John Coltrane’s musical career only spans 12 year, between 1955 (the moment he first got noticed as

a sideman), and 1967 (the year of his death). Despite his short-lived career, John Coltrane was one of
the most influential improvisers in jazz and there’s a lot to be learned from his musical legacy, also
by guitarists. In this lesson, you will learn some classic John Coltrane licks, as well as some typical
chord substitutions over a blues.

Coltrane played in Miles Davis‘ band from 1955 to 1957. The second half of 1957 he played with Thelonious
Monk, before joining Miles Davis’ band again in 1958. This time he stayed till 1960 and played on 2
important Miles Davis albums: Milestones and Kind of Blue. In that period he also recorded two influential
albums of his own: Blue Train and Giant Steps.
After his time with Miles Davis, John Coltrane picked up the soprano saxophone and formed a quartet with
pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones, with whom he recorded spiritually
driven albums such as A Love Supreme. In this period he was influenced by the modal music of Miles Davis
and the music of Ravi Shankar. In his last years, Coltrane got interested in the free jazz of Ornette Coleman.
Recommended listening: A Love Supreme

What You Will Learn

1. John Coltrane Licks
 Coltrane Lick 1 – ii V I in C Major
 Coltrane Lick 2 – ii V I in C Major
 Coltrane Lick 3 – ii V I in F Major
 Coltrane Lick 4 – ii V I in F Major
 Coltrane Lick 5 – ii V I in F Major
2. John Coltrane Blues Chord Substitutions
 Substitution 1 – Ascending Whole Steps
 Substitution 1 – Arpeggios
 Substitution 1 – Motives
 Substitution 1 – Chords
 Substitution 2 – Descending Whole Steps
 Substitution 2 – Arpeggios
 Substitution 2 – Arpeggio Variation

John Coltrane Licks

John Coltrane Lick 1

There are a few key items to take away from this first John Coltrane lick:

The first thing to notice is the half-step approaches to the G7 chord tones in the first bar of the lick. Each
chord tone (F-D), is approached by a half-step above, creating the line B-Gb-F-Eb-D, and is something that
you should apply to other arpeggios on the guitar.
The second item is the Em7 arpeggio outlined in the second half of the G7 chord, which hits the 1, 3, 5 and
13 of the underlying chord along the way:

Em7 Arpeggio E G B D

Played over G7 13 1 3 5
John Coltrane Lick 2
In this John Coltrane inspired lick, you can see an Am7 arpeggio being used over Dm7, which produces a
Dm11 sound:

Am7 Arpeggio A C E G

Played over Dm7 5 b7 9 11

Playing a m7 arpeggio from the 5th of a minor chord is a great way to spice up these
chords.
As well, there is a bebop scale being played in the second bar as there is an added passing tone between G
and F over the G7 chord. The bebop scale is an important Coltrane technique to check out in order to bring
a Trane vibe to your solos and lines.

John Coltrane Lick 3

3 things to notice:
 There is an ascending scale running from the E all the way to A above the staff over the first two bars
of the lick.
 The F triad used in bar 3 is something Trane liked to do, playing a second inversion of the triad, 5-R-
3, instead of just running these chords tones in note order.
 Playing 4-5-6-9-1 (the last 5 notes of the line), are a very characteristic sounding Trane idea that you
can add to your jazz guitar playing.

John Coltrane Lick 4

This lick uses chromatic notes to bring a tension-release vibe.
 The 4ths that start bar 2 (D-G and G#-C#), are idiomatic to Trane’s lines as these outside notes then
resolve to the A-C interval in the second half of that bar.
 The Bb-Db-C enclosure in the 3rd bar of the lick is something that Trane loved to play and is a
technique you can explore further in order to expand your knowledge of enclosures.
John Coltrane Lick 5
This lick uses several superimposed chords to bring out different colors and tensions throughout the line.
The first is the Bbmaj7 chord over C7, which outlines a C13sus sound in that part of the lick:

Bbmaj7 Arpeggio Bb D F A

Played over C7 b7 9 4 13

The second superimposed chord is the B6 chord in the second half of the 3rd bar, which is a tritone away
from the underlying root chord (Fmaj7).
John Coltrane Blues Chord Substitutions

Jamming jazz blues tunes is something that many guitarists love to do. While soloing over the jazz blues
changes can be fun and engaging for both performer and listener, there comes a point where we want to
take our playing to the next level by adding in chord substitutions, creating a sense of tension and release
in our lines and comping phrases.
This section will explore a chord substitution approach that many players use in their solos and chord work,
and one that was a favorite of jazz sax legend John Coltrane.

Coltrane Chord Substitution 1 – Ascending Whole Steps

When soloing over a jazz blues chord progression, there is a lot of room to add chord subs in the first four
measures, as they are often written as just the I7 chord, as in the F7 chord in this example:

As you can see, there’s not much going on harmonically in these measures, and so as a comper or soloist,
you can use chord substitutions to raise the energy level and bring a deeper sense of harmonic interest to
the first four bars of the blues.
One of the subs that John Coltrane liked to use was to ascend in whole steps from I7, to
II7, to III7, to #IV7, before finally resolving to the IV7 chord in bar 5 of the tune.
Here is how that would look on paper to check out before we begin to explore this concept on the fretboard:
As you can see, each bar creates a stronger sense of tension as you rise up the chords, which are finally
resolved to the Bb7 chord (IV7) in bar 5.
When applying these chord subs to your solos, you don’t want the rest of the band to follow you
harmonically. If they do, you will lose the sense of tension that you build when running these subs over the
blues.
So, when practicing these chord substitutions, use a backing track so that you get used to hearing F7-G7-
A7-B7 played over a static F7 chord, which is probably what will happen in the real world.

