Make Sure You Learn These 3 Things First - Jazz Guitar

[@JensLarsen]

What is the best thing to begin with for Jazz? Most Important Scale Exercise For Jazz: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIvIY2V4g8und6M

[@benkatof5852]

Best thing to start with is a healthy dose of patience.

[@tomcripps7229]

Discipline

[@JensLarsen]

@@benkatof5852 indeed 🙂

[@ADHD_GUITAR]

Probably listening to jazz as well. Its really hard to talk a language you've never heard. You may get the scales, chords and arpeggios but wont understand how to combine them into jazz phrases.

[@JensLarsen]

@@ADHD_GUITAR certainly! Why would you try to learn if you don't listen to the music

[@robertpeveler9570]

Best video yet. ALL beginners should start here! Just wish I’d seen this 10 years ago - how much of my life would have been saved!

[@JensLarsen]

Just go for it 🙂

[@simonbratt9183]

KZbin is very overwhelming when it comes to “How to Jazz”. Your videos always focus on the foundations, which every house is built. Keep teaching and I’ll keep learning 🙌🙌

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it!

[@RichardBaubau]

Yes finding the right or wrong teacher can be the beginning or the end, this guy is the right teacher.

[@JeffBetker]

40 years ago a drummer I had befriended invited me to a jazz fusion jam. I was so lost I could barely play a note! This lesson makes sense even to my 1-4-5 entrenched mind.

[@jucabala957]

What a masterclass. 10 minutes of content that can be translated into months of practice!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was useful 🙂

[@GamerGamer-ok6wu]

All other beginner jazz guitar youtube videos overwhelmed me, this makes everything seem so in grasp and step-wise. I will come back here time and time again. Thank you.

[@davidsonmick]

Easily one of the best guitar tutorials I've ever seen! Everything you need to get started in one place, all explained clearly and simply. You should sell this teaching technique to the thousands of so-called guitar teachers who have no clue how to do it (and are often pretty average guitarists too). Thank you Jens!

[@DadPhone-vr7oq]

I keep coming back to Jens Larsen 's videos. Jens is hip, and he can teach. Good job!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like them!

[@doubled5383]

I would buy Jens’s jazz course. It has this and a lot of other stuff. It’s great.

[@JensLarsen]

🙏🙂

[@Andrew-cs1td]

This material is exactly what I’ve been attempting to learn for years. Hopefully the scale exercise progression you showed will finally get me there. Also nice to see a video that doesn’t go that far over my head. I’m decent with theory intellectually, but have yet to fully connect that knowledge to the fretboard.

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it! 🙂

[@ObedwardEdward]

Your lessons are always clear and understandable thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@brentwheeler2087]

One of your best here Jens. Very clear and plenty of practical sense - and its not flat out and chockfull..... so a slow brain like mine can tie things together. Very helpful. We are continually told to get foundations solid and "right" but in fact not that many teachers do that - they can't resist showing us that they are way better than us. Actually - we know that !! Tis why we're here... so this material you present is a genuine helping hand. Thanks.

[@slowfinger2]

I agree. I didn't start with any theoretical foundation, but learning rapidly as needed. Kind of knowing the arp.'s, the scales, the triads, but struggling to get music out of it. The shell chord part with the 7'th was really helpful to pull everything together. Jens couldn't have picked better examples to play.

[@Larrymh07]

As a former bass player, I'm pleased that Shell voicings leave out the 5th. Bass players are jealous about their 5ths! 😊

[@JensLarsen]

😁🙏

[@okenwaorji8418]

This just gave me the buzz I've been looking for to help become a better guitarist.. Thank you so much.. ❤❤

[@JensLarsen]

Happy to hear that!

