The Jazz Guitar Blog

Jimi Hendrix

2011-06-23T08:16:00.001-07:00

2-Year Old Playing Guitar Amazingly Well…

2011-06-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

We've had a 13-year old that plays bass like Jaco Pastorius and a 9-year old that improvises over Stella by Starlight, but this beats everything: now there's a 2-year old playing guitar! Have a look at this toddler playing along with a Black Keys tape, freaky!

Luckily for us and the freaky baby this is fake, it’s a commercial for a new video game called “Rocksmith”. The game play is like Guitar Hero, but this game lets you plug any guitar into a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 so you don’t have to use a toy guitar.

What do you think about games like this?

Great Django Reinhardt Documentary

2011-06-10T07:14:00.001-07:00

Have a look at this great Django Reinhardt documentary, great music and footage!

There are 5 parts:

Part 1: general introduction, his life as a child, introduction to guitar in jazz, Django’s early career, the accident, …

Part 2: Louis Armstrong, Django’s encounter with Stephane Grappelli, the first quintet, the first record deal, …

Part 3: Success, jamming with Coleman Hawkins, lifestyle changes, recording Minor Swing, the war, …

Part 4: end of the war and reunification with Stephane Grappelli, the States and Duke Ellington, the electric guitar, the composer, Nuages, …

Part 5: the painter, his death, farewell performance with Django’s brother Joseph.

A Moving Documentary About Jimmy Rosenberg

2011-05-16T03:39:00.001-07:00

“Jimmy Rosenberg – The Father, The Son & The Talent” is a beautiful and moving documentary about gypsy jazz guitarist Jimmy Rosenberg.

He started playing guitar when he was very young, at the age of 12 he played with people like Stephane Grapelli, Les Paul and George Benson.

A couple of years later heroine came into the picture and that’s when a long fight with himself and his addiction began. The documentary is about this fight…

This is a must-watch, too bad it’s in Dutch and without subtitles…

Here you go:

http://www.documentairenet.nl/review/jimmy-rosenberg-de-vader-de-zoon-het-talent/

The Results of Guitar Education in North Korea

2011-05-02T05:28:00.001-07:00

Cute and all and their timing ain’t too bad either. I wonder what kind of childhood they have though, they must have been practicing a lot… These smiles don’t seem to be very genuine either, little robots.

Serge Gainsbourg Plays Jazz

2011-03-03T02:13:00.001-08:00

I know Serge Gainsbourg as a pop star, but apparently he started his career playing jazz. His jazz album is called Du Jazz Dans Le Ravin (Jazz in the Ravine) and is not bad.

Here’s a video I found on Youtube. It’s not from this album, but a recording from 1964, broadcasted on Belgium television. Serge Gainsbourg is on the piano in a trio with guitar and bass, playing All The Things You Are. Serge plays the theme and a chorus of improvisation, while Elek Bacsik plays four-to-the-bar accompaniment (which disturbes the piano chords a lot of times).

Serge Bacsik is actually a cousin of Django Reinhardt. He is from Romani descent, but worked and lived in the US (he played in Las Vegas a lot).

The Power of the Pentatonic Scale

2011-02-02T02:43:00.001-08:00

The great Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale:

Related Lesson:

Did you know you can do a lot more with the pentatonic scale than the obvious bluesy things you usually do with it? Discover more here: Uses of the Pentatonic Scale in Jazz

Bossa Nova Classic: The Trooper (Iron Maiden)

2011-02-01T07:54:00.001-08:00

Iron Maiden is a bossa nova band from London, formed in 1975. They contributed a number of songs to the standard jazz repertoire, including this classic, The Trooper:

Related guitar lesson:

How to Play Bossa Nova Guitar...

A Short History of Modern African-American Music

2011-01-17T07:38:00.001-08:00

I don't really agree, but it's funny nonetheless :)

Pat Metheny Interview (In His Underwear :)

2010-12-07T01:24:00.001-08:00

Here’s an interview with Pat Metheny somewhere in the late 80s. He talks about the start of his career.

Btw, he’s not actually doing the interview in his underwear, but in his jogging pants, Pat Metheny was an avid runner at that time :)

2 quotes:

“I was the worst guy in the band, which is the best position to be in…”

“Playing guitar didn’t come easy to me at all and it still doesn’t…”

Visit these links for more Pat Metheny:

Women in Jazz: Hiromi Uehara

2010-12-06T05:18:00.001-08:00

I don’t often post about piano players on this blog, but this one caught my attention. Hiromi Uehara is from Japan and she is great.

Check her out:

And a video of her trio:

Women in Jazz: Emily Remler Plays Tenor Madness

2010-11-18T09:17:00.001-08:00

Here’s a great version of Tenor Madness, played by Emily Remler. Emily was an American Jazz Guitarist who died much too soon in 1990 (at the age of 32).

She plays a great improvisation here, although it’s not a secret she listened to Wes Montgomery a lot. I’ll blame her dress on the 80s :)

The video:

There’s more Emily Remler here:

An Emily Remler lick.
How to Play Bebop on Guitar.
An excerpt of her Latin instructional video.
A concert video together with John Abercrombie.
A great Emily Remler tribute website with a lot of transcriptions.

Finally, here’s a great interview with Emily:

Musicians!? Who You Gonna Call?

2010-10-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

The woman in this video deals with a special kind of infestation. If she’s not careful it’ll take over her house. Luckily there’s help…

The New Jaco Pastorius, 13 Years Old [Video]

2010-10-19T00:55:00.001-07:00

Looks like this blog is more and more about children playing music than about jazz guitar, but anyway, here’s another boy that just got out of his diapers and is already playing better than most of us :)

Meet Pipoquinha, he’s 13 and playing bass guitar…

Btw, if you're looking for the sheet music, here it is: The Chicken - Jaco Pastorius

And here’s another video:

What do you think is the reason that nowadays children seem to advance so fast? The internet?

Amazing Musician: Raul Midón [Video]

2010-10-12T04:56:00.001-07:00

Raúl Midón is an blind American singer and guitarist from New Mexico. He uses his voice and a distinctive way of playing guitar to create a one-man performance. This video is his debut on television, playing his song State of Mind. Make sure to check out the vocal trumpet solo, it’s amazing!

