Jazz Festivals » Jazz Players

Jazz Guitar Pickups – Putting The Swing On The String

admin2 — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:39:55 +0000

Traditional jazz guitar pickups are usually the P90 soap bar type or the humbucker pickup. If you look at the classic jazz guitar, it is a hollow body arch top type with the pickup on the neck.

Some Jazz Guitar Pickup Facts

The electric jazz guitar pickups are of the electromagnetic type. These transmit the vibration in the string to an amplifier. Electric guitars can have both single coil and humbucker pickups. While both work similarly, they sound quite different. Humbuckers use two single coil pickups that are wired together to produce a thick warm sound. Single coils tend to have a lot of electric interference and to avoid this a differential amplifier is used. Different Humbuckers produce different kinds of sounds. The jazz Humbuckers are rich with an even tone to produce the clean sound associated with jazz guitar pickups.

Selecting The Jazz Guitar Pickup

If you look at electric guitars, most of them have two pickups – one near the neck and the other near the bridge. By using the pickup selector switch, you can opt for the appropriate pickup to pick up the string’s vibration and send it to the amplifier. When the pickup selector switch is turned up, the neck or rhythm pickup picks up the string’s sound. When the switch is turned down, the bridge pickup picks up the string’s sound. If the switch is in the middle position, both the pickups pick up the string’s sounds. Usually, the pickup whose proximity is more to the next has a warmer and sweeter sound. The one near the bridge can sound brighter. It is easy to see from this which one jazz players will use – obviously the neck pick up. The bridge pickup is ignored.

To avoid the possibility of notes getting mixed when the player plays fast, today’s jazz guitar pickups are usually the floating type. Some jazz guitars don’t use any pickups. This helps them achieve a clean sound.

Instead of the parallel bracing commonly used, Cross bracing is used to tone down the sound and increase sustain. This results in the jazz guitar’s tone sounding like the traditional steel string acoustic guitar.

Some jazz guitar pickups are embedded in the instrument so that sustain is increased. These show limited acoustic response. Many jazz guitars have the pickup installed on the underside of the ebony finger rest. The finger rest fixes to the side of the guitar’s neck via an aluminum bracket and a couple of screws. The pickup is fixed with epoxy. The large contact surface strengthens the instrument. Large finger rests are not preferred basically because they block the F hole on the right side, and this completely changes the quality of the sound projection.

A common jazz guitar pickup used is the Benedetto S-6 mini humbucker, especially for the arch top design. A highly durable “ebonova” housing protects it. You also get jazz guitar pickups that can be fixed so as to not affect or change the acoustic characteristics of the guitar. Some fix with the help of screws at the neck.

Positioning the jazz guitar pickup in relation to the finger rest is very crucial because the sound is likely to be unclear if the pickup is too close to the strings. Being too far from the strings, on the other hand, can lower the output level drastically.

Jazz guitar pickups are a tricky issue in terms of the effect they can have on the sound output. This results in many jazz guitar players preferring to have theirs custom made. As mentioned earlier, many players even prefer to have no pickups at all.

By: Logan Young

Buying a Good Jazz Guitar

admin2 — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:44:46 +0000

If you are planning to learn how to play the guitar and really want to be good at it, I would suggest that you start out with learning Jazz. Jazz guitar playing does not have any actual base of music theory but instead, is a theory which is a collection of ideas which were passed on from musician to musician. Jazz players never really needed music theory to come up with their music, but instead, needed to thoroughly know the instruments enough to give a rhythm to accompany the other jazz musicians. Jazz playing changed over the years and now has become a base for many other genres of music.

It is said, if a guitarist knows how to play jazz, he is really good. This is because jazz playing has a vast background and includes a huge number of unique jazz scales and licks. Jazz playing will teach you how to create your own strumming patterns and chord progressions, making your music very unique. When learning jazz theory, you will learn to rely mostly on the seventh and third notes of a chord. Jazz may seem like fun, but requires a good amount of practice and dedication. However, learning jazz is what I would recommend for anyone who is planning to start out with guitar playing.