[@markrollinger5366]

I agree with " best video yet" ! So much here! These ideas, I've arrived at myself after many years. We have to take a few wrong turns along the way. What am I missing? If you honestly listen to your own playing, along with feedback from players better than you. Making mistakes can be a great learning experience, if you are willing to admit it. Great work, Jens. Thanks so much.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Mark! 🙏

[@yuyutsusharma6977]

What an incredible teaching video

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@jho2646]

And this is why learning simple chords was the key for me. After learning the chords, the scales just seem to arrive much more intuitively.

[@stevecrockett6619]

Excellent description of the shell voicings, Jens! This lesson really removes some of the confusion and difficulty about learning jazz guitar ❤ Thanks so much!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@markeggins890]

Perfect combination of clear teaching with appropriate visuals - amazing.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@CarloMusicLessons]

Jens, adding subtitles (not auto generated) to your lesson is a game changer (for my personal purpose). Thank you very much.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Glad that is useful 🙂

[@2mes2mains]

Very helpful ! A pleasure to watch and listen to, and to work with ! 👍

[@JensLarsen]

Great to hear!

[@rafa_guitar]

As a jazz beginner this video is 100% useful and worthy to follow, thanks so much Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@reginaldparker3248]

Jazz, I have been self teaching myself for 6 months ,but I had no anchor. Thank you for caring at the right time. Appreciated!😊

[@1233farhan]

Jens I want to say thank you very much on your videos. Now my phrasing is much better, forever thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

That's great! Keep at it 👍🙂

[@rickjensen2717]

Very helpful Jens - thank you. It's also really important to play the songs you like, and play solos with the melody in your mind to get the best sound.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@whoguy4231]

Thank You Thank You 🙏🙏🙏

[@JensLarsen]

You're most welcome

[@antigoti]

Soooo glad I just found your channel :)

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome

[@Yourguitarworkshop]

Really fantastic video @JensLarsen , It brings back a lot of memories from when I was studying for my audition at Hilversum Conservatory

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks André! Yes, it is all about getting started 🙂

[@Yourguitarworkshop]

@@JensLarsen Yes it is :-) I'm visiting the Netherlands in August actually, from August 3-25 I'll be in the Rotterdam area

[@JensLarsen]

@@Yourguitarworkshop Nice! I am out of the country in a huge part of that period. but maybe we should see if we could grab a coffee.

[@JensLarsen]

If you have time that is.. 🙂

[@williamkeithfunderburk1257]

Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was useful 🙂

[@haromartinezfernando185]

Im actually learning jazz piano but this is gold thanks yoy

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it is useful!

[@annakaroly]

Great video, advice and information. Thank you Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thomasd9237]

Fantastic lesson. Thank you for posting this 👍👍

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@OneChartguitarlessons]

Yup. This is great practical stuff for us jazz dummies. Thanks Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

This is a fantastic video, Jens! Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@johanvermeulen7668]

Great advise, Jens. After playing years of pop and rock, my interest has schifted to more jazzy inspired music. Even theory has caught my interest as I want to know what I'm playing and when to play it . Playing over the chord changes is very satisfying to play. Keep up the good work and Thank you for sharing.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it 🙂

[@topisantakivi1512]

This is just - AWESOME! Thanks a lot 🙏

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@drfunken7653]

Awesome stuff, really appreciated

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamescopeland5358]

Great lesson Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you James!

[@fntsmk]

Spectacular information presented here, in the most easily understood manner possible. Thank you Jens. I've been a long--time subscriber and appreciate the invaluable information which you impart here for free. Cheers!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@EduardoRaulOlivero]

thanks Jens! your the real gps on our jazz guitar road!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you find the videos useful 🙏

[@deltavistastudio124]

Thanks again Jens. I love how you "put the cookies on the lower shelf" for us. (+1 for REAPER too!)

[@JensLarsen]

Great that it was helpful!

