James Chirillo on Electric Guitar Techniques

In a classic big band setting, there is no substitute for an acoustic archtop guitar. However, if you find yourself on an electric, you have a number of tools at your disposal to get a great tone and support the ensemble. James Chirillo shows you how.
See James in more videos at our Jazz Academy: academy.jalc.org/Jazz/James%20...

[@chuckamok12]

I love his solid concept of the role of his guitar in an ensemble.

[@retsub3]

Man I just _love_ soaking up hard-earned wisdom from old pros who've been around and done it all. So many useful nuggets. Gotta really pay attention; the man doesn't waste a word. Very generous with his knowledge. These no-nonsense master sessions of his are invaluable and very much appreciated.

[@holaferfi]

I love his emphasis on how he feels/what he hears "today" when talking about the tone of the amp and the chords he would play.

[@peachmelba1000]

You know it's jazz when your guitar is as big you, and you're wearing a suit. No shade, just saying.

[@Truminashadepressure]

Yes. Only tube amps allowed.

[@nikosalexopoulos6542]

Wouldn't it be funny if he started blasting some black metal riffs instead?

[@kendrickpreston456]

And when u have ur legs crossed like a chick lol

[@junaidmuhammed5740]

Agreed

[@jacabhayashibeebe553]

Or blues

[@tomdurante1567]

James, I took lessons from you in the 80s right before going off to NT. I simply cannot thank you enough for your kind words of wisdom and musical insight. You've always have been a class act and this video is a fine example that is extremely helpful to guitar players trying to imitate the music of the 20s-40s. Thanks!

[@thejawshop-AdventureRecording]

This isn't about guitar so much, but about music. Rarely do you find such a packed lesson. Thanks you, and great tone and playing.

[@MyJ2B]

Thanks James. I play with a Big Band (London Jazz Orchestra in London, Canada) and still learning how to get that sparse Freddie Green pulse sound on an electric guitar (I actually use a Telecaster a-la Ed Bickert). Your advice on low volume playing, getting eyes off the music sheet whenever possible, listening to the band is key to this style of play. It's tough to do at times, when you can't hear yourself or might get lost in the form!

[@frafrafrafrafra]

Wish I had a teacher like him

[@arib8367]

I don't even listen to big band music but I absolutely love this guy's vibe.

[@jungleninja8415]

Big band music ? What you listen to Ed sheeran ?

[@EssentiallyEllington]

We agree! Acoustic archtop is the way to go - but many students we've found can't afford an extra guitar. This is for those situations

[@wasteyelo1]

I have just found your lessons James. I've played guitar for 20 years. I have played Jazz for four of those years. Your lessons are so insightful, your delivery is perfect and I just your opinion instantly. Thank you for this.

[@rdpatterson2682]

I’ve heard of electric guitars but I thought only the Beatles used those new fangled things.

[@wibell2458]

@Ricardo Hernández Indeed! Blasphemous.

[@shipsahoy1793]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Daniel-ox1sb]

Those devil-worshipping don't know a lick about real music! I'll stick with Sinatra, thanks.

[@Redhotshawntexas]

Them Beatles. Don’t they know electric guitar groups are on the way out?

[@Carlosrastar123]

Hahahaha

[@paulsimmons5726]

This was excellently presented as his experience was self-evident! Great video!

[@phillipholt6005]

I agree with Paul even though this video is 9 years old it increases me wanting a hollow body guitar.

[@Daniel-ox1sb]

@@phillipholt6005 I'm with you, I'm happy i got this vid in my feed.

[@sundowner62james69]

This is slowly getting into my old brain! Thank you sir.

[@JM-co6rf]

his focus on volume is EXACTLY what an early guitar player should think about

[@MeAndTheBoys_]

Wow, this sharp dressed man is going ham on the porkchop. You can literally hear the drums, when he is playing rhythm. I love to see that this tradition is still around.

[@PureMadMetal]

Great master class, intro to 'the' sound and 'how to' I'll definitely be deconstructing this lesson and incorporating some of these techniques into my playing.

[@gb-nz]

This guitar thing may be popular one day!

[@AlfredHugecokk]

That guitar is freaking huge.

[@marktestoni6483]

Mr Chrillo is not a big human those models are about the size of a Gibson J200

[@AlfredHugecokk]

@@marktestoni6483 Ok thanks. That's what I thought. I'm a small guy myself (5,7 feet) and I sometimes refuse to buy some guitars because of their size (or mine 😂)

[@Daniel-ox1sb]

This guy is such an expert, very cool.

