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Do you like jazz? But playing and understanding all these fancy chords seemed hard for you?
Do you like jazz? But playing and understanding all these fancy chords seemed hard for you?
The Jazz Chord Base is a system to accompany jazz tunes in a way that will let you understand the chords quick and easy. The course is filled with explanations of the chords, many exercises and every once in a while Stefan tells funny stories of his life as a musician.Learn the structure of chords, understand how they are developed and then practise them with the many exercises. All the exercises are demonstrated on video, include the lead sheets and come with files to use in iRealBook (an app (not included in the course) that plays a band on your computer with bass, drums and piano in your desired practising tempo). And if you don't own iRealPro: each exercise has an audiofile for download to play along.
Learn to find your way on the fretboard in a logical system and start playing these cool jazz chords from the scratch.
Completing the course will make you a great accompanist either as a single player with a singer/soloist or in a band. Also included is: Playing Chord solos and playing with a conductor.
Here are some statements from guitarists, who have taken the course:P.O. writes: «… this course seems brilliant. Just enough simplification to make it pretty easy …” T.T. writes: “… Simplified and broke down the complicated chord theory in to pieces, easy to digest, step by step exercises make the whole learning experience fun and achievable. Excellent. ”C.B. writes: “I have learned more in the last three days than I did in six weeks. ...”
This course is also available in German.
In this lecture you will learn about the Goal of the Course, what the Requirements are and you may download a description on how to install iRealPro (check the file on the left called "iRealPro_E.pdf"). You can also download a file which contains all the exercises for the Jazz Chord Base in iRealPro format (file called "The Jazz Chord Base Exercises.html")
See how to install the iRealPro-Files.
Explanation of the Basic Principle of the Jazz Chord Base
Learn the Names of the Notes of the Scale
Every once in a while in this course I will tell you a story from my life as a musician or as a teacher. These anecdotes are all real!
Learn to find the notes on the guitar
A note is announced and you have to play it within a second.
A note is announced and you have to play it on both the E- and the A- string. Includes semitones.
Preview of Section 3 and explanation of the three basic chords. Downloadable PDF: "How to read chord symbols.pdf"
Get to know the first shapes. These are the E- and the A-shape of the 7-chord.
Use the 7-chord for the first time.
Play the same Blues in A - but this time start with the A-shape on fret XII.
Let's try the Blues in another key (in D) with the 7 chords.
The same thing, now in the key of B.
...and in Bb.
First steps to become a single accompanist.
Make use of the Tritone Substitute and the Chromatic Approach
Get to know the new shapes and learn something about the terminology of the Minor and Major modes.
Jazz Waltz in 3 with Minor Chords
The Jazz Waltz Blueswith Minor Chords in D.
The Chromatic Approach works in the mode of Minor as well.
The last of the 3 Basic Chords
Practise the Major7 Chord in various positions
Download the PDF and print it out.
Learn how to use the basic chords in songs
Let's swing! Your first song....
Mack the Knife sits in jail under extreme measurements of security...
Try this famous standard. At the end you find an explanation of the next exercise. You find the mentioned download in the next lecture.
Some more walkbass.
Another classic tune. Can you add the walkbass yourself?
The first of the Rare Chords.
Work on the Minor7b5 in the context of a Chord-Progression
The Diminished Chord is one of the coolest chords ever.
Practise this nice chord in the context of a Turnaround Progression.
A chord for building up tension.
Let's swing the #5.
The 6 Chord: A jazz chord without the seventh.
A Latin cliché.
Download the PDF and print it out.
The famous "Hitchcock-Chord"
A quite psychedelic chord-progression
Effective practising saves time. Here are a few tips to optimize your practicing sessions.
What can you do when you get too low on the fretboard?
Learn to switch the shapes of the same chord.
The bossanova - rhythm works great for some finger picking.
Practice the II-V progression in a song
First a slow version of this BeBop - classic, then up tempo - followed by an outlook to the next section.
The Jazz Police
A short preview of the next section - Explanation of the notation of chords with tensions - Basic rule: Which tension suits which chord.
The first few chords with tensions.
Add tensions to your Blues accompanyment.
Add tensions to this Blues in Eb
Add a walkbass to this Blues with tensions and learn the shapes for triads with their 3rd in the bass.
Very brief: Shapes of the Minor7 with tensions.
Add tensions to the Maj7 and to the 6
Let's combine the basic chords with tensions.
NEUES PLAYVIDEO MACHEN!
Discover the chords with tensions which appear mostly in pieces in the mode of minor.
This Exercise focuses on the II-V-I Cadenza in the mode of minor. Let's add tension notes.
Jobims Latin Classic for practising with tension notes.
Another classic with tension notes.
A Ballad with tensions.
Last but not least: A song that includes a lot of differet chords.
Learn different accents while driving
Why playing chords without the root? - Imagine the root on the fretboard - Which fingers to use when playing two-voiced chords.
Your first shapes without root notes.
Probably the easiest exercise of all.
Probably too easy, but do not forget to imagine the root notes.
Another two chords without root.
You will recognize this exercise from section 3. Try it now without root notes.
This exercise is not hard to play. But understanding the relation between the (imaginary) root note and the chord tones is not that simple.
The more rare chords without root.
The same piece as in the previous section - without roots.
Let's focus on the II-V progression - in two voices only and without root.
Let's take it slow first. Then follow the fast version.
The last exercise for the two-voiced chords without root.
I'll do anything for the show!
Why it is great to play chords with tensions without roots - new diagrams explained
The most common 7 chords with tensions and without root.
Tap that bass!
Similar basic chords in this blues feature different tensions.
Two similar shapes.
Play the tritone substitute chords with a #11. How would it sound if you'd play all the chords with a #11?
Add melodic fragments to your accompaniment and use a diminished chord instead of a 7b9.
The shapes of this chord may be used for two different chords.
A short exercise to practise the #5.
Different ideas for tensions
Play little melodies with the tension notes.
Memorize only 2 shapes and you can derive the remaining tensions.
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