Sonny Rollins Promoting Guitar [Video]

2010-10-08T06:01:00.001-07:00

An interview with Sonny Rollins in which he explains why he prefers a guitar in his band instead of piano.

9-year Old Plays Jazz Guitar Amazingly Well [Video: Stella by Starlight & Blues]

2010-09-29T07:23:00.001-07:00

Last week we had a 12-year old boy who is amazingly good at playing jazz guitar. This week we have a 9-year old boy who is amazingly good at playing jazz guitar as well. Meet Lucchy (Lucciano Pizzichini), playing the theme and improvising over Stella by Starlight:

Related Lesson: Stella by Starlight

And here, Lucchy is playing a blues from Joe Pass’ Virtuoso album:

Related Lesson: Joe Pass Licks

Amazing 12-year Old Jazz Guitar Player [Video]

2010-09-20T01:50:00.001-07:00

Meet Andreas Varady, a 12 years old jazz guitarist who plays amazingly well. Andreas, 12 years old and living in Ireland, was born in Slovakia in an Hungarian gypsy family.

He started playing guitar when he was 4 years old, inspired by Django Reinhardt. Later he got influenced by classic jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and George Benson. Andreas plays by ear and got guitar lessons from his fathar Bandi.

It's not hard to see that this kid is an incredibly gifted and talented musician and guitarist. It's amazing to see that a 12-year old kid can have such a developed sense of musicality.

Watch this video of Andreas improvising over a jazz blues and be amazed:

I wonder how many adult guitar players have quit after hearing Andreas play...

Here's another video: Andreas playing Giant steps:

Stevie Wonder Drum Solo [Rare Video]

2010-07-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the plentitude of non-guitar related videos lately, but here’s a great video of Stevie Wonder playing the drums.

Check it out:

Oscar Peterson Lesson [Video]

2010-07-08T10:37:00.001-07:00

Here’s an interesting video. Oscar Peterson talks and plays like some of his influences.

I rarely see this kind of knowledge in a guitarist, or am I wrong?

The Amazing Jazz Whistler Ron McCroby [Video]

2010-06-09T14:09:00.001-07:00

Ron McCroby, the guy in this video, is pretty amazing. He’s the Jazz Whistler…

Interesting Website: Interactive Music Charts

2010-06-03T01:04:00.001-07:00

Here’s an intersting website I just discovered, it’s called The Next Big Sound. It allows you to type artists or bands and lets you compare their popularity.

Here’s Pat Metheny vs. John Scofield vs. Joe Pass vs. Django Reinhardt. Who do you think is the most popular today?

http://www.nextbigsound.com/nbs#plays,month,6612,22486,83542,29352/Pat+Metheny+Group/John+Scofield/Joe+Pass/Django+Reinhardt/

Crazy Drummer Again… [Video]

2010-05-27T04:34:00.001-07:00

What’s wrong with drummers? :-)

Pat Martino Video Lesson: Minors Over Dominant #5 Chords

2010-05-12T07:17:00.002-07:00

In this video lesson, Pat Martino shows 4 different minors over a dominant #5 chord.

Over A7#5 he uses:

Em7: sounds like 5 b7 9 11
Bbm7: sounds like b9 3 #5 7
Gm7: sounds like b7 b9 11 #5
Dbm7: sounds like 3 5 7 #9

Dbm7 seems like a strange substitution, why would you want to play a natural 7 on a dominant chord?

John Scofield Talks Modes

2010-05-03T23:54:00.001-07:00

In this video a young John Scofield talks about improvisation and the modes. Nothing new here, but nice to watch nonetheless.

Improvisation = Speeded Up Composition

Although the video quality is bad, you can’t help notice how good his sound is.

Charlie Parker Speaks

2010-05-03T13:48:00.001-07:00

Funny, but this is the first time I heard Charlie Parker speak. In this Youtube video Charlie and Dizzy Gillespie both get an award. The funny thing is Dizzy gets an award for being the best trumpet player of all time, while Charlie only gets an award for being the best alt sax player of 1951.

Creative Guitar Playing

2010-05-02T10:21:00.001-07:00

Great playing in this video, guitar music from Botswana.

Creative Guitar Playing: Pencil Version Of Misirlou

2010-05-02T10:12:00.001-07:00

Here’s a great guitar arrangement of Misirlou, composed by Michalis Patrino in 1927, but better known as the theme of Pulp Fiction. This version is played by a father, his son and 2 pencils on 1 guitar.

The Real Book On Your iPhone

2010-04-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

Did it ever happen to you that you were playing a gig, you forgot your Real Book and then someone calls a tune that you don’t know the chord changes off? Well, in times like these, the iReal Book may come in handy.

The iReal Book is a Real Book for your iPhone or Android powered phone. It has changes for about 900 songs and more songs are added regularly. What’s more, iReal Book transposes automatically, a nice feature if you play with a singer. No melodies or lyrics are included though, because of copyright issues.

iReal Book costs $7.99 for iPhone and $5.99 for Android phones.

iRealbook is available here:
http://irealbook.net/iReal_Book/Home/Home.html

Here’s a video demo:

New Pat Metheny Book: The Pat Metheny Interviews

2010-03-24T05:50:00.001-07:00

This new Pat Metheny book is the result of a series of in-depth interviews with Pat Metheny, done by Richard Niles for the BBC.

In the book Pat Metheny demonstrates his methodologies on guitar, talks about his motivations, how he achieves his goals and about the philosophies behind his music.

Some of his colleagues like Lyle Mays, Jack DeJohnette, Gary Burton, John Patitucci and Michael Brecker have also contributed to the book.

Amazon Rating:

The Pat Metheny Interviews costs $13.95 (at the time of writing) and is available at Amazon here.

The Pat Metheny Orchestration Tour

2010-03-24T05:05:00.001-07:00

Pat Metheny will be touring with his Orchestration Project from April 6 to May 22, 2010.

The tour is solo, but then again not really solo: he’s touring with an Orchestrionic band: acoustic instruments that are mechanically controlled by solenoids (3-dimensional coils) and pneumatics.

