# Beginner 8 string jazz? Paradox?



## Jango (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm a metal player attmmpting to expand my repertoire of things I can play, and I feel like jazz should be my next genre. I recently acquired an 8 string which I tune to f# standard, and would like some recommendations for some easy jazz in that (or a very close) tuning. Fingerstyle stuff would be okay, too, along with hybrid.

Please and thank you!


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## SirMyghin (Mar 21, 2011)

You don't really learn Jazz as you are thinking about approaching it. Jazz is not playing other peoples music, it is approaching the song in a new way, be it a 'standard' or not. You don't learn jazz, you do jazz (or perform jazz). One of the big things in jazz playing is modal playing. Scale to a chord, so to speak. 

Start with standards, just like everyone else. Learn the chord progression, then see what you can do with it. Maybe keep a few hints of the melody so it is recognizable, but that is fairly optional. Many have taken approaches which they 'butcherred' the standards that are very cool.


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## xmetalhead69 (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm in my first year as a jazz major, being a metalhead before that. I'm slightly ahead of the curve because I know scale and mode patterns all across the fretboard, but when starting with jazz the first thing you're taught is positions and inversions of 7th chords, as well as 7th arpeggios. Memorize those, and you can start to translate those notes into the lower register of the 8.


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## StratoJazz (Mar 21, 2011)

You could also tune your f# to E, so you can play bigger chords, and have the range of guitar and 4 string bass.

It's really easy to solo if you just play chord tones.


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## Daken1134 (Mar 21, 2011)

im primarily a jazz player. ive got an RG2228 and the biggest thing i did was first of all make sure you know alot of your big extended chords and their inversions (maj/min7. 9,11,13) and the start broadening them to the B and F# strings or get used to playing a walking bass line between chord comping (if you play without a pick this is much easier) go out and get a Real Book and learn some of the songs out of there (blue bossa, take the A train, take 5, etc) and convert them so your utilizing the full range of your 8.


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## Trespass (Mar 23, 2011)

All that extra range is useless if your playing with a bass player. However, if your doing chord melody, or even playing with other instrumentalists without that range (i.e. duo or trio without bass player) than you can really take advantage of the fact that you have it.

Despite being an 8 string owner, I'm going to say that the 6 string guitar (mainly archtops, jazz manouche guitars) definitely have enough bass as it is to really groove as a rhythm instrument _without_ bass player.



Imagine him and another guitar player, with him comping with bass line and chords, and the other guitar player/horn player soloing on top. Due to the rhythmic propulsion he's generating, you don't need a drummer.


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## Charles (Mar 24, 2011)

Just some inspiration.

I'm trying to do this stuff myself.


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## Charles (Mar 27, 2011)

Just trying to keep this thread afloat because I just bought my first 8 string (!!!!) and this is the kind of thing I want to be doing.


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## KoenDercksen (Mar 28, 2011)

Charlie Hunter, holy shit. That man is fucking awesome!


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## Chumple Spuzz (Mar 28, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> You don't really learn Jazz as you are thinking about approaching it. Jazz is not playing other peoples music, it is approaching the song in a new way, be it a 'standard' or not. You don't learn jazz, you do jazz (or perform jazz). One of the big things in jazz playing is modal playing. Scale to a chord, so to speak.
> 
> Start with standards, just like everyone else. Learn the chord progression, then see what you can do with it. Maybe keep a few hints of the melody so it is recognizable, but that is fairly optional. Many have taken approaches which they 'butcherred' the standards that are very cool.



i agree with this a lot. personally(coming from a jazz noob), anytime i've tried to learn jazz styles on guitar i've become impatient and quit. but from that experience in trying new chords and stuff in old standards, i became inspired to incorporate that into my current style and it helped liven it up quite a bit. so while i still can barely play jazz at all, just attacking it with the right mindset will at least let you take something away from it. 
but i went into it with a lazy mindset, so since you woul probably do more work then i did, you can really start grounding yourself in jazz theory and technique just by trying stuff out.


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## ElRay (Apr 13, 2011)

You could go the Ralph Patt route: The Major 3rd Tuning

Check the tags, there's other threads on this tuning. It's my favorite if you're looking for dense piano-like chords, movable chords, scale runs, etc.

Ray


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