Released by Gibson in 1958, the ES-335 was the first thinline semi-hollow body electric guitar. The Gibson ES-335 is an archtop guitar equipped with two hollow chambers separated by a solid maple wood block running down its center, and twin humbuckers. The maple block provides the ES-335 with a hybrid solid/hollow body perfect for jazz and blues musicians. According to Ted McCarty, president of Gibson at the time: I came up with the idea of putting a solid block of maple in an acoustic model to get some of the same tone as a regular solid body, plus the instrument’s hollow wings would vibrate ..read more

So, you want to buy a jazz guitar, but you’re not sure how to make the right choice. What is the best guitar for jazz and how do you pick a brand and type of guitar that is right for you? This article will help you decide what jazz guitar to buy. We will explore some of the more popular jazz guitars on the market, in a variety of brands and price ranges. In general, jazz music can be played on any guitar. Most jazz musicians today use an archtop guitar to create their signature sound, but even among that broad category, there are a lot of choices. There are many factors that should be taken in ..read more

Known as the workhorse of jazz guitar, the Gibson ES-175 is an iconic hollow body electric guitar loved by many legendary guitarists in the worlds of jazz, blues, rock, and fusion. The Gibson ES-175 has a recognizable sound that has been imitated by many guitar makers but seldom duplicated. In its nearly 70-year history, the ES-175 has become synonymous with the greats of jazz guitar. Though the Gibson ES-175 is associated with jazz greats like Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, and Joe Pass, its versatile tone and ability to take distortion has made it a favorite of fusion and rock guitarists like Steve ..read more

In this lesson, you will learn how to play the classic jazz standard Stella By Starlight, written by Victor Young. Stella is one of the most popular jazz standards played today and one every jazz guitarist should have under his fingers. The harmony and melody of Stella By Starlight are derived from the soundtrack of the movie The Uninvited (1944). The song has been recorded by numerous jazz musicians, including Charlie Parker (with strings), Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Joe Pass, Larry Coryell, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. Stella is a harmonically complex, but also a ..read more

In this lesson, we will look at turnarounds (aka turnbacks) and their various variations as applied to major keys, minor keys, suspended resolutions and other progressions. A turnaround is a series of chords that helps bring a chord progression back to the tonic key and is usually found at the end of a tune. In the case of the examples in this lesson, our turnarounds are being used to bring us back to the tonic keys of C major or C minor. The practice of turning around a tune started when jazz players became bored with chords that lasted for two bars or more, most of which were found in the la ..read more

Improvising on the guitar requires you to have a good understanding of note relationships on the fretboard. The moment you need to start thinking about a particular note you want to play, it’s already too late. That’s why we study and practice scales, arpeggios, and chords. Another useful tool to visualize the relationship between notes on the fretboard are intervals. In this lesson, you will learn about all the different musical intervals, how they look on the guitar, and how you can practice intervals so you can use them in your solos. What Are Intervals? An interval is the distance between ..read more

Unit 7 is a great jazz standard composed by bass player Sam Jones during the time he was working with Cannonball Adderley. The most famous version of Unit 7 is on Wes Montgomery’s album “Smokin’ at the Half Note”. This album, which is essential listening for any jazz guitarist, was recorded live in 1965 with the rhythm section of Miles Davis (the Wynton Kelly Trio). In this lesson, you will learn how to play the melody of Unit 7, how to comp the chords, and how to improvise over its form. Unit 7 – The Melody Backing Track ..read more

How Insensitive (Insensatez in Portuguese) is a bossa nova classic written by Antonio Carlos Jobim. In this lesson, you will learn how to play the melody of How Insensitive, how to solo over its chord changes, and you will have a look at some typical bossa nova intros. How insensitive has been recorded by a lot of musicians, including Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Byrd, Chet Atkins, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Emily Remler, Bireli Lagrene, Sting, Iggy Pop, and many more. The most notable jazz guitar versions are those of Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, and Pat Metheny, esp ..read more

Known for his enormous contribution to jazz and electric guitar, Pat Metheny has become a household name over his long and illustrious career. Pat Metheny manages to combine virtuosity with accessibility, resulting in music that is pleasing for two kinds of audiences, hence his popularity. 5 Licks From Two For The Road While Pat Metheny has elevated the electric guitar in jazz, he has also brought attention to the acoustic guitar and its role in jazz improvisation. One of his most memorable acoustic releases is the duo album he recorded with Charlie Haden, Beyond the Missouri Sky. On that rec ..read more

Are you wondering how to get a good jazz guitar tone? On this page, you will learn how your favorite jazz guitar player gets his unique sound, besides using his ears and fingers. Discover what kind of guitars, guitar amps, strings, picks and effects the jazz greats use. Jazz Guitar Players Al Di Meola Allan Holdsworth Bill Frisell Charlie Christian Django Reinhardt Freddie Green George Benson Gabor Szabo Grant Green Jim Hall Joe Pass John Scofield Kenny Burrell Larry Carlton Mike Stern Pat Martino Pat Metheny Wes Montgomery Al Di Meola’s Guitar Gear Al Di Meola is an influential guitar pl ..read more