Tickets are available here:

http://www.ticketnetwork.com/tickets/pat-metheny-tickets.aspx?kbid=3407

Orchestrionics is something else, here’s a video:

Related Links: Pat Metheny’s Guitar Gear, 7 Pat Metheny Licks

Russell Malone Playing in the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Star Band

2010-03-24T03:32:00.001-07:00

Russell Malone plays in the MJF 52 All-Star Band who’s doing a nationwide, 6-week tour. Other players include Kenny Barron (piano), Kurt Elling (vocals), Johnathan Blake (drums) and Kiyoshi Kitagawa (Bass).

The East Coast tour ran in February, the West Coast tour starts on April 14, 2010 and ends on May 1.

Tickets are available here:

http://www.ticketnetwork.com/tickets/monterey-jazz-festival-tour-tickets.aspx

Here’s a video of Russell Malone playing a chord solo in the All-Star Band:

Jim Hall Interview + Hide and Seek

2010-03-24T03:07:00.001-07:00

Here’s a video of Jim Hall playing his composition Hide and Seek and talking about his influences.

He started playing when he was 9 (I wish I started playing at that age, could have been quiet a difference…), and heard Charlie Christian on the radio when he was 13, an event that changed his life. Another major influence at that time was Django Reinhardt, but then he started listening more to piano and sax players such as Lester Young, Ben Webster, Art Tatum and Bill Evans. Listening to those players totally changed his guitar playing style…

United Airlines Breaks Guitars Video 2

2009-09-04T07:24:00.001-07:00

Here’s Dave Carroll’s second United Airlines video.

Story + first video: http://www.jazzguitarblog.com/2009/07/united-airlines-breaks-guitars.html

United Airlines Breaks Guitars

2009-07-09T01:42:00.001-07:00

When guitar player Dave Carroll travelled to Nebraska for a tour with his band Sons of Maxwell, he witnessed his Taylor guitar being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago.

The guitar was severely damaged and after a lot of communication he was told that United wouldn’t compensate him for his loss.

He promised the last United person he spoke with to make 3 songs and videos about the way United Airlines handles luggage.

Here’s the first video:

Here’s another funny music video:

http://www.jazzguitarblog.com/2009/01/korean-drummer-freaks-out-video.html

Tommy Emmanuel - House of the Rising Sun [funky]

2009-06-23T01:42:00.001-07:00

In this video Tommy Emmanuel plays House of the Rising Sun in his own inventive, funny, funky and virtuose style + he’s actually singing as well.

The video is from a concert in Zagreb (Croatia), check it out:

Modern Jazz Guitar: Lorenzo Frizzera

2009-05-01T02:39:00.001-07:00

Lorenzo Frizzerra, a subscriber of the Jazz Guitar Gazette, sent me a link to a YouTube video of him playing “Blind”, a composition from his album “everything Can Change”. I must say I’m impressed, Lorenzo swings without losing focus on the melodic quality of his lines. His improvisation is coherent enough to let his music tell a story.

According to his bio, Lorenzo Frizzera began his guitar journey at the age of 9, playing classical music, jazz and blues. At 14 he studied the music of Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall. As other influences he lists John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Ralph Towner and Bill Frisell.

Lorenzo’s band, the Lorenzo Frizzera Trio, features the famous Hammond organist Joey DeFrancesco, who played with people like Miles Davis and John McLaughlin.

Lorenzo’s gear:

Gibson ES175 D with D’Addario strings (010-046), Fender Heavy Picks and Cordial cables.
A Fender Twin Red Knob amp
Ernie Ball VP-JR
Custom Audio Electronic Boost/Linedriver – BMXR
Tube Screamer TS9
Phaser PH-100
Chorus Boss CE-5
TC Electronic G-Force
Custom Midi Footboard
FV-100 Expression pedal

Lorenzo’s website, where you can download the scores and mp3s of his last album: http://www.lorenzofrizzera.it

Here’s the video of the Lorenzo Frizzera Trio playing “Blind”. You can download the sheet music here: Blind Sheet Music

Amazing Jazz Guitar Solo Intro: Adam Rogers

2009-04-22T04:24:00.001-07:00

A subscriber (thanks Chris) recently told me I should checkout Adam Rogers. I did, and so should you, he's an amazing guitar player.

I had never heard of him before, I guess he's more famous in the States than he is in Europe (and there are so many great jazz guitar players these days, it's hard to know them all).

According to his bio, Adam Rogers is a post bop guitar player with a classical background. He plays in the John Patitucci Trio and in Chris Potter's band. Before that he played in the Michael Brecker Group and Lost Tribe.

Other people he played or recorded with include Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Paul Simon, Larry Coryell and Elvis Costello. Adam Rogers studied with John Scofield, Howard Collins and Barry Galbraith.

In this video, Adam Rogers plays a solo intro to Half Past Late on a Michael Brecker concert In Mexico:

Mick Goodrick & Pat Metheny Play Meditation [Video]

2009-03-06T03:11:00.002-08:00

Mick Goodrick is a jazz guitarist, but his most noteworthy contribution to jazz is his work as an educator. From 1973 to 1976 he played in the band of Gary Burton, alongside Pat Metheny (from 1975 on).

Mick Goodrick graduated from the Berklee College of Music, after which he began teaching there as well (he still works there today). His line of students is quite impressive: Mike Stern, John Scofield, Bill Frisell and many more. Pat Metheny cites him as one of his influences...

Mick Goodrick wrote a very good book, called The Advancing Guitarist

Here's a video of Mick Goodrick playing "Meditation" in duo with Pat Metheny:

Ben Monder Solo Exerpt

2009-02-22T13:09:00.001-08:00

Ben Monder's solo playing is out of this world. His ability to play multiple lines at once, while maintaining line independence and his incredible right hand have all made him the envy of many a guitarist. Check out this video excerpt of his tune "Orbits", to hear the full track check out his album "Flux".

Jake Langley's Sweet Blues

2009-02-16T20:23:00.004-08:00

Guitarist Jake Langley has developed a reputation as being one of the hardest swinging, modern beboper's on the scene today. In this video clip, taken from one of Jake's Mikes Masterclasses clinics, Jake lays down some serious blues and bop licks.

John McLaughlin on Johnny Carson

2009-02-13T19:32:00.003-08:00

Yes folks, there was a time not so long ago when jazz was featured on the late night talk shows. In this classic clip, guitarist John McLaughlin shows off his chops on a very up-tempo version of Ray Noble's Cherokee.

