All Blues for Jazz Guitar

For me, this title was a dream-come-true. I've always wanted to get away from the basic 12-bar blues progressions in my playing, and this book really helps you accomplish that. The author does several things, which I found to be excellent in terms of approach.This book is geared towards the aspiring jazz guitarist, and as such, the first thing the author does is compare the standard 12-bar blues progression (I-IV-I--IV--I--V-IV-I-V) to more complex ones, including Parker changes, minor blues, various forms of modern blues, swing and bop. Just going through this part of the text is already of benefit to most players, and this is only the beginning.Next, the author goes through actual playing of the chords for different progressions on the guitar, by demonstrating several standard chord positions and their inversions. Obviously a jazz player, he tends to stay in position, and shows how to do so effectively - this is something that's very useful for voice-leading; it also sets the groundwork for later topics presented.The next three sections are applications of blues progressions in various blues and jazz settings. They range from swing and bop, to double-stop blues, to walking bass lines. The author goes through various "in-the-style-of" possibilities, which include such jazz greats as Joe Pass and Lenny Breau, as well as several others.The chapters are very structured and organized. The examples are in several different keys, which serves to show how a variety of ideas can be expressed in different areas of the fretboard. All examples are in standard notation and tab, and include chord symbols (Gm7, B9b13, etc etc). The analysis of each progression is fairly in-depth, but for someone familiar with basic chord theory and progressions, that shouldn't present a problem - in fact, it comes in very handy.If you've ever had any sort of interest in jazzy blues, this is the book for you. If you've played guitar before, this book shouldn't take excessive effort to work through. And if you're already an advanced player, you will still get insight into the variety of ideas associated with blues from Mr. Ferguson, who's an accomplied educator and a wealth of information.The only drawback of this publication is the CD. The bass is up way too loud so you can't hear the chord colors very well. Also, there's no (audible) clicktrack, so counting is a pain unless you have the music in front of you. However, since the presentation is in standard notation and tab, it's not really a big issue and not worth taking off a star. Also, the audio quality is also only a problem for the chord comp; the walking bass and more riff-based examples can be heard fine.In short, highly recommended.

Maybe you've been playing guitar for a while, and can play basic rock and blues rhythm. You know a few dozen bar chords, and they work well for most rick playing. You've listened to R & B guitarists like Matt Murphy and Steve Cropper, and wondered, what the heck is he playing? That doesn't sound like any of the chords I know. And all those different chords in a simple blues? And hey, what about those cool two-note riffs?If that sounds like you- this is the book you need. Ferguson teaches an essential vocabulary of 3 and 4 note rhythm guitar chords while showing you how to apply them to not only blues, but any sort of pop or jazz chord changes. By the end of the book you'll be playing so hip your guitarist friends will think you sold your soul to the devil at a crossroads at midnight.

This book is a very well written and organized study of jazz blues for jazz guitar students! I have found something new each time I have picked it up. The writing is clear and explains things on many levels, and the examples are not that hard to play, so you can use them pretty quickly. I find that one of the best ways to use the book is to play the examples as choruses while you are playing tunes that you know, changing the rhythms to fit the tune. Thanks to the author for giving us what must be a lifetime of experience in a compact package!

This book swings and bops all the way through! Jim Ferguson's instructional and playing talents come pouring through in this book/CD package. It's full of bluesy, hip progressions, passing chords, walking bass lines and much more. I learn something from it everyday!

This is the best book of its kind. A friend recommended it to me and he was right; Ferguson really knows his stuff. You'll learn how to play traditional rhythm guitar, do combo comping, and play walking bass lines.