Chord Substitution 1 – Arpeggios

Now that you understand the theory behind these chord subs, let’s take a look at an arpeggio exercise that
you can use to get your fingers and ears around these subs.
Start by playing the exercise below as written at a slow tempo, and use a backing track rather than a
metronome if possible so that you can hear how these subs sound against the original harmony. From there,
start to improvise over the changes using these arpeggios as the basis for your lines, outlining the chords in
your lines but with a greater sense of creativity than just running up and down each shape.
When you have these shapes under your fingers, try running other arpeggio shapes on the fretboard over
these chords, as well as work 9th arpeggios, 11th and 13th arpeggios, and scales such as Mixolydian and
dominant bebop over each chord in the progression.
Chord Substitution 1 – Motives
Once you’ve checked out arpeggios, scales, and other melodic patterns over these blues subs, you can also
practice running motives across these changes.
To do so, you simply play a riff or lick over the F7 chord in bar one of the phrase. Then, you repeat this lick
over each chord as you ascend the changes and resolve your phrase over the Bb7 chord in bar 5 of the
tune.
Here is an example of that approach in action. Start by learning this pattern exactly as written, and then
begin to change the rhythms as you ascend the chord changes to bring a bit of variety into the line.

Chord Substitution 1 – Chords

You can also apply these cool-sounding substitutions to your comping, especially when playing with familiar
musicians that you know will hear what you are doing and react accordingly.
You can also try and bust out these subs when comping behind a soloist if you want to inspire them to
take the energy up a notch or to add a bit of an “outside” sound to their solo if they are playing fairly
diatonically.
As well, you can use these subs in your chord soloing and chord melody lines as you bring a bit
of harmonic alteration to a chord soloing situation.
Here’s an example of a chord line that you could use over the first four bars of an F blues in either a
comping or chord soloing situation:
Coltrane Chord Substitution 2 – Descending Whole Steps
This second chord substitution is the opposite of what we did in chord substitution 1:
Descend in whole steps from I7, to bVII7, to bVI7, to #IV7, and eventually land on IV7.
Here is how those changes would look when applied to the first four bars of a blues in Fprogression:

As you can see, the further you go into the subs, the more tension you are creating over the original chord,
which is then finally resolved into the IV7 chord in bar five of the tune.
For now, try playing these chords on the guitar with a backing track, to hear how they sound. Then, when
you’ve got your head and ears around the basics of these subs, move on to the next section where you ‘ll
learn some soloing ideas that you can use to outline these chords in your soloing ideas.

Chord Substitution 2 – Arpeggios

One of the most direct ways to outline and learn any new set of chord subs is to get to the heart of things
and use arpeggios.
 Here is an example of using ascending arpeggios to outline these subs over an F blues. Once you get the
hang of this approach, try using any other arpeggio fingerings you know, alter the rhythm for more variation,
and check out the arpeggio variations below.

 Play each arpeggio ascending

 Play each arpeggio descending
 Play the first arpeggio ascending and the second descending
 Play the first arpeggio descending and the second ascending

Chord Substitution 2 – Arpeggio Variation

If you want to dig a bit further into these subs (and the tempo dictates it), you can add in a V7 chord for
each sub during these four bars. This was something Trane liked to do in his playing, but it can be tough as
you are now playing two chords in each bar rather than one.
The concept is that you have F7-Eb7-Db7-B7 over those bars, then before each chord, you add in its V7 to
form the following progression:

Chord Sub 2 F7 Eb7 Db7 B7

Chord Sub 2 Variation F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7 F#7 B7

Here is a sample of how you can use arpeggios to outline these chords. This is not something for
beginners, but if you’re an intermediate player and looking for a challenge then check this out:
Joe Pass is undoubtedly one of the greatest jazz guitarists to ever play the instrument. He could play
single-line solo, chord soloing phrases, perform in a trio, duo or solo setting with the best of them,
and always be instantly recognizable by his tone and approach to the melodic and harmonic sides of
jazz guitar playing.

Joe Pass started playing guitar when he was 9 and he was already playing at weddings when he was 14. In
his 20’s he moved to New York, where Joe Pass got captured by the sound of bebop, but unfortunately, he
also picked up a habit well known to jazz musicians of that time: heroin.
The next decade was wasted for Joe Pass, spending time in jails, until he entered Synanon, a drug
rehabilitation center. In the center, he formed a band with other patients and recorded the album Sounds
of Synanon, which was very well received by the jazz critics.
After 3 years in the center, he was cured of his addiction and he could move on with his musical career. He
started playing in Los Angeles and got involved in the studio scene. In 1973 he recorded Virtuoso, an album
that made him famous for solo jazz guitar playing.
Joe Pass recorded a duo album with Ella Fitzgerald and played with a lot of famous jazz musicians like
Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson.
Joe Pass died from cancer in 1994.

Recommended listening: Guitar Virtuoso

In this lesson, we’ll be digging into 6 classic Joe Pass sounding licks.
After learning these lick in the given key, at a number of different tempos, check out the practice tips below
to take this idea further in the woodshed and properly integrate it into your jazz guitar phrases and solos.

Joe Pass Licks List

1. How to Practice These Licks?
2. Lick 1 – ii V I in F Major
3. Lick 2 – ii V I in A Minor
4. Lick 3 – ii V I in Gb Major
5. Lick 4 – ii V I Chord Lick in A Major
6. Lick 5 – ii V I Chord Lick in A Major
7. Lick 6 – ii V I in F Major
8. More Joe Pass
 How to Practice These Licks?

