If you’ve ever listened to jazz guitar and thought, “How do they get that sound?” you’re not alone. Jazz guitar chords can sound complex and intimidating, but they open up a whole new world of expression once you get the hang of them. This post will help you understand jazz guitar chords and introduce you to unique ways to practice them.
Understanding the Basics of How to Play Jazz Guitar Chords
First things first—what makes jazz chords different? Unlike rock or pop music, where you might rely heavily on major and minor chords, jazz introduces richer, more nuanced harmonies. Here are some foundational jazz chords to know:
- 7th Chords: Jazz uses a lot of major, minor, and dominant 7th chords, adding color and a “jazzy” feel to basic triads.
- 9th, 11th, and 13th Chords: These extensions add even more depth, building on 7th chords by stacking additional notes.
- Diminished and Half-Diminished Chords: Known for their tense, unresolved sound, these chords create a lot of tension and release.
- Altered Chords: Jazz also uses alterations (e.g., flat 5, sharp 9) to add unique flavor to dominant chords.
9 Unique Practice Techniques for Jazz Guitar Chords
Now that you know the types of chords, let’s dive into some creative ways to practice them. These methods will help you internalize the shapes and sounds, improving both your chord vocabulary and your musicality.
1. Chord Shape Mapping on the Fretboard
A common mistake jazz guitarists make is learning a few shapes and stopping there. However, jazz requires knowing chord shapes all across the fretboard. Start with a simple exercise:
Practice Idea: Choose a chord type (e.g., Cmaj7) and play every inversion across the fretboard. For each position, play the Cmaj7 in three or four different voicings (e.g., root position, first inversion, etc.). This practice builds flexibility, so you’re not limited to one or two chord shapes.
2. Practice with a Metronome and Backing Track
Jazz rhythm can be tricky, often swinging or changing up the timing. Practice with a metronome, setting it to a slow tempo (around 60 BPM). Aim to play the chord changes precisely on the beat, and then experiment with off-beat hits to create a syncopated feel.
Pro Tip: Use a backing track to work on your rhythm with real context. It’s not only more engaging, but it’ll improve your timing as you work to fit your chords into a musical environment. Try sites like iReal Pro or YouTube for endless jazz backing tracks!
3. “Two-Five-One” (ii-V-I) Progression Drills
The ii-V-I progression is the bread and butter of jazz harmony. Start by picking a key and practicing the ii-V-I in a few different shapes and inversions across the neck. When you’re ready, transpose it to different keys, as jazz often shifts key centers within a single tune.
Practice Idea: Loop the ii-V-I progression in different keys, using various chord shapes and extensions. Start with basic voicings, then try adding 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths. Practicing this way prepares you for jazz standards and tunes that frequently modulate. Check out our Free Ebook on Jazz guitar called JazzCraft
4. Guide Tone Practice
Guide tones are the notes that define a chord’s character, typically the 3rd and 7th in jazz chords. Practicing guide tones improves your voice leading, helping you move smoothly from one chord to the next.
Practice Idea: Focus on just the 3rd and 7th of each chord in a progression. Play these two notes in various positions as the chords change, aiming for smooth, minimal movement on the fretboard. This practice makes your playing sound more cohesive and connected.
5. Chord Melody Exercises
Chord melody is a technique where you play both the chords and melody simultaneously. This is a challenging but very rewarding skill for jazz guitarists. Choose a simple jazz standard like “Autumn Leaves” and start by playing the melody alone. Next, add in simple chord shapes underneath the melody.
Practice Tip: Start with root-position chords, then explore inversions as you get more comfortable. JazzCraft's Jazz Guitar Chord Progressions deck offers exercises and examples to help you master these chords and begin creating beautiful chord-melody arrangements.
6. Practicing Chord Substitutions
Jazz is full of interesting chord substitutions that can make even basic progressions sound unique. Start by experimenting with tritone substitutions (replacing a dominant chord with a chord a tritone away). For instance, try replacing G7 with Db7 in a C major ii-V-I progression.
Practice Idea: Play a simple ii-V-I, then replace each V chord with a tritone substitution. Experiment with other substitutions like diminished passing chords or adding chromatic movement for a more advanced sound.
7. Play Chords on Only Three or Four Strings
Jazz chords often omit the 5th or even the root, focusing on the essential tones (3rd and 7th, sometimes 9ths and 13ths). To practice this, try playing each chord on only three or four strings. This not only sounds smoother but is easier to play within fast chord changes.
Practice Tip: Work on creating a ii-V-I using only three-string shapes. As you master these, it’ll help streamline your chord transitions, making your playing sound polished and professional.
8. Use the Circle of Fifths to Practice Transposing
Using the circle of fifths, practice transposing a chord progression through all 12 keys. This is a fantastic exercise for internalizing jazz chord shapes, as jazz standards often require you to change keys on the fly.
Practice Idea: Start with a basic ii-V-I and move it through the circle of fifths. Keep track of where the 3rd and 7th of each chord lie on the fretboard to quickly adapt to any key.
9. Ear Training with Chord Voicings
An underrated way to practice is ear training with your jazz chords. Play a chord and try to identify each interval or specific note within the voicing. This helps you better understand the chord’s construction and its unique color.
Practice Exercise: Play different voicings of a chord and name the notes and intervals within each one. This practice will deepen your familiarity with jazz harmony and help you identify chords more quickly when learning songs by ear.
Final Tips: Stay Inspired and Consistent
Learning jazz guitar chords can feel daunting, but remember, progress takes time! Here are a few parting tips to stay motivated:
- Incorporate Songs: Applying these chords in the context of actual songs makes them more enjoyable to practice. Choose classic jazz standards like “All of Me” or “Blue Bossa” to start.
- Record Yourself: Sometimes, hearing yourself play back can reveal strengths and areas to improve. It’s also a great way to track your progress over time.
- Join a Community: Playing jazz can feel like a solo endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Join the Guitar Freaks Hangout on Discord, where you can swap tips, share your progress, and stay motivated with other guitar enthusiasts working on jazz.
Learning jazz guitar chords opens up an amazing new palette for self-expression. By practicing consistently and creatively, you’ll unlock a whole new side of your guitar playing. Take these exercises slow, experiment with them, and you’ll see just how much you can grow. Now, go pick up that guitar and explore the world of jazz chords!
Justin Comstock, Host of the Guitar Freaks Podcast
Justin is a Blues guitarist from Utah. He created a guitar learning tool called the FretDeck on Kickstarter that has helped many guitar players master the fretboard. He is also the host of the Guitar Freaks Podcast.