Ed Bickert Trio

2009-02-11T20:52:00.002-08:00

There aren't many jazz guitar players who possess the harmonic vocabulary and innate musical ability that Ed Bickert does. In this trio recording featuring Claude Ranger on drums and Don Thompson, Ed is at his very best. His chord melody and soloing are intricate and elegant at the same time, and his single lines are clean, clear and melodic.

This is Ed doing what he does best.

Ted Greene Masterclass

2009-02-09T16:06:00.002-08:00

Check out this rare video of master guitarist Ted Greene. In the video Ted demonstrates how he applies Bach chorale techniques to the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves." What's even more remarkable is that Ted is making it up all on the spot.

Lenny Breau Masterclass

2009-02-08T11:08:00.003-08:00

Lenny Breau was a master guitarist and teacher. Having helped to pioneer the 7-string guitar, using a high-A string, Lenny was also known for his mastery of two-hand harmonics, fingerstyle picking and pianistic comping.

In this rare teaching video, Lenny performs for the students, followed by a discussion on his guitar and approach to performing in the jazz guitar idiom.

Jack Zucker Brings Sheets of Sound to Youtube

2009-02-07T11:16:00.005-08:00

Jack Zucker, author of the popular "Sheets of Sound for Guitar" series, has recently begun to post videos of him performing examples from the books. Check out his blinding technique in this video that demonstrates a 5/4 Michael Brecker type lick. Jack lays out the lick on it's own, and then gives a performance demonstration where he uses the lick over a tune.

Funny Guitar Player Plays Summertime [Video]

2009-02-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Here's a video of Fulvio Binetti, a multi-instrumentalist from Italy. He plays a very swinging version of Gershwin's Summertime. I love it when a guitarist can perform a standard in a swinging and entertaining way, just by himself, something that's not so easy. Remember this guy when aunt Phyllis asks you to "play something on your guitar" next Christmas...

Rare Video: Early Joe Pass Playing A Fender Jaguar

2009-01-27T04:37:00.001-08:00

Here's an old black&white video (beginning of the 60s) of Joe Pass, from the days he still had hair. He probably just got out of drug rehab at that time, but his chops were already quite spectacular. Joe Pass is not playing the regular guitar he used to play at that time (a Fender Jazzmaster owned by the Synanon Rehab Facility), but a Fender Jaguar through a Fender Showman amp. Here's more if you want to learn about Joe Pass' Guitar Gear.

Korean Drummer Freaks Out [Video]

2009-01-26T08:55:00.002-08:00

Here's a funny video of a Korean drummer freaking out on stage. The fun starts at 1:10, the real fun starts at 2:15 during the guitar solo. He sure is a passionate guy ;-) How's your stage act?

Rare: Video Clip For Pat Metheny's Are You Going With Me

2009-01-24T12:23:00.001-08:00

Here's a cool old school video clip for Pat Metheny's "Are You Going With Me" someone posted on Youtube (I hope this one stays online, record companies are probably loosing tons of money as we speak :-)

Are You Going With Me is one of my favorite Pat Metheny songs, it first appeared on the album Offramp in 1982 (not that I was very interested in music back then, I preferred playing with my toy cars) and has been a concert highlight for many years. The song James is on the same album, also one of my favorites (and very fun to play).

Lyle Mays plays a lovely harmonica-like synth theme and Pat uses his typical guitar synthesizer lead sound to play an awesome solo. Are You Going With Me also appeared on the live album "Travels" (such a great album, it only has 5-star reviews on Amazon). Many people like the live version more than the studio version and I have to agree, the live version has a more organic feeling compared to the studion version.

I just love those early Metheny albums!!

Go here for Pat Metheny licks
Go here for Pat Metheny sheet music

Amazing Tap Guitar: Erik Mongrain Plays Airtap [Video]

2009-01-20T11:56:00.001-08:00

Erik Mongrain is a Canadian guitarist who is specialized in "lap tapping", a technique that you can compare with playing piano on a guitar. With the guitar on his lap, he taps the chords as if it is a piano while also playing rhythmic elements on the body of the guitar.

According to his website, Erik's main influence is Michael Hedges, one of the pioneers of tap guitar.

Erik Mongrain is not alone though, these days there are quiet a lot of tap players and most of them have an impressive technique (I'm not even going to try tap guitar myself, I guess that means I'm getting old :-) What I miss sometimes in tap guitar players is musicality. I'm watching these videos on Youtube, thinking "wow, that's amazing", but on the other hand it bores me after one minute.

Erik plays this piece, Airtap, on a guitar with the open tuning of F: FACFAF.

Anyway here's the video:

Technorati Tags: erik mograin lap tap guitar

In case you want to make an attempt at Airtap yourself, you can download the guitar tabs here (in exchange for $10/piece): http://www.erikmongrain.com/Login.asp

Hang Drum Solo [Video]

2008-08-28T01:07:00.001-07:00

The hang is a relatively new instrument created in Switzerland in 2000. It's a melodic percussion instrument that looks a bit like a UFO. It produces sounds similar to a steel drum, but sounds less harsh in my opinion. In the middle of the hang there's a bass note that is surrounded by 7 or 8 harmonic notes.

Here's a video of Manu Delago playing the Hang:

technorati tags:hang, drum, solo, video, steel, drum

Pat Metheny Plays Lonely Woman [VIDEO]

2008-06-26T02:54:00.001-07:00

Here's a Youtube video of Pat Metheny playing Horace Silver's beautiful tune "Lonely Woman" in duet with bass player Charlie Haden. Pat plays an Ovation here. The sound is not really good, but the music is...

technorati tags:pat, metheny, charlie, haden, horace, silver, lonely, woman, jazz, guitar, ovation

Mike Stern Playing Some Shabby Acoustic Guitar

2008-06-18T02:38:00.001-07:00

HI Guys, it's been a long time since my last post, I've been kind of busy.
Here's a cool video of Mike Stern playing some shabby guitar live on Argentine radio. It's nice to hear even the great guitarists do sound like #$!@ sometimes.

Click here for Mike Stern Licks...

technorati tags:mike, stern, acoustic, guitar, jazz, blues

The Never Ending Guitar Lick

2008-03-31T12:50:00.001-07:00

Do you know these guitar licks that seem to go on forever? Well, here are 3 of them.

