V7#5b9

“An Evening With Joe Pass” is a treat for any guitar student who is interested in tackling jazz guitar. I hope you will find it inspirational, educational and motivational. The preceding player’s profile comes from the “20th Century JAZZ GUITAR” free e-book by Richie Zellon, and serves as a brief historical background regarding the artist. “Joe Pass BEBOP, HARD BOP Joe Pass (Joseph Anthony Passalaqua) was born on January 13, 1929 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, an Italian steel-worker bought him his first guitar at age 9 and encouraged him to learn songs and improvise by ear after witnessing the youngster’s early musical tendencies. By the time he was 14, Pass was already working with local bands and later went on the road at 18 with the Tony Pastor band. After serving in the military he spent a period in New York during which he started using drugs and eventually ended up spending time in several rehabilitation centers as well as jail. As a result of his drug addiction, Pass spent most of the 50’s in obscurity. After over 10 years trying to kick drugs, Pass entered the Synanon Center in California where he made his famous Sounds of Synanon (1961) recording with other residents who were also jazz musicians. Upon leaving Synanon, Pass gradually became one of the most in demand guitarists in the Los Angeles studio scene where he worked for 10 years. During this period he worked as a sideman with Louis Bellson, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, Della Reese, Johnny Mathis, as well as on numerous TV shows including The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, The Steve Allen Show, and others. After recording several albums for the Pacific Jazz and World Pacific labels throughout the 60’s, Pass was signed by Norman Granz, the producer of Jazz at the Philharmonic and founder of Verve Records to his new Pablo Records label in 1970. In 1974, Pass released his now classic solo album Virtuoso. This initial recording along with the entire series that followed, has redefined the art of solo jazz guitar. As a result of these solo recordings and concerts, Pass finally achieved the notoriety he deserved and was consistently listed in the jazz polls year after year. During this same period at Pablo, he recorded a set of widely acclaimed guitar/vocal duet records with Ella Fitzgerald. Joe Pass died from liver cancer in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 65.”

It’s a sheer beauty, Ben. It almost makes me “GAS.” Luckily, I’ve built enough immunity to resist the urge.

@Triple-o When a particular chord form is impossible to finger, you have several options: Try an alternate fingering. Use an easier to finger inversion of the chord. Simplify the chord by omitting the root, 5th, an extension, or alteration. Use the basic 7th chord. Find a substitute chord. I’ve made a small example with Neck Diagrams application for better illustration. Looking at it from left to right, I assume the 1st form is the one you’re having trouble with. Some suggestions have been made by @Wim VD and @tjmeyers already. Let me add that the most important chord tones that define the chord quality are the guide tones, namely: the 3rd and 7th (in the case of a dominant chord those are the major third and minor seventh). Even this basic ‘shell’ chord can be used in the context of a progression, especially when you are accompanied by a band or jam track with bass and possibly keyboard. The second form (F#-7b5) and the third form (B7b9) played in the mid to upper register are the ones Steve had scribbled on the Autumn Leaves PDF he uploaded to the old forum some time ago. As you can see Steve’s B7b9 is a rootless one, but I’ve included the roots (not to be played) for reference. As an additional thought let me point out that jazzers think of chords in terms of four part structures that are placed on different string sets. A seventh chord with its four notes is the basis for transformation into an extended or altered chord. Then you can enhance it by doubling one of the notes, adding another one, taking one away, etc. I hope it helps.

@rkl312 You may want to try Music Reading for Guitar THE COMPLETE METHOD by David Oakes. It’s currently not available on the US amazon site, so I’m giving you the Canadian link.

My current guitar set comes from various manufacturers: D’Angelico EX-DC (semi-hollow electric), Carvin DC145 (custom shop solid-body electric), Ibanez AKJ95 (hollow body electric) and a replica of Epiphone Paul McCartney 1964 Texan (acoustic). Each guitar is different so it’s hard to compare makers by guitar type criterion. I like them all. They are well made, provide excellent playability and sound great. I hesitate to pick one manufacturer over the other, but if I was pressed hard to grade them by their sound workmanship, I would place them in the following order: #1 Carvin, #2 D’Angelico & Epiphone, #3 Ibanez.

For those interested in adding more chords and learning how to build them on the fretboard, there is a website where you can download and compile PDF files of Ted Greene’s revolutionary V-System for free. Steve has mentioned Ted’s Chord Chemistry book a few times. I don’t have the book, but as I recall Steve had said it was mostly page after page of chord diagrams. This on the other hand is a system that can be used to construct chords on the fretboard. Here’s the link to Ted Greene’s V-System. I hope you will find the methods helpful.

My favourite electric guitar is in my profile photo, so for this I’ll use my favourite acoustic one: a replica of Paul McCartney 1964 Texan.

We don’t have the “Helpful Guitar Resources” Forum yet, so I’m putting it here for the time being. I have a couple of publications from FUNDAMENTALCHANGES and I find them to be very well thought out and structured. The site has a pretty big selection by now, and everyone can find something for themselves.

Pain is a very real issue. Warm-up exercises and stretches are extremely important. I myself had to deal with tendonitis and trigger finger for over six months. Had to go for physiotherapy, but it only helped partially. I had to continue prescribed exercises at home and that’s probably the case for most people. Got rid of the trigger finger eventually, but I still get somewhat stiff fingers in the morning. I no longer pick up the guitar without proper warm-up and stretches as I sometimes used to. I remember Six String posted similar, if not the same, videos on the old forum. Gary Crowley identifies himself as a chronic joint pain specialist, seems very credible and shares a lot of information in both video and written formats on his website. Of course, one should consult a physician first, but in my case the advice given by my physiotherapist matched that of Gary’s. As always though, prevention is the best medicine.

I fully concur with your policy, Steve. Actually, I have a little suggestion I’ll put in the Discussion Board Beta Observation/Suggestions thread.

As Diane says E-G-B-D is Em7 and E-G-B-D# is Emin-maj7. In a minor tonality Emin-maj7 is the I chord of the harmonic minor which is a variation of a minor scale, formed by raising the seventh note one half step. Doing so creates a leading tone to the scale. In the natural E minor, unlike the E major tonality, the dominant is built over the seventh degree of the scale which is bVII7 or D7. I hope this clarifies the confusion somewhat.

@Jusca Watch the last live lesson, starting at the 30:00 minute mark, and it should answer your question. Here’s the LINK.