Lesons Introduction

Jason talks about that intriguing world where jazz meets blues... or is it blues meets jazz?

f the many styles that we cover in Guitar Techniques, one very popular area resides in the zone that combines blues and jazz. For some, it’s blues with a dash of jazzy sophistication (a few chromatics, how to b5 handle the and #9, tastier dominant 7th chords) and for others it’s about confidence; getting deep into jazz-blues changes (chord tones and altered tones through a VI-II-V-I, getting good with the Altered scale). While the ratio can fluctuate hugely between the two, there is a real fascination about developing a musical vocabulary that sounds rich, vibrant and authentic.

We’ve thought about this a lot, and while many of our tutorials cover numerous technique and theoretical areas, John Wheatcroft started a new series last month with the working title of ‘Jazz Chops’ aimed at a broad spectrum of guitarists that are keen jazzers as well as wannabe jazzers. This month, he tackles the huge subject of jazz-blues from the perspective of major keys (minor keys next issue). For the aforementioned blues-jazzers (and jazz-bluesers), this one article sure will excite and inform. While there’s nothing too difficult to handle from a technical perspective (8th-note based lead lines, minim or crochet biased chords), the harmonic information is hugely empowering. From common 12-bar chord changes and the Blues scale, through to the importance of the 3rd and 7th, walking basslines and so on, there’s a lot to tackle. While all this will make you a more informed musician, the time spent studying and absorbing here will make you a considerably more able live performer who’s ‘jam ready’. If you then link this article with Robben Ford’s unique video masterclass (p30), Allen Hinds’ tasty guitar solo (p40), the two wonderful Kirk Fletcher blues solos (p58) and aspects from Creative Rock (p80) you’ve got a fantastic time ahead of you this month (or indeed, this year!). Enjoy the issue!