How to Learn Jazz Guitar at Home by Yourself
Jazz music is one of those genres that have been around for generations and the love for it has been passed down in families for many generations. In places like New Orleans, La, and Memphis, Tn, jazz is alive and well. If you are interested in learning how to play Jazz Guitar so that you can share the love of jazz with your family, you will need to find what way to learn what works for you.
The purpose of this article was to share what we have discovered by doing a lot of online research. We put together a list of the top 5 methods that have been recommended by those people who were able to teach themselves how to play the Jazz Guitar in their own home.
5 Methods on How to Learn Jazz Guitar at Home by Yourself
1) One on One Tutoring Online
One on one tutoring is probably the most preferred method for learning how to play any musical instrument. However, with today’s fast-paced lifestyle finding time to sit in someone’s professional studio or even in your own home is not very convenient. Fortunately, today’s digital technology makes it much easier and convenient to find a teacher who can help you with your busy schedule.
With technologies like Skype and Apple’s Facetime, you can set up online video chat sessions that can easily replicate old fashioned tutoring sessions. One major downside is that this has the potential to be the most expensive of the five methods.
2) Digital Instructional Guides Online
Musical instrument instructional guides in book form have been available in stores for many years. Some can even be checked out from your public library which can be an inexpensive way to learn how to play the Jazz Guitar. However, thanks to today’s digital technology you don’t have to leave your house to get hold of one or more of these instructional guides. You can simply download these guides in digital ebook format and look at them on your smartphone, eReader or computer.
3) ArtistWorks
Online best ways to learn how to play the Jazz Guitar on your own online is by signing up for a membership website called ArtistWorks.com. This members-only website is made up of the video-based lessons created by some of the best-known musicians in the industry. ArtistWorks has a massive library and can be easily searched by any paid member.
One of the musicians you will find in the library is Dave Stryker and he is a very accomplished jazz guitarist with more than 20 CD’s available of his music.
The second musician in ArtistWorks you can learn from is Martin Taylor. With his years of skillful experience, he is able to fulfill your wishes in learning his fingerstyle jazz guitar.
Another musician who teaches jazz improvisation guitar in ArtistWorks is Chuck Loeb. He offers some guidance to students from basic, intermediate to advanced level on jazz improvisation techniques, basic position concept, ear training exercises, etc.
4) Udemy Jazz Guitar Online Lessons
Another way to learn how to play the Jazz Guitar is to sign up for online training lessons. The website Udemy, which is an online university that established training courses similar to those offered at brick and mortar colleges and universities through the US. All course material consists of video-based lessons and as a paid student you will have full access to all course material 24/7 as long as you have a reliable Internet connection. The cost will depend on the specific training course you choose.
5) How-To Videos on YouTube.com
In today’s technology-driven society you have so many options when it comes to learning how to do things that you have no idea how to do. DIY or Do It Yourself has become extremely popular as a way to save money. When it comes to teaching yourself how to play the Jazz Guitar, how-to videos online is by far the cheapest way to learn. By going to YouTube.com and searching “How to learn Jazz Guitar at home by yourself” you will find many different free videos.
10 Tips for playing the Jazz Guitar better
- Be a good listener
In order to get the most out of jazz music, you really need to delve deep into the music. That means you need to develop strong listening skills. You need to be able to break down the music by the instruments being used in order to be able to focus on the Jazz Guitar. This is because each musical creates its own unique sound.
- Learning standards is the key
As you start to learn how to play the Jazz Guitar you will understand that one of the big keys to jazz music is that it centers around musical standards. So the quicker and easier than you are able to pick up on the standards, the faster you will be able to master playing the Jazz Guitar. By mastering the standards you will see how you can really get good playing the Jazz Guitar.
- Transcribing music is a must
Learning how to transcribe the music you are listening to and to be able to put the notes down on a sheet of music or even songwriting software such as; Sibelius. It is a good idea to start with the music being played by your favorite jazz musicians. Then as you become a better listener you will be able to add new artists to your repertoire and therefore expand your musical horizons.
- Pickup on the chords
When it comes to playing a string instrument like the guitar (especially the jazz variety) it is very important to focus on learning the chords. This will help you to be able to learn quicker. While the guitar is not a simple instrument to learn how to play, the Jazz Guitar is capable of making some very unusual sounds that can only be found in jazz music.
- Make sure you get the scales and arpeggios
Knowledge of the musical scales for the Jazz Guitar is extremely important. This will form the basis of everything that you will learn and adding in additions like arpeggios will bolster your musical knowledge and ability. Learning about scales goes well beyond knowing just the major and minors, you will have to learn so much more.
- Simple licks are best
When it comes to learning about guitar music you will discover right away that much of the guitar music is centered around simple lines or licks. When it comes to making your own original music, you may want to be sure not to become too repetitive in the licks that you are using in your new musical creations. You can use stock licks for creating music, but just don’t overdo it.
- Practice playing is important
Like any musical instrument learning to play the guitar takes a lot of practice. The age-old adage, “practice makes perfect” is extremely true when it comes to playing the Jazz Guitar. Be sure to set aside as much time as you can on a regular basis (preferably daily). This would be a good time to set yourself some goals so that you can track your progress.
- Use a recorder for self-critiquing
One of the best ways to make changes in your playing style is to be able to self-analyze your music. For this to be possible you will need to invest in a recording device. If you find yourself on a limited budget, you can easily use the microphone on your smartphone and do the recording. It will be much easier for you to make little tweaks here and there when you can listen to your own sound.
- Practice in a group when possible
One very important thing to remember is that since the guitar is a harmonic type instrument you will want to practice with a group in order to get the most out of your practice sessions. Even if you have not found yourself a band to play with, you still should get together with a group of guitarists to help you practice your playing.
- Knowledge is power and gathering more should be a goal
When it comes to learning how to play any musical instrument it is important for you to know as much about it as possible. So, when it comes to learning about the Jazz Guitar you should go online and find as much information that you can find. This includes using a search engine like Google to find what you are needing.
Steps to Self-Taught Jazz Guitar
If you are really into jazz music chances are you probably have noticed that the guitar is a big part of the music. Due to the unique nature of the jazz sound, the Jazz Guitar is a unique variant of the classical guitar. So if you have decided that you are interested in taking up the Jazz Guitar you will need to know that it is not easiest of all instruments to learn how to play.
That is one of the main purposes of this article was to provide some helpful information on some of the most popular ways for you to learn how to play the Jazz Guitar in your home on your schedule. We also thought it would be helpful to add some very useful tips for playing the guitar better.