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I'm a begginer when it comes to playing music but a long time listener.
I started playing guitar april 2024 with an old Yamaha Classical student guitar and have learned to play some Bossanova comping, basic jazz comping, a few easier chord melody arrangements and a few licks.
I recently saved a lot of money doing some extra construction work so i bought my first electric guitar (Ibanez AS113) and a Yamaha Thr10 amp.
I want to focus om building a feel for rythm and playing to backing tracks and metronome and then learn some easier solos, heads and comping that i can play to records.
Can you guys help me out to find the best way forward?
During the weekdays i have 30 minutes to spend on guitar and on the weekends up to 90 minutes. ( im a father with small children and animals that need care).
Any suggestions on how i should spend my available time?
Easy solos to learn?
Suggestions on things to learn so can really understand how to play with an metronome (where i understand how the metronome fits to lets say a slow/medium swing or shuffle beat etc)
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Help!
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12-24-2024 06:16 AM
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Hi!
I am a beginner, but I practice and play guitar for a while now.
What helped improve my (jazz) guitar rhythm playing was playing along records, metronomes, drum machines (and loops).
I also learn heaps from jamming with a drummer and/or sessions with my band.
If you don't have options to play with others, I strongly suggest recreating that feeling by playing against a record, metronome or drum machine.
Final tip. The lessons on this site are fantastic and so are the forum members and these amazing discussions...
..however, for me, the internet is resourceful, but mostly a counterproductive timesink.
I personally print a few sheets here and there and jam offline.
Always have fun, stay hungry for playing and your jazz will follow
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+1 to the lessons available here for free. I'd also underscore the importance of focusing on tunes. Make tunes the center of your universe and practice all the technique in the context of a tune.
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Welcome to the Forum, @Sailor!
I would first recommend getting a good teacher in your area! If one doesn't exist, look up Pete Sklaroff - a member here and fantastic teacher for beginner through advanced students!
And have fun with this jazz journey!!
Marc
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Maybe fifteen minutes of that time on scales and then triad arpeggios until those feel super comfortable. Whatever fingering system works for you. Most material out there is CAGED adjacent which is an advantage on its on, even if there's no advantage to the fingerings themselves.
Originally Posted by Smoothsailor
With the other fifteen probably working on a tune? Shell voicings over the changes, melody in a few positions or string sets.
On the weekends, a little solo would be awesome -- anything Charlie Christian is worth doing. Most everything he plays can be played in one position, or by using chord shapes you probably are becoming familiar with already. Grant Green too ... No. 1 Green Street is awesome.
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"Fundamental Theorem Of Jazz Guitar"
Learn tunes, practice, play with others
With little available time, keep your guitar tuned, your listening music and other stuff ready, and make the most of it. If you have a way of listening to music while driving, exercising, yard work, working around the house, etc., immerse yourself in the kind of music you want to learn.
Don't think of building skills and technique as a requirement for learning tunes. Work on tunes directly; everything you need to learn is in the tunes you want to be able to play.
Consider a systematic approach rather than a goal oriented approach. Goals mean a schedule of planned accomplishment completions with respect to a calendar timetable. That works best when you have plenty of time (and is the usual way when taking lessons or school classes as a student).
Sticking to a system is much better than goals when you have little time or little control over it. You can't force things to speed up and grow faster, you just water, feed, and weed the garden methodically... and accept progress and success as a gift.
Consider the longer weekend time; that is enough time to play with others, which is the most productive thing any musician can do. Nothing else even comes close to how fast you learn the right things doing that. Also highly motivating and the most fun. Any way you can play with others you should pursue as early as possible and do it as often as you can.
When in doubt, return to the fundamental theorem of jazz guitar.
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Hey, welcome to the forum! This is one of the best places to be if you’re looking for friendly, engaging conversations. I’ve been able to enjoy spaces like this so much more since I started letting go of tasks that were draining me. With the help of academized.com/write-my-book-report, I’ve freed up so much time to focus on my family, my passions, and just relaxing for once. It’s amazing how much your outlook can improve when you’re not constantly weighed down by a never-ending to-do list. I’m so glad you’re here and can’t wait to hear more from you
Last edited by benhatchins; 01-24-2025 at 08:18 AM.
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Yea... it will be fun.
Have you already put in some time with playing in open position... and can play chords etc.
You really can't start playing jazz. It take some skills.
Generally learn how to play chords.... comping.
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do you have a plan now?
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You must have missed this: Originally Posted by pamosmusic
'I want to focus om building a feel for rythm and playing to backing tracks and metronome and then learn some easier solos, heads and comping that i can play to records.'
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Nope, sure didn’t. Originally Posted by pawlowski6132
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Ok, well then you're advice is off the mark. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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And your advice is …. ? Originally Posted by pawlowski6132
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So, I don't really have any. But, I'm really sensitive to giving/getting guidance. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
As someone that is finally starting to see through the fog of all the wrong (not bad) advice, approaches, recommendations, etc. I really stop and listen to someone that is asking for help to try to understand what they want.
Jazz Guitar playing is SO BROAD of a topic, without understanding EXACTLY WHAT SOMEONE'S GOALS OR VISION FOR THEMSELVES IS IN THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM, we can't give helpful guidance.
