Howard Alden

ダウンビート誌「もっとも偉大なギタリスト75」の1人に選ばれ、「現代のマエストロ」と称されるハワード・アルデンが、典型的な4音のジャズギターコードではなく、3音による ストリングトリオ・アプローチ を解説するレッスンの日本語字幕版。シンプルな3音コードだからこそ可能になる、内声に動きを加える方法や運指を、コードソロや伴奏への応用例、ジャズスタンダード曲のデモ演奏を交えて詳しく紹介する。 主な内容 5度を省いた3音ボイシングの基本と、3度を重ねて響きを厚くする工夫 7度→6度、5度→6度などの内声の動きと、その半音アプローチによるバリエーション 「酒とバラの日々」 を題材にしたコードメロディへの応用 低音弦でのボイシングとフレディ・グリーン・スタイルのリズムギター（ 「What's New?」 での実例つき） マイナーコード、ディミニッシュコードへの応用とベースラインの動かし方 伝説的ジャズギタリスト、ジミー・ワイブルとの逸話や、7弦ギターを弾く彼ならではのテクニック 最後にはマイクズ・マスタークラスのマイク・ゲラーが生徒として登場し、直接レッスンを受けて数日間の練習の成果を報告する特典映像付き。 バイオグラフィー アメリカの名門レーベルConcord Jazzのレコーディング・アーティストとしてリーダーアルバムを多数発表。ディジー・ガレスピー、ベニー・カーター、クラーク・テリー、ウディー・ハーマン、レッド・ノーヴォ、ジョージ・ヴァン・エプスとも共演してきた、現代のジャズギター界を代表するレジェンド。ウディー・アレン監督の映画『ギター弾きの恋』ではギターソロをすべて担当し、この作品でアカデミー賞主演男優賞にノミネートされたショーン・ペンに演奏指導も行うなど、各方面で幅広く活動している。

Howard Alden and Sid Jacobs play together for the first time in this intimate house concert recorded in Tucson in March 2019 — a full ninety-minute duo set of jazz standards plus a rare Jimmy Wyble etude. Though both guitarists studied with Wyble and have known each other for years, this concert was the first time they ever performed together. There was no rehearsal — as Howard puts it, “We didn't have a rehearsal, you get to just hear our 'hearsal.” The result is a relaxed, joyful musical exploration where two master guitarists feel the moment, trade stories between tunes, and weave their distinct styles into a true duo. Full set list You Stepped Out of a Dream Darn That Dream Stablemates Smokin' a Half Note Dreamsville Line for Lyons All the Things You Are Strollin' Indian Summer Emily Jimmy Wyble Etude I Should Care This recorded concert is completely free to members. More information on a monthly membership can be found here. A sample recording from the concert is below.

Howard Alden teaches gypsy style arpeggio picking — rolling the pick across the strings with rest strokes to get more variety from your chordal playing. Though most often associated with Django Reinhardt, this technique works in swing and modern jazz settings too, and Howard traces it back to his own early years playing tenor banjo. What's covered The basic rest-stroke motion: picking the top note of a chord, then dragging the pick down across the strings evenly The picks Howard uses — thick gypsy-style picks by Guzman (Spain) and Wegen (Holland) — and why a heavy pick matters A simple open-string exercise with a metronome to build evenness and control The diminished triad exercise, moving up the neck in minor thirds, and applying it over dominant 7th chords Where to place the upstroke so the downbeat lands right, plus a more swinging phrasing variation Adding moving lines, suspensions, and 32nd-note tremolo-like variations for a more florid sound Applying the technique in context on two Duke Ellington tunes: Prelude to a Kiss and Mood Indigo Even if you've never tried this picking style, the basics here give you a foundation you can use right away, while the variations reward more experienced players as your skills develop. 4 pages of PDF written material in standard notation and TAB, with Howard's personal fretting-hand fingerings indicated Soundsliced versions of the transcription (standard notation and TAB with adjustable tempo and looping) Running time: 28 minutes

Howard Alden dissects his personal approach to guide tone lines — the key to making the chord changes audible when you play solo, unaccompanied guitar. His simple, straightforward take centers on the 7-to-3 resolution of the ii-V, the motion from the 7th of the ii chord to the 3rd of the V chord that defines the harmony for the listener and gives your lines focus. What's covered Spotting and defining ii-V motion with the 7-to-3 resolution Understanding the chord progression of Victor Young's Stella by Starlight — a chain of ii-Vs through different keys Inserting guide tones between melody notes and ornamenting them, including half-step approaches Adding bass notes so a solo guitar can sound like a whole orchestra Sustained vs. non-sustained textures to let the music breathe A written example played as-is, then a paraphrased-melody chorus applying the concept to improvisation If you've ever dabbled with guide tone lines, this class gives you the tools to play them convincingly and improvise with more confidence over any standard. 2 pages of PDF written material in standard notation and TAB, with Howard's personal fretting-hand fingerings indicated Soundsliced versions of the transcription (standard notation and TAB with adjustable tempo and looping) Running time: 14 minutes

