In Jazz guitar history, Joe Pass is most important guitarist forever.
Jazz guitarist who plays right now be influenced by Joe Pass for sure.
His improvisation was beautiful.
His musical expression about rhythm was great too.
He gave us how to make jazz swing groove without drummer and bassist.
He is king of Jazz solo guitar.
People who wants to play like Tuck Andress, had better to study Joe Pass style too.
But it is not must study.
My opinion, there are not so many common stuff between Tuck Andress and Joe Pass from my experience.
But as a guitarist, we have to study many playing style as much as we can.
This time, I would like to show you Joe Pass's jazz solo guitar arranging concept.
Analyze sheet or score is below.
Please look !
This is the score from "Take the A train" by Joe Pass.
Joe Pass plays this tune like this with these voicing.
I just put chord symbols, but it's pointless.
He doesn't think like that maybe.
His way of reharmonization is like using inversion and block chord not substitution chord.
Anyway I just put chord symbols for example.
1st measure, he plays Eminor7th chord on C.
Eminor7th is like 1st inversion of Cmajor7th.
Maybe he felt like that.
Then Joe Pass put Dminor7th chord and D#minor7th chord before he hits the Eminor7th.
That's a double chromatic approach.
These two chord toward into Eminor7th be chromatic half step above.
That's it ! It's so simple.
Then next.
Measure 2 and 3, he just choose to play in octave.
In measure 3 and 4, he choose to play melody line in wholetone scale.
Wholetone scale is typical available note scale for Dominant7thb5 chord.
Measure 5 and 6, Joe Pass plays improvisational melody.
That's beautiful lines.
Inside the lines, there is good arpeggio melody, but I think this is just Joe's favorite two five molody that's it !
Measure 7 and 8, Joe Pass plays turn around chord progression.
He likes to play this with dominant7th chord substitution.
If you wanna really understand this concept, buy Joe's instruction DVD.
This transcribe score, I made may self from "Joe Pass - At Akron University".
Song #6, from 7:43.
Please listen that beautiful Joe's solo jazz guitar !!
Joe Pass's Chord Solo Analyze