When moving beyond scales and arpeggios in your guitar studies, the next logical step is to build

your vocabulary by learning these common jazz guitar patterns. Patterns are small melodic or
rhythmic units that are very useful for improvising and easy to memorize.

By learning how to play and solo with these classic jazz patterns, you will not only increase your vocabulary,
but you will also enhance your understanding of how to mix scales, arpeggios and chromatic notes. Study
these patterns and you will see they slip unconsciously into your solo improvisations.

Pattern List
1. Major Jazz Guitar Patterns
 Major Pattern 1
 Major Pattern 2
 Major Pattern 3
 Major Pattern 4
 Major Pattern 5
 Major Pattern 6
 Major Pattern 7
2. Dominant Jazz Guitar Patterns
 Dominant Pattern 1
 Dominant Pattern 2
 Dominant Pattern 3
 Dominant Pattern 4
 Dominant Pattern 5
 Dominant Pattern 6
 Dominant Pattern 7
 Dominant Pattern 8
 Dominant Pattern 9
3. Minor Jazz Guitar Patterns
 Minor Pattern 1
 Minor Pattern 2
 Minor Pattern 3
 Minor Pattern 4
 Minor Pattern 5
4. Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Patterns
 Half-Diminished Pattern 1
 Half-Diminished Pattern 2
 Half-Diminished Pattern 3
 Half-Diminished Pattern 4
 Half-Diminished Pattern 5
5. More Jazz Guitar Patterns
Major Jazz Guitar Patterns

In this section you will learn 6 major jazz guitar patterns, which you can study in the given key of C major,
but also take to all 12 keys across the fret board.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 1

In this first maj7 jazz guitar pattern, you will be highlighting the b3 (a blue note) and the 6th (a common
resolution note with maj7 chords). When soloing over maj7 chords, you can bring in the b3 interval, which
comes from the minor blues scale, in order to add a bluesy vibe to your maj7 soloing lines.
Two commonly used color tones are the 6th and the 9th, and so working on targeting these notes at the
end of a maj7 line will allow you to confidently focus on these colors in your soloing ideas.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 2

Beginning on the root, this line uses a common jazz guitar technique, where you play R-7-R and then
ascend the diatonic arpeggio from there.
Arpeggios are an important technique to use in your jazz guitar solos, but they can sometimes become
monotonous, especially when starting on the root. This R-7-R movement allows you to play a maj7
arpeggio from the root, but avoid simply ascending that arpeggio as you move forward in your line.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 3

Here, you are playing an Em7 arpeggio over a Cmaj7 chord, which builds a rootless Cmaj9 sound over
the underlying chord change. Playing m7 arpeggios from the 3rd of maj7 chords is something that every
great jazz guitar player used at one time or another in his solos, and so it’s worth exploring further.
Here is how that arpeggio functions when played over a maj7 chord:

Em7 Arpeggio E G B D

Played over Cmaj7 3 5 7 9

Now that you have this concept in your head, and under your fingers after learning this maj7 pattern, try
taking it to other maj7 chords in order to further integrate this concept into your vocabulary.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 4

Now, you are going to bring in the second blue note in this lesson over a maj7 chord, the #4 (b5). You can
use the #4 interval over a maj7 chord (along with the natural 4), in order to bring a bluesy sound to your
improvised lines.
When you have worked this pattern out, try soloing over a maj7 chord backing track and bring both of these
blue notes to your lines to see how they sound when combined in a musical situation.
Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 5
As was mentioned in the previous pattern, you can combine both the b3 and b5 (#4) blue notes into your
maj7 lines when channeling a blues sound in your playing. To help you get started with these combined blue
notes in your soloing, here is a maj7 pattern that uses both of those notes in its construction.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 6

The last maj7 pattern in this lesson uses an Em triad over a Cmaj7 chord to create a rootless Cmaj7
sound in the line. When soloing over maj7 chords, you can play a minor triad from the 3rd of that chord in
order to outline the chord tones of that change, but avoiding the root in your line at the same time.