When going to buy a jazz guitar, it is best to go with someone who already knows how to play the guitar, and plays it well. A person who has good experience with guitars will be the best one to tell whether or not a guitar is good. If you are buying the guitar online then you should consider only buying a reliable make. Also, read testimonials of people who have bought a guitar from the site you are planning to purchase your guitar. The prices online will definitely be a lot cheaper than at a regular music store, and you can also find places that offer other things along with the guitar.

Not all guitars are meant for jazz. Back in the day, before solid bodied electrics were made, people used acoustic guitars. But now however, the hollow bodied electric guitar is the ideal choice for a jazz guitar. When buying an electric guitar, make sure that you do not buy one without doing a good amount of research. The ideal jazz guitar is a hollow bodied electric guitar. Makes like Gibson and Epiphone are commonly used in jazz guitar playing and are known to be some of the best jazz guitars. Do not go in for a solid bodied guitar if you want to only focus on jazz since the tone of those guitars won’t suit the genres.

If you plan to play other genres of music also, then you should probably think of going in for a Gibson or a Fender. Guitar makes like Ibanez and Kramer are really good but mostly meant for heavy metal. The tone of the guitar mainly depends on it’s pickups as well as the design of the body. Archtop guitars are typical jazz guitars and you can find them in many makes. Make sure that the guitar you buy has a floating bridge to allow adjustments so as to increase or decrease the action. Once you get a good jazz guitar you will not have a problem with spending time learning.

By: Shoked Mohol

How to Use the Diminished Scale in Jazz Improvisation

admin2 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:04:02 +0000

The diminished sound has long been a favorite of jazz players. A diminished scale has a very predictable and repeatable pattern. It is spelled half step/whole step/half/whole/half/whole etc. There are 12 dim scales that start with a 1/2 step, but you can imagine that with a pattern that is so repetitious, eventually you will start repeating yourself.

In reality there are only three. The following are the same: G Bb Db E. If I start anyone of these diminished scales I will notice that they are the same notes, just starting in different places (much like playing in modes). The next scales that are the same are: A C Eb F#. The last set that is the same is: B D F Ab. If a player learns G, A and B diminished scales, in reality they have learned all 12 scales. The trick is to play the correct one.

If a composer wants the diminished scale to be played, the symbol is G7b9. In a case like this, I would use the G dim. Scale. Note that I could also use the Bb, Db or E diminished scale since they are all identical.

The symbol G7b9 does not fully describe all of the notes that are in the chord symbol. In addition to having a b9, it also contains a #9 and a #4. You will also notice that it does not contain the natural 9. Keep in mind that the chord symbol is not necessarily the name of the scale I will use e.g. G7b9 doesn’t mean I play a G7b9 scale, but I use a diminished scale. So, if I see D7b9 I can play a D diminished scale starting with a 1/2 step.

The normal way to form a chord for any given scale is to take the 1 3 5 7 9 of the scale. With diminished scales it is slightly different. The basic chord for any diminished scale is formed in the following way: base the chord on the regular dominant 7th scale and spell it as 1 3 5 b7 b9.

Remember that the chord has a b7 because it is a dominant 7th. At this time we need to discover the other 12 diminished scales. ALL of our dim scales so far start with a 1/2 step. The other 12 start with a Whole step. As you may have figured out this brings our total number of them to 24; there are 12 that start with a whole step, and 12 that start with a half step. You may also have figured that there are still only three diminished scales. The chord symbol for a diminished scale starting with a whole step is G followed by a small circle. This is called fully diminished. The basic chord is 1 b3 b5 6 8. Notice that it is a stack of minor third intervals. This chord is NOT a dominant.

Now if I know a G diminished that starts with a 1/2 step, I really have learned the following scales: G, Bb, Db and E (all of these starting with a 1/2 step) and Ab, B, D and F (all of these starting with a whole step). I learn one and I know eight; eight for the price of 1! Now for the application of the diminished.. Any time I have a dominant 7th resolving up a 4th (down a 5th) to the one chord, I can replace the dominant with the diminished. For example: D-7 G7 Cmaj, becomes D-7 G7b9 Cmaj.

