Have you been practicing jazz guitar for a while now but aren’t sure where to go next in your studies?

Then you’ve come to the right place as this series of articles is designed for players that have worked out jazz guitar fundamentals, and need a bit of a push in order to get to the next stage in your development.

Altered Scale – Essential Patterns, Licks, and Formula

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The altered scale is one of the most popular melodic devices in jazz, fusion, and other modern musical genres. The 7th mode of melodic minor, the altered scale is used to solo over 7alt chords, as well as over 7th chords when you want to create tension. By learning how to build, play, and solo
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The Complete Guide to Triad Pairs

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There are a number of ways to expand your vocabulary beyond scales on the guitar, and one of the most powerful is triad pairs. Triad pairs outline chord changes and use simple fingerings, while never sounding like running scales in your solos. In effect, you us 6 of the 7 notes of any diatonic scale,
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Chord Scales – Essential System for Guitar

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I think you agree that guitarists spend most of their time playing rhythm and chords in a group setting. Because of this, it’s essential to develop an understanding of chords, chord scales, and chord progressions in your studies. After learning chords, the most important next step is to run those shapes through chord scales. Chord scales are
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Master the Bebop Scale – Theory, Patterns, and Licks

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The bebop scale an 8-note scale that uses passing notes to create tension and release in your improvised solos. By adding a major 7th passing note to different modes, you create bebop scales that outline 7th, m7, maj7, and 7alt chords. By learning how to build, play, and solo with these scales, you open up
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Extended Chords for Guitar [9th, 11th, and 13th Chords]

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Have you ever found yourself feeling confident about 7th chords, but then you see a chart with a 9th chord, you’re stopped in your tracks? This is an issue that many jazz guitarists struggle with, adding extended chords to the root-7th chords you worked hard to get under your fingers. Learning extended chords helps you over
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Jazz Improvisation – Essential Exercises, Technique, and Tips

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Along with chords, scales, and arpeggios, jazz improvisation skills are essential for any jazz guitarist. When soloing with scales and arpeggios the notes sound correct, but they lack that special something that makes you sound like your favorite guitarist. This special something is jazz vocabulary. Mixing jazz vocabulary with scales, chords, and arpeggios, builds a strong
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Pentatonic Scale Guide – Guitar Shapes, Formula, Licks, and Patterns

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The pentatonic scale, which means “five note scale,” is a melodic device that’s been the source for some of the greatest riffs and guitar solos in recorded history. Because of this, you might know how important it is that you master this 5-note scale. But. What you may not know, is that there are many
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Guide Tones – Essential Exercises, Soloing, and Chords

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Guide tones are a topic that comes up early and often when learning how to play jazz guitar. These essential chord tones outline chord progressions in the smoothest way possible, and therefore are essential jazz guitar tools. While you may have read about guide tones, you might not know how these small musical devices can
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Guitar Technique – 60 Essential Scale Patterns and Exercises

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Scale patterns are an essential guitar technique that builds chops, expands fretboard knowledge, and gives you inspiration in your guitar solos. Though they benefit every guitarist, you might not know how to get the most out of this guitar technique in your practicing. This article shows you how to play over 60 different scale patterns,
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