The risk is, if you're (me) new to the journey, it's easy to be gullible and vulnerable and take the well-intended advice people here give only to realize it's NOT what THEY needed and they've wasted a ton of time. Or, realized there was a better/different way to get to where they want to go.
Learning styles are also important.
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Fair enough … to elaborate … Originally Posted by pawlowski6132
For playing with good time and playing with a metronome, you have to start with basic tools. You’re not going to be able to play with good time if you’re grabbing for a tool and rooting around in the toolbox to find it.
Really basic fingerings and simple patterns through scales and arpeggios against the metronome or whatever time keeping device you choose is A no. 1 for getting the time together.
Another aspect of time would be time-feel or the way the notes sit against the beat within the idiom. The best thing to do for that is to play along with recordings — which is also the best thing to do for style specific technique after you’ve got the basics covered. The OP also mentioned wanting simple solos to play and I mentioned Charlie Christian and Grant Green, which I would reiterate.
And the OP also mentioned wanting basic chord voicings to play along with recordings etc and I mentioned shell voicings which is a pretty standard place to start for chord voicings.
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Here's how I would answer:
"Suggestions on things to learn so can really understand how to play with an metronome (where i understand how the metronome fits to lets say a slow/medium swing or shuffle beat etc)"
It's easiest to use the metronome on every beat (1-2-3-4). For most swing songs, you can slow the metronome so that it "clicks" on 2 and 4. Or, you can also try it on 1 and 3. I was taught to "lean in" to 2 and 4 so, I can hear that better with the "click" on 2 and 4.
"I want to focus om building a feel for rythm and playing to backing tracks and metronome and then learn some easier solos, heads and comping that i can play to records.?"
Comping:
Generally two parts, rhythm and chord choice. We talked about rhythm above. In order to build confidence and have fun making music. Don't try to boil the ocean and think you have to learn more than you do. Keep it simple. Pick a chart and learn the common Drop 3 chord voicings in root position from the 6th string. I know even that may sound intimidating but, it's not. It's probably what you're doing already. In most standards, if you can do this and learn the dom7th, min7th, maj6th, min7th b5, you'll be able to play ANYTHING and sound good.
TIPS:
1. It's Okay to refer to chord diagrams to learn the chords at first but, get super comfortable being able to land on them at the speed limit.
2. Learn the chord progression. The sooner you can stop relying on reading a chart the better. You should learn the song so well, you can anticipate the next chords and just feel it coming naturally. Imagine you were in your room with all the lights off, you could prolly feel your way around because you know it so well. Same with the song. Get to the point where you don't have to make eye-contact with the chords on the fretboard. Then you can stop thinking about that part and begin to FEEL the rhythm.
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I don't think that it's possible to give a truly good answer to the OP's request.
Except, to work with a teacher -- and that might require auditioning a few.
The issue is that the student, even a novice, starts with a kind of endowment. Whatever he knows, whatever chops he has, his musical sensibility, whether he does well with fine details or better with broad brush, the state of his ears (some players need to really focus on ear training -- don't ask me how I know this), his goals, how he learns, including his ability to absorb all the chord/scale/arp/etc math-like info and whatever I've failed to list. The best teacher may be the one who figures out who you are and which way you're likely to best progress.
If, for one reason or another, working with a teacher is not feasible, then you have to try to figure some of this out on your own. Whatever you decide, there will be some great player who did it that way and a bunch who did it some other way.
Good luck!
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The man has 90 minutes the entire weekend. Where does that leave time for a teacher?
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He doesn't teach on the weekends right? Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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I think he was saying, that when someone has limited time for practicing, the time they spend on a lesson probably comes out of that time.
Flip side being that it can make your time more effective, and there’s no law saying lessons need to be at regular intervals to be quite helpful.
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I think it makes more sense to take him literally: He has 90 minutes to practice on the weekends. No point in trying to read into that any more. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
I'm not sure how the fact that he has 90 minutes to practice over a weekend makes his time any more or less effective than having more or less time in a weekend.
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Not talking about what the OP was saying … talking about what he was saying: Originally Posted by pawlowski6132
Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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You're both not helping. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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The dude seemed to be suggesting that it’s hard to find time for lessons when you don’t have time to begin with. I said that’s true but also lessons can make the practice time you have more efficient, and that lessons don’t need to be at regular intervals to be helpful. Originally Posted by pawlowski6132
Im sorry you don’t find that helpful but you’re also not the only person here.
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Look OP, here is your next three years of work. If you have 30 minutes, spend 15 minutes on each half.
Single Notes: Get each step up to 120bpm on the metronome before moving on
1. Learn The CAGED shapes in 1 key
2. Apply the shapes in all 12 keys
3. Run the shapes in 3rds
4. Run the shapes in triads
5. Run the shapes in 7th chords
Chords/Comping:
6. Learn the basic chords section on this link
7. Apply these grips to the songs you learn, don't get focused on learning every grip and every extension, focus on learning tunes.
What songs to learn? Double sided answer, you should absolutely focus on learning the songs you like, but Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa will get called at EVERY jam session you could possibly go to without an invitation.
If I had to do it over, I would do it this way. There's plenty of options for video lessons, great teachers here on the forum.
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