Although, thing were beginning to seek out for Jazz Music once the creation of the record player or phonograph was designed to play jazz albums. In addition, radio stations helped promote Jazz music, and made it favorite among the populace. Jazz Music became a music of class that earned the era a nick name called the “Jazz age”. The band leaders who became famous as Jazz musicians were Paul Whiteman, Ted Lewis, Harry Reser, Leo Reisman, Abe Lyman, Nat Shilkret, Earl Burnett, Ben Bernie, George Olson, Bob Haring, Vincent Lopez, Ben Salvin and a good many more. Paul Whiteman stated to be the king of Jazz music as a result of his popularity. He earned the title when he hired some white Jazz musicians with Bix Beiderbecke included to combine jazz with larger orchestrations.

In point of fact George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue’ was commissioned by Whiteman as his debut for the orchestra.

Ten years after Jazz music became popular it was reinvented into a style that might be suitable for radio and dancing. This style was known as “Swing” which allowed musicians to improvise their own individual interpretation of the melody or style that was sometimes tough to do. In the Swing era Jazz bands grew into a more substantial size which was often noted as “Big Band” music that would always feature a soloist.

The band leaders and music arrangers for Jazz music who became famous for this style of music was Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Fletcher Henderson, Walter Page, Benny Goodman, Don Redman, Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, and Jay McShann. During this period there were racial issues of segregation between charcoal and white people, but it slowly died down sufficient for the white band leaders to find black musicians to perform with them. In the center of the 1930’s Benny Goodman invited Teddy Wilson (pianist), Lionel Hampton (vibraphonist), and Charlie Christian (guitarist) to be a component of a group.

Each musician learned from the style of other musicians as a way to form their own. To Illustrate, Taxi Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie(trumpeter), Bing Crosby (vocalist) were influenced by the improvising of Louis Armstrong. Later, the vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Sarah Vaughn joined the scene with Jazz Improvisation known as the scat. To Scat is to vocally imitate instruments using such non verbal language as doot ‘n doo bee yah bah loo bey doo ee ya boy lay bah doo doot ‘n doo yah doo doy.

Before now of the 1940’s Jazz music evolved yet again into a new style called “Jump Music” which was upbeat music using blues chords carried out by small music groups. These small music groups are the forms many bands make currently. Later, another style of Jazz music came using the music of the 1930’s as an inspiration called “Boogie-Woogie” where the typical 4 beat bar section expanded into an eight beat bar section in the rhythm which Big Joe Turner took the lead in the 1940’s.

In the 1950’s, music reinvented again when turner turned to “Rock and Roll music”. As for the Swing era music it was reborn in the employment of the modern dance trends. Kansas City made memorial for Charlie Parker in their American Jazz Museum that displays the history of the music and the individuals who made Jazz music what it is now.

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Ragtime, a musical technique that influenced early jazz, emerged from the St. Louis, Missouri, area in the late 1890’s. It rapidly became the most popular music style in the United States. Ragtime was a vigorous and syncopated assortment of music, primarily for the piano, that give emphasis to a formal composition.

A conventional jazz band would consist of a front line of a trumpet, trombone and clarinet or the saxophone, and a rhythm section of drums, a bass, a piano, and often times a guitar or banjo. The blues is a type of music that has always been an imperative part of jazz. The blues was especially widespread in the American South. Its mournful scale and uncomplicated repeated harmonies helped shape the character of jazz. Jazz instrumentalists have long exploited the blues as a vehicle for improvisation.

Completely developed jazz music in all probability started off in New Orleans at the commencement of the nineteen hundredths. New Orleans style jazz came forward from the city’s own musical customs of band music for black funeral processions and street parades. Today, this kind of jazz is occasionally known as classic jazz, traditional jazz, or Dixieland jazz. New Orleans was the musical home of the first distinguished players and originators of jazz. Jazz soon broaden from New Orleans to the other parts of the country.

The 1920’s have been called the golden age of jazz it the jazz age. Commercial radio stations, which first appeared in the 1920’s, featured live performances by the growing number of jazz musicians. New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, and The City of New York were all significant centers of jazz.

A group of Midwest youths developed a type of improvisation and arrangement that became known as Chicago style jazz. While in The City of New York, a musician named as James P. Johnson popularized a musical style from ragtime which is known as stride piano. In stride piano, the left hand plays alternating notes single notes and chords that move up and down the scale the scale while the right hand plays solo melodies, accompanying rhythms, and interesting chordal passages. Johnson strongly influenced other jazz pianists.

