So called “four to the bar” rhythm guitar is a multi-faceted art. A lot of it has to do with good time-keeping but, besides that, how did players like Freddie Green, Jim Hall, and Bucky Pizzarelli managed to create that fantastic moving counterpoint behind soloists, whilst still swinging like the proverbial barn door? Full Course at: https://mikesmasterclasses.com/course/mobile-rhythm-guitar/ Although there are certainly times when a simpler accompaniment is quite sufficient, one only need listen to Jim Hall’s rhythm work behind Bill Evans on “My Funny Valentine” (from their famous “Undercurrent” duo album) to realise the creative possibilities of the role. A great contemporary exponent of the style, James Chirillo, has said that the role of the rhythm guitar is to supply a tenor part to the line played by the bass player. It’s a description that certainly resonates with me, and so the focus here is more on the harmonic side of things i.e. how to actually generate these more mobile rhythm parts in the first place. Whilst some focused metronome work will probably sort out your timing, how to create and combine the shapes themselves can be a more elusive subject. Perhaps the most significant aspect of all this is knowing how to elaborate a basic progression, and convey the resulting chords on a limited number of strings. If we’re able to do this, then the shapes we use will be easier to grab, and the texture will be light enough to allow other players (including pianists) to work around what we’re doing. In this 50m session: We take two familiar progressions (“Minor Swing” and Autumn Leaves”) and create accompaniments for each using one, then two, and finally four shapes per chord. In the process, we learn how the more elaborate versions are derived from the basic ones. Every chord played in this session is fretted using only the 6th, 4th, and 3rd strings. You can even do without the 6th string in the presence of a bassist. We also discuss some general principles of rhythm guitar. It’s not all about chord shapes; time, sound, and ensemble awareness are just as important. As always, the class is linked via on-screen captions to an accompanying PDF booklet, in which everything heard is transcribed using a combination of notation, tab, and chord diagrams. No music reading is required and there shouldn’t be any need to try and work out where I’m putting my fingers from the screen; virtually everything I play is written out for you. Level-wise, this is potentially a class for all takers, I think. The simple accompaniments we start with should be very accessible for inexperienced players, but it may also appeal to more developed guitarists who perhaps haven’t yet looked at this area in much depth. The elaborate ‘one shape per quarter note’ stuff might be a bit daunting for the less experienced jazz player, but there’s no time like the present for putting the principles in place at least. #mikesmasterclasses #jazzguitar

http://mikesclass.es/jamietaylor14/ Class aims: - Assist with memorization of the melody and sequence - Start to develop the necessary harmonic ‘close control’ to improvise on the tune - Develop technique and fretboard awareness, via two purpose-built etudes based on the chord progression At time of writing, this iconic piece by John Coltrane is almost sixty years old but, much like Everest and Kilimanjaro, it remains a perennial attraction for those in search of a challenge! Technically more of a jazz original than a standard, it’s a must know tune nevertheless. This new, shorter, class is based around two purpose-built etudes of mine, and designed to develop thought processes and fretboard awareness that should help you get started on this tricky tune. Perhaps we could think of it as ‘first steps’ to “Giant Steps”! (Note that this class clocks in at just over 30mins duration. I will still be producing the full-length classes in future as well, but flexible session lengths enable me to cover a wider range of topics. Do get in touch if you have any suggestions! JT) In the full 30m33s class: Two bespoke etudes are demonstrated at different tempos, then broken down into specific line constructions. We discuss harmonized scales as a means of improving fretboard knowledge. Pointers are given on how to memorize the progression and melody. As always, everything we discuss is fully notated and tabbed in the 11-page PDF that accompanies the class. Synchronized on-screen captions ensure that you can always see exactly what you’re hearing. For the first time in this package, I’ve also been able to create synchronized notation, so you can see a cursor traveling through the etude transcriptions in sync with my video performance. Level-wise, “Giant Steps” isn’t the easiest piece, and you probably need to have a few simpler tunes under your belt before starting to tackle this one. Having said that, there’s certainly no need to be put off by its reputation - the emphasis here is very much on first principles. The class is mostly aimed at the intermediate player who knows a few tunes and feels ready for the next challenge. Guitar: Gibson L4-CES

In this class, John and Jamie use the familiar chord progression to “Someday My Prince Will Come” to explore the modes of the melodic and harmonic minor. There are specific references to these modes as they apply to altered dominant chords, and tonic diminished as Lydian #9 harmonies. There are also references to triads and right hand technique in John and Jamie’s discussion. The harmony covered has broader applications beyond this one song, as portions of the progression occur in many other standards. A PDF of the tune is provided with the class. http://mikesclass.es/johnjamie1

