Smooth Jazz Guitar

Well, as the title states, why do it? I, after all, I'm the man known for volume. I like to shred on guitar, whether it be hair parting blues licks through my Mesa Boogie amp, or blistering post bop lines at nose bleed tempos, to the point of one disgruntled club owner asking me if I had something wrong with my hearing and my cheeky reply of, "ehhh?", as I cupped my hand around my ear.

So why go through the process of making a cd on the mellower side, one that is soothing rather than one that starts…

I will lay out here a simple program which if followed exactly will have you improvising like the greats in a very short time!
1) Take a solo of one of your favorite players on any instrument. Learn the solo exactly (spend time on this, even if it takes you weeks.) Spend a little time each day moving ahead a bar at a time. Do it in short spans of time, say 10-15 minutes and then totally withdraw from it the rest of the day, but do this daily. Continue until you have the whole solo down (write it out if you

I base my improvisational approach on the famous saying by Charlie Parker, " First really learn your instrument. Then, forget all that sh-t and just play!"

I take that to heart. I have worked for hours on end, year after year to really learn every note on the guitar neck. Technique wise I mainly have stressed alternate picking, but I also incorporate a good deal of slides, hammer-ons/pulloffs and sweep picking. I don't put a lot of attention on technique anymore other than to warm my fingers and hands up…

So.... what makes Clapton's solos sing, Hendrix's solo's burn, Charlie Parker's solo's sizzle? The key ingredient---- A lyrical, vocal quality to their playing. Do this: put on one of your favorite solos on any instrument and listen carefully a few times. Then, put on some Stevie Wonder or Pavoratti or Sarah Vaughan and listen again very carefully. Do you notice the lyrical/ vocal similarity of the flow of your favorite soloist and how it has a similar quality to the aforementioned vocalists? This is the…

Hi,
Now that I have you in here, here goes, I've been playing guitar now for 45 years and I've amassed a lot of information on guitar playing, jazz, rock, blues, technique, music theory, various other styles, arranging, composition, improvisation, etc, etc, etc.....

So, let me help you out! Send me the questions that you've always wondered about in any category regarding music, and I'll put in thru the old noggin and see what I can come up with for you, or if I don't know the answer I'll make up something…

So, another blog entry from yours truly-hot off the press. So, why do you play music? I'm serious, I want to know. Write me and let me know your inner most feelings on the subject.

As for me, I can state without reservation that when I don't play I feel like half a person.There is a completeness that I feel when the ideas are coursing thru me and out my fingers onto the strings that nothing else in life comes close to. There are definite sensations involved but it is not just a body sensation, its more a…

Before you get the idea this is going to be a droll dissertation on the subject of percussion and subdividing beats, have another thought. This is a fresh look at time and how to utilize time to realize your dreams as an artist or as a successful human being for that matter.

So right into it. Have you ever had a feeling of overwhelm trying to work out how the heck you were going to be able to achieve the ability to solo fluidly on your instrument on any tune? Or how would you ever be able to memorize…