Have you ever wondered how a Jazz guitar player navigated their way through what seemed to be a chord change every other beat or worse yet every beat? Well, as usual there no substitute for practice and time spent learning how to play your instrument but I think I have something that will be a valuable tool.
In this class I will show you how to use 3-note chord shapes to navigate some of the more common chord changes that you will come up against in Jazz. Three-note chords, used by countless swing/jazz guitar players from the late 20s to the present are a vital part of a guitar players arsenal. We will start by getting comfortable with moving one simple shape around to play a minor blues concentrating on getting the whole class to swing together. The next thing we will do is add some more shapes and sounds to make it a little more interesting and soon move into a major blues. From there I would like to go on to applying our newfound 3-note wonders to some jazz standards and turnarounds. The other thing we will work on is analyzing these shapes and sounds so that we can make the best use of them. At this point, I will ask you not to let a little music theory (I mean a very little) send you running. The more you know about how these things work, the more you will be able to utilize them in your playing.
I consider this class to be at the intermediate level. By that I mean the student should be (1) comfortable playing some Swing/Jazz standards using
closed chord shapes (e.g. a 12-bar blues, Sweet Georgia Brown, I Got Rhythm, Honeysuckle Rose, Lady Be Good), (2) able to execute step 1 while keeping good consistent rhythm.
I’m looking forward to Augusta this year. See ya there!
Instructor Bio
Tom Mitchell’s guitar playing is rooted in the styles of the 1920s and ’30s jazz, western swing, country blues, and old-time music. Ten years of playing with the legendary Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks took him around the world and led to the recording of two acclaimed CDs including Beatin’ the Heat, which featured guest appearances by Bette Midler, Ricki Lee Jones, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and Brian Setzer. His work with Ann Savoy and her Sleepless Knights led to a movie soundtrack spot and producer credits for the Sony picture All the King’s Men. He makes his home in Baltimore where he can be seen playing with some great players and bands including the Blue Rhythm Boys and The Redwine Jazz Trio.
As a teacher and performer, Tom has worked at many music and dance workshops and camps such as Ashokan Fiddle and Dance, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, The Swannanoa Gathering, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and Augusta Heritage Center.
Tom’s love of swing guitar shines brightly through his playing, and his extensive knowledge and appreciation of jazz history and tradition brings a “true to style” integrity to any venture he undertakes. “
Check out Mitchell at Augusta in 2021: