# Jazz guitar competition



## Charles (Jun 12, 2010)

Hey ladies and gents,

My music department head has asked me to enter in one of these in the fall. I've never really done a jazz guitar (or any guitar...) competition, so I'm seeking the guidance of those around here.

I've bummed around in jazz bands and combos for a long while playing sort of pseudo-jazz, but I feel like the judges are going to be looking at this from a real "purist" angle. I plan on purchasing a hollowbody (not for the competition, just because I've always wanted one), but on the whole I don't really know what judges look for. I've mostly spent my limited jazz career looking for ways to integrate it into rock (for fusion)

The competition is as follows:
Sight reading chords and comping in the style of Freddie Green (that's four on the floor, no?)
Taking a solo over a chorus of some sort.

I assume these guys want like...Herb Ellis style stuff, just hardcore I'm-wearing-an-old-dirty-suit jazz kind of stuff, right?

..What the hell do I do?


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## kung_fu (Jun 12, 2010)

Is this the first competition of its kind , or did it occur last year/previous years? I'd suggest tracking down previous winners or competitors. Better yet, maybe even contact some of the judges. Not sure what else to say apart from good luck .


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## kung_fu (Jun 12, 2010)

Charles said:


> The competition is as follows:
> Sight reading chords and comping in the style of Freddie Green (that's four on the floor, no?)



They actually require you to comp in his style? Like you said, basically 4 chords per bar as quarter notes usually played staccato . Not too adventurous rhythmically. Although pretty old and seemingly simplistic, there have been loads of books published on his style.



Charles said:


> I assume these guys want like...Herb Ellis style stuff, just hardcore I'm-wearing-an-old-dirty-suit jazz kind of stuff, right?




Archtop + suit + Freddie Green style comping = almost enough to win in the eyes of a jazz purist


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## SnowfaLL (Jun 12, 2010)

I always assumed the Freddie Green comping was based mainly on using seperation between your root/bass note and the chord tones. Thats why theres a set of chords with the low A string muted, low E string as your root note called the Freddie Green chords..

could be wrong in that sense, but thats what I consider as freddie green comping (and obviously striking the quarter notes)


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