Fletcher Henderson was the first most important figure in big band jazz. In 1923, he became the first leader to arrange a jazz band into sections of brass, reed, and rhythm instruments. His arranger, Don Redman, was the first to master the modus operandi of scoring music for big bands.

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The first guitars used in the genre were acoustic. Today, acoustic guitars are still used by jazz artists but the jazz guitar has been preferred since the 1940s. This guitar allows you to play it as an amplified electric guitar. The guitar is also known as the archtop guitar. It resembles a violin, only in a bigger version with the trademark f-holes. It also has a floating bridge and a magnet pick up.

You will also be able to notice that there are a variety of jazz techniques incorporated with the playing like comping and blowing.

Comping means playing the chords underneath the melody of the song or an improvisation of another musician’s solo. Jazz guitar players may use scales, arpeggios, modes and other techniques associated with the chord progression of the song.

Harmony is one of the most important elements of the music. Jazz guitar players allow their knowledge of harmony to be used in order to create jazz chord voicings. These are commonly rootless and emphasize the use of the 3rd and 7th notes of a chord. It may make use of the 9th, 11th and even the 13th of the chords even.

Melody is another important element in jazz music. The knowledge of this helps the guitarist incorporate some scales and arpeggios in the music to create a more balanced melodic and rhythmic phrase to compose a really mean jazz solo. Jazz guitar players often incorporate their phrasing with the idea of natural breathing and legato phrasing. This creates a natural time feel which in turn helps you get a little swing and groove in to the music.

Improvisation is another thing in jazz. The time feel, like getting ahead or behind the beat, along with some modes, scales and arpeggios associated with the chord progression of the song will help get a new feel on the song. Rather than rework the melody, jazz guitar players would rather improvise.

As mentioned earlier, jazz can be played as an ensemble or in a solo. Most of the time, jazz guitar is incorporated with other musical instruments to form a small ensemble. You might also get into mind something like a big band which was pretty popular during the 30s and 40s.

Most of the time, you will find jazz guitar players comping, short for accompanying, with other musical instruments in order to create a really smooth and groovy tune that can be quite easy to dance to.

You may also find some chord-melody and unaccompanied soloing being done by jazz guitar players. The guitar player zeroes in on playing the entire song – melody, harmony and bass – on his own much like a pianist or a classical guitar player. This is one of the most loved playing styles in jazz guitar.

Mentioned earlier was blowing. This is also known as single note soloing. This is a playing style that is best identified with cool jazz and bebop. They are now incorporated with other musical genres like rock that allows you to make use of electronic effects.

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Learning jazz guitar is usually an expansion of playing blues, rock, or other popular music genres. But guitar playing is a field where harmony and improvisation can be taken to the highest level. The ideas you get from learning jazz guitar will be very helpful in achieving your goal to be a better and well-rounded guitar player.

The first step that you should take in is learning new chord voicing apart from the common chord forms. Another great way to start learning jazz guitar is to learn the jazz vocabulary as well as the techniques of the great jazz artists. Although you are encouraged to have your own style, learning from the great guitarists who play jazz is a good way to start with your own style.

When it comes to improvising and playing a jazz solo, the techniques that you should learn should focus on scales, modes, melody and chord progressions.

If you want to learn how to play jazz guitar, having some knowledge on guitar playing is not enough. It also requires you to learn to listen and play within your own limits. Aside from learning the basics of modes and scales, you should also focus on learning songs. This is about choosing songs that will reflect the musical character that you want to maintain and building up a repertoire of songs that you always wanted to play.

Compared with other genres, jazz playing requires an enormous amount of skill and knowledge on music theory. Other than mastering the difficult scales and chord progressions in jazz, you also have to learn to transfer them into spontaneous improvisation.

As mentioned, you can learn more about jazz by also watching and listening to the great guitar players. Watching guitar videos is a big help too in learning some tonal and fingering techniques. Also, you have to practice your vocal improvisation and record your progress in guitar playing. You will be motivated further if you hear your improvements.

One of the many things you need to understand in learning jazz guitar is the basic guitar chords and chord formations that make your music sound jazzy and the different scales used in this genre. The basic guitar chords used in jazz are Major Seventh, Major Sixth, and Major 6-9. Pentatonic scales are common in jazz because they are easier to experiment with compared with full major scales. But you also have to learn more than one scale in order to become a better improviser. Utilizing arpeggio sequences in jazz improvising are also helpful in producing better sounding solos.

