Easy Guitar Soloing

Your stress free guide to soloing in the jazz guitar style.

Written By: Matthew Warnock

Published By: Guitar for Life LLC
Copyright 2018 Guitar for Life LLC
 Expanded Preview Table of Contents
How to Use This eBook

Chapter 1 - Jazzy Pentatonic Scales

Jazzy Pentatonic Scale Patterns
Coltrane Patterns
Approach Notes
Passing Notes
Enclosures
4123 Pattern
Side Stepping
Major Key Pentatonic Scale Application
vi Minor Pentatonic
ii Minor Pentatonic
iii Minor Pentatonic
Lydian Pentatonic
Major ii V I IV Soloing Exercises
The Tune Up Tune Study
Pentatonic Scale for m7b5 Chords
Pentatonic Scale for 7alt Chords
Minor ii V I Exercises
Blue Bossa Study

Chapter 2 - Outlining the Changes – Arpeggios

Jazzy Major ii V I Arpeggios
Jazzy Minor ii V I Arpeggios
Arpeggio Ornaments
Approach Notes Below
Passing Notes
Enclosures
4123 Pattern
Trill Pattern
Major ii V I Arpeggio Exercises
The Tune Up Tune Study
Minor ii V I Arpeggio Exercises
Blue Bossa Study
Chapter 3 - Linear Soloing – Scales and Modes
Major ii V I Key Center Approach
Playing off the iim7 Chord
Playing off the V7 Chord
Playing off the Imaj7 Chord
Jazz Scale Patterns
Thinking in Numbers
134 Patterns
124 Patterns
13/24 Patterns
Combining Patterns
The Tune Up Tune Study
ii V Bebop Scale
Pent Up House Study
Minor ii V I Scales
Natural Minor Shapes
Harmonic Minor Shapes
Dorian Shapes
Melodic Minor Shapes
Blue Bossa Study
Arpeggio Up and Scale Down
Solar Study

Chapter 4 - Heart of the Matter – Guide Tones

What are Guide Tones?
Where to Play Guide Tones?
Solar Guide Tone Study
Guide Tone Ornaments
Pent Up House Study
Guide Tone Arpeggio Exercises
Major ii V I Progressions
Minor ii V I Progressions
Sunny Study

Chapter 5 - Learning to Breathe – Phrasing

What is Phrasing?
Phrasing Exercises Part 1
Phrasing Exercise 1.1
Phrasing Exercise 1.2
Blues Study
Phrasing Exercises Part 2
Phrasing Exercise 2.1
Phrasing Exercise 2.2
Summertime Study
Chapter 6 - Toe Tapping – Jazz Rhythms
Rhythmic Duration Workout
Whole Notes
Half Notes
Quarter Notes
8th Notes
Solar Study
Syncopated Rhythms Workout
Whole Notes on & of 1
Whole Notes on the & of 4
Half Notes on & of 1 and 3
Half Notes on & of 2 and 4
Quarter Note Up Beats
Blues in F Study
Essential Jazz Rhythms
Charleston Rhythm
Charleston Variation
& of 1 and 3
& of 2 and 4
Dotted Quarter Notes
Minor Blues Study

Chapter 7 - Slipping and Sliding – Articulation

What is Articulation?
Hammer Ons
Blues in G Study
Pull Offs
Pent Up House Study
Slides
Minor Blues in A Study
Combined Slur Patterns
Blue Bossa Study

Chapter 8 - Reading Between the Lines – Accents

What Are Accents?
All Down Beats Exercise
Pent Up House Study
Up Beat Accents Exercise
The Tune Up Tune Study and Exercise
Mixed Accents Exercise
Solar Study
Bossa Accent Exercises
Blue Bossa Study
Chapter 9 - Melodic Development
Targeting Specific Chord Types
Tune Up Tune Study
Targeting a Specific Chord
Blue Bossa Study
Targeting Progressions
Sunny Study
Cleansing the Palette
Blues in F Study
Working a Melody for Long Durations
Pent Up House Study

About the Author

 How to Use This eBook
Welcome to Easy Jazz Guitar Soloing. It’s great to have you here!

One of the biggest problems I see jazz guitarists face when soloing is
they learn scales and arpeggios, etc., but they don’t sound like jazz.

This is because they’ve bought into the myth that playing scale A over
chord B equals jazz.

While scales and arpeggios are essential for a jazz sound, they’re not the
end of your studies, but the beginning.

This is where this eBook and the material in this eBook come into play.

These exercises show you exactly how to take scales, arpeggios, and
other essential jazz concepts and turn them into jazzy sounding solos.

Along the way you learn by soloing with each and every concept in this
eBook.

This is the best way to approach any of the exercises and concepts
below.

