Serious jazz players are quite particular about the jazz guitar strings they choose and use. They expect the exact sound they want. There are different kinds of jazz guitar strings available with reputed manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, etc. Finally it all boils down to choosing the jazz guitar strings that sound just right for the user.
Types Of Jazz Guitar Strings
Flatwound – probably the most popular for Swing. These are usually flat ribbon wound strings with a polished nickel surface giving the player the flexibility and the kind of smooth sound that is expected.
Roundwound – for BeBop jazz. While several jazz players don’t really go for roundwound strings, manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld have wooed jazz players with the way they manufacture these. These strings are dense, although of thin diameter and play wonderfully at high frequencies, so much so that the tone has the purity of piano notes.
Most high quality jazz guitar strings are crafted with a core of carbon steel rather than the usual hex cores. This makes them play better and also vibrates well without the ‘preferred motion axis’. These string ends are wrapped in silk to keep the winding intact and to also increase their life.
For those who play blues jazz – and practically everyone who plays jazz does play the blues – the flatwound chrome strings they use are the most preferred. This is because these strings do not create the finger noise associated with other strings, resulting in easy play and better style. But the half round wounds are also popularly used, as they seem smoother and there is more clarity of sound with them compared to flatwounds, making them sound great when playing the blues.
Making The Choice For Jazz Guitar Strings
It is vital, as any jazz guitar player knows, to choose the strings that work best for you, and also make sure you replace them properly when necessary to avoid your guitar detuning. The main things to remember in making your choice are: the brand you select, the composition of the strings, string gauge, and the type of winding.
As far as brand is concerned, you can try a few and choose the ones you feel most comfortable with. As mentioned earlier, the most reputed are Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, and others.
Guitar strings are usually composed of a core high carbon steel wire with a wrap wire wound around them, which influences the sound of the guitar strings. This material could be nickel, considered the best, or stainless steel for brighter tones, or phosphor bronze for a warmer sound mostly used in acoustic guitar strings. Most classical guitars have nylon strings.
String Gauge refers to the diameter of the first and last guitar string since most guitar strings are sold as sets. Jazz guitar string sets are usually available as .012 – 0.054-inch diameter, which is heavier than those used for other music styles, so that they result in a thicker tone with increased sustain. Most jazz guitarists just starting out to play use lighter sets to first get used to them and then move on to the heavier type. It should be borne in mind that as you progress to an advanced playing level, and switch to a string set of heavier gauge, you must also adjust your guitar neck and the intonation.
The roundwound type of strings have a louder and brighter sound while the flatwound type has a flat ribbon wire with duller, smoother sound. Most jazz guitar strings are of the flatwound type.
Some Jazz Guitar String Maintenance Tips
To get your jazz guitar strings to last longer, remember to wipe them down using a dry cloth after each playing session. It is better to replace your strings just as they begin to wear out. Preferably change the entire set since changing just that one broken string can lose the sync of your sound.
By: Brian Trainer
Does the cold, cerebral feel of modern jazz leave you cold? Maybe you’d like to have a little bit of “gospel” in your jazz? Maybe you just want to take an old hymn and give it some updating. Then you’ll need to load yourself with an arsenal of gospel jazz chords.
Gospel jazz chords involve extending the dominant seventh chord with additional tones. The ninth, 11th and 13th chords are all used in gospel jazz. These are extensions of the basic dominant seventh chord. If you don’t know how to form a dominant seventh, here’s the rundown.
The dominant seventh is formed by taking a basic triad, which is 1-3-5, and adding a b7. In the key of C, you would play the notes C, E, G and Bb. The C chord is formed by the C, E and G. The major seventh is B, so you would lower it a half-step to get Bb. Play this chord and notice how it brings to mind some great blues and jazz. The C dominant seventh chord is written as C7.
Now you’re going to learn a bit more theory to understand gospel jazz chords. Since the notes of a major scale are numbered 1-7, where does the ninth tone come from? It comes from extending the scale beyond one octave. After the seventh tone of the scale comes the root, which is considered the eighth tone of the scale. So the ninth tone is the second, only an octave higher. To form a ninth chord, take a dominant seventh and add the ninth.
The 11th and 13th chords are formed in a similar fashion. The 11th tone of the scale is just an octave above the fourth, while the 13th is an octave above the sixth. The 13th is one of the most used gospel jazz chords. By extending chords to these extremes, you’ll hear some interesting tonalities and overtones develop in a well-tuned instrument.
Since every note of these chords is easily played on a piano, the resulting sound may get a little muddy. Some of the tones create a clash with other tones. A clash is when two notes that are a half step apart are played together. Sometimes a clash is useful, while at other times it isn’t. For these reasons, less important tones are often left out of extended gospel jazz chords. Take the ninth chord, for example. The fifth is often dropped from the chord to create a cleaner emphasis on the third, seventh and ninth tones of the chord. Try it and hear the difference.
Though it all seems a bit complex at first, the simple theory of gospel jazz chords comes naturally with a little practice. Try these chords in different keys, leave out different chord tones, and find out what gospel jazz chords sound best to you. These chords are useful in other jazz styles, as well. Even popular music today makes slick use of extended gospel jazz chords. Tasteful use of these chords can spice up even the most ordinary of hymns and gospel songs.
By: Duane Shinn
Does the cold, cerebral feel of modern jazz leave you cold? Maybe you’d like to have a little bit of “gospel” in your jazz? Maybe you just want to take an old hymn and give it some updating. Then you’ll need to load yourself with an arsenal of gospel jazz chords.
Gospel jazz chords involve extending the dominant seventh chord with additional tones. The ninth, 11th and 13th chords are all used in gospel jazz. These are extensions of the basic dominant seventh chord. If you don’t know how to form a dominant seventh, here’s the rundown.
The dominant seventh is formed by taking a basic triad, which is 1-3-5, and adding a b7. In the key of C, you would play the notes C, E, G and Bb. The C chord is formed by the C, E and G. The major seventh is B, so you would lower it a half-step to get Bb. Play this chord and notice how it brings to mind some great blues and jazz. The C dominant seventh chord is written as C7.
Now you’re going to learn a bit more theory to understand gospel jazz chords. Since the notes of a major scale are numbered 1-7, where does the ninth tone come from? It comes from extending the scale beyond one octave. After the seventh tone of the scale comes the root, which is considered the eighth tone of the scale. So the ninth tone is the second, only an octave higher. To form a ninth chord, take a dominant seventh and add the ninth.
The 11th and 13th chords are formed in a similar fashion. The 11th tone of the scale is just an octave above the fourth, while the 13th is an octave above the sixth. The 13th is one of the most used gospel jazz chords. By extending chords to these extremes, you’ll hear some interesting tonalities and overtones develop in a well-tuned instrument.
Since every note of these chords is easily played on a piano, the resulting sound may get a little muddy. Some of the tones create a clash with other tones. A clash is when two notes that are a half step apart are played together. Sometimes a clash is useful, while at other times it isn’t. For these reasons, less important tones are often left out of extended gospel jazz chords. Take the ninth chord, for example. The fifth is often dropped from the chord to create a cleaner emphasis on the third, seventh and ninth tones of the chord. Try it and hear the difference.
Though it all seems a bit complex at first, the simple theory of gospel jazz chords comes naturally with a little practice. Try these chords in different keys, leave out different chord tones, and find out what gospel jazz chords sound best to you. These chords are useful in other jazz styles, as well. Even popular music today makes slick use of extended gospel jazz chords. Tasteful use of these chords can spice up even the most ordinary of hymns and gospel songs.
By: Duane Shinn