Jazz Blues Guitar - Piano Style Soloing

Learning to play jazz blues is one of the most fun and exciting ways to spend time in the practice room as a guitarist. 

The blues is to guitarists like a flame is to a moth. We love to play blues, we can play blues all day, and if we had a choice, I think many of us would only play blues. 

Jazz blues is just that’s fun to jam over. 

But, while you may love jazz blues soloing, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut playing the same old scales and lines in your solos. 

One of the fastest and easiest ways to break out of this rut is to add chords to your single-note solos.  

In this lesson, you learn how to apply this piano style approach to jazz blues solos as you level up your playing and have fun in the practice room. 

This style, pioneered by legendary guitarist Lenny Breau, mimics the two hands of a piano. 

You solo with the blues scale, like the right hand of a piano, and comp between lines with guide tones, like the left hand of a piano. 

This style of soloing takes practice so you can move smoothly between chords and lines without losing the form. 

But it’s worth every minute in the practice room as you develop a sophisticated and awesome sounding jazz blues soloing technique. 

Have fun exploring this pianistic soloing style in your studies over the G jazz blues progression and beyond.

Jazz Blues Soloing Workout 1

In this first jazz blues soloing workout, you combine the Gm blues scale and guide tones in the 3rd position on the fretboard. 

Here are guidelines to get the most out of this workout in your studies. 

- Memorize the blues scale and solo over the backing track. 

- Memorize the guide tones and comp over the backing track. 

- Solo with the blues scale and comp between your lines with guide tones. 

- Sing along with your solo for an added ear training workout. 

- Record your solo, listen back, take notes, adjust and repeat. 

- Have fun!

Now that you know how to practice this soloing workout, learn the scale and guide tones below and have fun soloing over the backing tracks!

Jazz Blues Soloing Workout 2

In the second soloing workout in this guitar lesson, you combine the Gm blues scale and guide tones in the 10th position on the fretboard. 

Here are guidelines to get the most out of this workout in your studies. 

- Learn the blues scale and solo over the backing track. 

- Learn the guide tones and comp over the backing track. 

- Solo with the blues scale and comp between lines with guide tones. 

- Sing along to your solo for added ear training. 

- Record your solo, listen back, take notes, adjust and repeat. 

- Have fun!

Now that you know how to run this soloing workout, learn the scale and guide tones below and have fun jamming over the backing tracks!In the second soloing workout in this guitar lesson, you combine the Gm blues scale and guide tones in the 10th position on the fretboard. 

Here are guidelines to get the most out of this workout in your studies. 

- Learn the blues scale and solo over the backing track. 

- Learn the guide tones and comp over the backing track. 

- Solo with the blues scale and comp between lines with guide tones. 

- Sing along to your solo for added ear training. 

- Record your solo, listen back, take notes, adjust and repeat. 

- Have fun!

Now that you know how to run this soloing workout, learn the scale and guide tones below and have fun jamming over the backing tracks!

Jazz Blues Soloing Creative Challenge

You’re now ready for the creative challenge in this lesson as you combine both positions for the guide tones and blues scales in your solos. 

Review soloing with position one over the backing tracks, then review position 2, then combine both to cover the fretboard in your solos. 

If you need extra review time with this material, solo only first with both positions, then comp only with guide tones, then mix together when ready. 

Have fun as you challenge your guide tone and scale soloing skills and level up your jazz blues solos today.