*Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation – Book Now!*
“What if I told you that 80% of Guitarists are trying to learn Jazz Improvisation
COMPLETELY the WRONG WAY?”
There’s a better way to learn to improvise.
Let me show you the way that ACTUALLY WORKS…
Dear Friend,
If you desire that rare ability to be a confident, fearless jazz improviser on guitar, but want the ultimate shortcut to get there, then this letter will show you how.
Let me ask you:
When you go along to a jazz performance, do you ache to be able to improvise, just like those you’re watching on stage?
Do you get an uncomfortable feeling whenever anyone asks you to improvise a solo during your band rehearsal or at a gig, for fear of messing it up badly?
“Sorry man, rhythm guitar is more my thing…” Do you rely on the others in your group to take the solos, instead of you?
And are you wondering how to turn all the scales, arpeggios and complex theory of jazz you’re learning into something that vaguely sounds musical – instead of sounding like you’re just playing a boring bunch of scales and arpeggios?
But, just imagine for a moment:
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to quickly gain the confidence you so desperately want in your jazz guitar improvisation skills?
Imagine busting out a great sounding solo in a jam session.
Imagine playing to your family and friends and connecting the music that’s in your mind effortlessly to your hands on the fretboard.
Here’s the thing:
There is a way. And it’s easier than you might think.
Improvisation isn’t just something that some people are good at and some people aren’t.
I can’t emphasize this enough:
Jazz Improvisation Is A Skill
That Can Be Learnt By ANY Guitarist.
I’m Going To Show You Exactly How.
Presenting the first ever A – Z guide to building a rock solid foundation for your jazz guitar improvisation skills:
My online course, The Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation, is a revolutionary step-by-step 10 week program in which you’ll learn how to improvise confidently and musically over five classic jazz standards – which feature the most common chord progressions of the jazz language.
This means you’ll be able to solo over hundreds of jazz standards just by learning these five tunes!
You’ll acquire authentic sounding jazz vocabulary and be able to navigate with it across the fretboard in a way more confident than ever before.
You’ll be fluent and more intentional in your soloing, and finally be able to keep up with the chord changes as you improvise.
You won’t sound like you’re just playing scales and arpeggios anymore – instead, you’ll be busting out hip sounding melodies spontaneously.
The result?
You won’t need to think so much when you improvise. Soloing will become an effortless, natural process – which is how it should be.
You’ll be comfortable taking a solo when someone asks you to.
You’ll be able to solo melodically – rather than just ‘scientifically’ applying a bunch of scales and arpeggios.
And – You’ll finally have the confidence YOU need to truly call yourself a “jazz guitarist.”
How awesome is that!
It’s Everything YOU Need for Hip Sounding Soloing:
- A rock solid approach for navigating the guitar fretboard in any key and any position
- A detailed look at the most common jazz chord progressions and how to tackle improvising over them
- Classic jazz lines from the master jazz players to build a rock solid vocabulary.
- And it won’t be just boring exercises – you’re going to apply all this to 5 classic jazz standards that are some of the most commonly played tunes at jams and gigs.
Meet Your Instructor:
Greg O’Rourke – BMus (Hons), ANU
– Professional Jazz Guitarist, and Founder of
“Hi, I’m Greg O’Rourke, founder of FretDojo.com – one of the most popular jazz guitar websites online today. I have over 6000 subscribers to my website from all across the world, and am now also an established author, with my book The Easy Guide To Chord Melody Guitar that I collaborated on with my good buddy Matt Warnock becoming an international bestseller. My website has helped thousands of people improve their jazz guitar playing, and I’ve been featured on several high profile jazz guitar websites including Jazz Guitar Online, Fundamental Changes, and Takelessons.”
“Putting all that aside, what I love doing most is jazz improvisation on guitar, and teaching it to you guys.”
Check out one of Greg’s highly acclaimed Youtube performances on the video below:
Learning Jazz Guitar Improvisation Has Never Been This Easy:
Over 40 Video Lessons
9 Hours of pre-recorded video lessons with accompanying backing tracks, diagrams, and sheet music. Watch the video lessons anytime, from any device!
Detailed Checklists and Progress Tracking
Every lesson includes a step-by-step checklist to keep your study and guitar practice on track.