Aural awareness may not be a totally level playing field at the outset but, whilst some people may be born with more natural facility, anyone can develop it with the right methods. Even perfect pitch can be acquired, although its usefulness is probably open to debate. The particular focus of this session is the acquisition of relative pitch, and how this can help you identify the real music that you hear on the bandstand. You may have heard the idea that you can recognize intervals by relating them to famous songs e.g. by equating an augmented 4th to the opening notes of the theme from The Simpsons. However, whilst there’s nothing wrong with that as a way of getting started, it’s unlikely to get you past the first basic steps. That’s because, just as in navigation, measuring a distance between two points doesn’t actually tell you where you are! The augmented 4th in The Simpsons only sounds like it does because of how that interval relates to the overall context. A different augmented 4th in the same context probably wouldn’t invoke Homer and Marge at all. A much better way of learning to recognize intervals and sounds is by considering the natural gravity that pitches are subject to in a piece of tonal music. This class explains that concept, and shows you how you can use it to identify even quite advanced jazz harmonies by ear. Full Course found Here: https://mikesmasterclasses.com/course/the-gravity-concept-acquiring-relative-pitch-for-the-bandstand/ In the full 53m class we: Discuss the benefits and limitations of the “famous melody” approach. Identify which pitches exert tonal ‘gravity’ and why. Learn how to recognize these as absolute points, from which distances can be measured. Practice this together with a wide range of on-screen examples that you can use as ear tests. Explore how even complex altered dominant sounds can be recognized with this method. Demonstrate a rigorous relative pitch ‘workout’ exercise, using tonic sol-fa This time, the class includes a 20-page PDF booklet, referenced throughout with captions, and synchronized on-screen notation. In terms of level, this material could be of assistance to players with a wide range of experience. A beginner can benefit from getting into good aural awareness habits early on, and there may well be much more advanced players who wish to explore this area as well. If you’re really confident that in a blindfold test, you’d always know a G7b13 from a G7b9 or a Cmaj7#11 from a Cmaj7#5, then you probably don’t need to take this class. If not, though, let’s get started right away! 0:00 - Intro to Oral Awareness 0:18 - Interval recognition 2:26 - Interval testing and examples

http://mikesclass.es/jamietaylor18 Description: Outcome - Improve reading from the treble staff. Q: What do you call two guitarists reading the same line? A: Counterpoint. Q: How do you get a guitarist to turn down? A: Give them the sheet music. …and so on! We’ve all heard the jokes, and it’s true that the guitar can be a difficult instrument to read on. That being said, though, it needn’t be the headache it’s often made out to be, and there’s certainly no reason why a functional level of single-line reading should be any harder for guitarists to acquire than other instrumentalists. It should go without saying that learning to read requires a big pile of sheet music and a fair amount of patience. Some notated material is included here, but you’ll need plenty more - you can’t learn to read from a tutor video alone. Nevertheless, a bit of friendly advice can go a long way to making sure that we’re doing this in a way that’s as effective and efficient as possible - that’s exactly what I’m trying to provide in this class. Over the years, I’ve noticed that some of the existing reading methods for guitar treat the instrument as though it were a trumpet. They seem to reserve the upper registers for advanced study, and prefer to take the student gradually through multiple L.H. positions, from the bottom of the instrument up. In the long term this may well be the right strategy but, to me, it’s always seemed a slightly topsy-turvy way to get started, particularly for electric guitarists looking to eventually play single lines in the jazz style. In this session, therefore, I start by sharing what I’ve found to be the most practical way to look at the instrument, to make the fastest possible progress. From there, we move onto various other aspects of the process. In the full 1hr25m class we: Establish an order of priority for learning the fretboard, based purely on what is most practical. Identify the best kinds of sheet music for guitarists to seek out. Examine an ingenious method for rhythmic recognition, used for many years in classical music pedagogy. Play a Baroque canon in two different tempos. Examine the difference between guitar pitch and concert pitch, and use this to our advantage. Explore the concept of ‘quick study’, and the various ways that our wider knowledge of the guitar can help us when it comes to reading. Employ different techniques for sharpening up our pitch recognition. Review some of the existing literature on the subject, including some unusual ways to use the classic texts. Reflect generally about the particular challenges of reading on guitar and why it’s worth the effort to tackle them. This time, the class includes a 40-page PDF book, referenced throughout with captions, synchronised on-screen notation, and multiple camera angles during complete performances. In terms of level, if you’re already reading Charlie Parker transcriptions etc. there may not be very much here for you this time. However, if you’ve made start on your reading but are finding it slow going, or if you have always wanted to learn but never got around to it, this material should be of assistance. Sub-topic 1 Creating a 'road map' that prioritises the most practical areas of the fretboard. Sub-topic 2 Learning a technique for recognizing rhythmic shapes. Sub-topic 3 Connecting our wider knowledge of the guitar to the task of reading. Class Categories: Chord Voicings Practicing Rhythm Technique INTERMEDIATE / BEGINNER