Smooth Minor Jazz Guitar - Advanced Lesson

When it comes to smooth jazz in minor keys we are often pretty close to the concept of a minor blues. In this tutorial I talk about advanced improvisation concepts for a simple smooth jazz guitar progression in the key of A minor. Beside the easy way of just playing the A minor pentatonic or the A blues scale over this progression I show you concepts of advanced improvisation by using the different modes for each chord and by working with concepts of modal interchange and upper structure triad. Here is now the progression with which I work in this tutorial : 

Am7 / Am7 / Am7 / Am7 / Am7 / Am7 / Am7 / Am7 A alt

Dm7 / Dm7 / Am7 / Am7 / E7alt / Dm7 /Am7 / Am7 / 

The modes which can be used are displayed here : 

Am7 : 

A minor pentatonic 

A blues scale

A aeolian

A Dorian

 

A7alt:

A minor pentatonic 

A blues scale

A altered

 

Dm7 :

A minor pentatonic 

A blues scale

D dorian

 

E7alt:

A minor pentatonic 

A blues scale

E altered

Minor Smooth Jazz Guitar - Advanced.pdf

Minor Smooth Jazz Guitar - Advanced.gp

minor smooth jazz guitar - advanced.mp3

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Thats a good video to understand modes better. I come from the piano and I must say it is in fact easier to understand modes on the piano. At least for me - but you guess check out this  video if you have dificulties to understand modes.... 🙂

Hi, that was an interesting and well organized video to get an idea of how the modes sound.  Modes do seem a bit easier to master on piano.  Thanks and nice to see a new member who also likes jazz.  Do you play both guitar and saxophone?

14 hours ago, Sara said:

Modes do seem a bit easier to master on piano

yes somehow it's easier because you have  a better visual understanding.

16 hours ago, Sara said:

Hi, that was an interesting and well organized video to get an idea of how the modes sound.  Modes do seem a bit easier to master on piano.  Thanks and nice to see a new member who also likes jazz.  Do you play both guitar and saxophone?

Hi, yes and my tenor sax came with the lockdown as work siren in my homeoffice 😀

That is a nice, I hope you post some of your music 🙂