14. ROOTS OF JAZZ

Jazz guitar has diverged from other guitar schools in several ways. First of all, jazz guitarists avoid the use of open strings. An exception to this is the use of the open bass E and A in solo pieces (Laurindo Almeida successfully integrated classical techniques utilizing open strings, as did some Brazilian players, but their work tended to be viewed as ‘Latin Jazz’). Traditionally, jazz was played on the electric guitar, using flat-wound strings that produced a bassy, soft tone. Jazz guitar can be viewed as an off-shoot of blues guitar, diverging in terms of technique and also philosophy. Building on the New Orleans sound, it quickly became intimidatingly sophisticated. Players like Charlie Christian and Django Reinhart showed the world just how fast a guitar could be played. The gap between jazz players and others was further widened by the jazzmen’s resistance to ‘normal’ chord forms. In my opinion, jazz chord voicings are not only an expression of advanced musicianship but also a practical response to the subtle difficulties of blending with string bass.