To help you take this lick further in your jazz guitar practice routine, here are some of my favorite ways to
practice licks:
1. Learn licks in at least 2 octaves on the neck.
2. Learn licks starting on each fret-hand finger in two octaves on the neck.
3. Sing the roots of each chord as you play a lick on the guitar.
4. Play the chords on the guitar while singing the notes to a lick.
5. Repeat the above exercises in all 12 keys.
6. Repeat the above exercises in a number of different tempos, from ballad to burning.

Joe Pass Lick 1

In this lick, a Db diminished scale is played over the C7 chord. To create a diminished scale, alternate
between whole steps and half steps.
The diminished scale is a symmetrical scale, what means that it comes back every
minor third:
Db diminished = E diminished = G diminished = Bb diminished.
This results in the following sounds over C7:
 Db Diminished Scale Db D# E F# G A Bb C

Played over C7 b9 #9 3 b5 5 13 b7 1

A great way to create tension on the dominant chord: play a diminished scale that is a
half step higher than the root of the dominant chord.

Joe Pass Lick 2

Here, a D minor triad arpeggio with an added 9 is played over the Bm7b5 chord, resulting in the following
sounds:

Dm Add9 D F A E

Played over Bm7b5 b3 4 b5 b7

On the E7 an A harmonic minor scale is played:

A Harmonic Minor A B C D E F G#

Played over E7 4 5 b13 b7 1 b9 3

The harmonic minor scale is the first choice to play over dominant chords that resolve to a minor chord.

Joe Pass Lick 3

A nice ii V I lick starting with a pattern and then going to a Bbm7 arpeggio over the Db7 (sounds like
Db13):
 Bbm7 Arpeggio Bb Db F Ab

Played over Db7 13 1 3 5

Joe Pass Lick 4

In this Joe Pass inspired chord lick, you can hear many of the idiomatic sounds that make up many of Joe’s
solo guitar licks and phrases.
For this lick, try breaking it down into the mini phrases that make up each bar, that way you will be able to
extract these ideas and use them in different combinations when coming up with your own solo jazz guitar
lines.
Joe Pass Lick 5

This chord lick uses a favorite rhythm from Joe’s solo guitar work, you can hear a similar idea during his
version of Have You Met Miss Jones.
The idea is that you break up the chord into the bass note and the top 3 notes of the shape, alternating
back and forth until you get to the chromatic approach notes in the last two 8th notes of each bar.
Try accenting the chords only, not the bass notes, to bring an added Joe sound to the mix with this line.
 Joe Pass Lick 6

This last lick is a bluesy phrase with double stops that works great over ii V Is.

Here are a couple of important things that you can notice and take away from this lick, besides learning the
lick itself.

Try bringing these larger concepts into your practice routine as you apply these ideas to soloing over ii v I
chords, other progressions and full tunes in your daily practice routine:
1. The rhythm used in the first half of the Gm7 bar, which is a common jazz rhythm used by many great
players over the years, an 8th-note rest followed by an 8th-note and then an 8th-note triplet.
2. The bluesy double-stops and Ab-A (blues note), in the second half of the first bar of the lick.
3. Joe’s use of an enclosure, B-A-Bb, around the b7 (Bb) of the C7 chord in the second bar.
4. The octave displacement between the last note of the enclosure, Bb, and the next note, A an octave
higher than expected.
5. Joe’s voice-leading between the last note of the C7 chord, F, and the first note, E, of the Fmaj7 chord,
resulting in a smooth, half-step movement between those two chords.

Joe Pass was a true legend and probably the best all-around jazz guitarist who ever lived. Learning his
lines can help you get into the ears, hands, and thought-process of this legendary player.
 More Joe Pass
1. Joe Pass Blues Solo
2. Joe Pass Chords
3. Joe Pass’ Guitar Gear

II V I CHORD SOLO LINES FROM THE GREATS

written by Terence Wright

ii V I chord solo and comping lines can be accomplished through virtually an unlimited number of
approaches on the guitar. What is it about one player’s chord approach that makes them sound
different from others, and how does one go about developing their own style in the world of chords
and comping?

Asking these kinds of questions will help you to distinguish various jazz guitarists’ stylesand approaches to
ii V I chord solo lines and phrases.
In this lesson, you’ll examine and learn to play 5 different comping and chord soloing examples of II V I
progressions in the styles of legendary Jazz guitarists Ed Bickert, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and Jim
Hall.
After playing through the lesson you’ll not only have 5 new chord licks to add to your jazz vocabulary, but a
better understanding of how to approach II V I’s with creative chord choices.

Table Of Contents
1. Lick 1 – Ed Bickert
 The Gm13 Chord
 The Gm11 Chord
 The C7#5 Chord
 The Fadd9 Chord
2. Lick 2 – Wes Montgomery
 The Cm9 Chord
 The F9 Chord
 The Bb6 Chord
3. Lick 3 – Joe Pass
 The C13#9 Chord
4. Lick 4 – Jim Hall
 The C7b9#9 Chord
 The F6 Chord
5. Lick 5 – Jim Hall
 The C#aug Triad
6. A Few Parting Tips

ii V I Chord Solo Lick 1 – Ed Bickert

The first lick you’ll play through is a chord solo example from the great Canadian jazz guitarist, Ed Bickert. If
you haven’t listened to Ed’s playing before, certainly check him out. In listening to him for only a few
minutes, you’ll hear his masterful sense of harmony.
Ed’s chordal playing is known for smooth voice leading, counterpoint, and use of smaller chord voicings.

