Three-Finger Jazz Guitar Technique and Where Swing Feel Comes From
In jazz guitar, swing feel is generated by the physical movement of the left hand between notes — not by alternating pick direction on the right hand. This post explains the three-finger approach taught in the Functional Diagonal Approach (FDA), why the ring finger and pinky are treated as a single unit, what Wes Montgomery's right-hand technique actually shows, and why the common alternate-picking approach to swing produces a sound that does not swing.
How to Build Rhythmic Vocabulary for Jazz Guitar
Rhythmic vocabulary for jazz guitar is built by listening and singing long before it is built by playing — and it requires a personal musical identity to exist first, before transcription from other players can truly benefit you. This post explains the sequence Junewon Choi teaches in the Functional Diagonal Approach (FDA), including the practice method taught by his teacher Richard Hart, and why big band listening is one of the most direct paths to genuine swing feel.
Stop Playing Like a Typewriter: The 3-Finger System and Diagonal Phrasing
You’ve memorized the scales, yet your bebop lines still sound like a typewriter—rigid and devoid of swing. The problem is "vertical playing." Discover how legends like Wes Montgomery used the 3-Finger System and diagonal movement to break out of static boxes and make their guitar lines breathe like a saxophone.