Instrumentalist of the Year in the 2018 Parliamentary Jazz Awards & Instrumentalist of the Year in the 2019 Jazz FM Awards. In May 2019, Rob was selected as BBC New Generation Jazz Artist 2019-2021, an accolade granted to “some of the world’s most exceptional young musicians”. "Guitar virtuoso makes enticingly vivacious debut" THE GUARDIAN (UK) In this relaxed yet captivating interview, Rob shares his beginnings, the importance of versatility and what it's like playing with some of the world's best! During the show, Rob shares a couple of his latest tracks from his new album, Life Is The Dancer. I think you're going to love this one! Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast015/ Check out Rob's newest album 'Life Is The Dancer' here: https://robluft.bandcamp.com/ To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar that features courses by Carl and other top guitar instructors, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

Les Davidson has been in the music business for over 30 years. He’s worked extensively in studios across the world and has been on countless world tours. He’s been a member of both East of Eden and Sniff ’n’ the Tears, and has also worked as a session player/sideman for Rumer, Laura Mvula, Joan Armatrading, Mick Taylor, Donovan, Pete Townsend, Leo Sayer, Tina Turner and Bill Wyman, to name but a few. Les has worked in West End shows, written music for TV, radio and viral media, and currently runs a commercial studio in Hoxton, London. Today, Carl Orr, FretDojo’s current Artist In Residence, shares a generous interview with world-touring guitarist Les Davidson, where they share deep insights on the process of developing your skills in jazz - and some critical ingredients that are at the forefront of a rock guitarist's mind but often overlooked by jazz players. Check out the podcast and listen to Les Davidson's story and incredible guitar journey. Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast014/ Check out Les's newest acoustic album 'Jump' with his band Sniff 'n' The Tears here https://www.sniffnthetears.com/jump To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar that features courses by Carl and other top guitar instructors, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

On today’s Podcast, Carl Orr, FretDojo’s current Artist In Residence, shares his insights into the magic of chord melody and the power that comes from tapping into the strength of guitar as a solo instrument. Check out the podcast here and listen to Carl’s story, as well as some very moving chord melodies he plays throughout the show... About Carl Orr: Carl has performed and recorded with some of the finest musicians on the planet including Billy Cobham, George Duke, Ernie Watts, Randy Brecker, Gary Husband and Bennie Maupin. He is a regular at London’s legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in his own band and as a member of drummer Mark Fletcher’s supergroup “Fletch’s Brew”. Carl has taught guitar at The Australian Institute of Music, Brunel University, Middlesex University, London Centre Of Contemporary Music and The Academy of Contemporary Music. A prolific composer, Carl has recorded eight albums as a leader and is featured on albums by Billy Cobham, Fletch’s Brew, Geoff Eales and Nathan Haines. Get More FretDojo: To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar that features courses by Carl and other top guitar instructors, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast013/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

Exciting news today: Carl Orr is going to be the official Artist In Residence at FretDojo for the next few months! Which means Carl is going to be collaborating with me on courses for the FretDojo Academy membership, as well as bringing on fantastic guests artists for the podcast, recording Youtube videos and more. Carl has performed and recorded with some of the finest musicians on the planet including Billy Cobham, George Duke, Ernie Watts, Randy Brecker, Gary Husband and Bennie Maupin. He is a regular at London’s legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in his own band and as a member of drummer Mark Fletcher’s supergroup “Fletch’s Brew”. Carl has taught guitar at The Australian Institute of Music, Brunel University, Middlesex University, London Centre Of Contemporary Music and The Academy of Contemporary Music. A prolific composer, Carl has recorded eight albums as a leader and is featured on albums by Billy Cobham, Fletch’s Brew, Geoff Eales and Nathan Haines. In this special podcast, I introduce Carl to FretDojo so you can get to know about his incredible career - and he also gives some great tips out of the gate that you can instantly apply to your own guitar practice. To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar that features courses by Carl and other top guitar instructors, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast012/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

Here’s a simple but incredibly effective strategy that I’ve used over the years when I have been busy, but I still need to make time for my music. Check out the podcast below where I share it with you: To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast011/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

In today’s topic, I want to talk about something important. How hard is it, really, to learn jazz? Check out the podcast below where I answer this question: To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast010/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

