The 20 Essential Rhythm Guitar Voicings

EDIT - I HAVE LONG SINCE LOST THE PDF OF THIS CHART, SO PLEASE DON’T EMAIL ME FOR IT.
It took a long, long time in FINALE, and I just don’t have that time right now, and likely won’t for a long time. The image is the best I can do .

Many of the better rhythm guitar books have a one page chart of the most used voicings. Frankly, if you threw out the rest of most books, and just used the chart, you'd be pretty much set for a career of rhythm guitar. 95% of rhythm guitar playing uses those most used voicings, and the other 5% can be done without.

Here is my version of that chart.

Click to enlarge image

A couple tips:

Major-chords: Always default to a maj6th voicing. It's the sound of swing.

Minor-chords: Always default to a min6th voicing, unless it's part of the ii-V, and then use the min7.

Diminished-chords: In a diminished chord, any note in the chord can be the root (Aº=A, C, Eb, Gb; Cº=C, Eb, Gb, A; etc.).

While we're at it, here's a couple of examples on a Bb Blues that use these voicings.

Simple Bb Blues (PDF)

(Re) Interpreting Swing Era Harmony - All of Me

One of the original posts on the old blog was an examination of a modern lead sheet, and de-bebop-ifying the chords (link).

If you've ever cracked a fake book to learn a tune, you might have noticed just how "hip" some of the songs are. Bebop has brought a host of new substitutions and complications, and moreover the basic default for harmony are unique to both early and later forms of jazz. To get the swing-style chords you will often have to de-bopify the changes, removing unecessary ii-V movements, and complex extensions. But at the most basic level you will have to reevaulate the types of chords used.

I think it's time to revisit the concepts mentioned, and cover them with a little more detail.

All of Me - Modern vs. Swing-Era (PDF)

The top staff shows chords that were taken directly from a leadsheet I found somewhere on the internet, and there is no exaggeration. The bottom staff is pretty standard way it would have been played during the Swing-era.

1. 6 kinds of chords

The concept of 6 types of chords goes back at least as far as Eddie Lang and his instructional manuals (which you can buy digital copies of at djangobooks.com). Each type of chord has a specific function. You can stack extensions and alterations on top of these chords, but the idea is that those extensions don't or even can't alter the function of the chord.The six types are:

Major
Minor
Dominant
Minor7th
Diminshed
Augmented (I might argue that Augmented chords are only used as funky dominant chords in swing, and therefore don't really need their own category)

Understanding the function and type of any chord is key to getting the harmony right, and that understanding will also help when approaching any song melodically as well.

2. Stylistic Defaults

Major - (generally I and IV chords in major keys) Swing musicians would always voice these as Major 6th chords, whereas Bebop and later jazzbos generally would voice these as Major7ths. Major7ths are very un-swing, and they've got to go.

Minor - (generally i and iv chords in minor keys) Swing arrangers always voiced these are Minor 6th chords, and bebopers would use a Minor 7th chord. Minor 7th chords have a "dorian" sound, which is not appropriate for the swing-era. Eddie Lang put minor 7th in their own category, and I agree. Always use a minor6th voicing unless the minor chord in question has the function of a minor 7 (see below)

Dominant - Dominant chords cycle backwards - it's just what they do. Dominant chords have a partner in crime, which is the Minor 7th chord. The only key is know when to let the dominant chord work solo.

Minor 7th - Minor 7th chords lead into a dominant chord, and just smooth out the voice leading. Swing harmony uses minor7th chords for vamps (like I6-vi7-ii7-V7), and cadences. Bebopers tend to cram them everywhere possible. Unless there is a vamp or you're coming to the end of the phrase, you should probably cut out the extra minor 7ths.

Diminished - Diminshed chords have role as a passing chord in both swing and bebop.

Augmented - Frankly the only time you see augmented chords in swing, they are basically colored V7 chords.