The chord lick below includes examples of voice leading, as well as the usage of a few smaller chord
voicings.
Listen to the recording of this chord lick to get an idea of how the exercise is played. Once you have the
chord solo under your fingers, practice playing it over the included backing track.
You’ll notice that in this chord solo, a few 3-note voicings are used. It’s not always the size or complexity of
a chord voicing that makes the best music. Placing 3-note chord voicings with care and thoughtfulness can
be one of the most musically satisfying approaches to chord solos.
Included below are notable chords used in the Ed Bickert chord solo excerpt. Check the chords out
individually so that you may begin to incorporate them into your own playing.

The Gm13 Chord

On beat 2 in bar 1 of the Ed Bickert excerpt, a Gm13 chord is played:

 The Gm13 is always a great choice to use as a substitution for a Gm7 chord. With a bass player present,
you’ll hear the added color this Gm13 chord brings to your playing.
A fully voiced Gm13 chord contains the following chord tones:

Gm13 G Bb D F A C E

1 b3 5 b7 9 11 13

There are two main reasons why some of the chord tones are left out when playing a Gm13 chord.

 The first reason is that a 6-string guitar can only play 6 notes simultaneously, making a 7-note chord
impossible.
 Secondly, in order to add character and a unique sound to each chord, certain chord tones are left
out.
When dealing with chord extensions, it’s common to leave out the 5th and root of a given chord, such as in
the Gm13 chord. The 5th and root are often excluded because they don’t provide as much definition or color
to the chord as the 3rd, 7th or extensions.

The Gm11 Chord

On the ‘and’ of 4 in bar 1, another variation on a Gm7 chord is featured. This time, the Gm11is played
instead of Gm13. As with the Gm13, the Gm11 is another great color chord to include in your playing.
In this voicing, the 3rd and 7th are excluded from the chord. This Gm11 chord functions as a passing chord
to the C7#5 in bar 2, which is why you can get away with excluding the 3rd and 7th of the chord.
The exact notes in a fully voiced Gm11 chord are:

Gm11 G Bb D F A C

1 b3 5 b7 9 11

C7#5 Chord

The C7#5 chord in any inversion is an excellent way to add even more tension to a dominant chord in a
chord progression. On the ‘and’ of 1 in bar 2 in the Ed Bickert chord excerpt, C7#5 is used as
a substitution for C7.
It’s important to remember that if you’re playing exclusively with a bass player, you’re basically free to use
any chord substitutions.

However, if you find yourself playing with other chordal players, use extra caution when adding in dissonant
voicings as substitutions.
The exact chord tones of the C7#5 chord are listed below and are used in entirety here:

C7#5 C E G# Bb

1 3 #5 b7

The Fadd9 Chord

Finally, the Fadd9 chord is the very last chord featured in this II V I chord solo excerpt. This rootless Fadd9
voicing is a great way to add a simple dash of color when the bass player is covering the root note.
The exact spelling of an Fadd9 chord is listed below. In this example voicing, the root is excluded.

Fadd9 F A C G

1 3 5 9

ii V I Chord Solo Lick 2 – Wes Montgomery

Wes Montgomery comped and played chord solos like no other Jazz guitarist. His chord vocabulary isn’t
considered the largest, but the way he used chords was unlike anyone else.

In this Wes Montgomery solo example, you’ll play through a II V I progression in Bb major.
Use the live recording as a reference and work your way towards playing with a backing track.
In the above example, you’ll notice a number of stock drop 2 chords and inversions. However, a
great melody line is created nonetheless.
A few of the Drop 2 chords used in this II V I lick are important substitutions as well.

The Cm9 Chord

On beat 1 of bar 1, an Ebmaj7 is played over the Cm7. Why is that?

Well, Ebmaj7 contains chord tones Eb, G, Bb and D. Over a Cm7, Ebmaj7 ends up providing the b3, 5, b7
and 9th:

Ebmaj7 Eb G Bb D

Over Cm7 b3 5 b7 9

Here is the Cm9 chord shape. Remember that this chord shape can be used as an Ebmaj7 (technically in
2nd inversion) or as a Cm9 chord.
The F9 Chord

The second important chord substitution from this excerpt is Am7b5 used over the F7 in the second half of
bar 2.

Using an Am7b5 over F7 provides the 3 ,5, b7 and 9 of the F7 chord:

Am7b5 A C Eb G

Over F7 3 5 b7 9

The Bb6 Chord

The last notable chord substitution in this excerpt can be found in bar 3.

Instead of playing a Bbmaj7 chord note for note, a Gm7 chord is found. Using a Gm7 chord over Bbmaj7
doesn’t provide the 9 like the other chord substitutions did, but provides the 6instead. When using the Gm7
over Bbmaj7, the 7th of the Bbmaj7 is completely excluded in favor of the 6, which gives the chord another
unique color.

Playing a Gm7 chord over Bb yields the following notes: G (6), Bb (R), D (3), and F (5):

Gm7 G Bb D F
Over Bb 6 1 3 5

ii V I Chord Solo Lick 3 – Joe Pass

This next comping example is borrowed from the musical styling of Joe Pass.

The C13#9 Chord

The first thing you may notice about this excerpt is that the C13#9 chord is played in the place of Gm7.
Joe Pass often played solo, which would give him the freedom to add additional chords orforego them
completely.
In this example, in combination with a C pedal, Joe plays variations of the V7 chord until resolving to
an Fmaj6/9 chord at the end of bar 2.
Both of the variations of the V7 chord are excellent chords that can be used in both group and solo settings.
Using these 2 V7 chords in conjunction with each other also works great as an intro for a given tune.
Here are the chords:
A complete C13#9 chord is spelled (in our C13#9 voicing, the 5 and 11 are excluded):

C13#9 C E G Bb D# F A

1 3 5 b7 #9 11 13

In its entirety, the C9#5 chord is spelled:

C9#5 C E G# Bb D

1 3 #5 b7 9

For this II V I chord lick, no C9#5 chord tones are omitted.