Integrated Feedback
Regular opportunities to submit examples of your playing for feedback. Participate as much or as little as you like.
Get Your Questions Answered
Get your burning questions answered by Greg and other senior students – so you can be confident you are practicing effectively.
Online Forum - Join A Supportive Community
Connect with your fellow students participating in the course across the world, so you can discuss the curriculum in a helpful and safe environment.
Certificate of Completion
Get official recognition for completing the course, by completing key milestones along the way.
Not just any old online course – this is an Interactive & Collaborative Training Program:
An issue I have with learning online is that often there’s no feedback on your playing.
But that’s where this course is different.
In addition to the detailed step-by-step pre-recorded video lessons, this course is unique in being a truly interactive experience with your instructor and your fellow students:
- Ability to submit examples of your playing and get feedback (participate as much or as little as you like)
- Post in the members only forum where you can discuss the course and have your questions answered
- Opportunity to build connections and friends with your fellow jazz guitar students all over the world
This Course is The Ultimate Foundation for your improvisation skills:
- You’ll go from feeling frustrated and self-conscious about your playing to being confident and happy about your soloing.
- You’ll go from feeling confused about how to improve to having clarity and direction on the step-by-step method to learning improvisation, using my unique Four Elements Framework.
- And – you’ll go from being scared to play your jazz guitar to anyone to nailing it in any jam session or performance situation.
Let’s do this!
Will This Course Work For You?
Here’s Proof…
Here are some of the many success stories from past students of this groundbreaking online course from all around the world:
“This course has exceeded my expectations.
It’s inspired me – and it’s
TRANSFORMED my playing.”
“I have to say that at first I was a little skeptical of Greg’s claims about the effectiveness of the course, but after having completed the course I would say that it is a remarkable undertaking he has accomplished. I would say that this course is a GAME CHANGER for an introduction to jazz guitar.
Greg is a master teacher, and it has been a pleasure to watch his videos and be encouraged by his gentle, encouraging style. Thumbs up Greg, thanks so much for such a fabulous course – it is such an achievement on your part.”
~ Josh Gordis, USA
“It’s kind of like when you first learn to play the guitar – and your progress is exponential.
It’s like that again.
I haven’t experienced that feeling for ages…”
“This course is just absolutely brilliant in getting you to play and be musical. I can’t speak highly enough of this course. It’s changed my musical journey. I’m so excited with what I have now to build on over the next few years.
Greg himself is a fantastic teacher, by far the best music teacher I’ve ever had. And I have gone to music college for 2 years as well by the way – so I’m a good person to judge that!
What you learn more than anything is – ‘if it sounds good – Play it!’. Theory does have its place, but sounding good is the most important thing, and Greg gets you sounding good from day one.”
~ Paul Flynn, UK
“At the end of this 10-week course, I feel like I can say that I AM a jazz guitarist now…”
“Prior to this course, I’ve been playing jazz guitar 2.5 years.
Before the course, I could noodle around the fretboard, used scales, but never learned jazz vocabulary and never even thought about it as a way to improve my improvisation skills on guitar.
I’ve learned so much vocabulary and so many skills to approaching soloing over a jazz standard. It was a really great community and a really great vibe, and I learned so much from this course.”
~ Angie O’Neill, Australian (living in Germany)
“This course is a model in how to effectively deliver visual, auditory and tactile e-learning content. I wish my Uni courses were like this!”
“I really liked Greg’s curriculum and how each lesson built on the previous one. Continuity and re-use were the strong points of Greg’s teaching style. Greg is a proper music teacher and not just some guy doing an info dump at a pace too advanced for the students. The use of the e-learning platform was excellent.
Also, Greg has a kind heart and it really shows in his commitment to his students. I feel privileged to have been part of the inaugural Jazz improvisation course at the Fret Dojo!“
~ Paul Platt, Australia
“I’ve participated in TWO 12 week courses with an internationally famous music university…I can safely say the investment in lessons with Greg has been worth more than 95% of all the other formal and informal education I’ve managed to derive for myself.”
“With a little bit of the right approach, one can achieve so much.
I can wholly recommend that anybody who is really wanting to play jazz guitar and is struggling to get beyond “running scales” where I was, and instead start to really sound “jazzy” – this is the course for you.”