The first lick is one of mine, a good exercise to get some common chromatic patterns into your fingers. The second one is a Pat Metheny lick, that amazing solo break from Third Wind. The third lick is one from Pat Martino.

You can find all 3 of them here:

Never Ending Jazz Guitar Licks

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, licks, lick, pat, metheny, martino

Put Some Jazz In Your Guitar Scales: Chromatic Playing

2008-02-20T07:38:00.001-08:00

I just published a new guitar lesson, a guest lesson by Matthew Warnock. In this lesson you'll learn how to add chromatic notes to your scales and arpeggios. Chromatic playings is an essential ellement of the jazz sound.

The link to the lesson:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/chromatics.html

technorati tags:chromatics, chromatic, jazz, guitar

How to Get a Jazz Guitar Tone: Amps

2008-02-07T14:47:00.001-08:00

Many aspiring jazz guitarists wonder how to get a good jazz guitar tone. The key is getting the swing feel in your ears and fingers and getting the right gear. In this article I made an overview of the guitar amps that are the most popular in jazz:

How to Get a Jazz Guitar Tone: Guitar Amps

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, amps

14 Ways To Play Over Major Guitar Chords

2008-01-25T07:07:00.001-08:00

There's a new jazz guitar lesson @ Jazzguitar.be, about the different scales and arpeggios you can use to improvise over major chords.

Click on the link to go to the lesson:

How To Improvise Over Major Chords...

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, lesson, chords, scales

Jazz Guitar Class With Pat Metheny

2008-01-24T01:06:00.001-08:00

Here are some videos of a Pat Metheny master class.

The warm up:

Turnaround:

All The Things You Are:

Jazz Guitar Endings

2007-12-28T07:00:00.001-08:00

The approaching end of 2007 inspired me to write a tutorial about jazz guitar endings:

10 Ways To End A Jazz Song

Do you know more interesting ways to end a song? Let us know at the Jazz Guitar Forum...

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, endings, song

Jazz Guitar Chords and How To Find Them

2007-12-11T12:06:00.001-08:00

I get a lot of emails from guitarists asking me how to play this or that chord on the guitar. Please show me how to play a G7b9, or a Bm7b5(11)...? Now, I don't mind these emails and I will answer them (although it usually takes a while), but what I want to say is: it's easy to find these chords all by yourself, even if you have never played the particular chord before. All you need to do is learn a little music theory once and you'll never have to ask for a chord again.

I explain it all here: How To Make Your Own Guitar Chords

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, chords, music, theory

8 String Guitar: Jason Crawford Plays I'll Remember April [Video]

2007-12-10T13:25:00.001-08:00

Jason Crawford is an 8-string solo jazz guitarist who actually makes some music with his instrument. I like the way he lays out the theme of "I'll Remember April" in this video, but I'm not very impressed with the impro though. Not that I'd do it better than him, I never even touched a 7- or 8-string guitar (and I'm not planning to, to be honest). Anyway, Jason does a good job on the 8-string, this theme really swings!

technorati tags:solo, jazz, guitar, jason, crawford, 8, string

Interview With Pat Metheny

2007-09-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

I just read an interesting interview with Pat Metheny in the Japan Times Online. He talks about the limitations of the guitar and that he only sees the guitar as a means to an end.

"I don't really care about the guitar", he says.

I have the same attitude towards my instrument, I'm not really a guitar freak. Are you?

Here's a link to the interview:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20070914a1.html

technorati tags:pat, metheny, guitar, interview

Boy Who Started Playing Drums When He Was 2 Years Old

2007-09-15T13:49:00.001-07:00

How old were you when you started playing guitar? I started rather late, I was 16 when I bought my first guitar. I was completely uniterested in music until I was about 15 and then some friends started taking music lessons. Sometimes I wonder how my skills on the guitar would be if I had been playing since I was, let's say 5 or 6. The boy in this video started playing drums when he was 2. You can see his musical evolution going from 2 to 11 years old.

technorati tags:drums, playing, guitar

Jazz Guitarist Peter Bernstein

2007-09-14T08:23:00.001-07:00

While browsing on Youtube I discovered this video of jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein. I had never heard of him before, but I like what he does, very tasteful. Here's him playing a song called Bones at the Ballard Jazz Festival with Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Chuck Deardorf on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums.

technorati tags:jazz, guitarist, peter, bernstein

Joe Zawinul Dies at the Age of 75

2007-09-11T12:36:00.001-07:00

Joe Zawinul, the legendary keyboard player and electric jazz pioneer died Tuesday, September 11 at the age of 75. He had been hospitalized in a Viennese hospital since last month.

Joe Zawinul helped shaping the sound of jazz fusion. He played in Miles Davis' band and appeared on albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew.

In 1970 he formed his own band called Weather Report together with Wayne Shorter and people like (over the years) Miroslav Vitous, Airto Moreira, Jaco Pastorius, Don Alias, Peter Erskine and Victor Bailey. Zawinul scored two world hits with the songs Mercy, mercy, mercyBirdland and . When Weather Report split up, he formed the band The Zawinul Syndicate.

Here is a video of the Weather Report playing Birdland (with Jaco):

technorati tags:joe, zawinul, weather, report, mercy, birdland, jaco, pastorius, jazz, fusion

Jazz Drummer Max Roach Is Dead

2007-08-17T05:54:00.001-07:00

In the early morning of August 16, 2007, the legendary jazz drummer Max Roach died at the age of 83, after a long illness. He was one of the last survivors of the first bebop generation.

Max Roach started playing drums when he was 10 and by the age of 18 he was the house drummer of Monroe's Uptown House, jamming with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He got recorded on vinyl the first time in 1943 as a part of Coleman Hawkins' band. He also played with Duke Ellington in 1944. He was the drummer on many important recordings like Charlie Parker's Ko-Ko and Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool. In 1952 he founded a record company called Debut Records, together with Charles Mingus.

