Jazz Guitar Practice Tools

Jazz Guitar Technique Handbook3rd edition

These tools come from the handbook and the list runs in chapter order. Each tool works on its own, but it is more useful with the book open beside it.

• Scales
• Movable scale fingerings · pp. 6–23 Fretboardfretboard/ The book's movable fingerings cover eleven scales in all twelve keys, and the neck is drawn in the book's orientation so the shape on screen matches the shape on the page.
• Scale Practice 101 · pp. 61–64 Scale practicescales-deck/ Pick a key, a concept and a tier, and the deck turns the chapter's instructions into cards you step through one exercise at a time.
• Arpeggios
• Arpeggio Practice · pp. 76–78 Arpeggio practicearpeggios-deck/ Browse the full shape library by root finger or from any root you click, then work through the book's three practice approaches.
• Chord voicings
• Shell Voicings 101 · pp. 45–51 Shell voicing buildershell-builder/ Build shell voicings by rule and mobilize the top strings, then comp them through the book's progressions and tunes with nearest-position voice leading.
• Drop-2 and Drop-3 · pp. 52–59 · key study p. 82 Inversion drillinversion-drill/ Drill drop-2 and drop-3 inversions on every string set: up the neck, through the key studies, and through the leadsheet changes.
• Nearest-inversion voice leading · p. 79 Voice-leading trainervoice-leading/ Resolve each chord to the nearest inversion instead of jumping back to root position. The trainer shows you the path, reveals it beat by beat, or makes you choose it chord by chord.
• Quartal Harmony · retroactive chapter Quartal voicingsquartal-voicings/ Stack fourths on every degree of the key and one shape serves many chords. The tool covers the catalogue, the modal labels, the chord-symbol method of Ex. 5–14, ii–V–I sets with half-step planing, and two tunes.
• Triads · pp. 39–43 · Exploring Triads p. 81 · Introduction to Jazz Guitar pp. 25–27 Triad voicingstriad-voicings/ The closed and open triads on every string set match the diagrams in the book, and the Ex. 8 key study and a tiered drill run from those same shapes. A fourth tab puts a major triad over all twelve bass notes and names the chord each one makes.
• Rhythmic Considerations · pp. 83–84 Charlestoncomping-rhythms/ The rhythms are sorted into five families, and you either read them from notation and play along with the click or hear one and name it.