By Corey Bray

You are probably wondering why I am bothering you with jazz. What does jazz have to do with becoming a great shredder or even a great guitarist for that matter? In all honesty, jazz is the doorway to moving beyond the ruts and boredom of everyday repetitious playing. Some of the most exciting passages I’ve created in my rock instrumentals came from being able to add a touch of jazz to the mix to give the work that much needed spice. Though you may not want to become a full blown jazz guitarist, what jazz helps you to do is to think more coherently about how you are approaching the use of chords and notes in your playing. Here is a simple example of how to approach chords differently than in, say, a strict rock setting, which can help you to start thinking outside of the box.

JAZZ ANTICIPATION

This next video gets more into the heart of jazz and helps you to focus in on working in a walking bass line with your chord changes, which could be used as a nice break from the normal rock approach, to demonstrate that you have more to offer with your playing than just a jumble of quick notes.

WALKING JAZZ BASS

So, I hope this little introduction to jazz technique has helped you to recognize not only how jazz opens the door to greater freedom in your playing, but also how it can make a piece sound more interesting, even if used in a subtle way to enhance your songs.