Swing music depends heavily on rhythm guitar. Since it often includes frequent chord changes, it is important to be comfortable making the changes. The Count Basie Band had a legendary guitar player, Freddie Green, who provided an important part of the swing feel of the band. Freddie used primarily 3 string chords, which allowed easy rapid chord changes. This course will immerse you in the Freddie Green style and will teach intermediate guitar players the easiest way to do this. The approach will be immersive. Students will learn the Nashville chord numbering system. We will start with simple blues-based tunes and progressively introduce more complex tunes. We will delve into chord pattern recognition, with the further aim of making it possible to grasp song chord structures quickly. We will look at how to best use chords that connect two other chords, such as diminished chords and multifunctional chords, which add color and drama. By the end of the course the student should be more comfortable playing rhythm guitar in jam sessions and providing rhythmic and harmonic drive.

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