Breaking Through Your Improvisation Rut: A Practical Guide to Connecting Melody and Guide Tones
You know your scales and chord tones—but your improvisation still doesn’t sound musical.
The missing link isn’t more theory. It’s learning how to connect melody and harmony through guide tones, voice leading, and simple triadic movement inside a real song.
A Single Sentence from a Master: "It Still Sounds Like 6 to Me"
Sometimes a single sentence can change your entire relationship with music.
A brief comment from Peter Bernstein taught me that complexity is not progress—and that true growth begins with deeply understanding the essence of melody and rhythm.
Dissecting a George Benson Line: The Harmonic Secret of Playing Bbmaj7 Over C7
Some of the most exciting jazz guitar lines don’t come from scales at all.
George Benson’s “outside” sound often comes from superimposing upper structures—borrowing harmonic material from one chord to create modern, unexpected colors inside the changes.
Starting Jazz Guitar? Here’s Who You Must Listen to First (Feat. Wes Montgomery)
Wes Montgomery is the clearest starting point for anyone entering jazz guitar. His melodic clarity, harmonic depth, and iconic octave style form the perfect foundation for understanding the entire lineage of jazz guitar masters.
Beyond Lineage: The 'All-Weather Virtuoso' in Modern Jazz Guitar (A Jesse van Ruller Case Study)
Are you shaped more by the explosive bebop lineage of George Benson or the soulful, blues-driven school of Grant Green? This article explores how modern masters like Jesse van Ruller transcend lineage—becoming “all-weather” guitarists with fully developed musical spectrums.
'Excuses Are Just Excuses': A Working Musician's Philosophy for Growth
Busy musicians struggle to find time, but true growth comes from intention, not hours. This post explores internalization, transcription, and sincerity—how even 30 minutes of focused listening or mindful playing can transform your musical journey.
Deconstructing Harmony: A Functional Analysis of 'Blue Bossa' with Upper-Structure Triads
Upper-structure triads let you create rich, modern sounds over simple chords. By reinterpreting Cm7–Fm7 or Dm7b5–G7–Cm through superstructures, the fretboard becomes a logical map of colors, not isolated shapes. This post breaks down Blue Bossa using real functional UST flow.
Beyond Chord Tones: The Secret to Fluid II-V-I Lines on Jazz Guitar
Most players memorize chord-tone shapes but still sound disconnected. This article explains why guide-tone voice leading—not arpeggio recall—is the key to flowing II–V–I improvisation, and how tracking 3rds and 7ths creates smooth, lyrical lines.
Master Jazz Guitar Scales: The Beginner's Guide to the 'Diagonal Form’
Most beginners get lost memorizing endless scale blocks. This post introduces the simple “skip a string, same shape” diagonal form that frees you from boxed positions and helps you see the fretboard as a fluid, connected pathway.
Lessons from the Lineage: What Richie Hart and the Masters Teach Us About Practice
Jazz guitar becomes meaningful when we stop chasing techniques and begin listening deeply. This post reflects on lessons passed down from Richie Hart and Wes Montgomery, and why sincere listening—not more scales—creates true musical growth.
Liberating the Fretboard: Wes Montgomery's Diagonal Logic and Functional Harmony
Many players feel trapped in vertical scale positions. This article explains how Wes Montgomery’s diagonal fretboard approach, harmonic function, and upper-structure triads reveal the guitar as a flowing map of color and tension—not a set of boxes.
Is Memorizing Chord Tones Enough for Jazz Guitar? (A Better Approach for Beginners)
Many guitarists memorize chord tones but still struggle to sound musical. This post explains why chord-tone soloing often feels mechanical and shows how shifting to a pianist’s mindset—melody + harmony together—instantly transforms your improvisation.
It's Okay to Be a Hobbyist: How to Hold On to Your Identity as a Guitarist
Can you still call yourself a guitarist while working a day job? Yes—when you treat music as a lifelong companion and practice with sincerity, even off the instrument. Here’s a mindset and method to keep your identity alive through listening, intention, and quiet dedication.