Another prominent part in playing jazz guitar is playing the seven chords. Remember that jazz guitar use extended chords instead of triads. If you are already familiar with the seven chords, it will be easier for you to find different rhythms and sounds by crossing scales and majors.

Learning jazz guitar will also be more fun when you experiment on what you want to play. Learning about movable chords will also be helpful for you. If you have an idea on jazz harmony, it will give you more musical freedom to play over different chords and in any style of your choice.

In any learning jazz guitar, you also have to commit to a constant practice to help you learn quickly.

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Just what is your average beginner guitar player supposed to think when all he wants to do is learn how to play jazz guitar? Well, jazz kind of grew like Topsy from its beginning as part of Black American culture in the early twentieth century. The rest of America and the rest of the world started adding their own interpretations of jazz music.

So now under the heading of jazz guitar we have widely diverse styles as those of Wes Montgomery, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Charlie Byrd, John McLaughlin, Herb Ellis, Pat Metheny and Charlie Christian. This list is just off the top of my head and these guys’ playing styles are as different from each other as cheese is from Shinola.

So where is the starting point for anybody who wants to learn how to play jazz guitar? I would have to say the repertoire. There is a body of songs and instrumental pieces that are called jazz standards. There is a website called Jazz Standards dot com that has twenty pages listing one thousand jazz standards.

Here is a list of familiar titles from the top one hundred jazz standards: Body and Soul, All the Things You Are, Summertime, ‘Round Midnight, My Funny Valentine, What Is This Thing Called Love?, Yesterdays, Stella By Starlight, Autumn Leaves, Star Dust, Willow Weep for Me, Honeysuckle Rose, Sweet Georgia Brown, Caravan, The Man I Love, St Louis Blues, How High the Moon, Oh, Lady Be Good!, Take the “A” Train, Embraceable You, On Green Dolphin Street, These Foolish Things, Sophisticated Lady, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Night and Day, Georgia on My Mind and Satin Doll.

So the jazz repertoire seems to be the one common thing amongst the diversity of styles of playing and levels of innovation. Of course you need to get into subjects like what jazz chords are and why they have evolved and the various movements in jazz music but in order to keep it simple start with a list of your favorite songs. Once you have a list of maybe twenty or so songs from the repertoire of jazz standards you can listen to how jazz guitar players have interpreted the songs on your list. From listening to interpretations you can go to learning the chords that you need to play your songs and start practicing them.

As for improvisation, many people feel that in order to learn jazz guitar improvisation you need to learn to play a multitude of exotic scales and modes. A much more enjoyable alternative is to simply play along with your favorite songs. Learn licks from other jazz guitarists. You can always put what you have learned into the theoretical framework later if you feel that you need to. As a general rule, while you are learning, stick to the major scale all over the fretboard.

So, as with any style of music, if you want to learn how to play jazz guitar the jumping off point is the jazz standards and how you want to interpret your favorite pieces.

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Jazz is an American form of music that has come from an interesting background and evolved into a worldwide genre. It roots are in blues and other African-American styles of music combined with the classical European musical system, and it largely started in the southern United States. While the term jazz may refer to many different things in the beginning it eventually evolved into a style comprised of improvisation, syncopation, swing, and blue notes. This base of jazz has constantly evolved over time to where we find it today.

Jazz improvisation originally started out as slight modifications and embellishments to the melodies of standard tunes. This changed into a harmonically based improvisation style where the soloist uses notes based on the harmony of the tune to construct a sometimes completely new solo line. With this development, jazz improvisation started on a course towards some of the most technically proficient and impressive improvisation of all time in the bebop era, characterized by lightning fast runs of notes over highly complex and frequent chord changes. Once this style had reached its zenith, the jazz world reacted by moving in a new direction; minimal chord changes and slower tempos of the modal jazz era, started by Miles Davis.

From here, jazz has evolved more in instrumentation and overall style rather than in improvisational philosophy. Miles Davis also helped bring about new forms of fusion and experimental jazz. In the 70s and 80s, bands got started mixing jazz with the funk and popular music of the time. All of these developments have spread jazz to new listeners and new places.

Today you find too many different types of jazz to mention. There are neo-traditionalists, modern players who use traditional arrangement but play with new harmonic and structural elements, a huge number of different types of fusion, and finally, the widespread addition of electronic music elements to jazz. Electronic jazz represents a new direction and ability for jazz to appeal to different music lovers and increase the ability to jazz musicians to arrange and compose their music. A new era of jazz should be provided by the addition of electronic music and modern recording technology. Look for this new style of electronic jazz to have an impact soon.