By: Pete Swiderski

Jazz Guitar Strings – The Right Ones For That Perfect Sound

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:40:14 +0000

Serious jazz players are quite particular about the jazz guitar strings they choose and use. They expect the exact sound they want. There are different kinds of jazz guitar strings available with reputed manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, etc. Finally it all boils down to choosing the jazz guitar strings that sound just right for the user.

Types Of Jazz Guitar Strings

Flatwound – probably the most popular for Swing. These are usually flat ribbon wound strings with a polished nickel surface giving the player the flexibility and the kind of smooth sound that is expected.

Roundwound – for BeBop jazz. While several jazz players don’t really go for roundwound strings, manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld have wooed jazz players with the way they manufacture these. These strings are dense, although of thin diameter and play wonderfully at high frequencies, so much so that the tone has the purity of piano notes.

Most high quality jazz guitar strings are crafted with a core of carbon steel rather than the usual hex cores. This makes them play better and also vibrates well without the ‘preferred motion axis’. These string ends are wrapped in silk to keep the winding intact and to also increase their life.

For those who play blues jazz – and practically everyone who plays jazz does play the blues – the flatwound chrome strings they use are the most preferred. This is because these strings do not create the finger noise associated with other strings, resulting in easy play and better style. But the half round wounds are also popularly used, as they seem smoother and there is more clarity of sound with them compared to flatwounds, making them sound great when playing the blues.

Making The Choice For Jazz Guitar Strings

It is vital, as any jazz guitar player knows, to choose the strings that work best for you, and also make sure you replace them properly when necessary to avoid your guitar detuning. The main things to remember in making your choice are: the brand you select, the composition of the strings, string gauge, and the type of winding.

As far as brand is concerned, you can try a few and choose the ones you feel most comfortable with. As mentioned earlier, the most reputed are Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, and others.

Guitar strings are usually composed of a core high carbon steel wire with a wrap wire wound around them, which influences the sound of the guitar strings. This material could be nickel, considered the best, or stainless steel for brighter tones, or phosphor bronze for a warmer sound mostly used in acoustic guitar strings. Most classical guitars have nylon strings.

String Gauge refers to the diameter of the first and last guitar string since most guitar strings are sold as sets. Jazz guitar string sets are usually available as .012 – 0.054-inch diameter, which is heavier than those used for other music styles, so that they result in a thicker tone with increased sustain. Most jazz guitarists just starting out to play use lighter sets to first get used to them and then move on to the heavier type. It should be borne in mind that as you progress to an advanced playing level, and switch to a string set of heavier gauge, you must also adjust your guitar neck and the intonation.
The roundwound type of strings have a louder and brighter sound while the flatwound type has a flat ribbon wire with duller, smoother sound. Most jazz guitar strings are of the flatwound type.

Some Jazz Guitar String Maintenance Tips

To get your jazz guitar strings to last longer, remember to wipe them down using a dry cloth after each playing session. It is better to replace your strings just as they begin to wear out. Preferably change the entire set since changing just that one broken string can lose the sync of your sound.

By: Brian Trainer

Jazz Guitar Tips and Tricks – Learning Jazz Guitar Playing

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:22:09 +0000

Jazz is more complicated than any other music genres as far as playing guitar is concerned. But there are a lot of jazz guitar tips and tricks that you can use to make it easier for you and to help you become a better jazz player and a well-rounded guitarist.

At the top of the list of the important jazz guitar tips is knowing your scales and modes. Internalizing jazz guitar scales is considered to be one of the most challenging part of learning to play jazz because of the many scales to be learned and mastered. These scales provide the basis for the improvisational sound of jazz music.

When it comes to modes, it becomes confusing because many guitar players call modes as scales. Technically, a mode is a scale but modes are used by many musicians to open doors to new sounds. Jazz players rely on the major and minor modes in setting the tone of their music. They use these to get the great flavors of music out of the scales aside from just using the full neck of their jazz guitars.

