Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Jazz harmony lesson



The 2, 5, 1 chord progression is the most important sequence in jazz as it is the smoothest possible transition into any key. Most jazz tunes are littered with these progressions. As a jazz guitarist you will need to have a thorough knowledge of this progression in all locations which in turn will give you a good visual reference for stressing strong sounds at major change points. Refer to fig 48 showing the two fretboard shapes of this 2, 5, 1 chord progression. By learning two seperate positions of this sequence it is possible to play the progression through all possible keys with ease. You will not be more than a few steps away from an economical fingering. Learn the basic shapes in both locations and then play through the exercise (fig 49) entitled: "2, 5, 1 All Keys".

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