Allan Reuss - The Unsung Hero of Swing Rhythm Guitar

Allan Reuss is easily the unsung of Swing Rhythm Guitar. Allan was a student of George Van Eps, who was playing with Benny Goodman band at the time. Van Eps did not want go out on the road with the Goodman band, so he offered his student to Goodman. Allan stayed with the Goodman band until 1938, and so was part of one of the most amazing bands and rhythm sections in swing - the Goodman band w/ Krupa, Harry James, Vido Musso, Ziggy Elman, Jess Stacy, etc. Later, Reuss played in the bands of Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Jack Teagarden and many others.

While Freddie Green is always heralded as the greatest of rhythm guitar players, I think Reuss should get far more credit than he does now. Not only did he contribute his own playing, but Allan was responsible for teaching at least two of the other great rhythm guitarists - Steve Jordan and Freddie Green himself!

From Steve Jordan's autobiography, "Rhythm Man: 50 Years in Jazz," (1991):

Freddie Green told me that Allan Reuss straightened out his rhythm work when he was first working with Count Basie, shortly before I went to Allan for help when I was twenty years old and playing with the Bradley-McKinley band. It may surprise some people to know that Green played only three or four strings most of the time. Like me, Freddie followed Allan's rule to avoid use of the first string, the top E, because it is too twangy. Freddie preferred the deep sounds and no one played those deep sounds as well as Freddie did.

I'm guessing that, based on other exerpts from Steve Jordan and others, Allan was probably taking some of the information from Van Eps and distilling it. Still, the voicings Allan taught Green and Jordan and others are the ultimate template for swing rhythm guitar.

I've been looking some video clips of Reuss playing, and it's pretty hard to see him clearly, but here's a couple clips.

Benny Goodman - "Bugle Call Rag" (1936)

Check out Allan's mid-30's Epiphone with a white pickguard. You can see him picking over the "neck pickup" area of the guitar.

Benny Goodman - "I've Got a Heartful of Music / Avalon / House Hop"

It might worthwhile to go listen to the studio takes of "House Hop", just so you can be fully aware of just how tight and jumping that video is. The rhythm section in the movie was the classic combo of Gene Krupa, Harry Goodman, Jess Stacy and Allan. Funny thing was that although Krupa was a star, neither he nor Harry Goodman were particularly good timekeepers. It was Reuss who was the glue and really got things pumping. When somebody told Benny that they had not realized how important Reuss had been until he was gone, Goodman's said simply, "Neither did we."

But talking only about Reuss's amazing rhythm guitar playing is only half the story. Reuss was also a chord melody soloist par excellence, but that will have to wait for another post.

Rhythm Guitar: I Can't Give You Anything But Love (advanced)

Since "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" has so many classic chord changes, it's a good showcase for many classic advanced rhythm guitar moves.

I Can't Give You Anything But Love - advanced (PDF)

Again, lets go through the changes:

1. Here, were using a very typical inversion more to set up the diminished passing chord. Jumping from a root position shape to the 1st inversion (meaning the 3rd in the bass) is a very common move. Also, the 1st inversion chord doesn't have a 7th, so it can be used with any major-type chord. Of course, the best part is how it moves into the diminshed passing chord.

2. In mm.8-9, I use a "tritone substitution" in passing from Eb7 to Ab7, stopping in between at an A7. If you look at the fingering shape, the only change is in the bass is Bb->A. Now, that could just be passing movement in the bass without calling it a new chord. But, sometimes that passing chord (which is a tritone away from the original chord - Eb->A is a flatted 5th) is drawn out for a longer duration. However, functionally, the A7 is just acting as a funky sounding Eb7.

3. In mm.9-11, this is what I call a "walk up." This a very common move over any dominant 7 chord. I learned this from John Reynolds at my first and only "lesson" with him (that story will be it's own post). Basically the middle two chords, E7->Bº, are just diminished passing chord. Although it says E7, I think the function is better described as a Bbº, which would be fingered exactly the same way, anyway. Finally, instead of playing the Db6 at the 4th fret, we play it at the 9th fret to finish the upward movement.

