playing guitar in different jazz styles

7/28/2019 Playing Guitar in Different Jazz Styles

1/10

T

A

B

Guitar ITempo de Marica

4 45

6 6 5

4 43

5

4 45

6 6 5

4 4 43

5

5 4 44

6

5 44

6

T

A

B6 6

2 24 4 4 4

1612

1313139

1111

16 16 16 16 16 161113 111313 9

7 89 11 9 11 9

89 11 9

T

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B

Guitar II

Tempo de Marcia

6

A

5 56 66 6

4 5

E 7/B

6 65 56 6 6

6

A

5 56 66 6

4 5

E 7/B

6 65 56 6 6

6

F E

7 6 6

F E

7 6

T

A

B

A m D 7

4 4 4 46 6 6 64 4 4 46 6 6 65 5 5 54 4 4 4

A

4 4 4 44 4 4 45 5 5 56 6 6 66 6 6 64 4 4 4

F A

4 4 4 45 5 4 44 4 5 56 6 6 67 7 6 64 4 4 4

E 7A

4 44 4 45 6 56 5 66 64 6 4

Playing Guitar in Jazz Styleby John Griggs

John Philip Sousa, the world famous bandmaster and composer, had this to say about jazz: Jazz will endure as long

as people hear it through their feet instead of their brains. Or, as Duke Ellington said, It dont mean a thing if it aint

got that swing.

Getting into the feel and swing of jazz playing cna be helped by playing pieces from the Ragtime era like Maple

Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. See my bookExpanding Technique Through Pieces.

Maple Leaf RagScott Joplin

Arranged by John Griggs

BMI

Copyright 2000 by Mel Bay Publications, Inc., Pacific, MO, 63069. All rights reserved.


2/10

T

A

B

E

Moderate Blues

01 1

2

A7

2 5 4 23 4

E

3 3

7 59 9 7 7

2

T

A

B

33 3 3

E7

Fill-in4 2 0

5 5 3 3 2 2 34 4

A

22

2 44

2 4 5 4 24

T

A

B

E 3 3

0 31 1 4 4

2

3 3 3 3

Fill-in

2 02 2 1 1 2 1

4 4 2 2

B7

1 4 12 2

T

A

B

A7

0 0 04 2

1.

E

3

3

3 03 0 0

32

3 3

3

3B7

Fill-in2

0 022 2 2 0

1 112

-2-

After Ragtime, Blues became popular. The elements of Ragtime and Blues combined to form the basis of

all jazz music, even to the present time. A most popular blues, which has become a standard, is St. Louis

Blues by W.C. Handy. See my bookYou Can Teach Yourself Jazz Guitar.

St. Louis BluesW. C. Handy (1914)

Arr. by John Griggs

BMI


3/10

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A

B

Bright jam tempo 144-160

B D

6 68 6 8 8 7

C B A

57 7 8

6

B D

57 5 7 6 6 5

C B D

5 5 8 7

T

A

B

E G

5 8 7

F E A

67 7 6

B D

6 6 68 8

C B E7

7 6

T

A

B

F7

58 6 8 8 6 8

E 7

68 6 6

8 8 68

B G F7

8

B F7

T

A

B

B D

6 98 6 8

C B A

5 8 7

B D

5 7 6

C B D

5 47

-3-

A more advanced modern concept of 12 bar blues, harmonically and melodically, with an up-tempo swing, is my

tune "Jive Blues."

Jive Bluesby John Griggs

BMI


4/10

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A

B

Blues feel

ad lib.

E7Intro

7 107 9

7 9 76 9

7

poco rit.

E13( 9)

96 6

7 7 79 9 6 9 6 9 6

8 8 7

T

A

B

E13 5 9

86

76

76

a tempo

(pick-up notes)

76 2 4 276

-4-

I would say that all American popular music since the early part of the 20th century has been influenced by rhythmic

and melodic elements from Ragtime and Blues, specifically syncopated notes and blues tones. Jazz itself has picked

up elements and feels from all the musical movements which have been spawned during the century, i.e. Dixieland,

Swing, Be-bop, Rock-n-Roll, Bossa Nova, Country, you name it! As a result, jazz has become popular throughout the

world.

Playing and/or singing in ajazz style is as simple and as complex as playing a tune the way you would if you had

written it. The tune needs to be memorized in the first position and then transposed to the other eleven keys by ear,

still in the first position. The chord progression needs to be memorized and played in all twelve keys by ear. The

rhythm and the form of the piece need to be memorized. With the piece totally memorized, record first the melody,

then the chord progression, and then attempt to play the chords with the melody, and the melody with the chords.

Dont be disappointed if the rhythm is off. Practice this routine until success is achieved. Finally, learn the piece in as

many octaves as possible on the guitar and in as many positions as possible.

Next, create an arrangement in melody chord style with fill-ins. Be on top of everything well enough to play it solo.

All really good playing is solo, even in an ensemble, especially if fronting for the ensemble. I cannot over emphasize

the importance of rhythmic swing, which must come from the performer.

