Learn Jazz Guitar Improvisation: The Charlie Christian Method

The Charlie Christian Method

for Jazz Guitar

Joe Dochtermann

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Joe Dochtermann

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table Of Contents

Introduction

The Required Knowledge

Example 1: Six Appeal

Example 2: Poor Butterfly

Example 3: Profoundly Blue

Example 4: Stardust

Example 5: Flying Home

Example 6: Seven Come Eleven

Example 7: Gone With What Wind?

Example 8: I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

Example 9: Wholly cats

Example 10: I’ve Found A New Baby

Final Thoughts

Link To Download MP3 Examples

Introduction

Charlie Christian’s swing and early bebop guitar playing was a revolution in the development of the instrument; later guitar players have sung his praises time and again. One of the better known examples of Charlie’s influences was the great Wes Montgomery, who worked out Christian’s solos and got himself a gig playing them note-for-note in an ensemble. He would just rip out the solos and then lay out for the rest of the tune. A humble beginning, but as aspiring Jazz guitarists, we all know where Wes Montgomery was headed! I think it is obvious that there is room for us all to learn from Christian’s work.

Christian devised a method for solo composition and improvisation based on the simplest of bar chords and basic movable forms, freeing himself to concentrate on melodies and lines, rather than a complicated system of scales, positions, arpeggios, chords and exercises. The study of theory is not to be excluded from a well rounded music education, but I would like to present a ‘shortcut’ to the meat and potatoes (or falafel and hummus, if you prefer) of Jazz music; the freedom to play on and through chord changes without restriction.

I see Christian’s method as a very musical and comprehensive system of combining chords, scales and arpeggios into a whole. I do not feel in the least that Charlie’s playing was restricted by these views, and we can hear through his (unfortunately short) career a rapid development in his playing which led the world from Swing into Bebop.

I have created a method for visualizing this concept which I call chord tone diagrams. I find them to be very straightforward and particularly helpful for understanding the guitar. Chord tone diagrams that will help you visualize how the solo lines relate to the chord progression accompany each song transcription.

The following solos are transcribed and examined in this book:

1) Six Appeal

2) Poor Butterfly

3) Profoundly Blue

4) Stardust

5) Flying Home

6) Seven Come Eleven

7) Gone with what wind?

8) I can’t give you anything but love

9) Wholly Cats

10) I’ve Found A New Baby

Transcriptions are provided in both standard notation and tablature. Audio examples have the solo guitar and rhythm guitar panned