There are already many jazz musicians who have redefined themselves with electronic jazz, which enables them to make use of more types of sounds in their recordings and enables them to craft more precise compositions.

Look for more information on the emerging style of electronic jazz on the internet to see what artists and groups are doing to continue the evolution of modern jazz and electronic music.

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There are many great artists making jazz today but for many people, the old jazz standards are what truly appeals to them and many budding jazz musicians are looking to learn the styles of the original artists who made the classic jazz records that have inspired thousands of musicians and fans throughout the years and generations. Jazz is one of the most exciting and inspirational styles of music around and being able to play in the style can be a great bonus for the musician, their friends and family and countless people they may encounter through the music. Jazz is a type of music that allows people to get together and share their passion and love for this exciting and much loved genre.

Learn Jazz Piano Chords with ease

Jazz may at times seem to be a puzzling and confusing style of music but this can create an ever bigger challenge and increase the desire for a great number of people to learn how to play this innovative and exciting style of music. Yes, jazz music can be more challenging than a great number of musical styles but this does not mean that it is impossible to learn. Anyone who is capable of mastering the music of jazz can take an immense pride at being able to bring together many of the intricate styles that make up jazz standards.

A great way to learn about jazz is to study the styles of some of the great musicians and try to learn some of their styles and techniques. Over time you can develop your own musical style but it can speed up the process of learning if you attempt to bring some skills from respected musicians as a basis for your own development.

There is a fine history and tradition related to jazz and a list of musicians who would make up a jazz hall of fame would be ranked as some of the finest musicians of all time. Whether its their startling innovation skills or the way they manage to conjure up new sounds and push the boundaries of music, jazz has the ability to bewilder and bewitch people all across the land. Having the ability to join in with other jazz musicians is a great talent in itself and having the talent to make music with others is something that many musicians crave.

Develop Jazz Piano Chords as part of your repertoire

Being able to meet like minded individuals and sharing a hobby with them can be a great benefit to people who may find it hard to meet other people and developing a range of skills in an instrument can be a fantastic way to break the ice and make friends. This makes jazz music an ideal hobby to take up regardless of your situation and background as jazz is a musical genre that manages to transcend genres.

So whether you want to play the best type of music you can think or just get an understanding of the jazz standards that have delighted people throughout the years, there is not a better style of music to learn.

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Initially the jazz music flourished in the South American region. New Orleans was especially very dear to this art. From there it traveled to all parts of America. In the beginning years there was strong resistance seen on the part of whites who could not see the blacks progressing in some field. But despite all their malicious efforts to suppress the jazz music being spread into society, they themselves were vanquished by its influence. It made itself as a hallmark of the US culture. Whites and immigrants from other regions of world were seen getting into this music.

The music when adopted by people from different ethnic backgrounds living in the multicultural society of US groomed further and many other variations were developed of it. All these happenings with the jazz were signifying the growing influence of the Negroes. The lyrics of their songs, especially the improvisation technique used in the Jazz which allows the singer to sing without even the tune, were expressive of their true emotions and their social sufferings on being the isolated and neglected portion of the society. It, in a sense, played a considerable role in reducing the racial differences. Other people of different ethnicities also used it to raise their voice.

Jazz was setting its roots in the music landscape and became popular in all people. Because of its rapid development people started calling it the rise of ‘Jazz Culture’ in America.

It was just after the end of slavery in US the Jazz music started to grow. The slave trade, though it was ended by the American law, had profound effects for the US society. It generated a milieu of hatred for blacks toward whites and vice versa. This legacy had to last for generations and according to the recent studies there is still a huge tendency of racism that exist in American people. In addition to this there were immigrants from other regions of the world that further amplified the diversity and nationalistic feelings among people who were now living together in the multi-ethnic society of US. In such an atmosphere the empowerment of blacks through the help of their arts movements was a historic marvel. It was not just music that was their sole part of the black arts movement. Other genres of art like poetry, fiction, fashion were also distinctively used by them

In the city of New Orleans where the Jazz music was born there was a peculiar tradition among people. During the funerals the people were consoled by these jazz singers who used to play funeral songs that soothed the family and friends of the dead person. This practice was becoming more and more prominent and was taking a shape of a must element of funeral processions. Moreover the people of New Orleans were very fond of holding music parties, concerts, balls,etc. that further paved the way for jazz to get fame among people. In this way the city of New Orleans mushroomed jazz culture and is therefore called the mother city of jazz music. One of the most famous and much cherished jazz singer Louis Armstrong also belonged to that place.

