u/jul3swinf13ld

It was bad Jazz, but Jazz, nether the less.

If you squinted your ears

it's been a year into my guitar journey and 3 months into my jazz adventure. However every time it comes to improvising, i either ended up sounding 'scaley' or defaulting to blues style licks, more Stevie ray than Grant or Wes.

I have been studying consistently with a teacher for those 3 months and my technique and ability has jumped, but it never translated in Jazz vocabulary (not that i expected miracles).

The things that made the most difference IMO

(*disclaimer this is all obvious advice to experienced)

fellow newbies would have heard these, but maybe not focused on it as much.

1. Listen to non-guitar Jazz and listen to their lead lines
2. sing the melodies, both of songs and the melodies in your head.
3. Practising Rose Room solo. Now I'm not yet at the level to transcribe something like this and yes, i used tab. However this gave my fingers the workout to do patterns and progressions that feel very different under the fingers that the pentatonic stuff i spent most of times previous and all the arpeggio work

To be honest, i actually found the cliche 'scat singing' jazz instructor a bit of cringe and i was turned off by it. 90s TV has a lot to answer for this. But like many cliches, it's founded in a proven formula for success.

My usage of the stomp is becoming increasing narrow and considering it's in an office and i practice to online lessons, my PC is always in and so is HX edit.

In fact the box is a slight nuisance if anything (despite a great interface)

I can't see anything i would be missing out on by selling the stomp in my current set up if i can run it all through my PC and Audio Interface.

In fact selling the stomp would help fund a physical amp i would prefer for another room.

Is there anything i am missing here? one i get the (discounted) Helix Native. I will have full access in perpetuity to HN?

I trying to get a list together of songs and riffs that are also great skills developers and repertoire builders.

I know all songs can be, but songs that can taught to beginner and are likely to offer breakthroughs in certain skills.

eg

Cissy Strut - Great short riff with a pull off and a pinky bend which also requires so solid rhythm chops

Blackbird - Great song to move into finger style, with a few tricky fingerings for beginner.

Sweet Home Alabama - a great little study on tirad melody and getting you away from cowboy chords

Wish you were here - A very classic beginner song, but the Guitar solo is very manageable

Let it be - again, the main song is quite easy, but the solo is enough for most beginners to develop lead work

This Charming Man - Syncopated double stops. (Brown Eyed girls is a slighly easier version of this lesson)

Strange Brew - The structure of the main riff is really straight forward, but has a little more nuance to the rhythm, than a lot of electric blues. Some of the solo's and lines are very manageable, but the whole solo is a maybe a little ambitious

Comfortable Numb -1st solo. - It might take you a few weeks to learn the notes, but a lifetime to master the touch