[@iVenge]

He knows what he knows. No doubt about it. Now, I have no use for it whatsoever with the music I play, but that’s why there are different types of music. I appreciate his knowledge.

[@graemesandstrom5654]

That was incredible. I’d love to hear you play more. I love your approach. 🎶❤️🇦🇺

[@davidspebble]

LOVE THIS. I sang in a big band( The Frankie James Big Band) around 1998-2000. But I also played guitar in my own jazz trio. I had a Guild Artist Award too. David Palizzolo

[@chrisbeaumont4630]

Respect man, that's awesome

[@TheSteakStyles]

This man really just giving away wisdom for free

[@wornelith]

Thank you James !!!

[@ensignofindustry1033]

So Metal Zone hidden behind the amp in the loop. ☑️

[@etarepsedllits48]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@AllenPinchloaf]

You are a master of this style

[@jerrymcgeorge4117]

My old U. of North Texas homeboy. Hi Jimmy!

[@AnotherSixStringerChannel]

awesome! thanks for these video series, best of youtube on this topic! hats off to you Sir!

[@andretremblay5344]

Great info. Thanks!

[@brandonsayer7631]

Thanks james... stay awesome

[@TonyfromBham]

I agree with everything he says except for his thoughts on amp choice. I have a late 80s Polytone Mini Brute II (no tubes), & I get a really nice, natural jazz rhythm sound with that transistor amp.

[@robsgirl6465]

Tony Lombardo : I'm using a vintage Fender Ultimate Chorus, which is the solid state cousin to Fender's Twin Reverb, and I do alright as well. Tubes are ok, but if you don't have the cash, solid state can work just as well.

[@cmfaot]

yeah transistors sing really well@@robsgirl6465

[@robsgirl6465]

Hey hey Charles!!! Thanks mate👍

[@jindaboonprasert1693]

I too get a rich sound from Roland Cube 30 on the clean channel.

[@gtrjay55]

I use a Fender Champion 40. I'm pleased with the sound and the fact it weighs 19 lbs. I can leave a Super Reverb at home.

[@jasonwalters6329]

Beautiful guitars!!

[@kurikokaleidoscope]

This is particularly brilliant 🍎

[@SteveWilliamsworld]

great teacher

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

nice guitar and amp I love my palomino solo jazz w floating pick up and bugera v 22 with 212 ext speaker

[@williamsporing1500]

I’ve had a v22 since they came out. I love it!

[@EssentiallyEllington]

He does more playing at our Jazz Academy site - you can see the link in the video description

[@theignorantsavants]

Where have these videos been all my life?!

[@johnmatelski6413]

i think the right over left leg cross is very key for Freddie Green... almost yogic in the prerequisite flexibility

[@masonpalmer1752]

It also helps to not mute any sound coming from the back guitar from putting your stomach to it if I’m correct

[@albertoortega2467]

Que belleza esas guitarras ...🙏.....saludos de Argentina 👏🇦🇷✌️

[@Wanielyo]

Amps are so directional, like a laser beam, in large groups I prefer to point an amp backwards, preferably at a wall, or flat on the floor (pointing at the ceiling) so the sound diffuses. This is my own solution developed from working in loud groups but its been most usefull in large halls with unamplified orchestras and jazz orchestras. The point is to make sure that everyone in the room hears the same sound, I's a great relief to know that the contuctor is hearing a similar sound to what you are hearing.

[@dstfno]

Only closed back amps/cabs are. Open back have a wider projection.

[@blanejohnson9045]

Using your guitar's volume, your amplifier's volume, left and right hand volume, and using reverb as it was designed to use, you will musically defuse that focused sound your ears are telling you are bad.

[@algreen1231]

very interesting, thanks

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Essentially Ellington The Floating Pickup actually allows the top to Vibrate more freely so it becomes an Acoustic-Electric Archtop Guitar.

[@faisalahmad3309]

Respect. Thankyou

[@erikliljenwall8185]

I wish this had a second camera close in on the guitar to see what he’s playing. Still, he drops so much music knowledge in these 12 minutes I’m gonna have to watch it a few more times.

[@Wayne-P]

thank you sir

[@davidbaise5137]

Chirillo actually smiles at about 4:10. Didn’t think he could.

[@IainEmslie]

Solfege is the way of assigning syllables to the notes of the scale so that you can recognize the pitch relationships: do re mi fa so la ti do. There also alterations for chromatic notes.

