Bebop Vocabulary Fundamentals For Jazz Guitar Vol.3

In this course, I show you the basic building blocks of traditional bebop vocabulary through the use of small melodic fragments. Many of these fragments are based on chord tones and enclosures. We start with basic enclosures that come from classical music and work our way to more intricate chromatic enclosures. We also explore the historical approach of developing bebop vocabulary which comes from voice leading and "harmonic direction" than actual scales/modes or arpeggios.

Harmonic direction is the idea of tension and resolution. It is essentially about understanding in which direction chord progressions are going, and this is a key concept in understanding why certain musicians choose certain substitutions at certain moments. However, this course is not a harmony course and strictly about building vocabulary. Nonetheless, when necessary, some of these concepts are explained.

Last but not least, we look at all this through the perspective of the typical bebop guitarist, from players like Charlie Christian, Barney Kessell, Johnny Smith, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, etc. Players who play bebop jazz guitar are often able to harmonize their lines because they are able to instantaneously visualize chord shapes that go with every single note they play. In order to do this, there are certain basic chord shapes to master.

There will be many examples of typical lines in this lesson series, but this is beyond a typical "licks" course. I want you to understand the building blocks of these long lines. When you understand many of these concepts, it will make listening to Bebop musicians a lot easier, and hopefully you will understand why they play certain substitutions at certain times.

Volume 3 of this volume series picks up where the previous volume left off. I continue showing many lines over different chord progressions that you are likely to encounter and explain the thought harmonic thought process. There is a little bit less talking as the previous volume has explained many of the concepts used in this volume.