Should You Learn Licks or Transcribe Solos? What You’re Really Copying Is Time Feel
Licks give you fragments. Transcribing a whole solo gives you the player's time feel — and time feel is what makes American music sound like itself. Here's why 'play what you hear' is useless advice unless someone teaches you what to listen for.
Swing Rhythm Guitar: How to Practice With a Metronome on Beats 2 and 4
To practice swing on jazz guitar, set your metronome to click on beats 2 and 4 instead of all four beats. The click becomes the drummer's hi-hat, and your job is to make it disappear by locking your time to it.