Mickey Baker 39-s Complete Course In Jazz Guitar Pdf __top__ -
Mickey Baker's Complete Course in Jazz Guitar is widely considered one of the most influential "default" texts for learning the instrument. First published in 1955, it remains a gold standard for building the muscle memory and "old school" chord vocabulary used by players like Robben Ford and Randy Bachman. Jazz Guitar Online Why It Is a "Good Text" Action-Oriented Simplicity
- Print It Out (If Legal): If you bought the PDF, print the first 20 pages. Jazz guitar is not a screen activity. You need to put the paper on a music stand.
- Do Not Move On: Lesson 1 says "Play these chords perfectly." If it takes you a month to play them cleanly, it takes a month. Do not look at Lesson 2 until you can switch between Form #1 and Form #6 at 60 beats per minute.
- Say the Chords Aloud: Baker insists you say the chord name as you grab the shape. "C6... Am9... Dm11... G13b9." This builds ear-to-hand-to-brain links.
- Apply to Real Songs: The book uses "Indiana" and "Blue Moon." Take the chord substitution rules from the PDF and apply them to any standard (Autumn Leaves, All The Things You Are). If the PDF doesn't force you to do this, you are just memorizing shapes, not playing music.
Sequential Mastery: The book demands that students master Lesson 1 before moving to Lesson 2, with some sections requiring at least a week of dedicated practice. mickey baker 39-s complete course in jazz guitar pdf
Lesson Highlights
- Lessons 1–4: Basic jazz chord grips (6th, 5th, 4th string root forms) for major, minor, dominant 7th.
- Lessons 5–8: The “Baker system” of moving chords in parallel, chromatic passing chords, turnarounds.
- Lessons 9–12: Diminished chords as connectors, the I–VI–II–V progression in all keys.
- Lessons 13–16: Tritone substitution – “play a Db7 instead of G7.”
- Lessons 17–20: Introduction of 9th, 13th, and altered chords.
- Lessons 21–25: Putting it together — full etudes in the style of “All of Me,” “Satin Doll,” etc.
Overview