Jon Shields

  How to Start Your Jazz Guitar Journey: A Simple 5-Step Guide Ever felt lost when trying to jump into jazz guitar? The genre is vast and layered, full of intricate chords, patterns, and improvisations that can overwhelm any beginner. Whether you’re aiming for smooth jazz or want to tackle bebop or swing, knowing where to start is key to progressing confidently. Here’s a streamlined 5-step guide to kick off your jazz guitar journey, providing a solid foundation for success. Step 1: Master Your Seven Chords In jazz, the days of simple major or minor triads are long gone. Jazz is about adding complexity and depth to your chords, and that starts with learning your seven chords. The four essential ones you need to know are: Major 7 Dominant 7 Minor 7 Diminished 7 Each of these chords will form the core structure of most jazz tunes. For example, a simple “C” in a jazz context is often a C major 7 , and a C7 represents a dominant seventh. By mastering these, you'll build a strong founda...

  Exploring the Timeless Beauty of “Meditation” on Solo Guitar What happens when you strip a piece of music down to its very essence? No backing tracks, no looper pedals—just a guitar, melody, harmony, and the player’s creativity. That’s the challenge I’ve set for myself in this solo guitar series, a monthly journey that pushes my limits and deepens my connection with the music I love. For this month’s installment, I’ve chosen Meditation ( Meditação ), a breathtaking piece by the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim. Written in 1960, this song is one of the cornerstones of bossa nova, the genre Jobim and guitarist João Gilberto pioneered together in Brazil. Imagine the early 1960s: Jobim and Gilberto are creating music that fuses samba rhythms with the sophistication of jazz harmony. Their work not only defines a genre but also sparks a cultural bridge between Brazil and the rest of the world. By 1962, the bossa nova wave hits the U.S. in full force, thanks to Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd...

  Tune Tuesday: Blue Skies – A Timeless Classic by Irving Berlin Good morning and welcome to another Tune Tuesday ! Today, we’re diving into one of the most iconic songs in jazz and popular music— Blue Skies by Irving Berlin. Whether or not you know the title, chances are, you’ve heard this melody at some point in your life. It’s been featured in everything from movies and TV shows to Broadway productions, making it a true staple in the American songbook. The Origins of Blue Skies The story behind Blue Skies is as intriguing as the song itself. Written in 1926 by Irving Berlin, the song was initially a last-minute addition to a musical called Betsy . The musical was a collaboration between composers Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Blue Skies was intended as a solution to a dilemma. The singer for the show, Belle Baker, wasn’t thrilled with the music Rodgers had provided for one particular number, so she turned to Berlin for help. Berlin, who had recently written a song as ...

  Unlock the Power of the 6/9 Chord: A Guitarist's Secret Weapon If you're a guitarist who's ready to take your sound to the next level, there's one chord you might be overlooking: the 6/9 chord. Whether you're playing jazz, blues, or even a bit of classical, this often-underestimated chord can give your music a richness and flexibility that's hard to beat. So, what exactly makes the 6/9 chord so useful, and how can you incorporate it into your playing? Let’s dive in. What is a 6/9 Chord, and Why Should You Care? At first glance, the 6/9 chord might seem like just another complex chord in a sea of guitar theory. But once you break it down, it’s easier to understand than you might think. The "6/9" stands for two added notes: the 6th and the 9th. For example, in a C6/9 chord, you're playing a regular C major triad (C, E, G) and then adding the 6th (A) and the 9th (D). That’s it! What’s interesting about the 6/9 chord is that it doesn’t include the 7t...