Major Jazz Guitar Pattern 7

This easy, but effective pattern over a C6 chord is based on the C major pentatonic scale.
After you have learned these 7 major jazz guitar patterns, try writing out 5 or 6 of your own using the
concepts and techniques explored in this lesson. As well, you can transcribe patterns from your favorite
jazz guitarists and favorite jazz solos in order to build your maj7 pattern knowledge from an aural
perspective.

Dominant Jazz Guitar Patterns

Because Dominant 7th chords appear at least three times in any jazz blues chord progression, and make up
the tension chord in a ii-V-I, it is important to have a number of classic patterns under your fingers in
order to confidently and accurately outline this important chord change.
In this section, you will learn 8 classic dominant jazz guitar patterns as you expand your 7th-chord soloing
palette and build your chops at the same time.
Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 1
To begin, here is a short Dominant pattern that uses voice leading to connect the b7 of G7 to the 3rd of
Cmaj7.
Working on soloing over Dominant 7th chords means not only soloing over that specific chord, but resolving
that chord into the next change in the progression, and this is a perfect example of how to do that.

Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 2

Here, you have a Bebop Scale cliché that brings out the bebop passing note, the major 7th interval over
G7, that then resolves to the Cmaj7 chord in the second bar.
The bebop scale is an essential tool when soloing over 7th chords in a jazz setting, so it would be worth
spending time on in the woodshed to get your fingers and ears around this important sound.
Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 3
Here is an example of using the altered scale to create tension over the V7 chord in a short ii-V-I pattern in C
major.
Notice the b13 (Eb), #9 (Bb) and b9 (Ab) intervals being applied to the G7 chord, which all great a sense of
tension that you then resolve to the Cmaj7 chord.
The altered scale can be an effective way to create a sense of tension and resolution in your lines when
soloing over dominant 7th chords.
Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 4
Here is a short line based on the G7 arpeggio. Sometimes a simple chord-tone line is the most effective
what to outline a Dominant chord when soloing in a jazz setting.

Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 5

Another short, chord-tone based line, this is a great pattern for working out arpeggio soloing over 7th
chords in your lines and phrases.

Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 6

As mentioned earlier, the bebop scale is an effective way of soloing over any Dominant 7th chord.
In this example, you will learn a longer bebop scale pattern that also uses a Bdim7 arpeggioto “reset” the
phrase back up to the top of the scale.
When soloing over 7th chords, using a dim7 arpeggio from the 3rd of that chord is a cool way to bring a 7b9
sound to any 7th chord line or phrase:

B°7 Arpeggio B D F Ab

Played over G7 3 5 b7 b9
Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 7
This line brings in the #4 passing note (a blue note), to create a dominant blues sound over a G7 chord.
Mixing notes from the dominant arpeggio and Mixolydian scale, with notes from the blues scale is a fun way
to blend these two common sounds in your 7th lines and phrases.
Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 8
Again, in this final pattern you are blending the blue notes into the line in order to bring a bluesy vibe to the
overall phrase.

Dominant Jazz Guitar Pattern 9

This dominant pattern is based on this basic E7 chord shape:
Minor Jazz Guitar Patterns
From So What to major ii-V-I progressions, the m7 chord plays a major part in the jazz guitar world. To help
you build your m7 vocabulary, this section will teach you 5 must know minor jazz guitar patterns.
By developing your m7 vocabulary using commonly used patterns and techniques, you will allow yourself
to confidently and accurately outline m7 chords when faced with these changes in a modal setting, major
ii V I or minor ii V I chord progression.
Feel free to learn these patterns in the given key (Dm7), as well as work them in all 12 keysas you begin to
take these lines around the fretboard.

Minor Jazz Guitar Pattern 1

In this first m7 pattern, you will be adding a passing note between the root and second note of the scale, in
this case D Dorian (if the Dorian mode is new to you, learn more about guitar modes here).
When soloing over m7 chords, you can use passing tones to connect scale tones, and as long as
you resolve the passing tones then they will work well to create a sense of tension and release in your
phrases.

