Sheryl Bailey

Sheryl Bailey answers student questions in this live Q&A session from February 2018, covering ear training, bebop scales, and whatever attendees brought to the table — her teaching philosophy being that those who ask the most questions get the most answers. This session is free for members . From the session An opening solo performance of the Jobim tune "O Grande Amor" , which Sheryl learned from Gene Bertoncini Ear training advice for beginning jazz guitarists: hearing intervals, chord qualities, and cadences A practical singing exercise — singing the roots, thirds, and sevenths of a Bb blues to internalize the structure of the changes Why thirds and sevenths are the real changes, and how hearing them becomes your compass while improvising Bebop scales and their relation to the downbeat, answered for a longtime student "Bailey combines an astonishing command of the fingerboard with a seemingly endless flow of melodic invention." — Joe Taylor, Soundstage An informal, conversational session for players at any level. Read Sheryl Bailey's full bio for more on her background.

Sheryl Bailey shares her concept of pluralities — exploring families of chord expansions to create modern harmonic ideas in both soloing and comping. By grouping related voicings into chord families, you can expand a single harmony into a range of contemporary colors and apply them whether you're playing chords behind a soloist or building your own lines.

Sheryl Bailey demonstrates melodic embellishment for jazz guitar: creating melodies from chord structures using approach tones . A natural follow-up to her earlier classes, this session focuses on turning the chord shapes you already know into melodic ideas. A good fit for players who want to make their lines sound more melodic and connected to the harmony, rather than running scales.

Sheryl Bailey shows how to expand your chordal palette and melodic lines by converting to min/maj7 voicings from the jazz melodic minor scale. One voicing type, applied across all the common chord functions, opens up a more modern harmonic sound. What's covered How the min/maj7 relates to I minor , I major , II subdominant , V7 with natural tensions , and V7 with altered tensions Using each function in the context of the common ii-V-I progression to open your ears to modern voicings Applying each concept over a standard tune to hear how the harmony opens up Turning the voicing vocabulary into raw material for inventing melodic lines For players who want a practical, function-by-function way into the melodic minor sound — both for comping and for soloing.

Jack Wilkins and Sheryl Bailey perform jazz standards and field questions from viewers in this intimate 2006 concert-clinic, recorded live in Jack's New York apartment. Between tunes, the two guitarists dig into the techniques behind their playing, in a relaxed, anything-can-happen duo setting. What's covered Duo performances of standards including Gone with the Wind , Tenderly , and Chick Corea's 500 Miles High Jack's detailed breakdown of artificial harmonics — basic execution, harp-harmonic patterns across string pairs, and applying them to minor 9th and dominant 9th voicings Harmonic-scale fragments and three-shape chord ideas, including a Tal Farlow two-octave trick Sheryl on her picking approach — the George Benson-inspired technique she learned from Rodney Jones, and the lighter touch behind her speed and tone Audience questions on pick angle, alternate vs. consecutive picking, and wrist mechanics A rare chance to watch two masters trade tunes and trade secrets in the same sitting — useful for anyone working on duo playing, harmonics, or picking technique. Includes the original recording plus a remastered version.

Sheryl Bailey is joined by her great friend, guitarist Chris Bergson , for a class on the art of the guitar duo — a format the two have developed through their own special collaboration. What's covered Different rhythm styles for duo playing Comping and chord voicings behind another guitarist Playing lines together Feeling time as a pair Some down-home blues jamming — Chris is an incredible blues player A look at how two guitars can make a complete band, from two players who do it for real.

Sheryl Bailey teaches her "Bebop Flow" system for creating long, fluid bebop lines: the dominant 7 bebop scale combined with a group of chord substitutions she calls the "Family of 4." One compact idea — her "microcosmic bebop line" — demonstrates how four related chords (F7, Am7b5, Cm7, Ebmaj7) stack on top of each other, letting you flow through major and minor II-V's, vamps, and virtually any chord you'll meet in a jazz progression. What's covered The dominant 7 bebop scale: why chord tones must land on the downbeat, with fingerings from all four chord tones in up to three octaves The microcosmic bebop line , analyzed note by note The Family of 4 substitutions, including the "James Brown chord" (F7#9 / Am7b5 plurality) and the Cm6 / Eb6 relationships Getting the Lydian sound on major 7 chords by playing a dominant bebop scale up a whole step The "plus 1": adding D7 altered for minor II-V's and the altered (#9) sound Written two-bar and four-bar bebop lines, fully analyzed, plus assignments for writing your own Applying it all to "Just Friends," with performances and improvised solo examples Includes PDFs in standard notation and a study suggestion from Az Samad. Read a full review in Guitar International Magazine , then continue with Bebop Flow Part 2 . "Sheryl Bailey shares her approach to practicing and developing strong sounding bebop lines and gives specific examples to demonstrate the concept. This is a lesson from a real performer so it's real practical application rather than just theory!" ~ Az Samad "Application of the Micro-cosmic bebop line to the family of 4 plus 1 chords came very easily after taking this lesson. The application to tritone subs was excellent. Great lesson!" ~ Mark B.

