Shell Chords: Essential Shapes for Jazz Guitar Accompaniment (PDF)

by Adam Levy

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Shell Chords — an experiment / an explanation 02:49

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This book is written with intermediate-level guitarists in mind — specifically, those who are interested in jazz repertoire and jazz harmony, and who want to develop their accompaniment skills. Most of the lessons in this book are presented via etudes based on well-known jazz tunes — such as “Beautiful Love” and “Straight, No Chaser.” These etudes are organized in three progressive tiers. In the first etudes, you’ll focus on learning the tune’s essential harmonic foundation via shell voicings. Next, you’ll learn how to make the harmony more colorful by adding chordal extensions to the shells. Finally, you’ll learn how to bring these chords to life by connecting them with passing chords, using sophisticated substitutions, and by adding rhythmic interest as well.

When comping behind a singer or soloist on a tune that you don’t know well, shell shapes will always be sufficient. If you are familiar enough with the tune to employ more colorful sounds, try shells plus extensions. These extended harmonies give the music more depth and dimension, and may spur the singer/soloist to stretch a little further as well. Using action will build more tension and release, as well as adding more propulsion to your comping. This is the way to go when you know a tune well and feel confident about playing more actively.

• About the Author •
Adam Levy is a storied guitarist and songwriter with several original albums to his credit. He has been featured on recordings by many esteemed artists — including Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Joe Henry, Allen Toussaint, and Vulfpeck. He has taught at USC, Los Angeles College of Music, and NYU. He is author of Play the Right Stuff as well as six TrueFire courses, and hosts the series Guitar Tips Pro on Patreon. You can learn more at adamlevy.com.

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released October 28, 2020

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Adam Levy New York, New York

Adam Levy is an NYC-based guitarist with 30 years of experience as a performing artist, studio musician, journalist, and educator.

He has released more than a dozen albums of his own, and is featured on recordings by Norah Jones, Vulfpeck, Ani DiFranco, Allen Toussaint, and other renowned artists. He has toured extensively as a solo artist and as a collaborator. ... more

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