One of the biggest questions my readers write in about is: "Should I be using modes when improvising on jazz guitar?" The answer is: It depends. But, most likely there is a more effective approach for jazz guitar improvisation, using arpeggios and chord tones as a basis. Check out the podcast via the link below which will show the reasons why: To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast009/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

In this episode of the FretDojo.com Podcast I want to talk about three reasons why playing guitar is good for you. I’m recording this at the start of April, 2020 and there’s some pretty stressful stuff going on as well as facing living in never-seen-before circumstances. It’s important at times like these that we set aside time for a calm, creative pursuit. To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast008/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

In this episode of the FretDojo.com Podcast, we dive into the topic of the true meaning behind the famous thing musicians say: “Listen to as much jazz as you possibly can.” To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast007/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

In this episode of the FretDojo.com Podcast, lets dive deep into a topic that's critical in your development as a jazz guitarist: The importance of jazz vocabulary - and how to go about learning it! To get instant access to a structured online curriculum for learning jazz guitar, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast006/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

In this episode of the FretDojo.com Podcast, I had the great pleasure of speaking with one of the world’s top guitarists Carl Orr, who shares the deep insights gained over his long career in music and important practice tips for any aspiring jazz guitarist. To get instant access to a online jazz guitar course by Carl Orr and many others, go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast005/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

Today I want to share with you a fabulous conversation I had with Greg Stott, Associate Lecturer and Resident Jazz Guitarist at the Australian National University. In this podcast, Greg delves into: - The biggest mistakes jazz guitarists make when it comes to practicing - Greg’s thoughts on jazz online education and how it compares to more traditional university based teaching - A sneak peek of Greg’s brand new albums coming out soon - and much more… We also talk about the latest FretDojo Academy jazz guitar comping course that Greg Stott and I collaborated on, and the reasons for why mastering comping is an essential requirement for anyone wanting to call themselves a pro jazz player. (To get a 14 day trial to the Academy to get instant access to this new course go here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/podcast004/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

This time on FretDojo, I’m excited to share with you an interview I recently had with world-wide touring latin jazz guitarist from Norway, Per Olav Kobberstad. Per Olav is one of those young, modern Latin jazz guitarists that are a breeze of fresh air and who are bringing all-welcome innovations to the genre. Just check out his credits: - Per Olav is one of the few in the world playing 8-string acoustic guitar - Released his debut album “Os Rios, As Ligações” with some of Brazil’s top musicians in 2014 - Album “Colonial Colors” was released together with Alf Wilhelm Lundberg in 2016 - Per Olav recorded his latest album “Cachorro À Vista” with one of the most legendary percussionists in Brazil, Robertinho Silva (known to play with Tom Jobim, Wayne Shorter, Weather Report, Milton Nascimento, Herbie Hancock and many more). In the interview below, I go on a deep dive with Per Olav where he reveals how he started with Latin jazz, what led him to tour the world, his time gigging in Brazil, as well as how he approaches jazz guitar and composing music. It’s time to get up close with Per Olav – I suggest you bring a notepad as there are golden tips inside this interview. Get a 14-day trial for just $1 by signing up here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/per-olav/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

This week on FretDojo, I’m happy to share with you an interview I recently held with internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist Howard Alden. Howard is one of the leaders of jazz guitar in the modern era. His accolades include: - Student the Guitar Institute of Technology in 1977-78 with Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, and Howard Roberts - Collaborations with Dick Hyman, Dan Barrett, Bucky Pizzarelli and many others - Alden recorded the guitar performances for Sean Penn‘s character Emmet Ray in Woody Allen‘s 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown – and taught Penn how to mime the performances for the film(!) - Recorded many albums with Concord Records as well as other labels, including four with the famed 7 string jazz guitar innovator George Van Eps - Has been the recipient of many awards, including: Best Emerging Guitar Talent, JazzTimes (1990), Guitar Player of the Year, American Guitar Museum (2003), Top 75 Guitarists, Down Beat (2008) Jazz critics have said of Howard Alden that “He may be the best of his generation” and “the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists.” In the interview below, I go on a deep dive with Howard about his journey with jazz guitar from a youngster to where he is today. I also ask Howard to reveal his secrets for how to maximise the results you get in the practice room – there were some fantastic tips Howard gives in this interview that you should definitely pay attention to. Get a 14-day trial for just $1 by signing up here: https://www.fretdojo.com/signup-offer Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/alden/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