~ Gordon Hooper
Johannesburg, South Africa
What the Jazz Greats Are Saying About Greg:
Greg O’Rourke plays the guitar with a beautiful touch and tone. He effortlessly brings out and enhances harmonic movement and counter-lines in his playing, while keeping clear melodic lines in the forefront. Using his considerable fingerstyle technique he creates personal renditions of classic jazz standards. Definitely someone to watch and listen to closely!
This is the online course I wish I’d had when I started trying to improve my improvisation skills.
-
“How do I use scales for soloing without sounding like an exercise?”
-
“How do I make my lines sound “jazzy”?”
-
“How can I avoid ‘theory overload paralysis’ and just play a great sounding solo?”
-
“At the moment jazz guitar improvisation to me is like when you start a drawing or a painting – I have a big blank canvas and I just don’t know where to start!“
These are the kinds of questions I get all the time about learning jazz improvisation on guitar.
Here’s the thing:
If you’re asking these questions, you’re trying to learn improvisation completely the wrong way.
It isn’t your fault though.
Although well intentioned, too many jazz guitar teachers mislead students when it comes to learning improvisation.
Too much emphasis is placed on scales, modes, boring exercises, and theory. ‘Use a Dorian mode for a iim7 chord’. “Then use a mixolydian scale for the V7 chord”. “Apply a melodic minor scale for the Im7 chord of a minor ii – V – i…”. On and on it goes.
But this will never sound like jazz.
Why?
Because learning jazz is very much like learning a spoken language, e.g. like Spanish or French.
Scales, modes, and arpeggios? They are more like the alphabet.
Don’t get me wrong, the alphabet is good to know. But – do you ever use the alphabet to talk to people? Of course not.
So, to learn to ‘speak’ jazz on the guitar when you improvise, you need to learn the words of jazz. What I mean here are short, jazzy sounding melodic phrases that form the basic building blocks of jazz vocabulary. Learn enough of these jazz ‘words’, and they will form jazz ‘sentences’ – and the right pathways for improvisation will form in the neural networks of your mind.
The result?
You’ll start to internalize the “jazzy” sounds you need for becoming a great sounding jazz guitarist.
But that’s only one piece of the puzzle…
The critical failure point for most guitarists…
-
“How do I translate what I hear in my head to my fingers and guitar?”
I get this question a lot, too.
Are you fumbling about to find the notes that will sound good over each chord?
Are you struggling to keep up with the fast-moving chord changes of jazz as you attempt to improvise?
If so, there’s a clear reason for this:
You don’t really understand the guitar fretboard.
Or, you don’t know it well enough to use it in the heat of the moment during a solo.
Learning jazz licks and being creative with them is only one side of the coin. You also need to have a secure system for understanding the layout of the fretboard, in a way that makes sense for jazz.
You need to have absolute security that the note you are playing at any given time is, in fact, the sound that you have in your mind at that moment.
Sounds tough to do? Here’s a little secret…
It’s not hard to learn how to do this. It’s actually EASY – you just need the right recipe, and a step-by-step method.
The Answer To Conquering Your Improvisation Struggles Is Here
My revolutionary course, The Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation, is the answer you’ve been searching for – a roadmap for relating what you’re hearing in your head, to the sounds of the fretboard.
You’ll get a secure system for learning jazz vocabulary, but then, in addition to that, that crucial process of being able to relate that vocabulary to any fret position and any key on the fretboard.
The best part:
Once you establish these foundations, improvisation will become a natural process for you – and you’ll finally unlock your creative and expressive potential on the guitar.
I’ll be honest with you…
It took me years to work out how to do all this. But once I worked it all out, it was so simple.
And the step-by-step process contained in this course is the exact method I used to rapidly develop my improvisation skills. In fact, I wish I’d had this course all those years ago – it would have saved me HUGE amounts of time!
By doing this new course, you’ll have the blueprint to learning to improvise effortlessly on guitar, and establishing the rock-solid foundation for the improvisation skills you desperately need.
If you wanted a shortcut to learning to improvise on guitar, you’ve just found it.
What Exactly Is Included In The Course?
I’m glad you asked!
This course runs for 10 weeks and covers 6 modules of material.
The program consists of high quality pre-recorded video lessons, which you can either watch online or download for later.
The video lessons come with sheet music, diagrams, backing tracks and detailed lesson plans – everything you need for your study!