Minor Jazz Guitar Pattern 2

This next m7 pattern uses an F triad to outline the Dm7 chord, which is a rootless Dm7 arpeggio.
When soloing over m7 chords, you can play a major triad from the b3 of that chord in order to highlight the
b3, 5 and b7 in your lines, essentially outlining the change without using the root in your line.

Minor Jazz Guitar Pattern 3

In this Django Reinhardt inspired pattern, you are using a Dm7 arpeggio with a passing note between the
root and b7 of the chord.
Again, adding passing tones to your lines, either scale or arpeggio based, is an important technique that
should be explored further in the practice room.
Minor Jazz Guitar Pattern 4
Here you will use the D Dorian scale to create a longer pattern over a Dm7 chord, which is what many
players refer to as a “first choice” scale over any m7 chord.
Featuring the natural 6th interval, the Dorian mode has a “brighter” sound to it than the Aeolian scale, and is
a favorite m7 scale choice by jazz soloists on any instrument.
Minor Jazz Guitar Pattern 5
This last m7 pattern, inspired by Pat Metheny, uses the D Dorian Scale, as well as a dissonant chromatic
note (Eb), to create a slippery sound over this Dm7 chord.
When using chromatic notes in this way, with a delayed resolution as you can see between the Eb on beat 2
and the D on beat 3 with the B in between, you need to be careful that your chromatic note doesn’t sound
like a mistake along the way.

Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Patterns

In this section you’ll find guitar patterns that work well on half diminished chords (m7b5). As always, try the
patterns in different keys and fret board positions.
 Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Pattern 1
The first pattern in this article uses an Fm idea over Dm7b5.
By doing this, you are focusing on the 3 to 7 triad, the triad built from the 3rd of the underlying chord, which
in this key is Fm over Dm7b5.
As well, there is one G note in this lick (the 11th of the chord), which we will see throughout this lesson as a
go-to note when soloing over any m7b5 chord.

Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Pattern 2

This pattern uses two different four-note arpeggios over a Dm7b5 chord:
 In the first half of bar 1, there is an Fm7 arpeggio being used, an extension of the first lick in this
lesson.
 In the second half of the bar there is a Bb7 arpeggio, which then resolves to the note G (the 11th) to
finish the lick in the second bar.
Superimposing diatonic arpeggios like this (Fm7 and Bb7 over Dm7b5) is a great way to play inside the
changes, but not just run the diatonic arpeggio at the same time.
Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Pattern 3
Here, there is a chromatic passing tone being added between the 3rd and 4th of the scale (Gb) to bring
a Bebop flavor to this line.
Adding chromatic notes to m7b5 runs can be tricky, as it is such a strong chord sound, but it can be done
and here is an example of just such a set of notes in action within an improvised line.
Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Pattern 4
As well as superimposing four-note arpeggios over m7b5 chords, you can also focus on triads in your
soloing over this common chord quality.
In this line, you will find Fm and Gm triads being used to outline a Dm7b5 chord, again using familiar
shapes, the triad, in a new situation in order to outline a m7b5 chord in your lines and phrases.

Half-Diminished Jazz Guitar Pattern 5

This final lick uses a triplet rhythm to break up the chord tones that are the basis for this phrase.
Sometimes something as simple as changing the rhythms that you use over a chord is enough to breathe
fresh life into your lines and phrases.
Try experimenting with different rhythms when soloing over m7b5 chord to see where this approach takes
you in your soloing and improvisations.
Though soloing over m7b5 chords can be tough when first studying jazz guitar, with a bit of practice and
some cool-sounding licks under your fingers, you’ll be ready to blow over this common jazz chord with both
confidence and authenticity.