From New Orleans Jazz was entering into the boundaries of New York and Chicago. These cities also proved to be welcoming for it. So large was becoming its influence that many recording companies, who initially were not providing equal opportunity to black artists to record their albums, started to give access to these jazz singers to prepare their albums in the recording houses. That rapidly boosted the growth of jazz music. Firstly the recording companies which were mainly owned by whites were skeptic that the jazz would be liked by the greater masses.

The things got contrary to their expectations. The jazz music was even adopted by whites who fell in love with it and made their own variations of the jazz. It was becoming the voice of the people. After its commercialization and likeness by the people more black singers were encouraged to release their albums. In this way they were assimilating their identities with other segments of the society. They were listened, played and copied. Their message that began to come in front of mounting audience helped to eliminate the prejudiced thoughts directed toward them.

Jazz music was a quintessential part of the famous Black Arts movement and its efficacy to bring the voice of blacks to the limelight proved more good than other arts. There were singers like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, etc. who played a superb role in utilizing Jazz as a platform to express the miseries, fears, dangers, hatred and negligence the blacks face on the hands of whites. Initially, when the jazz was being adopted by white singers, the runners of Black Arts movement considered it as a threat and protested the involvement of non-blacks in it.

After the 1950s the Asian-Americans were also seen getting into Jazz. They too uses jazz to raise their voice which helped them to raise their social status. They were able to cast a political influence on the higher powers as well.

Jazz was a wonderful addition in the field of music and had been a healthy form of entertainment. A music that grew at a place where the subjugated class–blacks–had little opportunity to compete with the self-supposed superiors–whites–who could have set obstacles for the Jazz music to start its drive to nadir before making any rise. And in fact initially the intentions of the whites were not different than this but as the outburst of emotions can not be stopped they realized that the Jazz had to cross limits.

As the people of America have had love for music, the jazz not only became an entertaining music for them but it was to become the very part of the US culture and the way of American Life. Magazines, Newspapers, and the Television provided considerable space to the stuff related to jazz. Why the jazz made such a glorious fame was because of the characteristic of jazz which allows the intensity of emotions to be interpreted in the music. Now many other form of jazz are developed which testifies it has a potential to win more hearts and last forever.

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Red Sea Jazz Festival

The small-scale event for jazz buffs which started in 1987 became a major three-day jazz festival drawing the foremost overseas artists. During the 20 years of its existence more than 1500 world class jazz artists have been hosted by the highly esteemed festival which aligns with the most important jazz festivals worldwide.

This year’s festival, which took place in Eilat Sea Port from August 27 until August 30, featured a global array of artists from a broad spectrum of musical styles, from New Orleans and Latin to top Israeli groups.

Highlights of the 21st International Jazz Festival include the famous British Jazz group Incognito. Formed in 1979 in London, England by leader Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick, Incognito deliver a blend of Hip Hop, Acid Jazz with a touch of Rhythm & Blues.

Award-winning, jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri was perform with his group STEPS AHEAD and the American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist Joey Defrancesco and his trio featuring Ron Blake combined their talents in a organ/sax jazz concert. Other interesting international groups that performed in the festival are: Bireli Lagrene and Sara Lazarus, Vienna Art Orchestra, Chris Potter’s Underground Quartet, Conrad Herwig and Brian Lynch, and Tomasz Stanko Quartet.

10 Israeli ensembles, selected out of 80 applicants, will perform in the festival alongside the international groups. The Israeli groups in the festival are Shem Tov Levy Ensemble, Rony Holan in a tribute to Tony Williams, Hot Club of Israel led by Roman Alexeev, Walakata, The Mamelo Gaitanopoulos Nonet, Arad Yeini in a tribute to Lee Morgan, Fourword Quartet, Arie Volinez Group, Hagiga Sextet and Meir Ben Michael Quintet.

Jerusalem Jazz Festival

The International Jazz Festival held in Jerusalem is still small compared to the Eilat jazz festivals, but this year it has succeeded in bringing famous jazz artists from around the world. International Jazz favorites such as Slide Hampton, one of the greatest trombonists of all time, and Carmen Lundy, one of the most talented, sophisticated and respected jazz singers in the past 30 years, participated in the Jerusalem Jazz Festival 2007, which took place in David’s Tower Museum and the Yellow Submarine, from June 19 until June 22.