May he rest in peace, the jazz world shall never forget him...

technorati tags:max, roach, jazz, drummer

Pat Metheny Plays House Of The Rising Sun

2007-08-07T01:27:00.001-07:00

In this video Pat Metheny is a guest in some Japanese music show called Ongakuy Wa Sekaida. He starts by playing one of his songs with the Pat Metheny Band (sorry, forgot the name of the song) and then sits together with some Japanese guitarists for an interview/lesson. They talk about picking technique, Wes Montgomery and Pat plays a little solo improvisation on House of the Rising Sun.

technorati tags:pat, metheny, guitar, lessons, band, house, of, the, rising, sun, picking, technique, Japan

Playing Jazz Guitar: Stella by Starlight Theme [Video]

2007-07-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

Here's my second guitar video lesson: how to play a theme like Stella by Starlight in a guitar trio. You can find the tabs and explaining here: Stella by Starlight

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, tabs, stella, by, starlight, video

Ted Greene Playing Autumn Leaves

2007-07-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

In this video of a jazz guitar masterclass, guitar legend Ted Greene goes through the changes of Autumn Leaves and applies some very nice reharmonizations.

Autumn Leaves is 5/4

technorati tags:ted, greene, jazz, guitar, autumn, leaves

Somewhere Over The Rainbow [Video]

2007-07-11T10:37:00.008-07:00

In this jazz guitar video, Tommy Emmanuel plays a beautiful version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow on his worn acoustic guitar. The way he uses harmonics is amazing.

The guitar tabs can be found here: http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz/over-the-rainbow.php

technorati tags:tommy, emmanuel, acoustic, jazz, guitar, video, somewhere, over, the, rainbow

Jazz Guitar on TV (Wes Montgomery)

2007-07-09T03:32:00.001-07:00

Ovation Channel is showing "Wes Montgomery: Good-Hearted Guitar" on Tuesday (July 10) at 6:00PM Central Time.

technorati tags:wes, montgomery, jazz, guitar, tv

Jazz Guitar Video Lessons

2007-07-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

I decided to go the video way and made my first jazz guitar video lesson. The video is about comping and I use There WIll Never Be Another You as example. The video is hosted @ Youtube.com:

Video Guitar Lesson 1

The guitar chord charts, tabs, backing tracks and explanation you can find at the website:

There WIll Never Be Another You

Let me know what you think of it. More video lessons will follow soon.

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, video, lessons, comping, there, will, never, be, another, you, tabs, chord, chart, backing, tracks

Incredible Solo Jazz Guitarist [Video]

2007-06-27T05:58:00.001-07:00

This guy is incredible! John Phil Wayne is a guitarist from London, England who has been pursuing a career as a solo jazz guitarist since 1961. He plays walking bass, chords and solo improvisation at once in a way and with a speed I have never seen before. He has a very strange, but very effective right hand technique. He really deserves his nickname: Thousand Hands.

Check out this clip of John Phil Wayne playing a fast blues:

technorati tags:john, phil, wayne, solo, jazz, guitar

Great Version of So What by Miles Davis [Video]

2007-06-02T11:23:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the best versions of So What that has been captured on camera. Personally I find the Kind of Blue times Miles Davis' best period. Miles plays a very nice solo on this take, he's totally focused and every note he plays is meaningful. The same goes for the solos of John Coltrane and Winton Kelly, great stuff.

So What for Guitar
John Coltrane Lick

technorati tags:miles, davis, so, what, john, coltrane, winton, kelly, kind, of, blue

John Scofield Jamming WIth Jaco Pastorius [Video]

2007-05-30T12:36:00.001-07:00

Here's John Scofield, Jaco Pastorius and Kenwood Dennard jamming a cool song called "The Chicken". The Chicken was written by Pee Wee Ellis, one of the guys of James Brown's horn section, so it's kind of funky.

Here's the sheet music: The Chicken Guitar Tabs

technorati tags:jaco, pastorius, chicken, scofield, guitar, tabs, sheet, music, funky, the+chicken

Practice Jazz Cds

2007-05-29T12:31:00.001-07:00

I got some mails of readers aksing if I can recommend them a particular kind of practice jazz cds. Although I have used Aebersold cds a lot and I was and still am a big fan of those, I now use Band in a Box. Of course the Aebersold cds sound better, they are played by real musicians, but I prefer the flexibility of Band in a Box. The latest incarnation (2007) has real drums and although the other instruments are Midi, you can get a really nice sound if you use one of the free software synths and be carefull about the instruments you choose (who needs strings or steeldrums to practice?). A simple setup like acoustic bass, real drums and Fender Rhodes sounds really good.

technorati tags:practice+jazz+cds, practice, jazz, cds, aebersold, band+in+a+box

Vince Lewis Trio

2007-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Swing – The Gift

Points: 8/10

Vince Lewis, long time jazz guitarist and well known studio musician, has just released a new album, entitled “Charlotte Swing – The Gift”. This is trad. jazz that brings you back to the fifties and early sixties. Together with drummer Phil Riddle and bassist Tom Hildreth, Vince has created a nice collection of various old jazz songs, and has accomplished what probably was his goal: to let the listener lean back into that old rocking chair, close his or hers eyes and travel to a place far beyond the stress and intrigues of modern society.

The tight and steady drumming of Phil Riddle makes the perfect “landscape” which Lewis gladly explores, and the lovely, sustaining bass tones created by Tom Hildreth sets the mood. In a funny way these old songs sound fresh and new, though it should be noted that Lewis is far from a newbie on the jazz scene. The first note in “Will You Still Be Mine” shows what is to come, and “Perdido” is the perfect ending for the record. “The Gift” and “Just A Closer Walk” are in my opinion the most interesting songs. “The Gift” with its warm, hot and if I may say so, sexy feel is by far the song that sticks out, in a good way. The latter (“Just A Closer Walk”, that is) starts very gently and melancholic, only to burst out in a beautiful ballad which make you want to pick up an instrument yourself and play along.

All in all this is a very good trad. jazz CD. Vince Lewis uses his great technique and ability to play almost anything perfect to create a calm and cool feel over every song. You can clearly hear that this is a man who lives on the stage! The only thing that might disappoint someone (specially the younger listeners) is the fact that it’s all so perfect. You almost want him to make a mistake. I think it would be very interesting to see (or hear) him do something a bit more experimental. Nevertheless, this is a traditional jazz record, and people who are fond of such music will love it! All in all this is a very good record, and Vince Lewis has set his mark in the history of jazz guitar greats.

