Guitar Roots: Swing: Guitar Book & CD

This book cuts through the mystique of swing guitar by teaching the fundamentals that actually matter: progressions, forms, and solo construction. Rather than overwhelming beginners with theory, Paul Howard anchors learning in the idioms and techniques that make swing sound like swing. The included CD lets students hear exactly what they're building toward, making the style tangible from day one.

Swing guitar has a buoyant, conversational quality; these pages capture that groove from the first progression. Learning from this book feels like gaining access to a language you've always heard but couldn't quite speak, with the CD serving as your guide to authentic inflection and timing.

Beginning to early intermediate guitarists drawn to swing style but unsure where to start. This book is ideal for self-directed learners and students in jazz guitar settings who need a structured introduction to the harmonic language and phrasing conventions of the genre.

• Listen to the recorded examples repeatedly before attempting to play along. Internalize the swing feel through your ears first; technique will follow naturally.
• Pay close attention to articulation and rhythm placement on the CD tracks. Swing guitar relies on subtle timing and phrasing that transcription alone won't capture.
• Work through the progressions slowly and deliberately, making sure your chord changes lock in cleanly before increasing tempo.
• Reference the CD as you develop your solo concepts. Hearing how the material is meant to sound prevents you from building bad habits early on.

Use this as a supplementary text in jazz guitar electives or private studio instruction when introducing students to stylistic fundamentals beyond general music theory. It pairs well alongside standard jazz pedagogy, filling the role of a style-specific reference that students will return to as they build their jazz vocabulary.

• Reading and playing swing progressions and chord changes
• Understanding jazz forms and song structures
• Constructing melodic lines and solo ideas within the swing idiom
• Interpreting swing feel and articulation through recorded examples
• Applying rhythm and phrasing conventions specific to swing guitar