If you’d like to use the two above chords as an introduction, try vamping between them just like in the first 2
bars of the original Joe Pass excerpt.

ii V I Chord Solo Lick 4 – Jim Hall

In this next musical excerpt, you’ll comp through a II V I progression in the style of Jim Hall.
Jim Hall helped define and push the limits of contemporary jazz guitar with his incredible creativity and
musical sensibility.

In playing through this example, you’ll notice a pattern of dissonant chord voicings followed by consonant
chord voicings.
This excerpt itself is a microcosm of an important approach to jazz harmony: the concept of maintaining a
persistent cycle of tension and resolution through chord progressions and melodies. The more jazz
harmony you play, the more you’ll recognize these patterns of tension and resolution.

This comping excerpt shows an interesting progression of chords through a II V I progression in Bb major.
In the following sections, you’ll play through each notable chord and find out what makes them special.
The C7b9#9 Chord

The example starts with a Cm7 chord before shifting to a type of C7 chord on beat 3 of bar 1.

Instead of playing typical drop chord voicings, Jim often played voicings unique to his playing style. The
chord on beat 3 of bar one is an excellent example of the unique voicings Jim would employ in his playing.
The chord itself is a rootless C7b9#9 chord.
A C7b9#9 chord is spelled the same way as a C7 chord with the addition of the b9 and #9 tones.

C7b9#9 C E G Bb Db D#

1 3 5 b7 b9 #9

This C7b9#9 chord voicing can be played over any dominant7th chord to create additional harmonic
tension.

The F6 Chord
Another notable chord in this comping excerpt is the F6/C chord on beat 1 of bar 2. In this F6 voicing, no
chord tones are omitted.

Additional consonance is created when resolving to any kind of 6 chord, especially if the chord was meant
to be a dominant 7th chord to begin with.

F6 F A C D

1 3 5 6

ii V I Chord Solo Lick 5 – Jim Hall

For the last chordal II V I example in this lesson, you’ll take a look at another Jim Hall inspired lick.

This excerpt is a rather fun, outside and somewhat quirky approach to playing a II V I progression.
Using only 1 chord shape, you’ll play through a complete II V I progression in G major.

The C#aug Triad

So, what is the chord shape? The single shape used in this lick is an augmented triad.

Augmented triads are a great tool for quickly getting an outside sound in your playing. The C# augmented
triad is spelled:
 C#aug C# E# G##

1 3 #5
 In bar 1, the two augmented triads played a whole step apart (C#aug and Baug) create a whole note
scale vibe, and also produce the root, 3, b5, #5, 7 and 9 over an A bass note.Please note that throughout
this lick, the lowest note in the 2nd augmented triad is omitted (in this case the B or chord 9th). However,
when you play the lick, simply slide the same shape back and forth as if you were going to play the
complete augmented triad.In this situation, it’s quick to see that an altered dominant 7th chordis the theme
of each passing bar in the lick.This is a very accessible and fun lick to play, but it’s important to remember
that if you’re playing with another chordal player or soloist, this lick can easily step on others toes.
 Moving on to bar 2, the exact same lick is played down a half step with Caug and Bbaug. Over a D7
chord Caug and Bbaug provide the exact same chord tensions as in the first bar (Root, 3, b5, #5, 7 and 9).
 Instead of playing a Gmaj7 in bar 3, the same relative pattern of augmented chords is played using
Baug and Aug, which creates the same relative chord tensions: Root, 3, b5, #5, 7 and 9.

A Few Parting Tips…

In conclusion, here are a few important ideas from these licks that you can take to the woodshed (aside
from the licks and chord shapes themselves).
1) Melody: in a number of the licks you just played through, melodies were formed through the careful
selection of chords. Try to incorporate melody into both your comping and chord soloing when practicing
chord progressions or full tunes.
2) Smooth Voice leading: in every example included in this lesson, you’ll notice that when shifting from bar
to bar and consequently chord quality to chord quality, very little note movement occurs. Voice leading is a
lifelong study, but it’s never too early or too late to start incorporating its concepts into your playing. Start by
finding the closest possible voicing when progressing from chord to chord.
3) Finally, be creative! Search for new voicings, take chances with your chords and find what works for you
and your ear.
If you want to learn more about chord solos and chord/melody in a systematic step-by-step manner,
check out our eBook The Easy Guide to Chord Melody.
Joe Pass is often considered as the greatest jazz guitarist who ever lived. With his ability to play in solo,
duo, and ensembles with ease, as well as move between single notes, bass lines, and chords, made his a
true virtuoso. When studying his playing, one concept that is essential to spend time on are Joe Pass chords
and chord concepts.
By studying classic Joe Pass chords and chord phrases, as well as breaking down the concepts behind
those lines, you’ll begin to bring a Joe Pass vibe to your own jazz harmony.
In this lesson you’ll break down 5 classic Joe Pass chord licks, analyze the concepts behind those licks,
and learn how you can take these lines and concepts into your own comping and chord soloing.

How to Practice Joe Pass Chords

As well as learning the Joe Pass chord licks below, you’ll want to take them further in order to get the most
out of your studies with this material.
To help you dig deep into these lines and the concepts behind them, here are six ways that you
can practice Joe Pass chords:
• Learn the lines in the given key.
• Move the lines to other keys.
• Apply the lines to your comping/chord soloing over standards.
• Work the lines at various tempos.
• Apply the concepts behind each line to your playing.
• Write your own lines using the concepts of each example.

