The Ellington Collection for Solo Guitar: Guitar Book & CD

These arrangements capture the sophistication and swing of Ellington's compositional genius in an idiomatically perfect fingerstyle guitar setting. The pairing of standard notation with tablature removes the barrier between sight readers and tab players, making this collection genuinely accessible across skill levels. Having the accompanying CD means students hear exactly how these pieces should breathe and swing before they ever pick up a guitar.

Elegant and conversational. These pieces swing with understated sophistication, inviting you into Ellington's world of intricate harmonies, graceful melodies, and the kind of refinement that comes from decades of orchestral thinking applied to the guitar. There's a cinematic quality to each arrangement; you can almost hear the ensemble behind your single voice.

Intermediate to advanced fingerstyle guitarists seeking accessible yet musically substantial jazz repertoire, as well as guitarists building fluency in reading standard notation alongside tablature. This collection works equally well for ensemble guitarists studying Ellington's harmonic language or solo recitalists expanding into jazz standards.

• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock into the harmonic framework and swing feel rather than rushing the melody. Let the rhythm section guide your phrasing.
• Pay attention to the articulation markings in the notation; Ellington's melodies rely on specific note groupings and breathing points to convey the composition's character.
• Practice the passages that shift between single-note lines and chordal textures separately so the transitions feel natural and connected.
• Listen closely to how the recording voices the harmonies; many of these arrangements contain chord voicings that define the piece's sound and should inform your interpretation even when playing melody.

Build a recital program around these pieces to showcase how deeply jazz composition connects to harmonic craft and melodic sophistication. Alternating between Ellington standards creates a natural thematic flow that appeals to audiences familiar with his legacy while educating listeners about his full compositional range. These arrangements also serve well as bridging material for classical guitarists beginning to explore jazz idioms.

• Reading standard notation and tablature in parallel
• Interpreting swing rhythms and jazz articulation
• Executing smooth transitions between single-note lines and chord voicings
• Listening actively to recorded accompaniments for harmonic and rhythmic reference
• Understanding jazz reharmonization and how comping voices can inform melodic phrasing