Jazz Guitar in Belgium: Philip Catherine

2007-05-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

Philip Catherin is a jazz guitarist with a Belgian mother and English father who lived in London during the the Second World War, but returned to Brussels after the War. He worked with Charles Mingus, who called him "Young Django". In the States he is best known for his duets with Larry Coryell. Other people he worked with are Stephane Grappelli, Jean-Luc Ponty and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. In this video Philip Catherine plays a duet with Nigel Clark (Philip is the one on the left) on a life concert in Glasgow, Scotland in October 2006. They play a song called "Gilles et Mirona".

technorati tags:philip+catherine, jazz+guitar, nigel+clark, larry+coryell, catherine, coryell

Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar: George Van Eps

2007-05-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

In this video clip you can see some rare footage of George Van Eps, the master of fingerstyle jazz guitar, playing the Gershwin tune 'I've Got a Crush on You'. In the late 1930s George Van Eps designed a 7-string guitar (with an extra bass string). He called his style of playing, later adopted by Howard Alden and John Pizzarelli, "lap piano".

Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Tabs

technorati tags:fingerstyle+jazz+guitar, george+van+eps

Jim Hall in Trouble

2007-05-10T12:13:00.001-07:00

Do you know the feeling when you're doing a jam and the horn player starts snapping his fingers to set the tempo and you are like... oh my god, he must be snapping in double time. That's the feeling that the young Jim Hall in this video must have had when they did this television recording television recording of 'The Bridge'. Bob Cranshaw is on bass and Ben Riley on drums.

A Jim Hall Lick

technorati tags:jim+hall, sonny+rollins

Amazing Fingerstyle Guitar

2007-05-09T08:43:00.001-07:00

Here's Don Ross playing Michael, Michael, Michael in March 2006. Like the title of this post says, Don Ross is an amazing fingerstyle guitarist who won the US National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship twice (1988 and 1996). Don was born in Montreal in 1960 and started playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 8. He has the same record company as Andy McKee, Candyrat Records. You can buy guitar tabs of his work from his website here: Don Ross Guitar Tabs

technorati tags:amazing+fingerstyle+guitar, fingerstyle+guitar, guitar, don+ross, acoustic+guitar, andy+mckee

Jazz Guitar Videos: Bill Frisell

2007-05-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

In this video from 1993, Bill Frisell performs Just Like a Woman on acoustic guitar on a live concert in Austin, Texas. Vely nice!

Bill Frisell's Guitar Gear

technorati tags:bill+frisell, acoustic+guitar, guitar, jazz+guitar+videos

10 Jazz CDs You Must Have Heard

2007-05-04T02:20:00.001-07:00

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
Time Out - Dave Brubeck
25 Greatest Hot Fives and Sevens - Louis Armstrong
The Savoy and Dial Studio Sessions - Charlie Parker
Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock
The Köln Concert - Keith Jarrett
Lady Day - Billie Holiday
My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker

technorati tags:jazz, albums, cds, cd, top10

Andy McKee Tabs

2007-05-03T01:25:00.001-07:00

I've got some requests for Andy Mckee tabs, but they are available at the website of his record company Candyrat here:

http://candyrat.com/artists/andymckee/

They are not free though, you pay $19.95 for four songs in mp3 format and matching quality guitar tabs and standard notation in .pdf format. There are 5 sets of 4 songs each available.

technorati tags:andy, mckee, tabs, mp3

Guitar Practicing TIps

2007-05-01T03:24:00.001-07:00

Practice regularly. It's better to practice 1 hour every day than 2 hours every other day. It's even better to practice 3 hours a day :-)
Practice things that need practicing. Concentrate on those things that you're not good at and don't waste too much time playing things you already now.
Make a plan. Write down what you need to practice on and make a weekly schedule. Divide the daily time you have in blocks of minimum 10 minutes and give each topic a number of blocks. Some things require practicing every other day, other more important topics need to be practiced every day.
Be patient with yourself. Don't get angry or nervous when you make mistakes, you are allowed to make them. When you are nervous you don't learn anything, so you are wasting your time. When you do get nervous, stop practicing hard stuff, play some easy things that you enjoy.
Use a metronome or even better, a software program like Band in a Box. Band in a box is ideal for practicing new ideas, themes and improvisation. It will straighten out irregularities in your timing and give you a harmonic background so you can really hear what's going on and train your ears. It's like playing in a band.
Listen! If you want to learn to play jazz music, listen to jazz music when you are not playing it.
Record yourself. Record your guitar playing and be surprised! It's like looking in the mirror. Once again, Band in a Box is a great and easy way to record yourself.
Start slowly. Make sure you can play the things you practice in a slow tempo and with a great tone, great articulation and no mistakes before you start speeding things up. Gradually build speed.
Relax! Don't build up tension in your hands, arms and shoulder. They should be as relaxed as possible.
And most importantly: Have fun!

technorati tags:guitar, practicing, tips

Free Jazz Chords

2007-04-29T11:57:00.001-07:00

The Free Jazz Chords eBook is a compilation of beginner and advanced guitar chord charts bundled with a comprehensive tutorial about guitar chord theory. You can download the eBook when you subscribe to the Jazz Guitar Gazette (free as well), a newsletter filled with jazz guitar lessons, tips & tricks, guitar licks, answers to your questions and much more.

Download the free ebook here: The Jazz Guitar Chords Book

technorati tags:free, jazz, chords, ebook, guitar, chord, charts, lessons, tricks, tips

Bireli Lagrene Plays Stella by Starlight [Video]

2007-04-27T01:42:00.001-07:00

Here's a Youtube video of Bireli Lagrene playing Stella by Starlight on a live concert. I like the way he plays the theme, very groovy. I don't like the solo very much, there are good parts, but there's too much technical show off (fast runs, ...) and not so many good musical ideas.

Bireli Lagrene Tabs

technorati tags:bireli, lagrene, stella, starlight, video

Brazilian Guitar Book

2007-04-26T01:27:00.001-07:00

The Brazilian Guitar Book is a great book that's written by Nelson Faria and published by Sher Music. If you want to learn authentic Brazilian guitar accompaniments and Latin chord melody arrangements, this is definately the book to go for. The book comes with a CD with audio recordings of each exercise and a tune in each style. Highly recommended and only $24.97!