Other important jazz guitar tips include eliminating the feedback produced by the guitar, using a software to practice improvisation, and using a metronome in your practice to achieve good timing.

In learning to play jazz guitar, you should also learn and memorize the lyrics to help you recall the music better. Recording yourself will also give you a clear picture of how does your guitar playing sound.

And of course, you cannot play jazz guitar better if your guitar itself is not in a good condition. Before starting to play, check first if it needs some tweaking. You will know if it needs a tune-up when it begins to feel tiring to play.

The basic adjustments you need to do are in the truss rod, the bridge, height of the pickups and intonation. To ensure that the strings are on the proper height, you have to regulate the nut. Examine also the high and low frets and level them as needed.

In adjusting the intonation, do it in small increments and consider your ear’s accuracy in deciding the pitch between two notes. For more accurate results, use a highly accurate tuner with analog-style needle display.

Other helpful jazz guitar tips that will bring your performance to the highest level are ensuring the proper location of your guitar and your hands. The strap of your guitar should lift the instrument up to about midway on your chest. It will feel tighter but will give your left hand more mobility. Your right hand should not also exert much effort in picking out the notes.

To sum it up, you should be familiar with the important components of learning jazz guitar which include effective scale usage, harmonization, rhythm, melody and jazz chord improvisation.

Also, learning jazz guitar requires an astonishing skill that you can’t develop by just relying on your music sheets or music teachers alone, so keep in mind to practice and persevere.

By: Carolyn Anderson

Jazz Improvisation is a Study in Theory

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:35:24 +0000

Jazz has long been considered to be one of the most demanding forms of contemporary music to master. So much so, that many would be Jazz musicians will spend years learning music theory, alongside developing advanced playing techniques, simply to get a start in this fascinating musical genre.

The major difference between Jazz and most other forms of music is in the fact that improvisation is not only encouraged, it forms the very backbone of the style. Although there are many Jazz classics, no two musicians or bands will play these songs the same. They will follow the basic progression, but will be given a new inflection through personal and group improvisation.

The ability to play improvisations relies heavily upon two things; first the musicians creativity, and secondly upon the musicians knowledge of musical theory. Of course, there are many fine Jazz players out there who will tell you that they do not know any music theory. The simple truth of the matter is that they do, they just do not know it. They have spent years learning to play by ear, and although they cannot name the correct musical terms for what they do when they are playing, they are clearly demonstrating a deep knowledge of music theory at a base level.

For those wishing to take up playing Jazz, then a firm grounding in music theory is entirely recommended. Even the rhythm section of a Jazz band is encouraged to improvise and embellish the piece being played. Rhythm guitar players will be called upon to construct complex chord patterns, including augmented, diminished, 5th, 9th and 13th chords. They will also be expected to follow the soloist, should they decide to shift tempo, key or mode.

As a soloist, playing Jazz is all about creativity, backup up by an understanding of what they are doing musically. Many Jazz musicians, when questioned about scales, will smile and reply, “What is a scale? I don’t know any!” This is something of an insider’s Jazz joke, as most Jazz soloists play what they feel, not what they know works mathematically. Of course, this is far from the truth, but a Jazz player will have transcended standard scales in many ways. Instead, using their ear, they will be able to find step off points, into new scales and modes, shifting the music as they go. This of course, requires an immense amount of theoretical knowledge, either learned conventionally, or learned over years of playing by ear.

Playing Jazz can be one of the most rewarding experiences any guitar player is likely to experience. A good Jazz performance will see the musician develop ideas, and musical concepts on the fly, breathing fresh life into Jazz classics, while enthralling the audience like a true virtuoso. Although a thorough understanding of music theory is not a prerequisite for becoming a competent Jazz player, it can be seen as an effective short cut, removing the requirement to play Jazz for decades before becoming entirely competent in its application.

By: Bill Kernodle

Jazz Guitar Theory – What is It?

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:57:41 +0000

Jazz as we know it now grew from a form of music that was passed directly from musician to musician without too much theory being involved. Jazz guitar theory is a collection of ideas and traditions that has grown over the decades of jazz playing.