At key points in the course, you have the opportunity to submit recorded examples of your playing so you can get detailed and helpful feedback on how to progress. Note though that this is entirely optional – you can get involved as much or as little as you like.
You also have lifetime access on all the materials – so even if you don’t complete the course in the ‘official’ 10 weeks, you’ll still be able to access all the course materials to go through at your own pace in the future.
Topics That Will Be Covered:
Click each of the blue bars below to find out what’s included in each module:
Module 1: First Steps
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- The key ingredients you need to be able to sound good when you improvise on guitar
- How your mind really learns to improvise and what you may be doing wrong if you’re struggling
- Despite what is commonly thought, jazz improvisation can be a lot easier than what people make it out to be
- How to learn jazz standards and licks, and tips for your practice sessions to help retain what you’ve learned.
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 1: What Jazz ‘Improvisation’ Actually Is
- Lesson 2: How Your Brain Learns To Improvise
- Lesson 3: The Four Elements Of Jazz Guitar Improvisation
- Lesson 4: Jazz Improvisation Can Be Easy – Minor Blues Exercise
- Lesson 5: Your First Set List Tune: Summertime
- Lesson 6: How To Get Into A Good Practice Routine
- Lesson 7: Four Minor Blues Licks
- Lesson 8: Applying Minor Blues Licks to Summertime
Module 2: Navigate The Fretboard With Confidence
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- A rock-solid way to navigate the fretboard, so you hit the notes that sound great in your improvisations
- How to analyze a jazz standard to understand how to improvise over it
- How to learn licks so you’ll never forget them, and how to be more creative with them in your soloing
- How to use a jazz standard’s melody line as material for improvising
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 9: Cracking The Code With The CAGED System
- Lesson 10: Improvisation with CAGED Scales
- Lesson 11: New Set List Tune – Autumn Leaves
- Lesson 12: Using Melodies In Improvisation
- Lesson 13: Three Static Major Licks
- Lesson 14: Minor Blues Licks Revisited
Module 3: Guide Tones - The Critical (And Often Missing) Ingredient
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- Why guide tones are so important for jazz improvisation
- How to easily find guide tones on the fretboard as you improvise
- The Major ii – V – I progression, the most important progression in jazz
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 15: The 3 Ways To Improvise
- Lesson 16: Introducing The Major ii – V – I Progression
- Lesson 17: Navigating The Fretboard With Chords
- Lesson 18: Introduction to Guide Tone Voice Leading
- Lesson 19: Major ii – V – i Comping in The CAGED Positions
- Lesson 20: Major ii – V – i Guide Tone Licks
- Lesson 21: New Set List Tune – Tune Up
- Lesson 22: Applying Major ii – V – I Licks to Autumn Leaves
- Lesson 23: More Ways To Be Creative With Jazz Licks
- Lesson 24: Connecting Licks Together
Module 4: Modal Jazz
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- What modes are and how to use them
- Easy ways to solo over modal jazz tunes
- How to incorporate more bebop vocabulary into your improvisations
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 25: New Set List Tune – Impressions
- Lesson 26: Soloing in Dorian Mode with CAGED
- Lesson 27: Bebop Finger Patterns
- Lesson 28: Incorporating Blues Sounds into Impressions
- Lesson 29: Static Minor Licks
- Lesson 30: Reusing Static Major & Major ii – V – I Licks on Impressions
Module 5: The Minor ii - V - i Progression
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- A simple approach to soloing over the Minor ii – V – I progression
- How to connect Major ii – V – I and Minor ii – V – i ideas
- How to use Major ideas over Minor (and vice versa)
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 31: The ‘Minor’ Fretboard
- Lesson 32: New Set List Tune: Blue Bossa
- Lesson 33: Minor ii – V – i Guide Tone Licks
- Lesson 34: Connecting Major ii – V – I and Minor ii – V – i Licks
- Lesson 35: Applying Minor ii – V – i Lines To Your Other Jazz Standards
- Lesson 36: The Relative Major/Minor Trick
Module 6: Spicing Up The Dominant 7th
In this section you’re going to learn about:
- How to make your soloing over Dominant 7th Chords more interesting
- The importance of adding tension into your improvisations
- How to use altered and diminished sounds over Dominant 7th harmonies
Lessons in Module:
- Lesson 37: Considerations for Comping V7 Chords
- Lesson 38: The Altered Scale
- Lesson 39: Three Altered Licks
- Lesson 40: The Diminished 7th Arpeggio & Licks
- Lesson 41: Three Diminished Licks
Course Features:
- Over 40 video lessons with accompanying backing tracks, diagrams, and sheet music
- Over 9 hours of HD video included in the course
- Optional feedback on YOUR playing as part of the curriculum (entirely up to you)
- *NEW Feature* – Lifetime Access to all course materials
- An online forum so you can connect with the other students participating in the course and get your questions answered
- Eligibility for a certificate upon completion of the course
- BONUS Course: Jazz Guitar Triads Soloing Course With Ant Law
- And much much more…
Who this course is for:
Disclaimer: This course is NOT for everyone.