4. In mm.12-13, this is what I call a "walk down." This is done over a distance of a minor 3rd, such as a I->VI7 move (see mm.27-28), or in this case a IV->II7.

5. M.14, another 1st inversion chord, just to break up the static chord. You could walk this chord up, like we did in mm. 9-11, but we'd end up with an Eb7 chord at the 11th fret, which I find a bit too high.

6. Mm.17-23, same moves as last time.

7. MM. 25-26, these are the same chord as the simple version, just shifted up the neck following the "walk up."

8. MM. 27-28, here is the second "walk down", and this time with the roots on the A string.

9. MM. 31-32, this is a simple I-vi-ii-V vamp as a turn around. Notice that the vi7 (Fm7) voicing is the same as the I in 1st inversion (Ab/C). That can be very handy. In fact, even the full chords of a I6 and a vi7 have exactly the same notes (i.e. Ab6=Ab, C, Eb, F - Fm7=F, Ab, C, Eb). You will see some modernized changes where they call for a vi7 chord, where in reality you could just as easily play a I6.\

Gives these moves a run through and see what happens. Your comments are always welcome.

Rhythm Guitar: I Can't Give You Anything But Love

A great tune to start learning both swing rhythm guitar and swing harmony is "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." The tune's chords don't move too fast, and every one of the chordal movements are classic swing moves.

I Can't Give You Anything But Love (PDF)

First, take a look at the chord extensions used for proper swing harmony.

1. Note that the I and IV chords (Ab and Db) are both voiced as 6th chords. This definite of Swing harmony - Bebop harmony would always go with a maj7 instead.

2. Notice that all minor chords are minor 6 chords, unless they are part of a vi7-ii7 move or a ii7-V7 move. Minor7 chords imply a Dorian sound (which is very bebop - think Miles Davis' "So What"), and were only used in during the swing era for backcycling, like in a I6-vi7-ii7-V7 sequence.

Second, let's take the changes transition-by-transition.

1. The first 4 bars is a classic I-biiiº-ii7-V7 sequence. When moving from I to ii7, a diminished passing chord is very common, and you can approach the ii7 from half step in either direction (in Ab, either a Aº or Bº, going to the Bbm7). In this song, the melody happens to fit better over the Bº, so we'll stick with that. (but the melody will be another post).

2. After repeating the first 4 bars, the next eight are a classic I7-IV6-II7-V7 sequence. This sequence is found in all sorts of songs, not the least of which is the bridge to "Honeysuckle Rose." Now, bear with me on the numbers for a second - the I7 (which functions as V chord) goes to the IV6 (which is now the I, at least temporarily) - this basically just V-I move in disguise. The II7-V7 move is just another classic backcycle. Stopping in between at ii7, is just a way to smooth out the movement.

3. After repeating the first 4 bars again, the next sequence is again classic. Again there's a I7-IV6 move, but this time it's followed by a IV6-iv6-I6 sequence. As with the diminished passing chord above, the movement suggested by the IV-iv move, could also go the other direction, and instead be IV-#ivº (which would be Db6-Dº). You can find this move in many turnarounds, and especially in any song based on "Rhythm Change" (i.e. the chords to "I Got Rhythm").

4. Finally, the last move is more classic backcycling. I-VI7-ii7-V7 can be found in countless songs. The I-VI7 move contains one important voice leading movement, which is the root raising a half step (the Ab from the Ab6 chord becomes an A natural in the F7 chord). Once you get to the F7 chord, it's all just backcycling from there.

We'll come back to this tune and work through some more complex rhythm guitar voice leading.

Playing with the band - Youtube clips

For anybody who is not familar with my work with the Campus Five, here's a good video that shows how my guitar playing interacts with the band. This is one set of the Campus Five playing at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. You can see how I mainly play rhythm guitar on my Eastman, but will swtich to the faux-Gibson or LeVoi as the song demands.

New Youtube Clips

Here are some clips of me playing solo, and playing over some playalong tracks.