Start by learning the concept, playing the written examples on guitar in

one key, and then expand them out from there.

This means working concepts in different positions, in different scales,

and most importantly, applying them to your soloing practice.

Because soloing is an essential exercise with any of these concepts,

there are slow backing tracks included for many of these exercises.

Make good use of those backing tracks as you have fun soloing over any
exercise while learning new concepts in the process.
Jazz guitar soloing practice doesn’t have to be boring, overly technical,
or intimidating.

In fact it can be down right fun to learn while bringing new levels of
creativity into your practice routine.

If you’re new to jazz guitar soloing, start on page 1 and work your way
down the exercises from there.

If you’re an experienced soloist stuck in a rut, feel free to skip around

until you find the right exercise for your current stage of development.

It takes time and effort to become a high-level jazz guitarist.

But, if you enjoy practicing, see definitive results, and go beyond just
learning scales and arpeggios, you’ll enjoy every step of the journey.

Have fun with these exercises, take your time on the tough ones, and
enjoy your journey to becoming the best jazz guitarist you can be.

Cheers,
Matt
 Outlining the Changes – Arpeggios
The next step to learning how to solo in a jazz style without much stress
is to work on jazzy sounding arpeggios.

Often guitarists will learn arpeggios and use them in their solos only to
sound accurate but a bit plain.

The reason for this is that they’re using root-3-5-7 arpeggios, which just
mimic the chord tones in their solos, and don’t add any other notes.

Running arpeggios is fine, but it does sound like an exercise if you don’t
go further than 1-3-5-7 shapes in your solos.

This chapter shows you how to create colorful arpeggios over essential
jazz chords and progressions.

As well, it introduces you to the chromatic ornaments that jazz

guitarists use to create exciting and engaging arpeggio phrases.

In this chapter you’re given sample fingerings for these arpeggios,

enough to get you started.

But, you can also apply these concepts to any arpeggio shape you know,
and should do that to take things further in your playing.

Jazzy Major ii V I Arpeggios

Here’s how you build a jazzy m7 arpeggio, in this example over a Dm7
chord.

To create a jazzy m7 arpeggio you play a maj7 arpeggio from the b3rd of
that chord.

This means playing Fmaj7 over Dm7 to create a rootless Dm9 sound.
Here’s how that looks so you can get a feel for how this concept sounds
and sits on the fretboard.

Notice that when you take the root note D away from a Dm9 arpeggio
you’re left with Fmaj7.

That’s how you get to the maj7 arpeggio from the b3 of any m7 chord to
produce the m9 sound.

Audio Example 18

To create a V13 sound, you play a maj7#11 arpeggio from the b7 of any
dominant 7th chord.

This means playing Fmaj7#11 over G7 to create a G13 sound, as you see
and hear below.

Notice that this is only 1 note different from the iim7 arpeggio.

There, you played Fmaj7, here you play Fmaj7#11, only the C has moved
to a B in this new arpeggio.

This is important to know because it allows you to outline both chords,

iim7 and V7, without moving your hand.

Practice this arpeggio in a few keys to get the sound of it in your ears.
Then, play the Fmaj7 arpeggio above, followed by the Fmaj7#11
arpeggio below to see how one leads to the other on the fretboard.

Audio Example 19

To create the jazzy maj7 arpeggio, you play a m7 arpeggio from the 3rd
of that chord.

This means playing Em7 over Cmaj7 for example, creating a rootless
Cmaj9 arpeggio in the process.

Here’s how this looks on paper to get a sense for how this arpeggio
sounds and sits on the guitar.

Audio Example 20
Now that you know what arpeggios to play over the major ii V I
progression you learn fingerings for those arpeggios on the guitar.

To begin, here are arpeggios from the 5th string over a ii V I in C major.

When you can play these shapes in C, move them to other keys to take
them further in your studies.

Lastly, put on a backing track and solo with these shapes over ii V I’s in
various keys.

Audio Example 21

You now move these arpeggios to the 4th string root as you outline the
same major ii V I progression.

Notice that there’s no room for a two-octave shape under the Cmaj7
chord.

Because of this, you play up and down a one-octave arpeggio in those

two bars to fill that space.

After you can play these shapes in a few keys, use them to solo over
various major ii V I progressions in your studies.
Audio Example 22

Here are the same arpeggios on the top-three strings.

Work this in multiple keys and then add them to your solos over a major
ii V I backing track.

From there, mix these shapes with the previous arpeggios to cover more
of the fretboard in your soloing lines and phrases.

Audio Example 23
 Jazzy Minor ii V I Arpeggios

You only need to learn one new arpeggio to outline the minor ii V I
arpeggios.

