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Entering the world of jazz, for many players, is not only a journey of technical learning, but a lifestyle change. The challenges in becoming fluent are many, but the outcome is rewarding enough to continue to attract generations of players. Jazz for guitar is a challenging style in particular because of the quickly changing chords and the huge number of chord voicings to learn.

In his course, Creative Jazz Comping, Sean McGowan sheds some much needed light on the path to becoming proficient in rhythm guitar for jazz.

Here are 4 free comping jazz guitar lessons from the course. For the full course, check out Sean McGowan’s Creative Jazz Comping on TrueFire!

Guide Tones


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This section will show you how to build and apply complex four and five-note chord voicings, with and without the roots.

Phat Philly Voicings for a ii-V-I


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Now we’ll be utilizing these full sounding voicings and voice-leading through various major and minor ii-V progressions.

Slash Chord Applications


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This section will explore a number of substitution devices and concepts for slash chords and hybrids, and also work through various ii-V progressions.

Anticipation & Delayed Attacks


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Now let’s look at how to combine these two important rhythmic devices in the context of a ii-V-I, and bring our harmonic voicings and thinking to life by creating rhythmic interest and syncopation.

Digging these free comping jazz guitar lessons? Check out Creative Jazz Comping.