I thought I would start a thread to help some of the new students. I go back about 10 years to Barry's podcast days, so I've had a lot of exposure to his method.
I know everyone wants to jump into the Tunes on the site, and If you're an advanced player have at it. If you are relatively new to Jazz, the pace of those videos can be intimidating.
The first two lessons that I think everyone should digest completely are "5 position Study" and "Secret Jazz Chord". If you take the time to work through all of those chord shapes and be able to play the chord and the scale in each position interchangeably in all 5 positions, it is much easier to approach the other tune and topic based videos. Add that to basic drop two voicings and you probably have about 90% of the chords that Barry uses.
You will also need the Melodic Minor study to apply the linear material and how it fits in.
Thank you Kurt. At times it is difficult for me to gauge things from the student perspective. What you said done here is fantastic and I appreciate it very much!
Barry
I've been subscribed to these lessons for only a couple of months and my mind is awash in new ideas. I have watched some of the videos 3 times to get the concepts. I like your idea, but so far mostly watch, try to understand and then put a few concepts into standards I like. The concept of five positions for everything and a chord scale under every chord is nuclear. That really is the hurdle I must first overcome. I may try to study a lesson in chunks as you suggest. As a new BG student I wanted to enter the conversation.
Thanks for joining Ed!
Barry
So when you say 5 positions. You mean 5 for the major scale?
minor scale?
Melodic monor scale?
Since I am currently involved in this part of the discipline I will comment. The 5 positions are for both chords and scales. Using chord inversions of drop 2 or drop 3 chords it is possible to stay in around one position on the neck and play the whole tune with good sounding, well voiced chords. That conditions exists in several areas of the neck of the guitar, so knowing the chord inversions is a must. One can play any scale of any type from any position on the fretboard, but Barry has given us the idea of getting the appropriate scale; major, dorian minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor (covers most but not all situations); right near the chord inversion being played or 5 areas. It makes the reach easier and the chord scale is available in many parts of the neck if your ideas run you to another part of the neck. It will hopefully solve a problem I've experienced of going somewhere on the neck and not having safe territory for the continuation of an idea. It is not easy getting this in the fingers, but slow progress is coming and comping is getting more interesting moving around inversions.