Playing Guitar in Jazz Style

by John Griggs
John Philip Sousa, the world famous bandmaster and composer, had this to say about jazz: Jazz will endure as long as people hear it through their feet instead of their brains. Or, as Duke Ellington said, It dont mean a thing if it aint got that swing. Getting into the feel and swing of jazz playing cna be helped by playing pieces from the Ragtime era like Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. See my book Expanding Technique Through Pieces. Scott Joplin Guitar I Arranged by John Griggs Maple Leaf Rag Tempo de Marica BMI

bb 2 b & b 4

b b .. b b R .. 6 4 6 5 4 5
4 5 3 4

T A B

6 4 6 5 4 5

4 5

4 6

4 4 6

bb &bb
T A B

b
2 6 4 4 2

b n J
16 16 16 16 16 16

4 4

1111

13 13 13

12

(16)11 13 13 11 13 9 (9)11
E 7/B

9 11

9 11 9

bb &bb
T A B

Guitar II Tempo de Marcia

E 7/B

b b

b b

j j b b n n
6 5 6 6 5 6 6 6 5 6 6 5 6 6 5 6 6 5 6 6 6 5 6 6 5 6

6 7 6 6 7 6

A m

bb &bb
T A B

j n n bb b n
D 7 A F A E 7A
4 6 4 6 5 4 4 6 4 6 5 4 4 6 4 6 5 4 4 6 4 6 5 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 5 4 6 7 4 4 5 4 6 7 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 4 5 6 6 4 4 6 5 6 4 4 5 6 6 4

b b

Copyright 2000 by Mel Bay Publications, Inc., Pacific, MO, 63069. All rights reserved.

After Ragtime, Blues became popular. The elements of Ragtime and Blues combined to form the basis of all jazz music, even to the present time. A most popular blues, which has become a standard, is St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy. See my book You Can Teach Yourself Jazz Guitar.

St. Louis Blues

W. C. Handy (1914) Arr. by John Griggs BMI Moderate Blues
3 3

&
T A B

####

A7

c
1 0 1 2

n # n
3 4 2 5

w
4 2

(2)

#### n " & J 3 . 3 3 3

Fill-in
4 5

E7

n
4 2 4 5

4 2

T A B

2 2 4

#### & w
T A B

n j .
Fill-in
1 0 1 4 3 4 2 2 2 1 0 1 4 2 4 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 2

B7
3

(2) (A7)

1.

#### & n
T A B

w
4 2

n n b n
3 3 0 3 0 0

B7

3 3 3 3

n ..
Fill-in
2 1 2 1 2 0 2 0 2 1 2 0

( 2)

..

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A more advanced modern concept of 12 bar blues, harmonically and melodically, with an up-tempo swing, is my tune "Jive Blues."

Jive Blues
Bright jam tempo B

b n # n b n b n b &b C
T A B
8 6 8 6 6 8 7

q 144-160 Db

by John Griggs BMI B

(7) 7

5 7

6 5

(5)
C

b & b .
T A B
5

. J
8

b J
7

b. J
6

J
6

E7

(7)

6 7 6

F7

b b &b
T A B
8 6 8 5 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 6

F7

E 7

F7

b b J J
7 5 4

(8)
b

b. b J &b
B D T A B
8 6 8 6 9

n J J
C
5 8 7

n b J J
5 7 6

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I would say that all American popular music since the early part of the 20th century has been influenced by rhythmic and melodic elements from Ragtime and Blues, specifically syncopated notes and blues tones. Jazz itself has picked up elements and feels from all the musical movements which have been spawned during the century, i.e. Dixieland, Swing, Be-bop, Rock-n-Roll, Bossa Nova, Country, you name it! As a result, jazz has become popular throughout the world. Playing and/or singing in ajazz style is as simple and as complex as playing a tune the way you would if you had written it. The tune needs to be memorized in the first position and then transposed to the other eleven keys by ear, still in the first position. The chord progression needs to be memorized and played in all twelve keys by ear. The rhythm and the form of the piece need to be memorized. With the piece totally memorized, record first the melody, then the chord progression, and then attempt to play the chords with the melody, and the melody with the chords. Dont be disappointed if the rhythm is off. Practice this routine until success is achieved. Finally, learn the piece in as many octaves as possible on the guitar and in as many positions as possible. Next, create an arrangement in melody chord style with fill-ins. Be on top of everything well enough to play it solo. All really good playing is solo, even in an ensemble, especially if fronting for the ensemble. I cannot over emphasize the importance of rhythmic swing, which must come from the performer. I advocate the following routine for developing your own jazz style: (1) Learn the tune, as written, as I have already stated; (2) play the tune an octave higher; (3) play the tune in octaves; (4) play the tune melody/chord style with fill-ins; (5) improvise on the tune using only chord tones; (6) improvise on the tune using chord scales; (7) improvise on the tune using chord tones, scale tones and the chromatic tones; (8) create an arrangement using some of all the foregoing suggestions; (9) create a walking bass style accompaniment. Following is an example of the foregoing using the first eight measures of each chorus in my tune Convince Me.