"On the Sunny Side of the Street" - solo chord melody

"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" Take 1 - single note electric solo

"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" Take 2 - single note electric solo

GEAR: What I Play

Tools don't make an artist great. But, there is a right tool and a wrong tool for the job, and having right tool makes the job a whole lot easier. I've been at this for nearly 10 years, and I think it's appropriate to share my thoughts on gear. The easiest way to start is to show you what I play.

Eastman AR805 (2004)

This is my main guitar, and it is amazing. It is a 16" non-cutaway archtop in the original L-5 style, except that it is X-braced. Cutaway guitars always have less acoustic response, and so this guitar has nothing to limit it's acoustic potential. 16" archtops have less fullness and roundness than 17" archtops - and in a band setting, I find that extra lows and low mids are covered up and lost. 16" guitars are more like a knife, slicing through between the bass/bass drum and the horns/right hand piano. 16" guitars seem to carry more, since there's less boominess to have to project.

I'm big on vintage aesthetics, so the original "chuck wayne" style pickguard had to go. I replaced it with a guard from www.archtop.com, which is modeled one from a pre-1935 Gibson L-7.

At times I have used a DeArmond Guitar Mic floating pickup, but I haven't found a way to mount it that would allow the guitar's top to vibrate freely. The guitar is so amazing acoustically, and it's really a shame to interfere with that.

Finding a new non-cutaway archtop is pretty hard nowadays, and Eastman is a fantastic choice.

John LeVoi 12-Fret Petite Bouche (2002)

I found this guitar at Buffalo Brothers in San Diego. It was unusual guitar - Petite Bouche guitars are 14-fret, while Grande Bouche guitars are usually 12-fret. 14-fret Grande Bouches are a fairly common hybrid, but going the other way is almost unheard of. The guitar is insanely figured, with a bearclaw spruce top, and bird's eye maple back, and aa flamed maple neck. Honestly, figured woods and short scale are not really my thing, but it's a great guitar and I got a great deal, and so it's been with me ever since.

I play it on Django-type songs with the Campus Five, and because of it's higher timbre, I sometimes use it when I need to fake a banjo.

The original owner asked for both a Highlander pickup and a McIntyre Feather pickup. Neither really sounds that great, and so I always just mic the guitar.

Washburn "Frankenstein" ES-150 Clone (1990's)

Photo by Samuel Chan

This guitar was a strange ebay find - a wonderfully strange ebay find. The original owner apparently decided to take a mid-90's Washburn HB15 and make a Gibson EH-150 clone out of it. The pickup is a vintage CC pickup that was refurbished, so not all of the pick up is totally original. The original owner did an amazing job of cloning a Gibson - he reshaped the headstock, put on the Gibson logo, added vintage knobs, and the right pickguard.

But of course, I really care about the sound - and it sounds awesome! I had been dissatisfied with my electric tone for a long time, and using this guitar was the first time I was satisfied with my electric tone in a long time.

Tone, especially electric tone, is an important part of the equation. The ideas that come into my head and fingers are directly related to the tone coming out of the instruments. Most jazz boxes have humbuckers, and that tone has stopped doing it for me. The sound of a CC pickup really allows to channel Charlie Christian - which is exactly the kind of sound I'm after.

Gibson EH-185 (1939)

My main amp is a 1939 Gibson EH-185. It's a transitional model from 1939, and it's actually label as an EH-150 (at the time Gibson was going to be replacing the 150, instead of adding another model). It has mic and instrument channels, and master treble and bass knobs.

My bass player, Wally Hersom, went over the electronics and refreshed them, replacing some blown caps, but its otherwise all original. It's surprisingly durable, despite being over 70 years old.

Everything I said about CC pickups when talking about the Washburn goes double when plugging one into a real CC amp.

I worry about the amp, so right now I'm considering cloning it. The first hard part will be getting all of the electronic components for the amp circuit, but the second hard part will be finding a vintage field coil speaker. I think the field coil speaker is an integral part of the sound of these amps.