I advocate the following routine for developing your own jazz style: (1) Learn the tune, as written, as I have already

stated; (2) play the tune an octave higher; (3) play the tune in octaves; (4) play the tune melody/chord style with

fill-ins; (5) improvise on the tune using only chord tones; (6) improvise on the tune using chord scales; (7) improvise

on the tune using chord tones, scale tones and the chromatic tones; (8) create an arrangement using some of all the

foregoing suggestions; (9) create a walking bass style accompaniment.

Following is an example of the foregoing using the first eight measures of each chorus in my tune Convince Me.

Convince Meby John Grigg

BM


5/10

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A

B

A Bm7

1st Chorus

2 2 22 4

3

E7 A

2 44

E7sus4 A

2 2 24 4

Bm7 E7

2 22 4

T

A

B

A

2 22 2

F 7 Bm7

22

4

E7 F m7

24

Bm7 E7

42 4 2

T

A

B

A Bm72nd Chorus

9 9 109 11

3

E7 Bm7

9 1211

E7sus4 A

10 10 1011 11

Bm7 E7

10 109 11

T

AB

A

9 9 14 14

F 7 Bm7

14 9

11

E7 F m7

912

Bm7 E7

12

9 11 9

-5-


6/10

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A

B

A Bm7

9 9

106 6 9 117

7 9

3

E7 Bm7

9

126 119

9

E7sus4 A

10 10 1011 117 7 7

9 9

T

A

B

Bm7 E7

10 109 11

7 77 9

A

9 9 14 14

6 6 11 11

F 7 Bm7

1414

11 1111

9

T

A

B

E7 F m7

14 12

11 9

Bm7 E7

129 11 9

97 9 7

-6-

3rd Chorus


7/10

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A

B

ABm7

9 9 2 510 10 59 9 2

42

3

3

9 7 27 37 2

6 4 4 3 27 2

E7sus4 A

5 5 2 53 24 2

22 06

T

A

B

Bm7 E7

5 7 1076

9 8 77 10

A

9 9 14 1410 10 149 9 14

6F 7

14 911 7 713 9 714 8 7

99 7

T

A

B

6

E7F m7

9 77 107 9 116 117 8 9 12

6

Bm7 E7

10 1210 12

9 11 9119 12

T

A

B

A Bm7

2 2

0 4 0

E7 Bm7

0 0

0 4 0

E7sus4 A

2 1 2

3

3

3

3

Bm7 E7

43 3 5

2 4 44 2 6

2 5

T

A

B

3

A

5 55 7

6

F 7 Bm7

6 6 7 5 4 0 2 0

33

4 03 0 3 0 3 0

-7-

4th Chorus

5th Chorus


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B

A Bm7

10 9 10 9 10 911 9

E7 Bm7

9 9 911 11 11 9

12

E7sus4 A

910

11 9 11 9

Bm7 E7

12 911 9 11 9

T

A

B

A

4 6 74 5 7

5 7

F 7 Bm7

4 5 44 5 7

4 6

E7 F m7

9 7 12 10 910

Bm7 E7

911 9 11 9

12 9 12

T

A

B

3 3

A Bm7

8 9 8 7 6 5 7

7

E7 Bm7

9 7 77

9 7

E7sus4 A

77 10 10

7 9

T

A

B

Bm7 E7

5 7 5 7 9 77 9

A

9 0 14 1214 12

14 131412

F 7 Bm7

11 12 14 1011 14 12

11 141114

T

A

B

E7 F m7

13 12 10 12 10 912 10

Bm7 E7

10 9 710 9

-8-

7th Chorus

6th Chorus


9/10

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A

B

A Bm78th Chorus

9 9 5

5 76 6

3

E7 Bm7

9 7

76 44

E7sus4 A

10 10 7 1097 7 9

9

T

AB

Bm7 E7

7 87 9 10 7 9 10

7 9 7 97 9 99

A

9 9 14 1210 10 10 14 12

14 13 1114

T

A

B

F 7 Bm7

12 1012 11 12

12 11 1112 11

E7 F m7

9 7 7 57 57 46 4

Bm7 E7

5 2222 0 12 0 2 42 0 2 4

-9-


10/10

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A

B

Blues feelA Bm7

7 76 77 7

85 6 7

E7 Bm7

7 77 76 7

7 86 7

E7sus4 A

7 77 67 7

76 5 6

Bm7 E7

7 77 77 6

8 77 6

T

A

B

A G 7 G7

5 4 36 5 44 4 3

5 5 4 3

F 7 Bm7

2 33 22 4

4 3 22 2

E7 F m7

0 21 20 2

40 1 2

Bm7 E7

7 77 77 6

8 77 6

-10-

Convince MeWalking Bass and Comp Background

Finally, do not memorize your arrangement, but rather recreate it each time you play the tune by memorizing the

ways in which you create an arrangement.

Do a lot of listening to jazz instrumenatlists and jazz singers. Avoid copying. Strive to be original.

Have Fun!

playing guitar in different jazz styles

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