The original jazz players did not need theory. They needed to know their guitars well enough to be able to provide part of the rhythm for other instruments in the band or to play solos if they were needed. The nature of guitar playing in jazz bands varied over the years and depended on whether the guitarist was in a big band or a small group.

Jazz guitar theory is the product of the need for jazz players to communicate musical ideas to one another. To pass these ideas on a guitarist needed to be able to read standard musical notation and, as jazz playing became more sophisticated, he needed the technique to play the exotic barre chords that became the norm in jazz guitar music.

A part of jazz theory is what we could loosely call traditions of jazz – ways of approaching music that have become standard practice for jazz players. None of these traditions is set in concrete, but the use of the electric archtop guitar has become widespread over the years as is the use of barre chord voicings rather than open chords.

If you learn jazz guitar theory you will learn to rely on the seventh and third notes of a chord and how interest can be added by the use of the ninth, eleventh or thirteenth notes. These notes may be totally foreign to the original melody the guitarist is improvising over, but jazz players have the work of guitarists from previous generations to draw on when they make use of these unusual voicings.

A big part of jazz guitar theory is the types of techniques used to express musical feelings. Jazz guitar players have their own strumming patterns and chord progressions that may vary greatly from the ways of playing the original genre they might be interpreting. Also, although rock and blues guitar players of the past thirty or so years have left their mark on jazz, there is a tendency among jazz guitarists to use electronic effects rather sparingly.

To examine the basis of jazz guitar theory we need to be aware of the founders of modern jazz playing, like Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass and Herb Ellis as well as the founders of guitar tradition like Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. Jazz guitar theory has been shaped by modern players who have departed from tradition, such as John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Pat Metheny.

By: Ricky Sharples

Finding A Good Amp For Playing Jazz Guitar

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:15:58 +0000

Jazz guitar talk is generally focused around one thing – sound. The tone of your instrument will play a huge role in the sound that you achieve. If you are engaging in live performances, and jam sessions, no doubt you will be using an amplifier too. Finding a good amp for playing jazz guitar is just as important as finding a good guitar. Let us avoid discussing which amps are “better” than others, and get down to the important issues you need to focus on when you are looking for a good amp for playing jazz guitar.

Traditional Jazz

Players who are concentrating on developing a traditional jazz sound are going to be looking for just one thing in a guitar amp – a clean sound. If you want a traditional, clean jazz sound, then you will commonly gravitate toward a solid state amp or a tube amp. Solid state amps are easier to care for than tube amps, they are less prone to damage and most importantly they deliver clean, distortion free sounds on a regular basis. This is what makes them extremely popular among jazz guitarists. The biggest complaint about solid state amps is that they tend to sound “flat” and elicit little life from the tone of the instrument. Tube amps, on the other hand, are believed to deliver a much warmer tone, and some players insist that their sound is more alive when they use a tube amp. Unfortunately, tube amps are prone to distortion, typically something traditional jazz guitarists want to avoid at all costs. Despite their expensive maintenance bills and extreme weight on the move, tube amps are exceptionally popular, for those who favor the clean, traditional sounds of jazz as well.

Contemporary & Modern Jazz

For the more modern and contemporary jazz guitarist, a good amp may come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Players who are looking for a more mixed up and funky modern vibe in their sound will regularly employ effects and alterations. They might be more inclined to own and perform on a solid body electric, and may gravitate toward amps with more bells and whistles. Digital amps are increasingly popular for modern jazz. Modern jazz guitarists may also be dabbling in other genres, and digital amps are extremely effective in other arenas of music as well, thus it is a very practical choice. These players are going to want a lot of on-board effects at their fingertips, and a digital amp provides just that.

Industry Standards

Within the world of jazz, there are several amps that have emerged as industry standards. This includes the Fender Pro, often heralded as a good amp for playing jazz guitar due to its extremely clean sounds and lack of distortion.

It is unfortunate that manufacturers do not produce amps that are labeled “jazz guitar amps”. This means you will need to spend a lot of time listening to others, and trying out amps in order to find your own signature sound.

By: David Smithe