[@JustAnotherBlader]

You can’t play with someone like Wynton Marsalis and just wing it lol, this guy is like the guitar player’s player’s player.

[@GerardHammond]

omg - you are awesome!

[@GerardHammond]

yep

[@veshaw.]

Anybody with the suit on has my respect and attention

[@keepondoubletruckin8466]

Thank You

[@melvinyap2830]

This man is dope

[@goodpeopleoftheworldunite]

Great video, first of all. I always wondered why the guitar is so low (invisible) in the mix with this type of music. The same usually goes for the bass too. I would like to hear more of those instruments in the band mix. They sound great when isolated, so turn up a bit, I say.

[@truthiz7873]

His set at the Holiday Inn on Thursday during happy hour is good too. Seems down to earth and drinks are half price

[@metalox88]

😀

[@KeatonTait]

Cool

[@kbargos]

If you don’t know, this dude is THE MAN.

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

My friend, you are a Professional Guitar Player. My hat is off to you. Your rhythm playing swings its ass off. Pardon my language but that's the only way to say it. The fact that you only occasionally *expand* your Freddie chords to include a second voice ... if there is a Zen of jazz guitar, that is it. You know (and play) what Freddie did, i.e. that single-note voicings in that tenor line sound like whole chords -- if you *make* them sound like whole chords. I'd be curious to know the balance/ratio of 3rds vs. 7ths that occurs naturally in your playing over the course of an evening.

[@pawlowski6132]

If you're only getting the sound from the pickup. It doesn't matter if it's a floating pickup or part of the guitar top. It would only matter if you're recording it and you want to pick up some of the electric sound and some of the acoustic sound.

[@Jens_2013]

I love @09:47 ff - this is amazing. keep your ears open and don't look every sec on your paper

[@jaxone1259]

NICE STUFF what Speakers are you using in your amp .....Have you tried different ones ?

[@monoswinger]

For me, learning Bach by ear (w solmization) is really helpful too (to play better jazz impro). It teach my ears to hear in a 'bigger system'

[@displaychicken]

It’s amazing how universally applicable Bach is.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Actually there now is a Substitute for the Acoustic Archtop Guitar. The Electric Archtop Guitar was originally supposed to be a good substitute that could compete w/ the horns as the bands became twice as loud

[@oldguitarguy7528]

That thing is EXPENSIVE!! BELIEVE THAT, WISH I HAD ONE. Also, is that fun to play like that for you?

[@arobatto]

Love that Guild Artist Award!

[@tigershav]

is he small or are these guitars massive?

[@guillaumefloatin91]

Excuse me, what did james chirillo said he studied for his relative pitch ? I am french and don't understand clearly the worlds. Is it moveable do ? what is it ?

[@jimmmmybrady]

He means instead of being in a key,say c,thinking c d e f g a b,you think do re mi fa sol la ti ,I think it is better to think 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 because it is more logical and for me easier.Because when you are thinking of all notes as in relation to the 1 or Root it always applies to the next key and the next.

[@guillaumefloatin91]

thank you.

[@monoswinger]

It's solfège. You (french people) have a great solfège school, as I know. We have too. Our is Kodály method, maybe you heard about it. I've read a story, when somebody went to Kodály and ask him: 'Master we finished your solfage method, all books. Kodály: And the french one??! :)) So, my french friend, you're lucky, because it's easy to find a good teacher, if you want :)

[@terrymiller111]

The bear went over the mountain. The bear is a major third. Some where over the rainbow. Some where is an octave. Do, a deer, a female deer. You know.

[@guillaumefloatin91]

Thank you ... Ate a "terrine of deer" three days ago ... Very good. And we went over the mountain.

[@lotion251]

What amp stand is James using?

[@clarencevickrot3531]

Twin Reverb has tilt-back legs

[@mark6302]

this guy is slick as hell

[@gypsytreasures3856]

Is his hair part rt above his left ear? Comb over?

[@RMFpets]

Would love to him play metal or rock music . Just to see his approach

[@Austin18025]

Camera needs to be zoomed WAY in.

[@NDahlonline]

I am a bit confused when he's talking about the tone buttons on the amp, turning them up a little and giving it a little boost. I recently learned elsewhere that the tone knobs are not boosting, but reducing. You start at 10 and then reduce. Can anyone shine a light on my confusion?

[@edorissen]

I think it depends on the style you want. Some players use a darker sound, some prefer a much sharper tone, like this guy.

