Using Octaves in Jazz Guitar

Part of the Video Series How to Play Jazz Guitar

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Learn how to play octaves in jazz guitar from a recording artist in this free music lesson video.

Contact: www.dustinplumb.net

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Tags: jazz fingering, jazz guitar, jazz picking, jazz sound, jazz swing, jazz techniques
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Posted by edyboy on Wednesday, 12 March, 2008 at 7:49 PM

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hi.......... it says , , , now playing.......... but there is nothing on screen.......just a black screen. please help

Video Transcript

Using Octaves in Jazz Guitar
Hello! My name is Dustin, and I am going to talk about octaves. Using octaves is a way to add a little flavor, a little spice to simple melodic lines. The basic idea is that if you have a single note in a melody or a solo, you play a lower note, an octave below at the same time, or an octave above, and those both at the same time, it just increases the body and adds a little something to the sound. So if you have a simple melodic line like this… you play it like this with octaves… it has kind of a jazzy sound, something that Wes Montgomery made really popular. So practice this octave technique when you are practicing your scales and arpeggios, and it will really help what you can do. There is also when it is very simple line… you add an upstroke with the octave, just a percussive little stroke and it adds even a little more texture to it, something like this…very subtle but it can work, so give that a try.

About the Expert

Expert: Dustin Plumb is a recording artist, who has a Bachelors' in Music from the University of Oregon. He resides in Las Vegas where he runs a sound design company called DP creative. Read More