You might not be interested in jazz, you might not even like it, but let me tell why you should at least pay attention to it: Much of the foundation for modern music has some roots in jazz. Learning some of the basics can go a long way in helping you perfect your guitar technique.
In this tutorial, I’m going to demonstrate three techniques that are key: 1. Walking the bass, 2. voicing a melody with chords, and 3. Putting those two together to create a walking bass as a contrapuntal tonal and rhythmic element supporting the voiced chords/melody.
One of the advantages of YouTube is you have the ability to slow the video down without change the pitch. So I suggest going to the settings and slowing it down to a speed that allows you to follow along on your guitar.
Good luck.
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One of the techniques in jazz that I think is underutilized in acoustic guitar playing is the use of octaves. Listen to any of the jazz greats — Joe Pass for instance — and you’ll discover how often they use octaves.
It’s a great method for emphasizing the melody and is sometimes even easier than trying to pick out the individual notes.
In this lesson, I’m going to continue with “Norwegian Wood” by John Lennon (The Beatles) and illustrate octaves as a way to play the melody. It helps that I am playing in a quasi-open tuning of “Drop D” (D-A-D-G-B-E) which is great for the key of D.
I’ve charted out the melody here. The arrows indicate to follow along from left to right, top to bottom.
And you can follow along to the actual progression in a slow-motion video here:
One thing to note is that I am not playing with a pick. I am picking the individual strings with my fingers. Now, it is possible to do this with a pick but you need to be careful to mute the middle string between the two strings that are forming the octave.
This can be done by just resting your index finger of the fretting hand slightly on that middle string.
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I’m using Elixir 12-53 Nanowebs on my guitar. I find these strings last a lot longer than most and have a clear and bright sound. The link here is an affiliate link to Amazon, if you’re interested in trying them out.
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Fret tapping is a technique that involves applying enough pressure on the frets to produce a sound without using the other hand to pluck or strum the string. Typically, you want to find a note that has the right harmonics or overtones that are complementary to the note you’re trying to produce.
In this cover of the Beatles song “Norwegian Wood,” I’m using this technique in a couple different ways. Let’s start at the beginning. After strumming a few harmonics on the 12th fret, I kick things off. You can view this in the YouTube video at 0:05 to 0:10 seconds in.
With the left hand, I’m tapping out two notes. After hitting the fret, I’m pulling the strings before releasing. This is sometimes referred to as “hammering on” and off the string. The effect provides not only the fret tapping notes, but the open string notes immediately after. This creates a trill in harmony.
Meanwhile, with the right hand, I’m tapping on the lowest string (here tuned down to D) and then the A string.
This technique is slightly different for fret tapping. Here, what I am doing is tapping with the index finger of my hand directly over the 12th fret. It’s a very quick action, almost a jab. I am not pressing the finger onto the fret. The jabbing effect produces the harmonics for that particular string.
I’m alternating between the low D (or drop D from the usual low E) and then tapping the A string. This gives the effect of a contrapuntal “bass” line to the left hand.
To view this technique in the video, look at the frames between 10 and 15 seconds in the YouTube video.
Once you have mastered each technique in the left and right hands, try putting them together and you have the intro! Good luck and let me know in the comments section how it worked for you.
I’ll post more about other techniques used in Norwegian Wood and other instrumentals in the coming days, weeks and months. If you are interested, you can follow this blog to get notified about updates.
Don’t forget to “follow” this blog (click button at top right of the page) for more handy tips and lessons!
Thanks for reading!
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I’m using Elixir 12-53 Nanowebs on my guitar. I find these strings last a lot longer than most and have a clear and bright sound. The link here is an affiliate link to Amazon, if you’re interested in trying them out.
Don’t forget to click the subscribe button below to stay up to date on my latest posts.
It started when I was four years old. One day, my Dad handed me a little harmonica. He taught me how to play “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” and from that moment I was hooked on making music.
I soon learned guitar and piano and have been playing — and experimenting — every since.
I actually studied piano, meaning I took private lessons and even majored in music for awhile in college.
But on guitar I am entirely self-taught. What I know is from observing others, jamming with others, and good old fashioned trial and error.
I compose original songs and look for ways to “reimagine” covers of popular songs.
I’m going to try to share via this blog some of the things that work for me: my finger picking technique, my chord voicings etc.
If you have questions or ideas for topics you’d like to see covered, follow this blog by clicking below and send me a note in the “comments” section.
I will do my best to answer the questions and/or respond to the suggestions.
George Paolini Music 