If you are a professional jazz guitarist with an established set list, and can already confidently improvise, then this course likely isn’t a good fit.
On the other hand, if you are a complete beginner at guitar (i.e., you’ve only been playing for a few weeks or a couple of months), this course definitely isn’t for you either.
But, if you’re an intermediate level guitarist, even if you haven’t tried jazz before, this course would be spot on.
If you’ve been struggling for years to have confidence and security in your improvisations, and have been frustrated with your lack of progress, and are confused about the process of how to improve your skills, then this course is for you.
Recommended Course Prerequisites:
- How to read music notation. It’s not necessary to sight-read music, but it would make it easier for you if you can at least ‘limp’ through notation enough to be able to figure out the basic notes and rhythms. Note though that TAB will be provided for all the musical examples if you are more familiar with tablature.
- Knowing where most of the notes are on the fretboard. Again there is no need for instant recognition, however, it would be beneficial if you have a way of working out what the names are.
- Understanding of basic harmony: i.e. understanding of what a major chord, a minor chord and a dominant chord is. Note that beyond that, it’s not necessary to have any significant understanding of jazz theory – we’ll cover the essentials throughout the course.
- This course is not suited for a complete beginner at guitar. It is for someone that has been playing guitar for a while, with an intermediate level technique, but is struggling to learn to improvise or play jazz on guitar.
What You Will Need For The Course:
- 1 hour per week to study the recorded lectures and accompanying materials
- At least 45 minutes of practice time per day, at least 5 days a week
- A way to record yourself for the feedback assessments that are part of the curriculum. This doesn’t need to be complicated – just recording yourself using your inbuilt computer microphone or using an iPhone or Android phone would be more than sufficient. Full instructions on how to record and upload videos to the course website are provided throughout the course.
- A computer, or tablet connected to the Internet so you can view the video lessons and access the course content. You can access the course on a mobile phone, however the music might be a bit hard to read if it’s that tiny :) You’ll get the best experience on a computer or tablet.
Course Duration:
- 6 modules of material paced over 10 weeks.
- There will be 3 weeks to work on 2 modules of material at a time, giving you a flexible learning schedule.
Course Assessment:
- Every three weeks will have an assessment task, with a major assessment on the final week of the course to qualify for the certificate.
If you need to go on holiday during the 10 weeks:
- Extensions for assignments are available on request if you want to still obtain the certificate for completing the course.
- The course materials, including the videos, are all downloadable to your computer if you wish to review the material at a later date. *NEW Feature* – You now have lifetime access to the online version of the course materials, accessible from any device. .
Tunes You’ll Learn:
Throughout the course, you’ll learn 5 of the most well known and loved jazz standards – which are some of the most commonly played ones at gigs and jam sessions:
- Summertime
- Autumn Leaves
- Tune Up
- Impressions
- Blue Bossa
I chose these tunes because these feature the most common chord progressions in the jazz language. If you can improvise over the chord progressions in these tunes, you’ll be able to improvise over hundreds of other jazz standards!
30-Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
Your investment in this course is protected by my 30-Day money back guarantee. Enroll in the program, put it into action and see the results for a full 30 days. If you’re not happy, just send me an email in the first 30 days and I’ll give every penny back right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is included in this course? Are the video lessons live, or pre-recorded?
The course consists of high quality pre-recorded video lessons, which you can either watch online, or download for later. You can watch the videos at any time that suits your schedule.
