In any major key there are two maj7 chords, three m7 chords, but only one 7th chord, which is the V chord. In the key of C major the V chord is G7. Dearly Beloved starts out in C major with the chords Dm7, G7, and Cmaj7. (the written chord in The New Real Book is C6. Use Cmaj7, and we’ll explain later). Top 10 Easy Jazz Guitar Chords Here are my top 10 jazz guitar chord voicings I recommend beginner jazz guitarists learn. These chords will enable you to play almost any jazz standard. Awesome, right? I recommend you have a basic understanding of bar chords before attempting these chords. Part II Quick Start Guides JAZZ GUITAR CHORD CHART #1. 20 thoughts on “ Lessons, Charts & Transcriptions ” Chet Arrista February 15, 2013 at 3:29 am. Any chance of getting you to post audio or video of you playing the transcriptions? It’s not easy to play through some material having never heard itplus, your playing is sublime and a lesson in itself.
Looking for some easy jazz guitar songs to get you started? Jazz music can sound very complicated, at first. It requires a combination of skills like speed, precision, and endurance. There are many great jazz guitarists that can attest to that.
While advanced jazz can take quite a while to work up to, beginner jazz guitar songs aren’t difficult or time-consuming to learn. In this article, we’ll provide videos and tabs for seven jazz songs that any beginner can start learning today. Let’s jump right into it!
7 Easy Jazz Guitar Songs for Beginners
Summertime
“Summertime” is a catchy jazz standard composed by George Gershwin. It was originally written for the opera Porgy and Bess. Sublime’s “Summertime” is based on this piece.
This eerie melody will stick in your head all day! Below is a simplified tutorial. I think this person does a good job breaking it down (even better than reading tabs):
Jazz musicians like to embellish simple melodies. Here is a more advanced version of “Summertime”:
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Autumn Leaves
“Autumn Leaves” is medium tempo jazz piece by Joseph Kosma. Here is a nice recording by Eric Clapton. Listen to the song, and then learn the chord progression.
Be sure to look up any chords you’re unfamiliar with. Strum along with the recording and pay attention to the tempo! It’s not very fast. Take a look at the chords here.
Easy Jazz Guitar Chords Youtube
Fly Me To The Moon
“Fly Me To The Moon” is a jazz standard made famous by Frank Sinatra. The steady quarter note pulse is a great way to practice changing 7th chords, a staple of jazz music.
This is one of our favorite easy jazz guitar songs. Watch this video of the Jason Mraz version to find out why! You can find the the accompanying chords here.
Blue Monk
“Blue Monk” is a B flat blues piece written by Thelonious Monk. Try learning both parts and playing it with a friend! Look here for the chords and tabs. Here is an advanced version of the piece:
Next, check out this simplified version:
Blue Bossa
“Blue Bossa” is a bossa-nova piece with an infectious groove. (Bossa-nova is Latin-influenced jazz).
Here are the chords and tabs to the song. Watch the video below and familiarize yourself with the melody. Notice the choppy way the chords are being played:
So What
This is a famous piece by Miles Davis. “So What” is a piece of modal jazz, which is built on modes rather than major and minor scales. If you’re not sure what a mode is, ask your guitar teacher for a lesson on them!
Check out the tabs for this song. This video is a great example of the main theme on guitar:
I also recommend you watch this video of Miles Davis and John Coltrane ripping the piece apart in 1959:
Nuages
“Nuages” is a piece of gypsy jazz by Django Reinhardt. Django played at incredible speeds with only two fingers! He lost his other two in a fire.
Django’s solos and improvisation move at intimidating speeds, but the main melody of Nuages is easy to understand. Here is a version of the piece for solo guitar.
“Nuages” is based on a classical piece by the same name, composed by Claude Debussy. Look up that piece and see if you can hear the similarities. Here is a recording of Django:
If it’s too difficult to play the chords and melody at the same time, just play the melody. You can do this by only playing the highest note in each chord cluster. Here is a close up version with a simplified melody:
As you begin to learn beginner jazz guitar, don’t worry about the improvisations and embellishments (the fast, fancy stuff). Start by making sure you understand every chord in the song, then move on to the melody.
Try learning one of these songs with a friend so you can both practice trading lead and rhythm.
Bonus!
Want to hear some advanced jazz? Check out this video by Snarky Puppy! There’s a cool guitar riff at about a minute in:
Once you learn some of these easy jazz guitar songs, you’ll be ready for more advanced playing. Even better, you’ll be better equipped to write your own jazz song. Have fun with your playing and make sure to practice every single day!
Post Author: Dylan P.
Dylan P. teaches guitar, music theory, and music performance lessons in Independence, MO. He has trained in many genres of music and has experience teaching students with learning disabilities. Learn more about Dylan P. here!
Dylan P. teaches guitar, music theory, and music performance lessons in Independence, MO. He has trained in many genres of music and has experience teaching students with learning disabilities. Learn more about Dylan P. here!
Photo by Oliver
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The Printable Guitar Chord Book by Guitar Command contains a huge number of guitar chords presented in clear, easy-to-read guitar fretboard diagrams.
Play any song and never get stuck reading a chord chart again; this printable PDF chord book will help you to master rhythm guitar.
As well as containing over 300 guitar chord diagrams, the Guitar Chord Book also contains helpful advice on how to play the chords.
- This book is also available from Amazon and selected bookstores as a printed paperback book. See details here.
Suitable for guitarists of all styles and abilities: contains basic, intermediate and advanced chords.
Guitar Chord Book Details
A quick reference section allows you to look up chords you need quickly and easily: ideal for learning new songs.
The movable chord section contains over 100 chord shapes that can be used to play well over 1,000 guitar chords. A fretboard diagram is provided to show you where to play the chords.
The book is suitable for beginners and professionals alike: all chords are shown as diagrams, and there is no need to read music.
The book is available for immediate download as a printable PDF eBook – readable on PCs & Macs, portable devices, etc.
Print it out, keep it in a folder, put pages on the wall or read it on-screen.
Features
- Play any song in any key
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- 42 pages, 300+ chord shapes, printable PDF eBook available for immediate download
The Guitar Command Printable Guitar Chord eBook offers clearly presented diagrams and playing advice for beginners, all the chords a gigging guitarist is ever likely to need, plus complex chords for jazz guitarists.
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Printable Guitar Chord PDF eBook from Guitar Command
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Easy Jazz Guitar Songs
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