4 SITTING W: JAZ BUTAR HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is for the aspiring jazz guitarist. Its not a method book, and it's not for complete beginners. ‘Studying the guitar is a funny business. | doubt there are two students who have learned the instrument the same way. Most start by teaching themselves, while some eventually find a teacher, or a series of teachers, who usually have their own way of teaching. Trying to find ‘common ground between guitarists is not that easy. With that in mind, this book addresses the musical scenarios that tend to confuse students who are in the early stage of learning jazz improvisation. ‘We will look at common chord progressions that are found in many jazz tunes. There are certain musical environments that occur over and over again from song to song, and learning how to negotiate these musical situations is absolutely necessary if you are going to find success in this art. No single source can explain it all, but if you work tirelessly through this book, you should be well on your way. If you're just getting started in jazz, is suggested that you start at the beginning and slowly work your way through. If you have been at it for a while, you should be able to dig in anywhere. Most players have gaps in their knowledge, and we hope this book can fill that need for many. If you encounter music terms in this book that may be unfamiliar to you, refer to Alfred's Essential Dictionary of Music (16636). This book features songs that could be classified as “blues,” “standards,” “bebop,” or “contemporary.” In reality, no such divisions exist. I's all just music. No matter what your musical tastes may be, the challenges in this book should make you a better player in any situation. Each song provides a unique challenge and is supplemented with facts, tips, and general information to help you learn. This all takes time, Simply reading through the book and even understanding it intellectually won't do the trick. It will take years of practice, and maybe longer than you would like, but it will be worth the time and effort. At the end, there are five songs that should challenge you to use the techniques and ideas you have learned throughout the book. Everyone has a song, and we hope this book helps you find yours. WORKING WITH THE PLAY-ALONG TRACKS ‘The included DVD-ROM features three sets of play-along options for optimizing your practice sessions. You get the following: * An MP3 recording of each tune with a full band, including guitar, bass, drums, and saxophone + An MP3 recording of each tune with the band, minus the lead guitar and saxophone * TNT 2 software, which allows you to isolate and loop sections, choose which instruments you want in the mix, and even to change tempos and keys In each case, you get multiple choruses of each song, played by a top-notch professional jazz band, Each song contains a statement of the written main melody (or head), followed by a guitar solo and saxophone solo before the head is restated. The length of each of these sections is laid out in the Roadmap that follows every song in the book. The first set of MP3s (full mix) acts less as a play-along and more as a demonstration, with the guitar playing a few straightforward soloing and comping ideas to provide examples of how you can play over these tracks. The second set of MP3s (rhythm section only) are backing tracks. Here, you play the head and solos.