[@gups1979]

very useful, thanks 😊

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@_____8106]

This is so useful even though jazz is not my favorite style still the theory of using triads this way is very useful when improvising

[@user-rq4bz1cz9u]

Perfekt Teaching.! GREAT!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@nebraskanate7417]

Another great video for us aspiring jazz guitar enthusiasts! It is so rich in information I have to slow down your video to 75%. 🙂 Could you recommend a course or book that carries forward the information in this video and that includes exercises and suggested backing tracks? I always appreciate your perspective and the music theory, history lessons, and what to avoid.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I would check out the Jazz Guitar Roadmap if you want to get some stuff figured out and internalized. There's a link in the video description

[@mangolian]

Elementary my dear Jezz Larsen. Thanks. 🙂

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

I play in a Jazz Big Band .Great lesson..wish I had this when I started

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Glad it was useful 🙂

[@aberraalemu2866]

Very clear and helpful explanation. Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SiRgrEEns]

any chance you have a video on these shell voicings? specifically lost on how you determine which ones are major, minor, or other

[@JensLarsen]

Here are a few: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHmXpoSPnKmiqq8

[@myname1469]

You are a god.

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe, that is (slightly?) overstated? 😂

[@thtborges7512]

Very good vídeo.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you

[@awol2602]

nailed it !

[@ryantotten5011]

Great lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@IggyPelman]

This has to be the most useful video on the subject that I've ever seen.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@diegobocco1035]

Asking for authenticity to the most, would you consider doing a whole video in danish? Would be great as a special one

[@JensLarsen]

I am not sure I see the point in doing that, I think Danish is the language of the 3 that I have taught the least in. Why would that be more authentic?

[@nicoluminous]

wow super good!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@jolijnboland3333]

Dankjewel! Ik ga dit ter aanvulling oefenen naast de 12 most important voicings les van je die ik stap voor stap doorneem. Ik ben de gaten in mijn kennis aan het opvullen en ben helemaal weer bij de basis begonnen. Er is zo veel op KZbin maar ik focus me nu op de voicings en de 'methode' van tom quale wat ook al ontzettend heeft geholpen.

[@edd166]

Thank you.

[@johanngregory3499]

Wonderful lesson this’ll take awhile to master! Vielen Dank

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it 👍

[@JeffBetker]

Major scale has always felt better to my fingers than pentatonic, which for me almost always turns into a relative minor scale when improvising. I think I could hear how it’s the way we move through the major scale that distinguishes the progression of notes as jazz. I see it sort of like the ocean tide that ebbs and flows regardless of whether the tide is going in or out.

[@charpentierniko4613]

Tellement clair toutes ces bases merci pour le partage.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful

[@vlazed4809]

you give this exercise for free to everyone? SHEESH thank you so much 😭

[@JensLarsen]

If you can put it to use then that is great! 👍

[@safra]

I've needled this. I can play the guitar, but my improvising sucks.

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it 🙂

[@thomasd9237]

@safra You & me both my friend ☹️

[@musicaleltd]

this is a wonderful lesson! extremely useful

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@Pablo-ft6un]

Danke!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you for the support, Pablo!

[@gorz859]

Awesome video

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@domi21]

Super, avez vous prévu les sous titres en français ? Merci !

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome 🙂

[@jimcadorette1140]

This video is pure gold for me. I’m not into bee-bop yet so what do you recommend for the most basic tune for listening and learning?

[@UHF44epp]

Yes, good stuff!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@matteolatinov6630]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing! I'm wondering though, how do you know when you've got the scale down well enough (third intervals, triads and arpegios) and when should you move to other exercises?

[@JensLarsen]

When it is easy to play in any key and position? But once you have it in your system then it doesn't take more than a minute to play

[@ericstrauch3215]

Great lesson Jens! I always thought the three most important scales in jazz were Major, Dorian, and Mixolydian..Jamey Aebersold pushed these 3 in his play along books. What are your thoughts? Also, can you do a more in depth video on the 3 scales, Major, Harmonic, and Melodic?

[@JensLarsen]

Modes are not the answer. I have videos on those 3 scales, it's just not in one video since each is a fairly big topic. maybe start here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZPRaZWqa8iAfqs

[@CrazyQ6930]

I'm self-taught. Surely it has an advantage but I can't tell what it is and if I'd learned this early I'd surely be way ahead of where I am today. Jens is a great teacher.