More information about the Brazilian Guitar Book
Listen to a Sample of the CD

Free lesson: Latin Guitar 101

technorati tags:brazilian, guitar, book, free, latin, chord, melody

Jazz Guitar 101: Arpeggios

2007-04-25T08:59:00.001-07:00

This is a lesson for the beginners amongst us:

Jazz Guitar 101: Arpeggios

The tutorial deals with arpeggios, what they are, how we can play them on guitar and how we can use them in your guitar solos. It's the first lesson in a series of beginner tutorials, in which I will be covering all the jazz guitar basics.

If you have questions or remarks about this tutorial, you can post them at this thread in the forum:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/jazzguitar-lessons/149-jazz-guitar-101-arpeggios.html#post986

All the Best,
Dirk

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, arpeggios, 101

Emily Remler

2007-04-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

Here's the intro clip from E)mily Remler's Advanced Jazz and Latin Improvisation video in the Hot Licks Video series. The tune she plays is one of Antonio Carlos Jobim and is called "Red Blouse" from the album Wave (1967). Emily Remler puts a nice going groove into the tune, although I don't really like how she plays the beginning of the theme, I think she plays it a bit too staccato. Nice video none the less.

Emily Remler Tabs

Bossa Nova 101

technorati tags:emily, remler, bossa, nova, jobim, video

The New Jazz Guitar Forum

2007-04-19T02:56:00.001-07:00

Good news, www.jazzguitar.be has a new forum:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/

It's going fast: we're only opened for one week and we already have 456 members and 655 posts. There's also a posting contest going on: he who has the most post by May 11th wins the competition. First price is Band in a Box 2007, but there are also prices for 2nd and 3rd place. More Information: The Jazz Guitar Posting Contest

You can post guitar tabs directly into your posts. Here's how: How to Add Guitar Tabs to Your Posts

You can also show Youtube videos directly into your post: How to Add Youtube Videos to Your Posts

And finally, you can register here: http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/register.php

See You There,
Dirk

technorati tags:jazz, guitar, forum, community, contest, tabs

Reggie and Victor Wooten Slap Guitar Battle [Video]

2007-04-19T02:46:00.001-07:00

More slap guitar: Reggie and his brother Victor Wooten have a funk off.

technorati tags:reggie, victor, wooten, slap, guitar, bass

John McLaughlin with Shakti

2007-04-18T05:36:00.001-07:00

Here's another (black and white) video of John McLaughlin with Shakti, playing live in India in 1974. I love the bending technique he uses to mimick Indian scales.

John McLaughlin Tabs
Exotic Guitar Scales

technorati tags:john, mclaughlin, shakti, india

Bireli Lagrene at the Age of 13 [Video]

2007-04-17T08:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a video of Bireli Lagrene playin at the Montreux Jazz Festival at the age of 13. Bireli Lagrene is a French guitar player who was born in a gypsy family and started playing guitar since he was 4 years old. In these beginning years he sounded very much like Django Reinhardt, but a few years later he found his own sound playing fusion and recording with Jaco Pastorius (1986).

The chops he allready had as a 13 year old are really amazing. His guitar is a bit out of tune though.

Bireli Lagrene Tabs

technorati tags:bireli, lagrene, jazz, guitar, gypsy, django, reinhardt, montreux, festival

Stochelo Rosenberg Trio Video

2007-04-16T01:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a nice video clip of the Rosenberg Trio playing Bossa Dorado, a track from their first album Seresta (1989). The video is shot in a trailerpark in the Netherlands where his whole family lives.

A Major Lick From Stochelo Rosenberg

technorati tags:gypsy, jazz, guitar, stochelo, rosenberg, bossa, dorado

Andy McKee: Amazing Fingerstyle Guitarist [Video]

2007-04-10T03:05:00.001-07:00

Andy McKee is an amazing fingerstyle guitarist. In this video he plays Africa, the song from Toto.

Fingerstyle Guitar Tabs

technorati tags:andy, mckee, fingerstyle, guitar, africa, toto

Sylvain Luc Plays Solar (Miles Davis) Slap Guitar Wise

2007-04-06T07:33:00.001-07:00

Sylvain Luc is a French guitarist who studied at the Academy de Bayonne as a child. He masters guitar, violin, mandolin and cello (and I was complaining I had to study piano as a second instrument :-) In this video he plays Solar, an original by Miles Davis. I don't like the sound of his guitar too much (what's with the buzzing high E string?), but his incredible technique totally makes up for it. Somewhere in the middle of the video he starts to play slap guitar, very impressive!

So What Guitar Tabs

technorati tags:sylvain, luc, slap, guitar, solar, miles, davis

Listening Tip: Andreas Oberg - Django Reinhardt Swing [Video]

2007-04-05T02:30:00.001-07:00

Andreas Oberg is a Swedish jazz guitarist who plays mainstream jazz, modern jazz and gypsy swing. This video is a live recording from a gig in Portland in January 2006. This guy sure has an impressive right hand technique!

His website: http://www.andreas-oberg.com/index2.html

More gypsy jazz: Django Reinhardt Licks, Stochelo Rosenberg Licks, Django Reinhardt's guitars

technorati tags:django, reinhardt, gypsy, jazz, guitar, andreas, oberg

Playing Over m7b5 Chords

2007-04-03T08:07:00.001-07:00

There is a new guitar lesson at the site: http://www.jazzguitar.be/half_diminished_chords.html

The lesson is about how to play over half diminished chords. I got a lot of emails of people who are having trouble playing over these chords. There are 13 tools I use to play over half-diminished chords, a Bm7b5 chord in this case:

The B Locrian Scale
The 6th grade of the D melodic minor scale
The A harmonic scale
The E minor pentatonic scale
The B blues scale without the 5
The G bebop scale
Bm7b5 or Dm6 arpeggio
Dm7 arpeggio / relative major 2 5 1
G7 arpeggio
Fmaj7 arpeggio
Em7 arpeggio
Dm/maj7 arpeggio
Fmaj7#5 arpeggio

Do you know some alternative ways to play over m7b5 chords?

technorati tags:guitar, lesson, half, diminished, chords, scale, arpeggio