Jazz - worth it

[colder]

So, I'm not a jazz guy, really. I admit, my first time through L&MG I skipped the jazz lesson because I wasn't interested in it, and frankly I found it too difficult. What? I have to learn a whole bunch of new chords, and the ones I already know aren't any good anymore? And these are so weird... No thanks 

A month or two ago, my guitar teacher encouraged me to spend time working on funk and jazz to expand my playing. His recommendation of Robben Ford was kind of the gateway drug here, but at some point in the last couple of years I reached the point where I knew enough to look at jazz again and think, "Whoa! This is great!" 

Now, I still don't listen to a ton of jazz outside of a little Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery now and again - but, learning all these crazy chords has really helped me take a leap forward. To anyone who's shied away from it, the struggle is worth it. Once you start seeing all these chords and comparing them to each other, trying to memorize them, you start to see intervals instead of notes. You can quickly figure out how to play a chord you don't know. You start to see why some things sound cool and why some things don't. Hey! That chord progression all pivots off this one note! These two notes are walking down in unison together! 

The things you see when you start to really look at chords like a technician - it's really opened some new doors for me. If you have been coloring inside the lines and afraid to go out like I was, it's SO rewarding. Give it a shot! This is a way to break off a plateau and move upward, and I'm loving it. 

Just wanted to share some encouragement/success/exhortation with all of you 

Edited May 1, 2018 by colder

[Nutty1]

A very inspiring post colder, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[Wim VD]

@colder

I fully agree. Knowledge of jazz chords, related arpeggio's and scales are to me the fundaments of melodic soloing. And the ii-V-I progression works well in many styles.

Wim.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Wim VD