The video lessons come with sheet music, diagrams, backing tracks and detailed lesson plans.
At key points in the course, you have the opportunity to submit recorded examples of your playing (in either video or audio format), and get detailed and helpful feedback on how to progress.
For full details of the lessons included in all the modules of the course, click here.
What will this course help me achieve?
In this course, you’ll learn how to improvise confidently over the most common chord progressions of the jazz language. To do this, you’ll acquire authentic jazz vocabulary and learn how to apply it to the fretboard in a confident way.
The result – you’ll be comfortable taking a solo when someone asks you to, and you’ll be happy with how you sound. You’ll no longer get lost in the ‘fretboard maze’, and you’ll start to solo in a much more melodic way – rather than just ‘scientifically’ by applying a bunch of scales and arpeggios.
Are the video portions of the lessons downloadable? Will I be able to keep the course materials, including the diagrams and sheet music?
Yes! All the lesson materials, including the videos, are downloadable if you want to revisit the material at a later date at your own pace. For this release of the course I’ve also included Lifetime Access on the online version of the course materials, accessible on any device!
What if I need to go on holidays or a work trip during the course?
Don’t worry – extensions for assignments are available on request if you want to still obtain the certificate for completing the course. As mentioned above, the course materials, including the videos, are all downloadable to your computer if you wish to review the material at a later date, and there is lifetime access on the online version.
Do I need any special equipment to send in the videos of my playing for feedback and assignments?
You just need a webcam or inbuilt camera on your computer, or a smartphone to record video. The video doesn’t need to be super high quality, just a basic video you would get from e.g. a smartphone would be fine. Detailed instructions on how to record and upload videos are provided in the course.
What does my guitar skill level need to be for this course?
If you’re an intermediate level guitarist, this course would be a good fit for you. (Important note: It’s not necessary to have prior experience playing jazz for this course, but it would definitely help.) If you’ve been playing for at least a couple of years and have familiarity with basic chord shapes and scale patterns, then you’ll be fine. When I designed this course, I particularly had in mind a guitarist that may have been playing for some time but had never really gotten confident with improvisation or jazz skills, and was confused about how to learn it. If you resonate with this, then this course is definitely for you.
Is there any prior knowledge required in order to take the course?
There is some prerequisite knowledge that is recommended, but not compulsory. Click here for more details.
Do I need to know a lot about jazz theory in order to do the course?
No – beyond understanding what a major, minor and dominant chord is, it isn’t necessary to have more theory knowledge than that. We’ll cover the essentials you need to know throughout the course.
What is the cost of the course?
The cost of the course is a one-off payment of $97. Click here to purchase the course now>>
What is your refund policy?
Your investment in this course is protected by my 30-Day 100% money back guarantee. Enroll in the program, put it into action and see the results for a full 30 days. If you’re not happy, just send me an email in the first 30 days and I’ll give every penny back right away.
What material does the course cover?
This course will walk you through learning to solo with single lines over 5 classic jazz standards, so you’ll end up with a solid set-list by the end of the course. Along the way, you’ll learn how to confidently solo over major and minor ii – V – I progressions, major, minor, and dominant chords, and more. You’ll also end up with a rock solid, logical system for navigating the fretboard as you improvise. Click here for more details about what the course covers.
I'm worried I won't have enough time in my schedule to do the course - Is there any flexibility in the pace of the course, or is the assignments/feedback on a rigid schedule?
I’ve designed the course to be a 10-week coaching program, comprising of 6 main modules. The tutorial videos and material will be released in 3 parts over the 10 week period. Every 3 weeks, there will be a short assignment to complete, with a final assignment in the last week of the course.
There will be periods throughout the course which will allow for consolidation of the material covered. For this course, I wanted a balance between the program being too rigid or too flexible in order to cater for people with busy schedules – I’ve designed the course with these considerations in mind.
Do I need to be able to read music?
It’s not necessary to sight-read music, but it would make things easier for you if you can at least ‘limp’ through notation enough to be able to figure out the basic notes and rhythms. At any rate, TAB will be provided for all the musical examples.
Will beginners be able to participate in this course?
It depends on what you mean by ‘beginner’. If you’re a beginner at jazz – that should be ok, as long as you have the basics under your fingers of guitar playing in another style. But if you’re a complete beginner at guitar (i.e. have only been playing guitar a few weeks), then this course may not be the right fit for you.
