Product Description

This book teaches guitar players of all levels how to construct and use chords for accompaniement and soloing. Practical examples and exercises take you from basic theory and simple accompaniment patterns to advanced chord soloing and comping. A complete survey of chord theory and technique.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #218379 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01-01
• Released on: 1986-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, comprehensive book on jazz chord voicings
This is a great book for the intermediate guitarist, or for advanced players looking to move into the jazz arena. (Not for novices: only the first 29 pgs. out of 126 are beginner-level info. The learning curve gets a good deal steeper after that.) The book first walks you through basic jazz chord forms (with roots on 6th and 5th strings), then into inversions (seemingly every conceivable type!). Next, you get to deal with extensions, alterations, embellishments, and substitutions for I, II, and V chords (and, ultimately, any major, minor, or dominant). The rest of the book is fleshed out with smaller sections on triads, chord melody playing, comping, etc., which work to tie the concepts together. The format is mainly chord diagrams, indicating both fingering and note values (roots, 3rds, etc.). Works best taken in doses, working with each concept until absorbed. Used along with a study of scales/modes and their use around various chord shape, you could become a true fretboard master!

A Good Jazz Guitar Chord Introduction
This book is highly recommended. The author touches on jazz progressions, rhythms, inversions, substitutions, fingerstyle, chord-melody solos, alterered chords, and a host of other techniques that the novice or intermediate jazz guitarist will find interesting, challanging, and if mastered, very rewarding. To understand the author's theoretical explanations the reader should have rudimentary knowledge of harmony and melody. I found the book to be very useful.

Perfect for the Neophyte Guitarist
Unlike a lot of books that expect you to already know some music theory before you use them, this book doesn't assume anything.

It bogs you down a little with the inversions they have you memorize, and the chords that look like fractions and chemistry symbols are intimidating, but at least you start out slow and easy...by the time you're into the inversion chapter you've already been able to hear your progress in a jazz-flavored accompaniment to "Blue Moon". I myself was amazed after I played it and could actually superimpose the song over the chord changes in my mind; I could say, yeah, that works!

I wish all guitar instruction books were programmed the way this one is. By the end of the book, and I'm not there yet, you really know your music, and not just jazz, either!