Convince Me

by John Griggs BMI

### c J . & ad lib.

Intro Blues feel E7 T A B
7 6 9 7 9 7 9 7 10 7

E13( 9) n n
poco rit.
9 6 7 6 9 7 7 9 6 9 6 9 6

### & bw
T A B

E13 5 9

bb

j n. n
8

U ggg ggg b
7 6 7 6

(pick-up notes)

a tempo

6 7 6

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### . & J
T A B
2 2

1st Chorus A

Bm7

E7

E7sus4

Bm7

E7

(4)
2 2 2

(2)
Bm7

2 4 2

2 4

### . & J
T A B
2 2

J J . J
2 2 2 4

F 7

Bm7

E7

F m7

E7

. J J
2 2 4

(4)

2 4 2

2nd Chorus

. ### J &
A T A B
9 9

Bm7

Bm7 E7
3

E7sus4

(11) 10

Bm7

E7
10

E7

11

10

12

11

10

11

10

(10)
Bm7

11

. ### J &
A T A B
9 9

F 7 . J J J

Bm7

E7 . J J
9 9

F m7

14

14

14 11

12

(12)

11

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. # # . & # J
T A B
9 6 9 6

3rd Chorus A

9 7 11 9 10 7

Bm7

E7
3 9 6 12 9 11 9

Bm7

E7sus4

(11) (9)
#
10 7 10 7 11 9

10 7

### &
T A B

Bm7

9 7 11 9 10 7

E7

. . J
A
9 6 9 6

J
14 11

J
14 11

. J .
F 7
14 11 11 9

Bm7

. .

J
14 11

(10) ((7))

. ### . & J
E7 T A B
14 11 12 9

F m7

Bm7

9 7 11 9 9 7

E7

(12) (9)

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4th Chorus

j ### &
A T A B
9 10 9

.. .
9 10 9

. n
Bm7
3 2 5 2 4 2 5 9 7 7 6 7 3 7 2 3 2 4 2 4 3 2

E7sus4

. gg ... gg .
5 3 4 5 2 5 2 2 2 0

# J
6 6

(2)
# F 7

.. ### . & J n
Bm7 E7 A T A B
9 8 7 5 7 6 7 10 9 10 9 9 10 9

J
14 14 14

j # .. J # . .
14 14 11 13 14 7 9 8 9

n
9 7 7 7 9

10

j ### &
E7 T A B 5th Chorus
9

7 7 7 6 7

E7 . n J # J 6 6 F m7 Bm7
11 9 11 10 9 12 11 10 12 10 12 9 11 9

9 12

### . j j . & J J
T A B
2 2

Bm7

E7

Bm7

E7sus4

Bm7
3

E7

3 3 4 2 4 3 2 6 4 3 5

0 4 0

0 4 0

2 2 5

. ### J &
T A B
5 5

# . J
3 5 7 6 6

F 7

Bm7

. J
4 0

2 0

. J
3 0

3 3 3 0 3 0 4 0

-7-

6th Chorus

. ### J &
A Bm7 E7 Bm7 E7sus4 A T A B
10 9 10 9 10 9 11 9 9 11 9 11 9 9 11 9 12 11 9 11 9 10

Bm7

J .

E7

11 9 11 9

12 9

F #m7 Bm7 E7 . J ### # & A F 7 Bm7 E7 T A B

4 5 4 9 7 12 10 9

10

11 9

12 9 12

11 9

A Bm7 # n b n. ### & J 3 3

8 9 8 7 6 5 7 7

7th Chorus

Bm7 . J E7

E7sus4

. J
7 10 10

T A B

7 9 7

7 7 9

### J . &
Bm7 E7 A T A B
7 5 7 5 9 7 9 7 9 0

F 7

# n #
Bm7
11 12 14 10

14 12

14 12

14 13

14 12 11 14

11 14

11 14

12

n E7 ### &
T A B
13 12 10 12

F m7

Bm7

E7

12

10

10

10

10

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. # # . & # J
T A B
9 6 9 6

8th Chorus A

5 7 5

Bm7

E7
3 9 6 7 4

7 4

Bm7

E7sus4

10 7 10 7 7

10 9 9 9

.. # ### J &
Bm7 E7 A T A B
7 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 7 9 10 7 8 9 10 9 10 10

14 12

14 12

14 13 11

14

Bm7 > ... ### n # & F 7

J
9

E7

. ...
7 7 7 6

F m7

J
7

.. ..
5 5 4 4

Bm7

. J ... ..
5 2 2 2 2 2 2

E7

#
0 2 4 0 2 4 0 1

T A B

12 11

12 11

12

11

12

10 12 11

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Convince Me
Walking Bass and Comp Background Bm7 E7 Bm7 j j j j ### n n & c # # A T A B Blues feel

E7sus4

j A j b
7 7 7 6 5 7 6 7 6

E7 j j n n b Bm7

7 6 7 5 6 7

7 7 7

7 7 6 6 7

7 7 7

7 7 7 7

7 7 6 6

j ### # n n & # n n
A T A B
5 6 4 5 5 4 5 4 4 3 4 3 3

G 7 G7

j j # n n
2 3 2 2 4 3 2 3 2 4 2

F 7

Bm7

E7

j j #
0 1 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 4

F m7

E7 j j n b Bm7

7 7 7 7

7 7 6 6

Finally, do not memorize your arrangement, but rather recreate it each time you play the tune by memorizing the ways in which you create an arrangement. Do a lot of listening to jazz instrumenatlists and jazz singers. Avoid copying. Strive to be original. Have Fun!

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