[@guitarjams1008]

What style music is this jazz and blues ?

[@WhenHariMetKari]

100th comment. Ty to all the aspiring musicians. Stay humble.

[@percys9427]

crushing golf balls lmao

[@farmerjoe6919]

Wonder how much the guitars cost

[@pokemonparrot6673]

What about a Marshall amp?

[@mudfly3]

0:50 foreshadowing the sound

[@pawlowski6132]

Interesting since the magnetic pickup doesn't pick up sounds from the guitar only the strings so, whether the pickup dampens the acoustic sound is irrelevant.

[@StopPanakinAnakin]

Ask no questions. Start the video at 5:58. .....as you were.

[@alinevignol8460]

I was looking for that...

[@MatthewZmusician209]

Can you play a guitar like that acoustically

[@estebanb7166]

No. It will explode.

[@Corpsegrinder138]

Tubes are gonna be pretty scarce soon.

[@d00mf00d]

What is he saying about studying "soul fay jah?"

[@theodorebenton5928]

10:00 Best Advice

[@barronvonschneider2834]

Where are you getting the 75% number from? Was it the same fella who told you that hair piece looked good? 😂

[@michaelvaldez6878]

Awesome video, but can you play a bit, too? I'd love to hear your!

[@kevinbourque1037]

Freebird!

[@epf1961]

What is he saying at 11:02? Study what? So-fage? I don't understand what he's saying... Can someone please clarify?

[@bawseeeee602]

solfege

[@rhmayer1]

Music majors will study solfege (pronounced like SOUL fudge, except with an e instead of a u in fudge: fedge). We learn to sing Bach chorales in solfege, for example, or Gregorian chants, etc. Meaning, we set our instrument aside and use our voice, sounding syllables with the different syllables having different pitches. Do re mi fa so la ti (and do again, etc.) are sung as syllables of the major scale. You can try it yourself: try singing a major scale using the solfege syllables. You might next take a familiar simple nursery rhyme, find do (the root of the key it's in), study the pitches of the first 3 notes and match the solfege syllables to their intervals, then move on to the next few notes of the melody, etc. Minor tones have different syllables. (I used to know the chromatic scale in solfege.) The point of singing in solfege is that it teaches you the (pitch) intervals. "Do la" has the sound of the root and (major) 6th - a particular pitch interval. Once you learn that interval (and all the other intervals) by learning to sing melodies in solfege, you learn to hear and recognize those intervals very quickly. It's ear training. Although it is typically studied by classical musicians, it works very well for jazz musicians as well since jazz has a lot of improvisation, which is essentially spontaneous composition - hearing something in your mind and expressing it on your instrument instantly. So the solfege ear training helps your "inner ear" - and knowing the intervals, allows you to play that/those interval/s on your instrument immediately, without delay, without thinking - helping to make your instrument transparent to the musical idea in your mind. The creation of music is rather magical. Solfege is merely a technique, "one of the tools in the tool box," to help that magic along.

[@bsnf-5]

Yeah, many rock and blues players probably would just call it "playing by ear". You're not using music sheet, just your instinct. If you practice let's say the pentatonic scale over blues progressions, you eventually develop that skills, the other user above is talking about - you.begin to hear the intervals, and you know where these intervals are on the nect, on each string and each fret... It's not just using your ears, but most people will simplify the whole approach by calling it like that. It's actually using your ears, and many more things like: muscle memory, thinking about chord changes, and knowing right scales, knowing music theory well enough to use right scale/arpeggio/triad or whatever in a right context, etc.

[@sambac2053]

That's the straight skinny!

[@ledhendrix5054]

Im imagining he's holding a Jackson Tiger Striped guitar and theres an Ibanez 8 string in the stand , and this is Called Clean Shirt Metal

[@shreivox]

He's saying solfege. That's a music study.

[@camatkins]

i like your wig!

[@NailFactoryProds]

Oh dear

[@nikosalexopoulos6542]

Most extreme dress styles in music: Metal guitarist: Long hair, chains, tight pants Black metal guitarist: Face make-up, spikes, black clothes Jazz guitarist: Suit, tie and slick shoes

[@edzmuda6870]

🎵🎶 I’m a soul fedge 🎵🎶 I’m a soul fedge

[@turntable7248]

Excelente parlanchin

[@Calypso993]

would have recorded the guitar with an ambient mic, not directly close to the speaker, that way the guitar sounds boxed, restrained.

[@notapplicable2515]

this guy ...