Now that you know how to practice, it’s time to explore these five examples in your guitar practice routine.

Joe Pass Chords 1

This first Joe Pass chord line features a classic walk-up phrase over a ii V I in F major.
The chords walk up both diatonic and chromatic shapes, creating interest and movement in the line over
the common chord progression.
Check out the following chords:

• Bbmaj7 is used as a rootless Gm9 chord

• Bdim7 is used as a passing chord between Bbmaj7 and C7
• Em11b5 is used as a rootless C13 chord
• Gdim7 is used as a rootless C7b9 chord

As you work through these chord lines, take any concept or sub that you like, such as playingBbmaj7 over
Gm7, and expand upon that chord concept.

Joe Pass Chords 2

In this next chord phrase, you’ll see diatonic chords used for each change in the progression, no subs used,
but a typical Joe Pass bassline and rhythm being used to create interest.
The line uses chromatic notes to connect the chord you’re on, to the next chord in the progression in a
typical Joe Pass fashion.
You can see an example of this with the C# connecting the Fmaj7 to D7alt chord in the first bar of the line.
As well, the 8th-quarter-8th rhythm for each chord, as each chord is two-beats long, is something you’ll
find in Joe’s playing, especially his solo guitar output.
Joe Pass Chords 3

In this chord phrase, you’ll use a very typical concept that Joe uses to outline minor ii V Ichord
progressions.
The first chord is Dm7b5, and Joe plays Dm7b5 for that chord change. Then, over G7alt, you move the
Dm7b5 chord up a minor 3rd to Fm7b5. When doing so, you get the followingintervals:

Fm7b5 Chord F Ab B Eb

1 b3 b5 b7

Fm7b5 Over G7alt F Ab B Eb

b7 b9 3 b13

From there, you move down to Ebmaj7 over Cm7, creating a rootless Cm9 chord in the process.
If this concept is a bit over your head for now, no worries, learn the phrase and practice applying it to your
comping and chord-soloing runs.
If you’re able to grasp the concept with confidence, practice applying it to your comping and chord soloing
over jazz standards.

Joe Pass Chords 4

Another common Joe Pass rhythm is the triplet, with the bass notes on the first and last note of the triplet
and the chord placed on the middle beat.
You can see an example of this over a descending ending in F major below.
Though you might not use this progression very often, you can take the concept out of this line and apply it
to your playing, especially when ending a tune.
After you’ve learned the example, take any tune you’re working on and play each chord with the triplet bass-
chord-bass rhythm to apply this concept to other musical situations.
Joe Pass Chords 5

This final Joe Pass chord example is a more advanced ii V I phrase in C major. Take your time with this
line, as it will pose some technical challenges.
Notice the rising chords in the first two beats, followed by the repeated chords to finish out the line.
Playing a chord twice, such as from the second half of bar 1 to the second half of bar 2, is characteristic of
Joe’s playing and something you can take into your own comping and chord soloing ideas.
Here are some typical Joe Pass phrases over a blues in G. In this example he mixes the minor and major
pentatonic scales.
 The backing track:

Some remarks:

 Bar 1-8: entirely in the G minor pentatonic scale.

 Bar 3: chromatic approach of the 3 and b7 of G7.
 Bar 7: chromatic approach of the b3 and b7 of Bm7.
 Bar 8-10: mostly in the G major pentatonic scale.
 Bar 11-12: G minor blues scale.
 TOP 10 BEST JAZZ GUITAR SOLOS ( + 10 LICKS)
n a recent forum post, we asked our readers to name their favorite jazz guitar solo. And, as you
might imagine, we got a varied response to that tough question. As readers struggled to pick just
one solo that they would rank as their all-time favorite, a short-list of tracks began to emerge that
would end up becoming the top 10 best jazz guitar solos laid out below.
You may or may not agree with this list, so feel free to read through and then post your own top 10 list in the
comments below.
As well, besides a video of each of the recordings on this list, there is a lick transcribed from each solo for
you to check out.
So, without further ado, here they are, the top 10 best jazz guitar solos as chosen by the readers of JGO.

1. Wes Montgomery – Besame Mucho

The most popular jazz guitar solos, as chosen by our readers, is Besame Mucho by none other than “The
Thumb” himself, Wes Montgomery.
Taking a fresh look at this tune, by playing it in 6/4 rather than the traditional 4/4 time, Wes’ solo is
energetic, sophisticated, and full of classic Wes vocabulary.
The transcribed lick contains a favorite structural approach that Wes often used in his jazz guitar solos.
 The first bar contains “melody 1,” a short line that is played over the Ebm7 and F7b9 chords.
 From there, bar two is a slightly altered version of melody 1, changed to outline the new Bbm7 and
Gm7b5 chord changes.
 The lick then goes into a new melody, “melody 2,” as Wes completes the four-bar phrase.
While this might not be his most famous tune, this solo has one over the hearts of jazz guitarists around the
world.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Wes solo made the top 10.
 Other popular Wes Montgomery solos (in order of popularity):

 Impressions
 4 on 6
 Round Midnight
 Airegin
 West Coast Blues
 No Blues
 Caravan
 The Days of Wine and Roses
 D Natural Blues