More Jazz Guitar Patterns

1. 5 Classic Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns
2. 5 Pentatonic Scale Patterns
5 ESSENTIAL JAZZ GUITAR SOLOING PATTERNS
written by Jamie Holroyd

L earning how to play jazz guitar means building up a well rounded improvisational vocabulary,
and one way this can be achieved is by learning licks. But, as beneficial and useful as licks are,
there is a lot of information within one phrase to take out and shed, and guitarists often fall into the
trap of just playing the lick the same way as the recording.
In this lesson, I have written out 5 of the most frequently used patterns found within classic jazz guitar licks
and famous solos. Learning each of these jazz patterns will ensure that you have the right tools for creating
jazz licks.

Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns 1 – Honeysuckle Rose Motif

Jazz musicians often quote the melody of a tune within their solo, but one melody that’s probably the most
quoted within any solo, is the Honeysuckle Rose phrase.

The example below shows the first bar of the Honeysuckle Rose melody, which is repeated throughout the
first 4 bars of the tune.
Jazz musicians often use this phrase within their solos because it works well as an interesting piece of jazz
language by itself.

This original Honeysuckle Rose motif is often varied, and I have included two common adaptations of the
phrase below for you to check out.
The first example is almost the same as the original but has one additional note added in, G.

The second variation has a ‘B’ on 1+ ,which in conjunction with C and Bb provides a nice chromatic
movement that starts the phrase.

Almost every jazz musician uses the Honeysuckle Rose motif in some way, but two of the best examples are
Charlie Parker and Grant Green.

Grant Green’s solo on “I’ll Remember April” is a perfect example of how to vary the honeysuckle rose motif
throughout a solo. Listen to the track below and count how many times Grant plays the honeysuckle rose
motif in the first chorus alone.
Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns 2 – Dominant Bebop Scale Pattern

The next jazz guitar soloing pattern comes from the C Dominant Bebop scale.

This piece of language works well because, like when playing any bebop scale, the non-diatonic notes fall
on the weaker beats of the bar.

In this example the major 7th is on 1+, a weaker beat of the bar.
Like the 2nd variation of the Honeysuckle Rose lick, there is also chromatic movement within the first 3 notes
in this phrase.
This bebop scale pattern is often used in ii-V-I situations as shown the example below:
Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns 3 – 7th to 3rd Pattern

One reason why the ii-V progression works so well is because the 7th of the m7th chord drops down a semi-
tone or fret to become the 3rd of the dominant chord, which is sometimes called the note of resolution.
Jazz musicians frequently highlight this movement when improvising over ii V I’s, which makes it an
essential jazz pattern to get under your fingers.

The following example shows how this idea sounds over a ii-V in the key of F.
Here’s a full ii-V-I lick demonstrating the 7th to 3rd pattern.
Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns 4 – Enclosure Pattern

Enclosures are a vital ingredient in the jazz musician’s practice routine, and this next lick shows one of the
most popular enclosure licks found within countless jazz solos.

This enclosure pattern targets the 3rd of the dominant 7th chord which in this example is E.
Here’s a full lick using this enclosure pattern. Notice the use of the C dominant bebop scale pattern in the
second half of the first bar.
Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns 5 – Arpeggio Rake

To finish off this study of jazz patterns, here’s a fun 3-9 arpeggio rake pattern that’s often used by jazz
guitarists and saxophonists.

This rake can be played with a plectrum by using down strokes on the first four notes and an up stroke on
the 5th note, which a smooth saxophone-like effect.
This lick can be also be played finger style or with the thumb. Wes Montgomery was a big fan of using this
type of patterns within his solos.

This jazz pattern starts with a minor 3-9 arpeggio and finishes on the 11th of the chord which in this example
is C.
Repetition is often used with this lick to build up intensity within a solo.
Jazz Guitar Soloing Patterns Etude

To complete this study I have written out a short etude which demonstrates how these patterns can be used
together within a solo.

The progression in this etude is found within many jazz standards such as Take The A Train, Girl From
Ipanema, and Exactly Like You.

Please note that I have applied different rhythmic and harmonic techniques to some of the examples to
make them fit the etude better.

Some of these techniques include rhythmic displacement, gear changing, and changing the harmonic
function of a lick to fit multiple chords.
I hope you enjoyed playing and working through each of these short phrases and can see how they form the
basis for many classic jazz licks and solos.