This is because when you see a m7b5 chord, you just play the m7b5
arpeggio that goes with that chord.

As well, you already learned how to play over m7 chords in the previous
section, and the same rule applies here.

That means that the only chord you have to address in a minor ii V I is
the V7alt chord.

When soloing over a V7alt chord, you can play a dim7 arpeggio from the
5th of that chord.

This means playing Bdim7 over E7alt to produce an E7b9 sound.

Here’s how that works.

You take a 7b9 arpeggio, drop the root and you’re left with a dim7
chord, such as the G#dim7 chord below.

If you raise the root up an octave, G#, you get a Bdim7 arpeggio, a dim7
from the 5th of E7alt.

This is important because it allows you to outline both the iim7b5 and
V7alt chords without moving your hand.

In a minor ii V I in Am for example, you play Bm7b5-Bdim7-Cmaj7 over

the three chords, Bm7b5-E7alt-Am7.

Outlining each in the process without moving your hand.

Audio Example 24

Now that you know what arpeggios to use over a minor ii V I, you take
those shapes to the fretboard.

Here’s an example of how to play those arpeggios starting on the 5th-

string root note.

You can also play these shapes on the 6th-string root, but they tend to
sound muddy.

If you do take them to the 6th string, make sure to adjust your tone so
each note comes out clearly on your guitar.

Work this example in Am, then in other keys when you’re ready.

From there, put on the backing track and solo over a minor ii V I using
these shapes as the basis for your lines.
Audio Example 25

Here are the minor ii V I arpeggios on the 432 string set.

Notice that here there’s no room for a two-octave arpeggio over Am7, so
you go up and down that shape instead.

Have fun exploring these arpeggios in other keys and then adding them
to your soloing practice routine over minor ii V I changes.

Audio Example 26

Here are the minor ii V I arpeggios on the top 3 strings to add to your
practice routine.

After you can play these shapes from memory take them to other keys.
Then, add them to your soloing workout over a backing track as you mix
them with the shapes you learned earlier.

Audio Example 27

Arpeggio Ornaments
Now that you know how to play jazzy sounding arpeggios, you take it a
step further by adding ornaments.

Ornaments use notes outside the arpeggios tones to create tension and
release in your lines.

Tension and release is essential when soloing in the jazz style, and these
ornaments are a fast track to getting that sound in your playing.

Work each of these ornaments with a metronome over various

arpeggios, positions, and keys.

From there you can put on a backing track and add each of these
ornaments to your jazz guitar solos.

Have fun with these sounds as you take your arpeggio soloing chops to
the next level.
 Approach Notes Below

The first ornament in this section is the approach note below any
arpeggio note.

Here, you play one fret below any note in the arpeggio to create tension,
then resolve that tension into the arpeggio note from there.

Start by playing the example below over Dm7.

When that’s comfortable, move to other arpeggios and keys as you

explore approach notes further in your studies.

Lastly, put on a backing track and add approach notes to your soloing
lines and phrases.

Audio Example 28

Passing Notes

Passing notes are used to connect two diatonic notes, in this case
arpeggios notes, in your lines.

Here’s an example of passing notes being applied to a Dm7 arpeggio,

where you have two arpeggio notes on one string.
When you have only one note on a string passing notes don’t apply.

Start by learning this ornament over Dm7, then take it to other keys,
other arpeggios, and other positions from there.

Finally, add passing notes to your arpeggio lines and phrases when
soloing over jazz tunes and progressions.

Audio Example 29

Enclosures

Enclosures feature two chromatic notes for every note in the arpeggio.

They’re built by playing one fret above, then one fret below, before
landing on your target note.

Here’s an example of enclosures applied to a Dm7 arpeggio.

After this exercise is comfortable, take enclosures to other keys and

arpeggios in your studies.

From there, put on a backing track and add enclosures to your arpeggio
lines over tunes and progressions.
Audio Example 30

4123 Pattern

I like to call this pattern “4123,” as those are the fingers you use to play
the notes in the pattern.

Start by picking a target note in the arpeggio.

Then, place your fourth finger one fret above that note. From there, just
play 4123 fingers with one finger per fret.

That’s the pattern.

Here it is applied to a Dm7 arpeggio.

Work this pattern over Dm7 first, then take it to other arpeggios and
keys from there.

When ready, put on a backing track and add this pattern to your
arpeggio lines and phrases.
Audio Example 31

Trill Pattern

The last ornament is a trill pattern that plays the target note three times,
surrounded by two chromatic notes.

The entire pattern is:

Target-Fret Above-Target-Fret Below-Target

Because it’s a five-note pattern you play this trill with four 16th notes
followed by a quarter note.