I noticed you play with fingerstyle technique - do I need to know fingerstyle to do this course?
This course doesn’t require a particular technique for the plucking hand. You can use a pick, fingers, a combination, or your thumb like Wes Montgomery – whatever technique you are most comfortable with is fine by me.
Am I too old to be able to get better at jazz guitar and learn to improvise confidently?
You’re never too old to learn. Don’t talk yourself into that mindset. I have had an 84 year-old student take lessons with me and he went really well – so you’re likely still a spring chicken in my book!
What Recent Students Have Been Saying About The Course…
Don’t just take it from me, let my students do the talking!
“Let me tell you – this is an AMAZING course and I highly recommend it…”
“Greg O’Rourke is an excellent teacher – a clear thinker, a really nice guy, encouraging and helpful. The course is designed in a way that brings REAL results for REAL people – using technology. I’d advise you that if you’re eligible and you’re up for the right requirements of this course – GO FOR IT!”
~ Alan Voss, Australia
“Greg is a dynamite player and I enjoyed his teaching style…”
“Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation was a worthwhile investment of my time and money. Greg puts together a very good foundation of essential elements in manageable chunks. My ultimate goal was to play a few tunes with these new skill sets. These goals were met. With this foundation, I have more to improve and build upon after the course.”
~ Danny Yee, USA
“This material has definitely advanced my level of playing…”
“Before doing the course, I had a lot of questions and issues with my jazz guitar improvisation. I was losing my place where I shouldn’t have been, and I was looking for something to close that gap. This course was really the right course to help with this. Greg does a wonderful job of teaching, he is very patient and very clear minded and clear with his lessons, they are very easy to follow.
I learned a tremendous amount and I got to see the others in the class also progressing at every level – whether beginner or advanced, we were all growing and getting something out of the course. It was a fantastic experience – it was well worth the effort and I’m glad I did it. I hope you have the opportunity to participate in it – I think you’ll enjoy it!”
~ Mark Bauer, USA
“Greg is one of the best teachers I’ve ever come across…”
“If you all have loads of books that make no sense that you never use, Greg breaks it down and makes it useable. This is unlike any course you’ve ever been involved with, mainly because Greg is so good at explaining things that I now understand that I didn’t understand before. It’s a fabulous course and I highly recommend it.”
~ Mike Bryant, UK
“Greg has put together a really clear, well-designed curriculum, that makes a whole lot of sense…”
“I wanted to say a couple of things about how great the course was. It is well laid out, the video examples are great, the handouts that are provided are really useful. His concepts of the four pillars of jazz guitar improvisation (technique, fretboard knowledge, vocabulary, and play) are well woven throughout the course so that it really gives you a good grounding in what you’re doing.
There’s definitely a whole lot more to be learned and a whole lot more to do, but this was a wonderful way to start and I think everyone should give it a try. Thanks!”
~ Chip Carvell, USA
“The Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation was just the course I was looking for…”
“I was looking for something to help fill in the gaps when it came time to perform a jazz guitar solo.
The course provided plenty of exercises to help me hone my skills, and gave me the opportunity to apply what I had learned on complete songs. I would highly recommend this course.”
~ Rodney Harris Jr., USA
“I’m really happy with any cent, and any minute I’ve spent on this course…”
“Hi Greg, I must tell you I’m very happy with the course. The philosophy of it (that improvisation means to play with vocabulary) was really eye-widening for me. I now see that there are just a handful of ingredients to create a well sounding solo. The lessons dealing with guide tone lines are a real breakthrough for me…Thanks a lot Greg!”
~ Bernhard Laabs, Germany
“I truly recommend this for someone who really wants to break through in their improvisation skills and also improve their confidence level.”
“This course has helped me to be more confident in my playing, and there is now something ‘under my belt’ that I can now confidently use.”
~ Eugene Tse, Canada
“Greg has a wonderful way of presenting the material. It’s high energy, it’s infectious – he really enjoys what he does.”
“Hi Greg, I wanted to thank you for your fantastic course, the Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation. I enjoyed it very much and heartily I recommend it to anyone who is thinking about how to improvise in a jazz style over standard songs.”
~ Angelo J., USA
“It worked extremely well…you learn to improvise on a higher level.”
