A jazz guitar practice routine is the most important aspect of learning the genre.

There is no shortage of great musicians talking about the discipline of learning music.

You have most likely heard about the eight hours per day practice stories.

Let’s not forget the 10,000 hour rule either.

Yes, these are all great and inspiring.

But, you most likely feel overwhelmed too.

Let’s face facts.

Most of us do not have eight hours a day to practice.

Some of us are lucky to even find one hour a day to dedicate due to life commitments.

That’s ok.

You can still progress and learn jazz if you commit to regular practice, so let’s get started.

Jazz Guitar Practice Routine – Consistency

The key skill you need to acquire is consistency.

Learning jazz is an on going process that lasts for years.

Therefore, a consistent jazz guitar practice routine over months and years will guarantee your progress.

For example, you could practice for two hours one day, then nothing for a few days.

Instead, do one hour every day.

If you find more time one day, that’s great, do more practice.

But if practicing more in one day results in no practice for days after, then pace yourself out instead.

Imagine you had to jog or walk across a country, like America.

If you push yourself too much in one day, you’ll most likely be too tired to continue the next day.

But if you are consistent with your limits you will reach your goal.

The same applies with jazz practice.

Practicing consistently produces the following benefits:

Momentum You will find practicing one hour a day less overwhelming.



Focus Can you really focus on a task longer than an hour or two day while refraining from having a jam?

Results Instead of burning yourself out, you will be able to accomplish something small almost every day.

Jazz Guitar Practice Routine – Method

If you are anything like the younger me, then you will have no method and logic to your practice at all.

Most of us have limited time.

So, you want to make the most of out of each practice session.

You can do this by using a method.

For example, methods are usually proven to give you results.

Think of using a method like going on a diet.

If you stick to the prescribed diet on a daily basis you will loose weight.

The same applies to learning jazz.

If you have a method that you are consistent with on a daily basis you will see results.

The method I use is simple to grasp because the practice comes under one of three categories; tunes, technique and transcription.

1. Tunes

Here’s a scenario for you.

There are two jazz musicians.

The first knows 100 scales and 0 tunes.

However, the other jazz musician knows 100 tunes and 0 scales.

Which musician do you think will play better music?

The musician that knows 100 tunes.

Most early jazz musicians were most likely not fluent with the modes of the harmonic minor scale.

Infact it wasn’t until the 1950’s when jazz theory started to become a thing.

This is a long time after the first recordings of the early players such as Lester Young, Charlie Christian and Coleman Hawkins, for example.

Learning scales is great don’t get me wrong.

But, you need to know tunes that you can apply them to.

Jazz standards cement all the practice elements together.

Learning Jazz Tunes

What does learning a jazz standard actually mean?

Learning a jazz standard means memorizing and internalizing the tune so that you can play the melody, chords and improvise over the chord changes.

This does not mean sight reading a melody.

The first jazz standard you learn will take longer than others.

Why?

Because there are usually more new techniques to learn.

The good news is that many jazz standards use similar chord progressions and forms.

For example, let’s look at Autumn Leaves and Beautiful Love.

Each standard is 32 bars in length and contains major and minor ii-V-I’s.

For example, Autumn Leaves has a major ii-V-I followed by a ii-V-I in the relative minor.

Whereas Beautiful Love has a minor ii-V-I followed by a ii-V-I in the relative major.

So, once you learn a few jazz standards, you can quickly internalize and learn new ones.

Sometimes you can learn a tune in a matter of minutes, like C Jam Blues, for example.

However, most tunes tend to require at least a few weeks.

Here is a checklist you can use to see how well you know a standard.

Can you do each of the following?

Play the melody only in single lines, ideally in two different octaves on the guitar from memory

Comp through the entire chord progression from memory

Play the chord progression in different keys.

Improvise over the chord progression

If applicable, play a chord melody or solo arrangement of the tune.

2. Technique

Secondly, let’s look at technique as part of a jazz guitar practice routine.

Technique is probably the most vague element.

For example, working on your technique can include any of the following:

Chords

Scales

Reading

Improvisation

Picking

Fingerstyle

You can obviously combine different elements of technique together.

For example, you can practice scales and chords while improvising.

As a musician, you sometimes need to sight improvise and comp over a progression that you do not know from memory.

So, you can practice sight improvisation using the following steps:

Find backing tracks on YouTube or iReal B that show a chord chart to a progression Select tunes that are not too fast or harmonically difficult to start with Give yourself a few minutes to look over the chart Play the backing track and listen to the song all the way through Comp for one or two choruses Improvise for one or two choruses

You most probably will not sound as good as you improvising over tune from memory.

But, sight improvising will give you more opportunities and test what you scales, chords, and lines you instinctively use.

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3. Transcription

Jazz is a language and every musical idea is like a word.

Like speaking, there’s rhythmic and pitch to a phrase.

So, knowing more words (phrases) you will help you have a fluent conversation (solo).

Infants learn to speak a language through listening to other people so that they can express themselves.

The same applies to jazz.

For example, learning the language will help you express yourself.

You can learn the jazz language by using transcription.

Transcribing is usually the most challenging of the three T’s.

Why?

Because you need to develop an ear for jazz.

And that takes a LOT of trial and error.

But, you are not alone.

Remember that consistent practice will make this easier.

You can transcribe any solo that you like.

But, starting with say Giant Steps is probably not the best idea.

Here are a few suggestions of easier solos that you can start with:

So What – Miles Davis

Autumn Leaves – Miles Davis

Cool Blues – Grant Green

Chitlins Con Carne – Kenny Burrell

Autumn Leaves – Chet Baker

Do It The Hard Way – Chet Baker

Transcription Process

There are three T’s to the transcription process:

Transcribe

Technique

Theory

Firstly, transcribing the solo means working out the phrase or solo by ear.

Therefore, you can not use tabs or a transcription.

Secondly, technique means that you can meet the technical requirements of the solo.

That means matching the subtle articulations, tempo, and feel.

Finally, theory means that you can analyze the solo and understand what is going on.

For example, you ultimately need to understand the harmonic and rhythmic concepts of what you can play.

Here is a checklist for completing a transcription:

Can you play the solo to both the original recording and with a metronome?

Have you analyzed every phrase so that you know exactly what improvisation techniques are used?

Can you sing the solo while playing the chords to the progression?

Once you can comfortably play the solo you can combine transcription with technique.

Therefore, you will incorporate the concept of what you like in the solo rather than mimic it exactly.

Yes, learning the solo note for note is great to start with.

But, you ultimately need to develop your own ideas from what you have learnt.

Here are a few closing tips:

Keep your favorite guitar nearby!

Firstly, you’ll play it more.

Secondly, you will save time by not needing to get it in and out of the case.

The time you save doing this on a daily basis adds up over months and years.

Record Yourself

Yes, I know this is painful at first.

But, listening back to yourself is one of the most beneficial things you can do.

For example, imagine if you never listen back to yourself and you rush.

You could spend months or even years practicing something the wrong way and think that it is correct.

Play the Guitar

The saying is to play music, not practice music.

Practice, so that you can play music.

Yes, most of the time we need to focus and work on new assignments.

But, you must remember to have some free playing time on the guitar.

This could mean jamming through old standards to keep them fresh.

Or having a blues jam on your favourite guitar.

What are your tips to for a jazz practice routine?

Share your thought in the comment section below.