Barry Greene Video Lessons

Barry, I was watching someone talk about this and used Joe Pass as an example. But then the person didn't really have a command of scales beyond the playing out of chord shapes. It seems to me just the shapes would feel so limiting w/o having the freedom to utilize scalar material. Your thoughts?

This is a great thread. I learned to play jazz from Joe Pass’s “Guitar Chords” and Don Mock’s “Artfull Arpeggios”. I play diatonically as a result. Pentatonic lines and 1235s break it up a little It is limiting, I agree.

Barry, I just went through your essential courses on minor II-Vs and Dominants. Sometimes even a blind squirrel will find a nut. I had never looked at a m7b5 in scalar way. I don’t know why not, I’ve played the minor third shift of phrases a million times, never thought to move the whole scale. Never thought to use a jazz minor off the 5th of a static dominant either...and I’ve been playing “Take A Train” for, well.... a long time.

To your point, now I can “see’ these scales over the chord shapes (and the guide tones within). A lot better than hesitantly playing extensions from the shapes by ear. This is a breakthrough for me. Thank you!