[@cbolt4492]

6:53 Nice playing

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Always entertaining and musical. Cheers, D

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Daniel! 🙂

[@MrDogfish83]

Jens, do you ever come to the US? If you ever plan to come to Kansas City I will personally chauffeur you around. We have a great jazz scene here!

[@JensLarsen]

I don't have much chance to travel to the US, mostly just LA for NAMM

[@muddywolfking]

I have often wondered if the total of all the "Do this every day" "do these 5 exercises every day" "do this for 10 minutes every day" etc wpuld add up to more than 24 hours :)😬

[@JensLarsen]

In this video it wouldn't but if you take enough videos....

[@tomcripps7229]

Thanks!

[@Oi-mj6dv]

Yes. 100% of the top of my lungs yell volume YES. The thing that kills the drive to learn the most is not lacking study material or advice but not knowing whats "the path" what works and why it works and how to implement it. Nothing is more frustrating than being self taught and go out on a limb with something you think will work but finding later down the road you just wasted time when there was a much more streamlined and simple approach. Simple but not easy is what wins the race. Not strange detours, which abound in the online guitar teaching world

[@cbolt4492]

7:49 Mega helpful

[@belindadrake5487]

Sal Salvador’s book has all these exercises that are VERY Useful & used as riffs. You’d know JENS!! It didn’t have tab in it, so lots of dudes would have avoided it. It was my ‘Bible’ for years. It’s really beaten up now!! How would you read a lead sheet if you didn’t know ? These guys are the GREATEST MUSOS. They’ve since re-released it with tab. 🙄 lt’s just my opinion, but you should be able to READ MUSIC. In doing that, you get so much more from reading. And why does everyone always refer to Joe Pass? There’s heaps of other jazz greats. Although, l had a brilliant start in jazz ( & classical). My DAD💔 had a jazz club when he was 17. ( no trad, no ‘3rd stream’; ). DADS💔brother, was into trad big time. When DAD💔& l listened to it ( 24/7) my Uncle Harry DADS💔brother was the trad lover. I remember him getting up & walking out back to his room; he used to say to us, ‘ How can you listen to that crap? They all sound like they’re playing in different rooms! ‘’ 🤣🤣🤣 So, you’d get music blaring out with 2 different styles. So funny to hear & see. Both had a wit equal to Groucho Marx; which thankfully l got from them along with my big brother. ( who isn’t into jazz). FUN TIMES!! I miss my DAD💔soooo much. He was my best friend. 😔 He was never a muso; when l asked why, he said he didn’t want to know how it was done. Understandable. He taught me so much of jazz history. Sorry for the novella! Have a good one. 👊🏾😃🎸🎹✨

[@mr.k905]

Ok, nice! But what about rhythm?

[@JensLarsen]

Are you asking for links to other videos? You could also learn a solo by ear.

[@cbolt4492]

I don't feel like I'll get beyond the basics sometimes... 😊

[@randykalish7558]

You can get there from here

[@ThaKKatt]

I can jazz cheezburger?

[@JensLarsen]

?

[@simonbratt9183]

Jens doesn’t know the deep cut

[@DoctorHobby]

Kek

[@thierrymace4735]

Au PrivaTe 😊

[@mlaporte74]

Jens, why are for you the 3 scales major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor, and not the natural minor instead of the major? Just a permutation of the same scale, right?

[@JensLarsen]

Because there is a lot more music in a major key and it is far less complicated for beginners

[@mlaporte74]

@@JensLarsen Agree there, but... isn't it just a matter of convention/preference that we want the I to be the tonal center? When Holdsworth is explaining how he thinks of scales he's saying that he doesn't concern himself with modes. If you then see how he looks at the C major scale, he sees it as a D minor with a flattened sixth, so effectually as a minor scale, and not major. So a II-V-I on a major scale is the same as a IV-VII-III on a natural minor scale. Yes, it doesn't resolve to the I, but that is convention as the chords and harmonic intervals are the same. Just the numbering is different... (I know, it's more a philosophical look at it -- sorry😉)

[@JensLarsen]

@@mlaporte74 No, it is a matter of how you hear it, not just a choice. You can't just try to use theory to ignore your ears (or at least I would not advice you to do that).

