Easy Jazz Guitar: Guitar Book & 2CDs

DiLiddo strips away the mystique of jazz comping by pairing clear voicing instruction with Jamey Aebersold's legendary play-along tracks. Your students get immediate, musical context for what they're learning rather than isolated exercises, and the dual CDs mean they can hear professionals first before joining in themselves.

Maiden Voyage itself glides with quiet sophistication, and this book lets guitarists sit comfortably within that aesthetic without drowning in theory. The voicings feel natural under the fingers, and the accompaniment tracks encourage exploration rather than demanding perfection.

Guitarists new to jazz who need concrete instruction in chord voicings and comping rhythm. This works equally well as a self-guided resource or as a classroom supplement when you're introducing jazz vocabulary to a mixed-ability ensemble.

• Start with the demo tracks to internalize the sound of each voicing before attempting to comp alongside them. Listening develops your ear faster than reading.
• Keep the voicing frames visible while playing; muscle memory follows visual reference, not the other way around.
• Match the tempo of the play-along track before moving faster. Accuracy at a slower pace builds confidence and prevents bad habits from settling in.
• Mute strings you're not using with your left hand to keep the sound clean and focused, especially when learning the wider voicings.

Assign this early in the year if you're building a jazz unit or preparing for a standards-focused concert. Its 50 pages compress nicely into a four- to six-week unit, leaving time for students to move into the more advanced Maiden Voyage Guitar Comping once they've built foundational security.

• Reading standard notation and chord frames simultaneously
• Comping rhythm patterns over jazz standards
• Voicing construction for rootless and extended chords
• Listening and responding to ensemble changes in real time
• Translating written voicings to the fretboard with accuracy