. One of the most common tunes to learn when first beginning your jazz-guitar journey is Summertime. A classic jazz standard, this tune is not only important to learn, but fun to play both at home and in jam situations.
When learning how to play this tune, we will learn the but often hit a wall in regards to how to turn these shapes into a comping pattern that sounds good and engages the other people we’re jamming with. To help you get over this hump in the woodshed, here is a sample guitar chord study that you can learn in the practice room and use as a template to create your own cool-sounding comping ideas over this important jazz standard. DOWNLOAD PDF What’s In This Study? I have labeled each of the chord shapes and concepts I’ve used to build the chord study in the music below. To help you review these concepts, or get your head around them if they’re new, here is a brief explanation of each of the chord concepts that you will find in this chord study. So What Chords – These chords come from the opening melody to Miles Davis’ tune. They are two m7 chords a tone apart, Dm7-Em7, and are built by stacking 4 th intervals together except the final interval, which is a 3 rd.
24 minute video lesson with PDF in tab and standard notation. Also available streaming. All AUTUMN LEAVES lessons available individually. Click for description and demo. *4* AUTUMN LEAVES SET *4*AUTUMN LEAVES SOLO #1 *4* AUTUMN LEAVES SOLO #2 *4* AUTUMN LEAVES SOLO #3 *4* AUTUMN LEAVES OCTAVE SOLO *3* AUTUMN LEAVES COMPING *4* AUTUMN LEAVES.
Drop 2 Chords – are commonly used jazz chords that are built with the root-position interval structure Root-5 th-7 th-3 rd, with all inversions built progressively from there. 4 th Chords – are built by stacking 2 or more notes using 4 th intervals that are diatonic to the underlying chord or key. 3 to 9 Chords – These are chords that replace the root with the 9 th of the chord, producing the interval structure 3-5-7-9, rather than the normally heard 1-3-5-7. 7b9 Dim7 Chords – When playing over 7b9 chords or 7alt chords, you can outline a 7b9 sound by playing a from the b9, 3 rd, 5 th or b7th of the underlying chord. Triads – Triads in this context refer to the 3 rd, 5 th and 7 th of the underlying chord. When you take away the root of any chord, you end up with a triad, which is smaller and easier to move around the fretboard in your jazz guitar comping ideas. Shells – are three-note chords that combine triads, as you just learned, and other non-root three-note chords such as the 3-b7-b9 chord used over the A7alt shape in the example below.
Summertime Guitar Chord Study. Matt, Your use of the “lyric line” for the purpose of chord analysis is brilliant, and extremely helpful for me.
Since I am a big fan of your teaching, I hope you use this technique more in the future, including with analysis of single-note lines. It’s not a technique that needs to be done for every tab, but I imagine in some instances it could make teaching certain types of material much more efficient, enjoyable, and productive. Dirk, I hope you show Matt’s example to your other contributors/teachers and encourage them to consider this technique in their analysis and comments on their lessons. This one really turned some lights on for me. Best to both of you, Dennis. A little about the “So What” chords and sound. The piece being set in D minor utilizes the Dorian Mode which has as it’s most characteristic coloring the interval of B natural to A ( major 6th of Dminor to the fifth of Dm ).
Also the C natural to B and vice versa are just as significant when staying within the Dorian Mode. The chord Bill Evans plays on So What emphasizes the coloring by having the B to A, be the two top notes of the Em to Dm harmonies.
( Structures of 4th intervals used also ) Thanks Matt for the site! I must share my experiences when I’m here with you and your coaching. I spend maybe an hour or two of very focused exploration within the very context of your lesson!!
It’s amazing!! The material that you present is always within my abilities and comprehension of theory, but it never fails to pull me out of my comfort level and work in a new area – “without a net” so to speak!! Lol I manage to get to that magical place where the world almost disappears and all of my attention and passion is dialed into being in the moment. I mean, you just can’t get any better than that!!
This is beautiful stuff and I can honestly feel artistic growth when I’m here! Thank you so very much:) Question: Who is Dirk Laukens?
That’s the name that comes up when I receive emails from this site. I am familiar with Matt Warnock and have even had a skype lesson with you. I truly love what you present and a thousand thank you’s sir!!:).