Quick Licks, March 2012

Mar 27,2012
Jeff Buckley's Grace Notes GP contributor Vinne DeMasi delivered this one. “Despite a career cut tragically short less than three years after the release of his 1994 debut Grace, Jeff Buckley was recognized as an avatar of his More...

Whistler Jazz Fest Lesson Stan Samole on Expanding Your Bandwidth

Mar 27,2012
Last month we expanded our guitaristic bandwidth with Stan Samole, inspired by his master class at the Whistler Jazz Fest. Samole walked us through a line that used the entire range of the guitar over the first eight bars of More...

Hey Jazz Guy, March 2012

Mar 23,2012
Hey Jazz Guy, How can I turn my cool rock chords into some sweet jazz changes? –Rockstar in Reno Dear Rockstar, Reharmonization is one of the hippest ways to alter a chord progression. Let’s take some chords and follow More...

Hey Jazz Guy, July 2011

Jul 14,2011
Hey Jazz Guy, Now that I’ve got the inside playing down, how ’bout that “out” stuff? —Inside in Indianapolis Dear Inside, How ’bout that “out” stuff? Well, it is worth looking outside the box to examining some simple More...

Whistler Jazz Fest Lesson Lorne Lofsky on the Power of Fourths

Feb 8,2012
Of all the great instructors at the festival known as Jazz on the Mountain at Whistler (or JOMAW, to those in the know), one of the nicest tones and most delicate touches came courtesy of Lorne Lofsky. The Oscar Peterson More...

Horn-Like Phrasing for Guitar

Feb 15,2012
Phrasing like a horn player on guitar is something many jazz guitarists aspire to. The fluid sound of the saxophone in particular is both an appealing and definitive sound in jazz. Transcribing the notes horn players use is More...

Quick Licks, January 2012

Feb 15,2012
THE DIMINISHED SCALE. BUY 1, GET 3 FREE Rob Michael of the Atmos Trio sent in this morsel. “Times are tough and everyone is looking for a deal, so it’s great when you can learn one thing and use it many different ways. The More...

Hey Jazz Guy

Feb 14,2012
Hey Jazz Guy, I know that learning jazz takes years of study, but is there anything I can do to improve quickly? –Eager in Elmhurst Dear Eager, We all share your desire to speed up the improvement process! Although musical More...

Hey Jazz Guy, August 2011

Aug 18,2011
Hey Jazz Guy, I’m always playing the same rhythms, usually constant eighth-notes. How can I get more rhythmic variety in my playing?—Constant in Colorado Springs Dear Constant, This is definitely an issue with More...

Oz Noy's "Schizophrenic" Solo Transcription

Apr 5,2012
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Quick Licks, April 2012

Apr 17,2012
Orient Express From frequent contributor Vinnie DeMasi: “Initially, re-tuning my acoustic C, G, C, G, C, C (low to high) was an attempt to emulate the sounds of Middle Eastern and/or Indian instruments like the oud, bouzouki, More...

Hey Jazz Guy, April 2012

Apr 17,2012
Hey Jazz Guy, I’m playing all the right notes, but something is still missing. How can I make my phrasing sound more jazzy? –No Swing in Norway Dear No Swing, Perhaps the most elusive and mysterious concept in jazz is More...

Oz Noy’s “Schizophrenic” Solo

Apr 17,2012
The following examples are all inspired by ideas in Oz Noy’s solo on “Schizophrenic,” the title track off his 2009 album. The goal here is to introduce ideas that dip into jazz territory while staying in a funk/rock context. More...

10 Things You Gotta Do to Play Like Steve Morse

Apr 17,2012
Picture if you will: You’ve studied classical guitar, you founded the Dixie Dregs, you front your own trio, you’re in Deep Purple, and you’re a licensed commercial jet pilot. Welcome to the Steve Morse Zone, where the More...

10 Things You Gotta Do to Play Like Steve Vai

Apr 16,2012
“His name is Stevie Vai, and he’s a crazy guy.” Frank Zappa’s opening lyric from “Stevie’s Spanking” may have been intended to reference Steve Vai’s offstage antics, but it’s also an accurate portrayal of his extraordinary More...

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