Strings and things

On all of the archtops I use .013 gauge sets, but I swap out the high E and B strings with a .014 and an .018. On the Eastman, I use Martin SP 80/20 strings. 80/20 strings sound warmer and more vintage than Phosphor Bronze, which is much more common nowadays. On the electric I just use regular old D'Addario Nickel. For the Selmer-style, I use either real Savarez Argentines (.011 gauge), with ball ends. While I really don't have any tonal concerns about ball vs. loop end, I get ball so that I can use the strings on another guitar if there's an emergency.

I go back and forth on picks between the Wegen Fatone and the Red Bear New Tortis. The Fatone has amazing power and fullness, and is essential when playing in less than ideal acoustic situations.

Alternatively, I use the Red Bear Tortis (GJ size, standard bevel, B shape) especially for chord melody stuff, Allan Reuss-style solos, and the like - basically anywhere where I don't want to be slamming the strings into the fingerboard. The Red Bear is brighter and cleaner than the Wegen. I definitely do NOT like the "speed bevel" that can be ordered on the Red Bear, it makes the tone way too bright and thin for my taste.

Microphone - Rode NT-3

Photo by Samuel ChanI'm a purist, yes. And that means I play acoustic guitar into a microphone - a pretty darn good microphone actually. The Rode NT-3 is the perfect mic for what I'm looking for.

I need a condenser mic, because dynamic mics are generally made for vocals, and have far too much of a "proximity effect" (artifically increased bass response, increasing exponentially in relation the closeness of the sound source). That proximity effect sounds great for vocals, but not on already boomy archtops. Further, even if you eq out the proximity effect, dynamics loose volume exponentially if you move away from them - which means shifting in your seat could cause significant volume shifts. Condensers are far more forgiving regarding positioning.

There are feedback issues with condensers, and I have developed strategies for dealing with feedback. It's well worth the trouble, because the tone is outstanding. I've had non-guitar playing musicians in the band give me complements on the tone my guitar coming through the PA.

Unlike a regular small diapraghm "pencil" condenser, the NT-3 is internally shockmounted, so it has a minimum of handling noise. Also, it does require phantom, but it has a battery compartment, so you plug into a system that doesn't provide phantom - this is very helpful when plugging into an acoustic guitar amp for smaller gigs without a PA.

Finally, the NT-3 has an on/off switch, which seems like an ameteur level feature, but I find it to be essential. The NT-3 picks up a lot when you're not playing guitar through it, and especially in between songs it can amplify all of the stage conversation. More over, I often have to lean forward to turn pages in our book, which could mean leaning into the mic, and causing feedback. Having an on/off switch is an easy solution to that problem. Plus, it means not having to count on the sound guy to turn you off.

Welcome to the New Swing Guitar Blog

Welcome to the new home of Jonathan Stout's Swing Guitar Blog. The original can still be found at www.swingguitar.blogspot.com - and it still contains some great articles, lessons, and gear reviews. But over time, many of the links died and many of the uploads were lost. Also, my understanding and conception of many topics have evolved and matured. Thus, I decided it was time to start over.

Here's the mission statement from the old blog:

"Swing Guitar" covers all of the types of jazz guitar playing and players from the Swing Era (roughly 1935-1945) and later players in the Swing style. The style has several different facets - Rhythm Guitar - Single String Lead Guitar - Chordal Rhythm Solos - etc. Some of the guitar players we'll talk about are Freddie Green, Charlie Christian, Allan Reuss, Django Reinhardt, George Van Eps, Oscar Moore, Carmen Mastren, Eddie Lang, Dick McDounough, Carl Kress, Al Casey, Irving Ashby, Dave Barbour, and numerous others.

Among the stuff I have planned:

1. a PDF fakebook of common swing tunes - both for learning the tunes and for illustrative purposes
2. video and audio examples of a real swing rhythm section playing
3. more examples of Freddie Green-style rhythm guitar chords
4. updated links and reviews of swing guitar-related resources
5. more gear news, reviews and epiphanies
6. more articles about swing-era rhythm and harmony

Welcome or welcome back!