Slide Hampton appeared in Jerusalem heading a band of four trombones and a Rhythm Section, in a performance of mostly original arrangements of the delicate and sensual Bossa-Nova music of the renowned Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. The Carmen Lundy Quartet was featuring the brilliant pianist Anthony Wonsey, Carmen’s brother the respected contrabass player Curtis Lundy, The Norwegian guitarist Lage Land and the young New York drummer Jason Brown.

Tel Aviv Jazz Festival

The famous saxophonist Pharoah Sanders cancelled his arrival to the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival 2007 but it didn’t stop it from being one of the most comprehensive jazz events in Israel for some time. The Festival was celebrating its 18th annual event with leading international artists like the pianist Stefano Bollani, the saxophone and clarinet player Matt Renzi along with his Trio; the Organissimo Trio from Michigan, and the American jazz vocalists Judy Wexler.

Israeli Jazz musicians participated with special performances for the festival from – Slava Ganelin and Vladimir Volkov, Daniel Zamir and Omri Mor, Julia Feldman, Uri Bracha, Nadav Haber, and many others.

While the internationally renowned musicians still caught most of the attention at the jazz festivals in Israel, there was no doubt that the quality of the Israeli jazz performers was one of the best ever. No wonder! The international jazz stars are a source of inspiration, creating new standards to rise to. And the local musicians learned the lessons year after year in order to climb to the top levels. Some of them had to taste the Jazz atmosphere of New York City or go to study in Barkley, but those who stayed in Israel had the talent, motivation and openness to bring new sound to their music. Sounds that are drawn from the richness of the Mediterranean music culture.

Will the rise of Israeli jazz musicians be a catalyst for the development of a new type of cooperation between the major force on the local music scene and the leading international artists? We need to wait for next year to see if this wish will come true.

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Boaz Babai is a Jazz fan that also provides web marketing consulting services to Atlas Tel Aviv Hotels, a leading mid-luxury hotel chain in Tel Aviv Israel for business and leisure travels.

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How An Arch Top Jazz Guitar Is Made

An arch top jazz guitar has a spruce wood top, with the most expensive being the European spruce. Spruce is durable and light and is ideal for the jazz guitar. The cut on a jazz guitar is quite distinctive. The top wood is quarter sawn, so that when the top is finished, the growth rings are very compact, to ensure strength. The back of the jazz guitar, made of maple, is also quarter sawn from a single piece of wood so that the curl of the wood is visible, making the back stiff when finished. Both European maple and big leaf maple are used for making these guitars. The back greatly influences the tone of the instrument as it decides the lower range frequency response. If the back is thick, you get a treble instrument that does not have low fat tones.

While conventional guitars have a hole on the center of the top, causing the vibrations to stop there, the jazz guitar has ‘F’ holes.

The arch top jazz guitar’s neck is constructed from hard maple, which is sturdy, enabling the neck to withstand the high tension of the heavy gauge strings used in jazz guitars. Though mahogany is also used for its stability and lightness, maple is preferred because it is more attractive. The neck of the jazz guitar is usually strengthened with an adjustable truss rod. The fingerboard is made from ebony. There are inexpensive guitars that have fingerboards made of rosewood or synthetic resin.

An arch top jazz guitar’s frets are made from copper, nickel or zinc alloy. Some guitars have bigger than the usual frets for longer life. They also make it easier for techniques like string bending. The bridge of the guitar, which has the foot and the saddle, can be from ebony, maple or boxwood. The foot fixes the bridge to the surface of the guitar, with two posts that fit in the saddle. The saddle is adjustable since the posts are threaded. Generally, metal adjustable saddles are not used. The bridge stays in place through the string pressure.

The pickup of the jazz guitar is installed under the finger rest, which is made from ebony. It is fixed to the neck with the help of an aluminum bracket and screws. Bigger finger rests are not provided as they interfere with the F hole and affect the sound.

The jazz guitar’s tailpiece is also made from ebony with an aluminum rear bracket that is covered with wood veneer for making it lightweight. This lets the output jack pass through it. String mounting is done in six holes.

As such, there is no such thing as a ‘jazz guitar’; it is just that the arch top guitar was most conducive for playing jazz in earlier times. With the advent of electric guitars from various manufacturers and most jazz players preferring those, it is more a question of playing the jazz style of music, than using a specific ‘jazz’ guitar!

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