Master jazz guitarist Howard Alden teaches how to play 4/4 rhythm guitar and an independent melody at the same time, using his solo guitar arrangement of the Hoagy Carmichael standard "Georgia on My Mind" . The core idea: keep the right hand strumming quarter notes — like playing Freddie Green-style rhythm for yourself — while anticipating melody notes with an upstroke, creating the effect of two guitarists playing. What's covered The basic concept: quarter-note rhythm in the right hand with the melody picked out on top A full one-chorus arrangement with moving bass lines and inner voices, broken down section by section Putting the melody in the lower voice with harmony added above, plus tips for harmonizing it The bridge: ostinato open-D bass and a descending bass line against the melody A stride piano variation — bass note on beats 1 and 3, chord on 2 and 4, melody juggled in between Multiple slow play-throughs so you can learn every note, then performance versions at tempo Two improvisational takes showing how to use the technique on a solo or duo gig A seven-string guitar version for players who want the extended lower register Beginners and intermediate players can follow the concept step by step through the slower examples, while advanced students will get plenty from the improvisational takes. Includes 3 pages of PDF written material in standard notation and TAB (with Howard's personal fretting-hand fingerings) and Soundslice versions of the transcription with adjustable tempo and looping. Running time: 30 minutes.

Howard Alden teaches his solo guitar arrangement of Irving Berlin's White Christmas — a seasonal, chorale-like setting for the three-note voicings from his earlier class " The String Trio Approach for Chord Melody & Accompaniment ". Working the voicings into a real tune helps you internalize them faster, and gives you something to play for family and friends this December. What's covered Three-note voicings with a lighter, more transparent sound than four-note block chords Howard's fingering approach: melody with the fourth finger, building chords below it Finding and following inner moving voices through the arrangement Shifting the same voicings between string sets, almost like accompanying yourself Personalizing the arrangement with fills, arpeggiated embellishments, and a 4/4 time feel for forward motion Open-string tricks, delayed resolutions, and a few stretchy "knuckle buster" movements to develop slowly Use the lessons here as a model for your own solo guitar arrangements, well beyond the holiday season. 1 page of PDF written material notated in standard notation and TAB (with Howard's personal fretting-hand fingerings indicated) Running time: 22 minutes

Howard Alden shows how to breathe life into common jazz chord voicings by treating the fretboard like a little string trio — adding inner motion to staple chord grips instead of playing blocked chords. Starting from classic drop-2 (1-5-7-3) voicings, he trims them to practical 3-note shapes and shows how to create movement through diatonic 7th chords over standard progressions. What's covered Leaving out the 5th and doubling the 3rd for clearer, more flexible 3-note voicings — with a free first finger for melodic moves 7th-to-6th motion , approaching notes from a half step below, and a Django-style run inside the chord scale Applying the movement to chord melody on Days of Wine and Roses , plus an ending idea from What's New? Lower-string voicings for Freddie Green-style rhythm guitar Moving the 5th up to the 6th and 7th, on major, minor, and diminished chords, and putting movement in the bass Chromatic two-line ideas inspired by Howard's teacher Jimmy Wyble Adding a 5th below the root to suggest a 7-string guitar sound — without the extra string or tuning down You'll also see Mike, the site's own student, try out the concepts and get firsthand tips from Howard on technique, fingering, and practice — including a follow-up after a week of five-minutes-a-day practice. Applied to your favorite standards, these ideas will freshen up both your chord melody and your accompaniment. 6 pages of PDFs included Running time: 38 min

Howard Alden breaks down his process for harmonizing melodies in thirds — the sound that sits between single-note lines, octaves, and full chord melody. Adding just one note below a melody can make the harmony sound complete, and Howard shows the fingering habits that make it practical, using the classic Out of Nowhere as the vehicle. What's covered A full one-chorus arrangement of Out of Nowhere in thirds, with Howard's personal fretting-hand fingerings — alternating pairs of fingers, slides, and his knuckle-bar trick Preliminary exercises harmonizing the diminished scale and whole tone scale in thirds — a real workout for fretting-hand strength and independence When to use third harmonization (sometimes one phrase is enough), with examples from Blue Monk and If I Had You Targeting chord thirds in single-note lines, with enclosures and approach tones, demonstrated over All of Me Howard's All of Me etude , played at tempo and slowed down You'll get 9 pages of PDF material in standard notation and TAB with Howard's fingerings indicated, and the built-in video speed control lets you slow examples down at concert pitch. Running time is 35 minutes, plus 7 minutes of bonus content: a duo performance of Out of Nowhere with Howard Alden and Mike's Master Classes founder Mike Gellar, and candid behind-the-scenes footage.

Howard Alden sits down with Mike for a live Q&A session recorded in April 2018, sharing stories from his career and practical advice on learning tunes and getting into jazz. Alden, named one of DownBeat magazine's 75 Great Guitarists of all time, has been a Concord Jazz recording artist since the late '80s, with a prolific output as leader, co-leader, and sideman. What's covered Howard's pathway into jazz, and the story of how Mike's Master Classes began Studying with Jimmy Wyble , plus stories of Howard Roberts , fingerboard harmony, and the early days of GIT A suggested pathway for guitarists coming to jazz from rock or folk — start with music you love, one area of the neck at a time Really learning a tune: melody with bass notes, getting off the page fast, playing it for someone else, and knowing the form Extra tune-learning habits, like naming each melody note's interval against the chord A viewer question on the Barry Harris approach to the minor 6 / major 6 / diminished scale, with Howard's demonstration Bonus: Howard and Mike playing Half Nelson together “He may be the best of his generation,” writes Owen Cordle in JazzTimes . This session is free with a monthly membership.