Jazz chords/techniques?

[Swordfishtrombone]

I guess this is a really specific thing, so...

Over the last 7 years that I've been playing, I occasionally decide to try to learn a bit of jazz guitar techniques cus they tend to sound cool as hell, only to give up because a lot of chord shapes are impossible for me. My left wrist is fucked, and I can't really bend it (my range of motion is only about 1" in either direction, maybe a bit less), and it also causes some problems with what I can actually do with my fingers (I know there's a joke in that, but I can't be bothered to make it...). Lots of chord shapes cause my wrist/hand to cramp up + have sharp pains. Is there any hope for me with learning some jazz basics to add to my playing, or do I have to settle for only being able to do the whole normal major/minor/7th chords + chromatic scale spam that I love Marc Ribot for?

Any tips, things that would work with my limitations, etc?

[Chankgeez]

This may be more work than you're looking for, but I'd suggest looking towards different tunings.

It might make it easier to form jazz chords with your limited physical ability.

I've been playing almost exclusively in DADGAD and often use chords with just a few notes. Like three or two (which I know aren't technically chords) or maybe chords comprised of a few fretted notes and any variety of open strings. It makes for interesting chords with less of a reach than might be otherwise available.

[backwardsvoyager]

Yeah, i'd normally say the quickest way to get into that zone is to learn any ol' jazz piece from a TAB (the easy way) and then memorise the types of chord shapes and motifs used so that they start seeping into your normal playing but with the wrist problems that's definitely not a good idea, jazz chord shapes can be absolute hell and i had to stop using thin necks because jazz chords on those were destroying my wrist.

What Chank said is then what i'd say is the best course of action, it can take a long time to stumble across the right tuning for you but it's certainly possible to get to a point where jazzy chords are simple shapes and basic chords aren't too difficult either, it depends on the kind of chords you like. e.g. i regularly play in C# G D# F C D because it's what i'd come up with when trying to turn the chord shapes i was bored with in standard into more interesting ones.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Yeah, I was hoping to avoid that, especially I only have one usable guitar atm, and I'd rather not spend loads of time retuning, or have to sacrifice being able to play lots of stuff/entirely relearn most things. I'll try to find something that could work for me + various chords that I'd be using...

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, like I said, it'd be a lot of work. And as backwardsvoyager said, it'll take a lot of time to determine which tuning's best suited to what you want.

Math'll help somewhat, but throwing a guitar in a certain tuning and playing will give you a better sense of if the tuning's gonna work for you.

Aside from that, doing physical exercises and/or stretching to loosen up may be of some help.

Really though, I think the answer lies in rearranging your fretboard. Probably the best long term solution to your problem.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to experiment with tunings + buy some strings (low tension is a must for me). The biggest concerns/needs for me with alternate tunings aren't that bad tbh, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

I mean, basically all I need is:

Two low strings continue to be tuned to C and F. I use those for drones and bass lines a lot, and rely on certain harmonics on those strings for certain things, where it would be way too much of a hassle to just fret a note + tap a harmonic or something.
Minor 2nds are still easily accessible (particularly on the two high strings, tho I occasionally use others for that too) since dissonance is important.
More normal chords (maj, min, 7th, (flat) 5ths, the occasional suspended 2nd) are still easy to play in most positions.

Being able to transfer leads isn't to important since I tend to play up and down single strings a lot, so I wouldn't have to relearn many scale shapes.

I'm thinking some sort of open Fm tuning would be the way to go, possibly modified a bit. I'm gonna search for a couple of the tuning threads in here tonight and screw around a bit. I've been feeling like shit for the last couple of weeks, so it's not like I'm capable of doing too much else tonight anyway.

Thanks for the advice, guys!

[coldbrightsunlight]

Remember also that you don't always need to play every note in a chord. It's important to get the 3rd and any extra notes (6th, 7th etc) but when we're talking about playing with a group the rest will be picked up from context and other people playing the root and fifth. This is very common practice in jazz once you start getting to chords where you would run out of fingers if you tried to play every note, but can also be used for simpler chords to make things easier for you.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Yeah, stretching helps a bit, and I do some every day so I can actually play, but it's still not much. I mean, there's still days where I can't even do basic shit like single note riffs and simple open chord progressions because of it, regardless of whether I try to do some stretching or not.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Remember also that you don't always need to play every note in a chord. It's important to get the 3rd and any extra notes (6th, 7th etc) but when we're talking about playing with a group the rest will be picked up from context and other people playing the root and fifth. This is very common practice in jazz once you start getting to chords where you would run out of fingers if you tried to play every note, but can also be used for simpler chords to make things easier for you.

Oh yeah, I know that there's times where notes have to be omitted out of necessity, it's just that often times there's ordinary maj/min chords where I have to simplify things, but chords that require 4-5 notes with awkward fingerings that I've come across when trying to get into this side of things before are just impossible, and couldn't really be done in standard (and like I said, I'm hesitant about just using other tunings since there's things in standard that I need access to).

Yeah, if I played more with other people, this wouldn't be much of an issue, and I tend to just rely on context sorting things out when I do. Most of the time tho, I'm either playing by myself, or writing things that are pretty minimalist, where that doesn't work as well for me. This does remind me that I need to call up the one guy I jam with occasionally. He's a really good guitarist, and I normally end up playing bass when we jam, and it's always fun to add in 2 note "chords" and stuff to bass lines when he starts soloing. I haven't seen him in a few months, so I'm gonna have to do that soon.

[PeteeBee]

I would say a really easy thing to learn that blows up your knowledge and let's you sound really jazzy is learning all your triad shapes and the first and second inversions. This is the biggest thing that has changed how I play guitar. It also helps with my wrist pain because they aren't big stretches (for the most part) and don't require lots of pressure (like playing bar chords all day). I could even email or post the pages of the book that I studied if you want.

[Tristan]

I'd say try all major and sus2 / sus4 chord shapes with different bass notes.
Also, just tuning from E Standard to Drop D already makes some of those chords more easy to play so then you only have to tune one string.
As for open tunings I would opt for a sus 2 tuning, that way you have the 9th, b3 and 3 all at reach when you play the strings together to form a chord.

[Chuckchuck]

If it's too difficult or too painful to reach, I play the essential, most colorful or distinguishing part of the chord. It usually involves 3 strings not 6.

[Eivind August]

If it's too difficult or too painful to reach, I play the essential, most colorful or distinguishing part of the chord. It usually involves 3 strings not 6.

Same. Playing them as arpeggios can also help. I consider myself lucky in that I briefly played in a jazz-band early in my guitar playing years. Nothing too fancy or theoretical, but it did affect my playing style. Always good to experiment with stuff outside your comfort zone.

[Chuckchuck]

If it's too difficult or too painful to reach, I play the essential, most colorful or distinguishing part of the chord. It usually involves 3 strings not 6.

Same. Playing them as arpeggios can also help. I consider myself lucky in that I briefly played in a jazz-band early in my guitar playing years. Nothing too fancy or theoretical, but it did affect my playing style. Always good to experiment with stuff outside your comfort zone.

Yes & arpeggios can lead to some pretty lines.
What would music be without experimentation?

[cheesecats]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ308aOOX04[/youtube]