Joe Pass Guitar Lesson

Joe Pass is well known for his up-tempo 
versions of bop tunes such as "Cherokee" and "How 
High the Moon" unaccompanied on the guitar. Unlike 
Stanley Jordan, Joe Pass used conventional (but 
superb) technique, and his Virtuoso series on Pablo 
still sounds remarkable decades 
later. 

Joe Pass got a rough start in his early career. He 
played in a few swing bands (including Tony Pastor's) 
before he graduated from high school, in 1947. But 
after serving in the military, Pass became a drug 
addict, serving time in prison and wasting a decade 
of his carreer. He emerged in 1962 with a record cut 
at Synanon, made a bit of a stir with his For Django 
set, and recorded several other albums for Pacific 
Jazz and World Pacific, and also performed with 
Gerald Wilson, Les McCann, George Shearing, and Benny 
Goodman (1973). 

Joe then maintained a low profile in Los Angeles 
until he was then signed by Norman Granz to his Pablo 
label. 1973's Virtuoso made him a star and he recorded 
for Pablo, unaccompanied, with small groups, on duo 
albums with Ella Fitzgerald, and with such masters as 
Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Milt 
Jackson, and Dizzy Gillespie. 

This lesson is focused on the Joe Pass Jazz Guitar 
Style from a beginning level to help those interested 
in Jazz guitar, obtain a basic understanding of beginner 
level jazz guitar, "Joe Pass Style".

One of Joes most recognized traights to his playing 
style, was his ability to play "chord patterns" and 
"voicings" as part of his guitar solo technique, as 
well as his well recognized "melodies" that relied on 
everything from the diatonic minor scale (natural 
or pure), to his use of diminshed scales and runs.


Jazz Guitar Chord Exercise


   C7 play 4x        F7 play 4x       C7  play 8x
e :---0--------------------------------0------------|
B :---1--------------6-----------------1------------|
G :---3--------------8-----------------3------------|
D :---2--------------7-----------------2------------|
A :-3-3-----------8--8--------------3--3------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


  F7 play 8x        C7 play 4x    A7 play 4x
e :--------------------0----------------------------|
B :----6---------------1--------------10------------|
G :----8---------------3--------------12------------|
D :----7---------------2--------------11------------|
A :-8--8------------3--3----------12--12------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

   Dm7 play 4x       G7 play 4x     C7  play 2x
e :---5-------------------------------0-------------|
B :---6--------------8----------------1-------------|
G :---5--------------10---------------3-------------|
D :---7--------------9----------------2-------------|
A :-5-5--------------10-------------3-3-------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

   A7 play 2x    Dm7 play 2x      G7 play 2x
e :----------------5--------------------------------|
B :----10----------6-----------------8--------------|
G :----12----------5-----------------10-------------|
D :----11----------7-----------------9--------------|
A :-12-12--------5-5--------------10-10-------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

Examples Of Meoldy Lines

C diminsihed 
e :-8-----------------------------------------------|
B :---10-----10-------------------------------------|
G :-------11----11-8-11-8----8----------------------|
D :-----------------------10----10-7-10-7-----------|
A :---------------------------------------9---------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------10----------------------------|
G :--------------8-11-------------------------------|
D :-------7--10-------------------------------------|
A :---6-9-------------------------------------------|
E :-8-----------------------------------------------|


A minor 
e :-17--15-13-15--13-12------12---------------------|
B :----------------------15-----13-15-13-12---------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


e :--------------------------------------13-12------|
B :-------------------------------12--13------------|
G :-14-12------------------12--14-------------------|
D :-------15-14---12-14-15--------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


Griff HamlinPlaying Through The Blues



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