~ Jürgen Schwibs, Germany
“I have acquired a greater jazz vocabulary and enhanced level of confidence and enjoyment in my playing.”
“Intensely studying, receiving individual feedback, and practicing the material presented in audio and visual form in Greg O’Rourke’s “Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation” course I have come to look at jazz in terms of this quote from Greg himself: “If you’re an artist, it’s good to have a paint set with quite a few colors in it!”
The primary colors are the sound licks Greg describes as ‘vocabulary’ over the 10 week course of study. From that revelation I now picture and practice playing jazz as laying out a palette of colors, which I mix in variable quantities to create additional colors and hues.
All the material PDF’s and videos of the course can be downloaded to your computer.”
~ Larry Peyser, USA
“I took a chance with Fret Dojo and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.”
“Trying to establish a strong jazz foundation has been difficult for me. I was tired of cobbling together disjointed lessons from all over creation. There are so many different lessons and hacks out there, some good but mostly not. I was spinning my wheels trying to curate my own curriculum while trying to learn jazz at the same time. What I really needed was a long-term structured course.
Greg designs this course so that you have clear guidance every step of the way. Everything I’ve learned from Fret Dojo is incredibly indispensable and it also consolidated my previously cobbled together nuggets of theory.”
~ Louis B., USA
“I would highly recommend Greg’s course and teaching to any guitar player who is looking to improve their soloing skills and is seriously interested in getting quality value for their time and money.”
“I really do believe that Greg’s course on the ‘Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation’ helped me to further not only my playing skills in soloing but also to become a better performing musician on guitar in Jazz and other styles as well. Greg’s positive and informative approach to teaching is inspiring. His explanations are simple but are loaded with enough information to keep even the seasoned players building and adding to their skill set. His course is laid out in an easy to understand way that builds one concept on the other and gives his students a well-rounded understanding of navigating the fretboard and in speaking the language of Jazz through their playing.
I would highly recommend his course and teaching to any guitar player who is looking to improve their soloing skills and is seriously interested in getting quality value for their time and money. I look forward to studying with Greg again in the future in more of his amazing courses. I Hope to see you there!”
~ Bryon Thompson,
(BMus from the University of Victoria, British Columbia.)
Working Musician, and Music Teacher.
“For years I struggled with learning to improvise. But then everything changed…
I know where you are now a the moment with your jazz guitar improvisation – frustrated that you’re not sounding great. Self-conscious about your ability, and you’re confused how to make all these scales and arpeggios you’re learning and practicing for hours on end actually sound like music.
Why do I know this? Because I was once in exactly the same place you are now.
About 15 years ago, I gave jazz guitar improvisation my first try. After having studied classical guitar for many years and reaching the highest levels in that style, learning jazz felt like starting from scratch again.
And I struggled. It felt like I was learning a new instrument. And it was made painfully obvious to me that, despite my rigorous years of classical training, I didn’t have any real deep knowledge on how to relate the music in my mind to my hands on the fretboard.
So I gave up jazz for about 10 years, but came back to it again about five years ago.
But then, things started to change.
I realized that it wasn’t my lack of ability that was the reason I was struggling with improvisation. It was the lack of a clear method and a step-by-step process that’s missing from most jazz guitar education.
Once I realized that, I started to develop a logical method for learning improvisation, based largely on my experience with language learning – rather than trying to improvise with a bunch of scale and arpeggio patterns. Once that happened, I was able to build my skills in improvisation incredibly quickly.
And you can do the same.
The Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation online course is the course that I wish that I’d had all those many years ago when I first started trying to learn to improvise and actually sound good.
I’m so thrilled that I can offer you this online course that’s been years in the making – I believe it’s the ultimate shortcut to building your improvisation skills in the shortest possible time.”
~ Greg O’Rourke, BMus (Hons), ANU
Join The Course Now – Click Here:
Any questions about the course? Email [email protected] to get in touch.
Greg O’Rourke – BMus (Hons), ANU – Greg O’Rourke is the founder of FretDojo.com – one of the most popular jazz guitar websites online today.
Stuart King, BMus (ANU) – Stuart is a guitarist and composer with over 25 years experience as a performer in an array of settings ranging from classical and contemporary through to jazz. Stuart will be taking the one-on-one lessons in the Standard package.