Jazz Guitar Harmony: Guitar Book & CD

Fisher builds jazz harmony from the ground up without assuming prior knowledge of jazz theory, making it genuinely accessible to guitarists who want to understand the language rather than just copy voicings. The breadth of topics—from ii-V-I progressions to upper structures—means students can grow with this book for years, always finding the next concept to unlock.

Opening this book feels like someone finally explaining the inside jokes of jazz—why certain chords appear in progressions, what makes a substitution work, how to hear the logic underneath the complexity. You move from playing what you're told to understanding what you're playing.

Jazz guitarists at the intermediate level who are ready to move beyond basic chord shapes and understand the reasoning behind jazz harmony. This book serves private studio students, ensemble guitarists who want to contribute meaningfully to jazz combos, and self-taught players seeking a structured path through jazz theory.

• Use the included CD to hear chord progressions and voicing examples in context; listening actively while reading along accelerates your internalization of how these harmonies actually sound
• Work through progressions slowly at first, spelling each chord aloud before playing it to strengthen the connection between theory and fingerboard
• Focus on one concept per practice session (substitutions one day, altered chords the next) rather than jumping between chapters; jazz harmony compounds, and depth beats speed
• Record yourself playing through the progressions and listen back to identify which voicings sit best in your hands and ear

Assign this as foundational study material for any student preparing to play in a jazz combo or small ensemble. The clear explanations and recorded examples make it equally valuable for self-directed practice and one-on-one instruction, allowing you to customize lessons around whichever concepts your student finds most elusive.

• Recognizing and playing chord scales for different harmonic functions
• Constructing and voicing extended and altered chords on guitar
• Understanding ii-V-I progressions and the dominant cycle
• Analyzing chord progressions to identify substitutions and reharmonization opportunities
• Reading and applying upper structure triads
• Using quartal and cluster harmonies for contemporary jazz sounds