For the fingering, I prefer 2-3-2-1-2 or 3-4-3-2-3, but you can

experiment with others and see what fits best.
Start by learning this trill over the Dm7 arpeggio below.

Then, take it to other arpeggios and positions as you expand it in your

studies.

Lastly, put on a backing track and add this trill to your arpeggios lines
over tunes and progressions when soloing.

Audio Example 32
 Major ii V I Arpeggio Exercises
Now that you know how to apply and ornament these jazzy arpeggios,
you take them to a major ii V I progression.

The first exercise runs up each arpeggio in the progression.

After you can play this exercise in C, take it to other keys, and then other
positions, to expand it in your playing.

From there, put on a ii V I backing track and solo over those chords
using the arpeggios below.

Audio Example 33

In the next exercise you reverse the previous workout as you play down
each arpeggio in a major key ii V I.

Go slow, start without any tempo, and when ready add a metronome to
your workout.

From there, take this exercise to other keys and positions to expand it
further in your playing.
Audio Example 34

You now alternate each arpeggio as you play up the first and down the
second arpeggio throughout the progression.

After you can play this exercise in a few keys and positions, put on a
backing track and solo with these shapes in different keys.

Audio Example 35

The final variation has you play down the first arpeggio then up the
second as you navigate the progression.

After you can play the exercise in C, take it to other keys, then other
positions, to get the most out of it in your workout.
Audio Example 36

The Tune Up Tune Study

Here’s a sample solo that uses the arpeggios and ornaments that you
learned up to this point in the chapter.

Start by learning the study as written, getting it up to speed with the

audio example and backing track when ready.

From there, write out your own Tune Up Tune study using only
arpeggios and ornaments from this chapter.

After that, put on the backing track and solo in real time using only
melodic devices from this chapter.

Audio Example 37
 Minor ii V I Arpeggio Exercises
Now that you know what arpeggios to use in a minor ii V I, you bring
them all together in a progression.

Notice that you use the Cmaj7 arpeggio over Am7, the same m7
arpeggio concept from the major ii V I section.

Start by working each arpeggio up, from the root to the 7th, over the
entire progression.

Practice this exercise in a few positions, then take it to other keys to

expand it from there.

Lastly, put on a backing track and solo with these arpeggios, and the
ornaments you learned earlier, over a minor ii V I in multiple keys.

Audio Example 38

You now reverse the previous exercise as you play down every arpeggio
in the progression.

Seeing any arpeggio from the top down is tough for many guitarists.

Because of this, go slow, use a metronome, and work this exercise in

multiple positions and keys to get the most out of it in your studies.
Audio Example 39

In the next exercise you play up the first arpeggio and down the second,
alternating through the progression from there.

Work this exercise in a number of keys and positions before taking it to

your soloing work out as you expand this idea in the woodshed.

Audio Example 40

You now play down the first arpeggio and up the second.

Make sure to run this exercise at different tempos, with different

arpeggios shapes, and in multiple keys in your studies.
Audio Example 41

Blue Bossa Study

You now learn a solo study over Blue Bossa using the arpeggios and
concepts from this chapter.

Learn this solo one phrase at a time, then connect all the phrases to play
the solo as a whole.

If you dig any of the phrases, take them out of the solo, work them in 12
keys, and use them in other musical situations.

After you have this solo under your fingers over the backing track, write
out your own arpeggio study over Blue Bossa.

Then, put on the backing track and work on soloing in real time using
only the arpeggios and concepts from this chapter.

Audio Example 42
 About the Author
I grew up listening to classic rock and blues, and I still love those styles
of music. But, it’s soloing I really love, and that’s what drew me to jazz.

My love of jazz has taken me from small town Canada around the globe.

I studied at three of the top jazz programs in the world, starting with
McGill University, then Western Michigan, and finishing with a
Doctorate from the University of Illinois (UIUC).

I’ve taught over 6000 private jazz guitar lessons, and my students range
from beginners, to Professors at NYU, and everything in between.

I’ve also taught jazz guitar, popular music, and music business at
universities in Canada, the US, the UK, Brazil, and Nepal.

I’ve played over 2500 gigs in 8 countries and shared the stage with
Randy Brecker, Stefon Harris, and Slide Hampton.

Some of my favorite gigs were at:

• Lincoln Center (NY)

• International Association for Jazz Education Conference (NY)
• NuJazz Festival (Brazil)
• Savassi Jazz Festival (Brazil)
• International Jazz Day Festival (Nepal)

Jazz has been in my life for 20 years, and every day I’m glad I found this
great music. Because of this, I want to share this love of jazz and guitar
with you. You never know where it’ll lead you.

For the best free jazz guitar lessons on the web, visit
mattwarnockguitar.com