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As we’ve mentioned before, there’s simply no better way to learn guitar than jamming and performing with other players. It’s how you learn the most thoroughly and quickly, and drive new concepts into your memory.

In James Hogan’s new course, Trading Solos: Jazz Blues Vol. 2, you’ll jam with James over several jazz blues grooves that vary in tempo, feel, and key. So, you can start getting your jazz blues chops up to speed.

Here are five video jazz blues guitar soloing lessons from the course. For the full course, check out James Hogan’s Trading Solos: Jazz Blues Vol. 2 on TrueFire!

Jazz Blues Guitar Lesson – Track 3: Modal Waltz Overview


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For this example, we’ll be tackling a blues waltz that’s heavily inspired by Miles Davis’ composition All Blues. All Blues is a blues waltz, although it’s sometimes notated in 6/4 or even in 6/8 in various fake books. (This has been debated for 50 years.) For our purposes we’ll be thinking of it in 3/4 which will make it a 24 bar blues progression. This will enable us to easily lock into the feel & phrasing of our backing track. Besides, guitarists have trouble counting past 4 anyway right? Kidding!

Pay attention to bar 9 of the progression (3/4 time). Rather than going to a Dominant 7 for the IV chord like a typical blues the bass continues a G bass figure and triads that outline G Dorian are played underneath in the accompaniment. Awesome! So, from there, we’ll tackle a couple of altered dominant chords that will lead us back home to G7. Fun!

Jazz Blues Guitar Lesson – Track 3: Modal Waltz Three Rhythm Ideas Demo


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For this comping approach, we’ll use a repeated pattern that locks in the feel for this piece. So, we’ll be mostly switching between G7 and Gm7.

Jazz Blues Guitar Lesson – Track 3: Modal Waltz Three Soloing Ideas Demo


Download the tab & notation for this jazz blues guitar soloing lesson

Here are some soloing ideas you can use when I’m comping for you.

Jazz Blues Guitar Lesson – Track 3: Modal Waltz Playalong Preview


Download the tab & notation for this jazz blues guitar soloing lesson

Here’s a preview so you can see how the parts I’ve gone over layer together. Next, you’ll be taking turns soloing and comping with me!

azz Blues Guitar Lesson – Let’s Trade Solos Track 3: Playalong


Download the tab & notation for this jazz blues guitar soloing lesson

Let’s trade solos! Use the concepts I’ve given you in this example to, first, comp for me. Then, I’ll comp for you while you take a solo.

Digging these free jazz blues guitar soloing lessons? Check out James Hogan’s full course, Trading Solos: Jazz Blues Vol. 2.