Mark Whitfield is one of the most highly regarded jazz guitarists alive today. Throughout his career, he’s collaborated with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and many others. In 1990 the New York Times dubbed Whitfield “The Best Young Guitarist in the Business”. Later that year, Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman. I reached out to Mark after working on a transcription from one of the tracks from this album: The Blues From Way Back, a jazz guitar blues I’ve been featuring lately on my website. In the interview, you’ll learn about… - Mark’s special relationship with the blues, and how he’s naturally been drawn to incorporating it into his jazz style. - Mark’s journey with jazz guitar, studying at Berklee College of Music, sessions at the Blue Note in New York, and beyond - Mark’s thoughts on how to learn jazz guitar to make solid progress, regardless of the time you have for practice. - The essential ingredients of an effective and rewarding jazz guitar practice session - How Mark met Joe Pass as a young man, leading to one of the most important (and unusual!) jazz guitar masterclasses he ever had. Get a 14 day FREE trial to the FretDojo Jazz Guitar Academy here: https://www.fretdojo.com/free-trial/ Podcast episode URL: https://www.fretdojo.com/mark-whitfield/ *For more jazz guitar lessons, tips and free stuff, visit https://www.fretdojo.com

I've got something special to share with you today. To kick off this month's series on jazz guitar blues, you're going to learn a complete transcription of highly acclaimed jazz guitarist Mark Whitfield's solo from The Blues, from Way Back: a track from his classic debut album, The Marksman (1990). In today's post, you're going to learn: The reasons why studying transcriptions is so important for any jazz guitarist How to play the complete transcription of Mark Whitfield's first solo from the recording of The Blues, from Way Back A general overview of the types of approaches and concepts Whitfield uses in this solo. Cool Bonus: Get access to a FREE print friendly PDF version of The Blues, from Way Back transcription by Mark Whitfield, complete with notation, TAB and analysis. First, let's have a brief discussion on why to learn a transcription in the first place… Why Learn a Jazz Guitar Blues Transcription? Learning transcriptions of master players is one of the most important things you can do as a jazz guitarist. The reason? It gives you a complete all-around jazz guitar workout. Here's how it works: Usually transcriptions are tough technically, so learning a transcription is a great way to build up your technique. You'll learn a wealth of jazz vocabulary that fits well together, giving you plenty of new ideas to bring into your own playing. Learning a transcription is the best way by far to train your ears – especially if you transcribe a recording from scratch. By playing a transcription along with the original recording it was transcribed from, you'll get a sense of how to add shape to your own solos – i.e., how to structure the rise and fall of a solo in order to tell a captivating musical story. The last point is particularly important. If you just learn jazz guitar licks in isolation, without listening to the lick in the context of the full solo it came from, you won't get a well-rounded picture on how to the lick effectively as you improvise. Here's the thing: Even if you end up only delving into a few licks from a transcription after you learn the full solo, these licks act as a kind of ‘trigger' in your mind for the general vocabulary and approaches contained in the complete transcription. So, learning a transcription is a very effective way to learn a huge amount of jazz vocabulary in a short space of time. Convinced? Good. So let's now dig into the transcription itself… The Blues, From Way Back The Blues, from Way Back is a track from Mark Whitfield's debut album The Marksman, which catapulted him to international recognition in the 90s after he graduated from Berklee College of Music. Why did I want to transcribe this recording? This solo is probably the best example of jazz guitar blues I've come across, so I was keen to study this one intensely in order to get a more authentic jazz blues sound into my improvised lines. Here's the original recording of The Blues, from Way Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/embed/HtG9zqlnACk What I particularly like about this solo is how seamlessly Mark Whitfield weaves traditional blues ideas between sophisticated bebop vocabulary. Learning this solo has also been a great technique builder for my own playing. Both the bluesy licks and the bebop lines are classic pieces of vocabulary that are really worthwhile to work into your own playing. Presenting The Complete Jazz Guitar Blues Transcription! So here it is: The complete transcription of Mark Whitfield's first solo from The Blues, from Way Back. Watch the video to get a demonstration of the fingerings I used to play the solo, then read through the notation and TAB of the transcription below. (Hint: If you want a print-friendly PDF of the transcription,click here to access it now). Note: Fast-forward the video to 5:00 in for a close-up slow-motion view of my hands as I play the solo (if you nee...