Ted Greene: Jazz Guitar Single Note Soloing, Volume 2: Guitar Book

Volume 2 doesn't restart or rehash; it assumes you've internalized the foundation and moves directly into the real work of jazz improvisation. Greene's insistence on playing through changes (rather than over them) and building coherent melodies transforms how students hear and execute solos, and the 134 pages are dense enough to sustain serious practice for months.

Methodical and rewarding. Greene's writing is lean and focused, never wasting space on fluff, and the exercises build logically from concept to application. Working through this book feels like learning to think in jazz rather than simply learning to play jazz.

Intermediate to advanced jazz guitarists ready to deepen their understanding of melody construction and harmonic navigation. This is essential material for anyone serious about improvisation, whether your goal is session work, composition, or ensemble performance.

• Map out the harmonic rhythm of each tune before soloing, marking where chord tones land. This prevents running changes and grounds your lines in the underlying structure.
• Build from arpeggios and guide tones first, then weave in passing and approach notes. Greene's method works because it prioritizes harmonic clarity over speed.
• Record yourself and listen back for phrasing and space. Jazz soloing lives in the silence as much as the notes, and you won't hear your rhythmic habits otherwise.
• Work through the exercises slowly enough that your fingers and ears agree on every interval. This method rewards precision over rushing through pages.

Assign this as a semester-long or year-long independent study text for jazz guitar students pursuing depth beyond ensemble playing. The systematic nature also makes it ideal for private lesson curricula where you can pace the material alongside live standards repertoire.

• Playing melodic lines that follow harmonic progressions
• Constructing solos from guide tones and arpeggios
• Navigating ii-V-I progressions and extended changes
• Developing phrase shape and coherent solo architecture
• Translating harmonic concepts to the fretboard