Jazz Swing Guitar

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Master the rich and varied world of jazz guitar.

These 47 lessons and etudes present a comprehensive course of study to facilitate rapid progress with harmonic sensibility, fingerboard scholarship, essential repertoire, and stylistic nuance. These gorgeous, performance-quality etudes are rooted in the timeless jazz swing tradition, for solo, duet, and soloing over ensemble. The accompanying recording demonstrates performances of the etudes. Traditional notation and tablature are included.

You will learn to:

Develop finger strength, facility, and picking patterns
Expand your range via fretboard navigation techniques by practicing logical position shifts and transpositions
Choose harmonies and modes
Gain command of chord changes that are emblematic of jazz swing
Craft introductions for common jazz standard tune progressions
Derive your own approach to playing from examples in the styles of George Van Eps, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Bucky Pizzarelli, Oscar Moore, Mundell Lowe, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, and George Barnes.

“It’s obvious that Jon put a lot of experience and thought into this book. Not only do the studies here serve to develop all kinds of ‘chops’ and fingerboard knowledge, they open the door to the ear training that leads to creating great melodies and improvising/comping over changes. The examples in the style of some of our guitar heroes are priceless and give affirmation to the whole work.”

—Gene Bertoncini

“Jon Wheatley has generously shared some wonderfully useful ideas, techniques, and observations. Exploring this book will definitely enrich anyone’s understanding and performance of swing/jazz guitar!”

—Howard Alden

“First, I want to say that Wheatley is a #!/##%***!!!! for writing such a great jazz guitar book! After playing through these swing-style solos, I think anyone who really desires to play jazz guitar will find a wealth of music in these studies that Jon has created. It’s not only that you will discover how to play like any one of the myriad greats he’s exemplified—Van Eps, Christian, Moore, or Lowe. You will develop the techniques utilized by these players to allow your own voice to shine through. That, to me, is the primary mark of any accomplished and successful musician: to speak with your own sound and your own voice through your instrument.”

—James Chirillo

“Jon Wheatley has produced an excellent book and accompanying recording. It is a really comprehensive study-course for learning mainstream jazz guitar, mainly for intermediate and advanced students. I particularly enjoyed how he applied the concepts taught onto brief transcriptions (with audio) of his original solos done on familiar chord changes, but created or shaded in the style of various historic masters: Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, and others. This book is a big deal and deserves major attention.”

—Chris Flory