Can you think of some solos that use these patterns? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
About Jamie Holroyd

Jamie Holroyd is a UK based educator, author and performer as well as the founder
of www.jamieholroydguitar.com, a free website with lessons to help students across the globe play jazz and
blues guitar.
5 JAZZY PENTATONIC SCALE PATTERNS
written by Matt Warnock

A s many guitarists begin playing rock, blues and pop music before exploring jazz, one of the first
scales we have under our fingers are the various positions of the major and minor pentatonic scales.
To help you translate these commonly used scales to a jazz context, here are 5 jazz pentatonic scale
patterns that you can work on in the woodshed as you bring your pentatonic knowledge into the jazz
realm.
While the examples in this lesson are applied to the first position of a minor pentatonic scale, any of these
patterns can be applied to any position of any pentatonic scale that you know or are working on in the
practice room.
While each pattern in this lesson is written in ascending order only, you can also practice these patterns
descending any pentatonic scale that you apply them to in your jazz guitar practice routine.

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 1 – 123

The first pattern consists of a 3-note grouping that you play from each note in the scale. When doing so, you
produce a 123, 234, 345, etc. pattern as you ascend the scale with this three-note shape.

As was noted in the intro, make sure to work this, and any, pattern ascending and descending the
scale as you expand upon it further in your jazz guitar practice routine.
Pentatonic Scale Patterns 2 – Left vs. Right 1

The next scale pattern is based on the left vs. right nature of any pentatonic scale shape. When you play
pentatonic scale using two notes per string, you have a left side of the scale (the notes closest to the nut)
and a right side of the scale (the notes closest to the pickups).

You can use this construction to your advantage when working on pentatonic scale patterns by
playing two notes on the left side of the scale followed by two notes on the right side.
When doing so, you are emphasizing a lot of 4th intervals within the scale, which produces a modern
sounding pattern as you ascend and descend the scale in your practicing and jazz guitar soloing ideas.
Pentatonic Scale Patterns 3 – Left vs. Right 2

You can also play 3 notes on each side of the scale, as you can see and hear in the next scale pattern.

When playing this pentatonic scale pattern, make sure that you make three-note group connected, yet
don’t let them ring so much that they sound like a chord being strummed.
Aim for connected, yet not overlapping, sounds when playing each of these three-note shapes on either side
of the pentatonic scale in your practice and soloing ideas based on this pattern.
Pentatonic Scale Patterns 4 – Enclosures

This pattern applies a commonly used Bebop concept, the Enclosure, to each of the notes in a pentatonic
scale.

There are many variations of the enclosure in jazz, but the one we’ll focus on uses one fret above, one
fret below, and then the target note from the scale.
When applying enclosures to the minor pentatonic scale, as you can hear in the example below, there is an
outside/tense sound that is created with the two chromatic notes, which are then resolved into each note in
the underlying scale.
Pentatonic Scale Patterns 5 – Side Stepping

The final pattern comes from a concept commonly used by saxophonist John Coltrane, among others, and it
is called “Side Stepping.”

This technique uses two pentatonic scales, your tonic scale and one a fret higher, to build an “inside-
outside” or “tension and release” sound in your practicing and soloing ideas.
In this example, you will play 4 notes from the A minor pentatonic scale, followed by 4 notes from the Bb
minor pentatonic scale, alternating between these two scales as you ascend all six strings on the fretboard.

This pattern can be a bit dissonant for some players, but give it a try as you might be surprised at how
quickly your ears will adjust and this type of slippery, outside sound becomes normal in both your technical
and improvisational patterns.
After you have worked on any, or all, of these scale patterns, try putting on a backing track, perhaps starting
with Am7, and soloing over that track using one or more of these patterns as the basis for your
improvised lines.
Scale patterns are a great way to learn new scales, develop your technique on the guitar, as well as provide
you material that you can apply to your jazz guitar solos at the same time.