[@mlaporte74]

@@JensLarsen I hear you 😉. And you are right. Theory is one, but music is hearing and feeling. Yet looking at the modes of the major scale they are more minor than major. So I guess it all comes down to where we hear the tonal center, right?

[@JensLarsen]

@@mlaporte74 it comes down to what the melody tells you. They are usually clear and have very little to do with modes.

[@user-by8gk9rm6n]

6:56 Excuse me, in the second measure that is written are they heard on the guitar?

[@JensLarsen]

That is just a typo in the rhythm. Just go with what I play 🙂

[@user-by8gk9rm6n]

​@@JensLarsenThank you very much. I wondered if I was so wrong. Again thank you very much! God bless you.

[@S2B]

Bitly link for transcribing just goes to an empty cart, with no indication of what the software is.

[@JensLarsen]

Which bitly link exactly?

[@S2B]

The second link in your Gear list: Software for Transcribing: 👉 Trnscrib

[@JensLarsen]

@@S2B Ah, yes that is a pretty old link. The software is called Transcribe! mad by seventh string

[@cbolt4492]

10:05 This

[@musicalgear1024]

You really love appragios. I use them as well but not a lot. When you use appragios too often during a song it becomes very robotic like. This is why I choose Robben Ford over most all guitarists. He doesn't play 39 notes per second, he uses many different technics which creates a tasteful sounding solo. Of course it took him years to establish such an approach but his approach is very easy to listen to. I am about to create a video which will be very controversial because I am going to explain something about scales, modes, appragios, etc. that I have never heard anyone say. It is something that has been on my mind for a long time but I just struggle to figure out how to explain it.

[@JensLarsen]

Arpeggios are only as robotic as the people playing them, but it is fine if you don't like them. Same goes for Robben Ford, that you consider him tasteful doesn't mean that everybody thinks the same.

[@HenriNaila]

Where’s your truss rod cover?!

[@JensLarsen]

For this guitar I don't know. I never had it

[@Playsinvain]

Aren’t there many major scales and not “the” major scale?

[@JensLarsen]

There is only one major scale, but you can play it in different keys.

[@Playsinvain]

@@JensLarsen so E major scale is the same as A major scale on the fret board for example?

[@JensLarsen]

@@Playsinvain no, they are in different keys, but they are both major scales

[@Playsinvain]

@@JensLarsen I’m sorry. I’ll never get this I guess. “Both major scales” says to me there is more than one “major scale”.

[@randykalish7558]

The one scale is one pattern shifted up or down the neck to correspond to one of the 12 keys possible on the instrument. The pattern covers the whole neck. The position involves a particular part of the pattern. Knowing the scale in all positions reveals a working knowledge of the scale pattern on the instrument. This takes time. But then shifting the pattern up or down to accomodate the key is child's play compared with negotiating key changes on say, the sax, where you encounter 12 unique finger patterns that must be known well to run keys.

[@JonasDarvin-oh7fk]

Jeg kan ikke vente Jens 😊

[@JensLarsen]

Vi er der næsten... 😁

[@buddysims1366]

do what every day ? listen to you talk ????????????????

[@quizblog]

FU and Die is a German metal band and their name fits well into the message for you for commenting that on this wonderfully insightful video from this Gentleman who put so much time into making this for us for free✨

[@xylogloss5905]

Too much bla blabla man ! Is tiring really

[@JensLarsen]

No problem! I am sure you can find other channels that fit you better

[@davidpatrick1813]

Thank you

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome

[@MarkMarxonsBassChannel]

Great lesson!!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you. Glad you liked it!