2. Joe Pass – Django

Number 2 on the list of top 10 best jazz guitar solos comes from Joe Pass.
Joe’s recording of Django appears on his album, “For Django,” a tribute to the legendary Gypsy jazz
guitarist.
This is a fiery solo, full of double-time licks, where Joe is on top form during his creative and intense
improvisation.
In the transcribed line below, you’ll find a number of idiomatic Passisms that you can study further in your
practice routine.
 The first is the Fm9 arpeggio in bar 1, running down from the third to the third of the underlying chord,
Ab to Ab.
 From there, you’ll see Joe using a C augmented triad over the C7 chord in bar two, another
characteristic Pass sound that is found in many of his solos.
 Lastly, Joe borrows a page from the John Coltrane playbook as he uses the 1235 interval set to
outline the F7, Bb7, and Eb7 chords.
 From there, he resolves the lick in typical Joe fashion.
Check out the list below to see if any of your favorite Joe Pass solos made the top 4 as suggested by our
readers.
 Other popular Joe Pass solos (in order of popularity):

 Summertime
 Night and Day
 Joy Spring
 3. Pat Metheny – Bright Size Life

A top 10 best jazz guitar solos list wouldn’t be complete without including at least one Pat
Metheny improvisation.
Pat has long been at the top of the jazz guitar world, and it all began with his groundbreaking recording,
“Bright Size Life.” His solo on the title track to that album is often considered one of Metheny’s best-
recorded improvisations. It also helped to have Jaco and Bob Moses by his side as he navigated these
fun to play, and creative, chord changes.
The lick below is taken from a live recording, and features a number of characteristic Metheny sounds.
 The triplets that start the line are a favorite of Pat’s, where he runs up a scale using a series of three-
note groupings.
 Notice the E-D-E-E pattern in bar three, which is heard in the original recording of Bright Size Life, and
many of Pat’s other recordings as well.
Metheny may have accomplished an enormous amount over his career. But, it all stems back to his first
recording as a bandleader, and Bright Size Life is one of the most memorable solos on that memorable
recording.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Metheny solo made the top 5 as chosen by jazzguitar.be
readers.
 Other popular Pat Metheny solos:

 Are You Going With Me

 Phase Dance
 Lonely Woman
 James
4. George Benson – Breezin’

George Benson has had one of the longest and most diverse careers in jazz guitar history.
Getting his start playing hard-driving bebop, pushing Wes’ accomplishments on the instruments to the next
level, Benson then moved into the smooth jazz world as he expanded his musical horizons. While some
disapproved of his switch in musical focus, as indicated by the fourth most popular jazz guitar solo on our
list, fans the world over have embraced Benson in all his forms.
The lick in the “Breezin’” example is played in the typical, energetic Benson style. Full of triplets, 16th notes,
and short rests to break up the phrases; this line encapsulates the energy that has made Benson a favorite
among fans for over half a century.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Benson solo made our readers’ list of top 6 George Benson
guitar solos.
 Other popular George Benson solos:

 Take 5
 This Masquerade
 California Dreaming
 Stella by Starlight
 Seven Come Eleven
5. Charlie Christian – Swing to Bop

Known as the father of modern jazz guitar, it’s no surprise to find Charlie Christian on a list of top 10 best
jazz guitar solos.
The solo voted to our list by readers, “Swing to Bop,” showcases the melodic control, harmonic
understanding, vocabulary, and creativity that propelled Christian to the top of the jazz world early in his
career. Though he left this world at a very young age, Christian helped to shape the future of jazz,
and influence almost every great jazz guitarist that came after him in one way or another.
The longer, Bebop influenced lick in the example below is characteristic of Christian’s sophisticated, yet
bluesy and melodic, approach to soloing.
With a number of chromatic notes, scales and arpeggios, this line reflects the cool, and bebop-based
sound that made Christian the first major figure in modern jazz guitar.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Christian solo made our reader’s top 4 list of solos.
Other popular Charlie Christian solos:
 Stardust
 Flying Home
 Rose Room

6. Pat Martino – Just Friends

Pat Martino stormed onto the jazz guitar scene at a very young age. Before many other players could drive a
car, or even grow facial hair, Martino was already making a name for himself as a top-level jazz guitarist.
Though he’s recorded many memorable solos, Just Friends remains as a fan favorite, and is considered
essential transcribing by jazz guitar educators the world over.
The lick below showcases a number of characteristic Pat Martino soloing concepts.
 First, is the opening bar, which starts on a high A for a quarter note, then runs down the underlying
scale from there, a line heard commonly in this era of Martino’s recordings.
 In the C7 bar, you’ll notice the Bebop scale being used, C-B-Bb-A, to create a bit of tension and
release over that chord.
 In the A7 measure, there’s an A7 arpeggio starting from the 3rd of that chord, C#, which is an arpeggio
approach Martino loves to use in his solos.
 Lastly, the use of D melodic minor over Dm7 is showcases Martino’s understanding and usage of
classic Bebop vocabulary.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite solo made our reader’s list of top 5 Pat Martino
improvisations.
 Other popular Pat Martino solos:

 Sunny
 Impressions
 How Insensitive
 Footprints
7. Jim Hall – You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to

A member of the cool jazz scene, Jim Hall made his name in the jazz world by eschewing speed and chops
for a melodic approach to soloing. Though he did posses the chops to play double-time licks, and at fast
tempos, Hall preferred to leave space, work melodies, and experiment with textures and colors in his solos.
It’s no surprise to see Jim’s solo on “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” on this list of top 10 best jazz
guitar solos. The performance is one of Hall’s best on record, featuring his strong rhythmic and melodic
approach to improvisation throughout the tune.
The lick below reflects Hall’s melodic approach, as he develops melodies across the phrase, leaving space
and letting each note breathe as he plays over the changes.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Jim Hall solo made our reader’s list of top 7 solos.
 Other popular Jim Hall solos:

 I’ve Got You Under My Skin

 Concierto de Aranjuez
 Body and Soul
 My Funny Valentine
 Autumn Leaves
 Blue Bossa

8. Django Reinhardt – I’ll See You in my Dreams

Consistently voted as one of the best jazz guitarists of all times, Django Reinhardt’s name has long been
synonymous with Gypsy Jazz guitar.
Ranked as the 8th best jazz guitar solo of all time by our readers, “I’ll See You In My Dreams” is a classic
Django improvisation.
The solo builds in intensity, contains a strong rhythmic feel, and brings out Django’s penchant for
developing melodic phrases over the course of his solos.
In the lick below, you’ll see just such a melodic line.
 Here, the line is built off of a single phrase, which is played in the first two bars as a statement, or
call, and then the response is played in the second two bars.
 After the call, the line is resolved and then Django moves on to other ideas in his solo.
It’s this level of organization and melodic control that have kept Django’s name near the top of the list of
greatest jazz guitarists for decades since his passing.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Django solo made our reader’s list of top 5 improvisations.
 Other popular Django Reinhardt solos:

 Nuages
 All of Me
 Minor Swing
 Honeysuckle Rose
9. Kenny Burrell – My Favorite Things

While it’s not surprising to see Kenny Burrell on a list of the top 10 best jazz guitar solos, what might be
surprising, is the solo chosen…
With a long and successful career, Burrell has released a number of memorable records over the years,
including his most famous album, Midnight Blue. But, the solo voted by readers as his best, and number 9
on the list, doesn’t come from that record, instead its Burrell’s take on the classic jazz tune “My Favorite
Things.”
Playing in 4/4 time, as opposed to the traditional jazz waltz feel, Burrell brings his characteristic bluesy feel
to this often-played jazz standard.
The example line is built with a favorite rhythmic and melodic motive of Burrell’s, one that you can hear in
his other recorded solos. As well, Burrell’s control and love for the blues is showcased in this Em7 phrase.
 Other popular Kenny Burrell solos:

 The Midnight Special

 God Bless the Child
10. Grant Green – Blues for Willarene

Though many know Grant Green as a jazz funk pioneer, his early career was firmly based in the Blue Note,
hard bop sound.
His unique tone, strong sense of rhythm, and control of bebop vocabulary helped propel Green to the top
of the jazz world in the 1960s.
Known for his strong blues playing, it’s no surprise to find “Blues for Willarene” on this list of top 10 best
jazz guitar solos.
As you’ll see and hear in the lick below, Grant was a master of jazz blues soloing, with an endless supply
of licks under his fingers to draw from in his improvisations. Grant didn’t just recite lines, he made them
his own, and brought his personality into everything he played.
 Other Popular Grant Green solos:

 My Favorite Things
 I Wish You Love
 ‘Round Midnight
5 ESSENTIAL II V I JAZZ GUITAR LICKS
ii V I chord progressions are the bread and butter of jazz, that’s why every jazz musician should be
able to navigate these changes well. In this lesson you’ll learn 5 classic ii V I jazz guitar licks, in both
major and minor keys, that you can use to bring a sense of jazz vocabulary into your lines and solos.

ii V I Lick 1 (Major)

The first lick that we’ll look at is a Pat Martino style phrase that uses the C Dominant Bebop Scale over the
first two bars (the Gm7 and C7 chords), before resolving to the Fmaj7 chord in bar three of the lick.
The dominant bebop scale is a Mixolydian Scale with a descending chromatic
note between the root and the b7.

Sometimes we think about the Dominant Bebop Scale as only being used over the V7 chord in a ii V I
progression. But, since the iim7 and V7 chord are so closely related, you can often play one or the other
over both chords (in this case, playing C7 over both Gm7 and C7).
 ii V I Lick 2 (Minor)

The second lick is in the key of G minor, and uses a couple of interesting scale choices over both the V7alt
and Im6 chords:

 Over the V7alt chord, the line is built using the D Altered Bebop Scale, where you take the 5th mode
of Harmonic Minor and add in the Natural 7 passing note from the Bebop Scale. This is a cool-sounding and
easy to play scale that you can explore further in your jazz guitar practice routine outside the context of this
lick.

 In bar 3, the lick uses a G Melodic Minor scale over the Gm6 chord. When playing in minor keys,
many players will often choose the Melodic Minor scale over the tonic chord to emphasize the tonic sound of
the Im6, ImMaj7 or Im7 chord.
ii V I Lick 3 (Major)

Here is a short ii V I lick in the key of G Major that uses some classic voice-leading ideas to connect each
chord in the phrase.
The first chord (Am7) leads from the b7 (G) to the 3rd (F#) of the next chord (D7). Moving from the b7 (of a
iim7) to the 3rd (of the V7 chord) is a common and important way to voice-lead ii Vs.
ii V I Lick 4 (Minor)

In this short minor-key ii V I lick in D minor, you find the same voice-leading techniquefrom the previous
example being used, only this time it is extended to the V7alt-Im6 relationship as well. To connect those two
chords, the b9 (Bb) of A7alt is used to voice lead to the 5th (A) of Dm6.
ii V I Lick 5 (Major)

The last lick we’ll look at is a short chord-based ii V I in the key of F major that was written with Joe Pass in
mind.
Notice the V7alt sounds being produced over the C7 chord, that are then resolved into the Fmaj7 chord at
the start of the second bar. A very cool and fun way to add a sense of tension and release to your chord
soloing lines over ii V I progressions.