Sheryl Bailey continues her Boot Camp Basics series, moving from fretboard organization into chord voicings and playing through jazz harmony — built on her conviction that chord voicings and melodic lines are one and the same . The class centers on drop-3 voicings and the walking bass-chord style she played constantly in guitar duos during her Berklee years (and still does, with her friend Jack Wilkins). What's covered Drop-3 voicings explained — how dropping the third note from the top turns unplayable closed-position chords into friendly guitar shapes (Johnny Smith being the freak-of-nature exception) All four inversions of the drop-3 family, worked through on Gm7, in high and low string sets Using the four inversions to divide the fretboard into four equal zones , each linking a chord shape to the lines that live around it Walking bass-chord style — the self-contained rhythm-section skill, developed step by step from the inversions Voice-leading through ii-V-I progressions and comping without always putting the root in the bass Practice vehicles including the minor blues and the standard Tune Up Drop-3 as an arranging concept too — voicing a horn section the same way Includes a companion PDF on drop-3 voicings and walking bass-chord style. A practical next step for players ready to move past basic chord grips toward duo, small-group, and solo playing that sounds full on its own.

Sheryl Bailey lays out the fundamentals she considers essential not just for jazz and bebop guitar, but for being an accomplished guitarist, period: organizing the fretboard, understanding where scales come from, and practicing in a way that actually builds technique. She opens by playing Benny Golson's Along Came Betty in the samba style Pat Martino pioneered — a tune that changes key every bar, and a perfect illustration of why 12-key fluency matters. What's covered The 12-Key Grip — Sheryl's system of seven fingering positions (with a companion PDF) for mastering major scales in all twelve keys The three parental scales — major, jazz melodic minor, and harmonic minor — and how they generate 21 of the scales used in jazz improvisation The rest of the six-scale picture: blues and pentatonic scales, plus the two symmetrical scales (whole tone and diminished) Why consistent fingerings and excruciatingly slow practice are what build the muscle memory behind fluent technique How these fingerings connect to the Berklee/William Leavitt and Aaron Shearer pedagogies Practical applications: navigating tunes where the harmony shifts every bar A clear, no-nonsense foundation course for players getting started with jazz — or longtime guitarists who want to finally organize the fretboard for good.

Sheryl Bailey teaches drop 2 chord voicings in this third installment of her Boot Camp Basics series for jazz guitar. After covering scales in Part I and drop 3 voicings in Part II, she turns to the voicing system she calls fundamental to developing jazz style, voice leading, comping, and chord soloing — the sound behind much of Wes Montgomery's chord work. What's covered What "drop 2" means — dropping the second voice from the top of a closed voicing down an octave to get playable, open shapes All three adjacent-string sets: high, middle, and low Drop 2 inversions organized into ii-V-I-VI progressions (in F), with downloadable PDF charts for every set and register Adding extensions like 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths to dress up basic progressions Using passing diminished chords for smooth voice leading between inversions Comping patterns and how drop 2s feed into chord soloing How voicing choices shape your personal sound, with the bebop tradition as the reference point The class opens with Sheryl performing the bossa nova "Once I Loved" before getting into the material. PDF worksheets are included so you can work through each voicing set yourself. A solid foundation class for anyone building their jazz comping and chord-melody vocabulary.

Sheryl Bailey continues her Bebop Flow series, showing how to combine her "Family of 4" chord substitutions to play over altered II-V's and create long, fluid, saxophone-like lines. The system pairs the dominant 7 bebop scale with a small group of related arpeggios, so one compact idea — her "microcosmic bebop line" — unlocks lines over just about any chord situation. What's covered Review (or introduction, if you're new to the series) of the dominant 7 bebop scale and the microcosmic bebop line The four legal starting points for the bebop scale — root, 3rd, 5th, and b7 — and why it must start on a downbeat How the bebop scale acts as a connector, voice leading smoothly into arpeggios Combining families of chords for altered II-V situations Breaking up arpeggios intervallically and rhythmically for syncopation and variety Written materials in standard notation (PDF) are included. The first class was reviewed in Guitar International Magazine . "It's a systematic way to navigate through changes that are the backbone of most jazz standards. At first glance, it seems complicated, but upon reflection it's quite easy to grasp."

Sheryl Bailey explores "Naima" , John Coltrane's ballad of kaleidoscopic, evolving colors, as a guide to the family of modern dominant 7th sounds. Coltrane composed the tune in 1959, naming it after his wife, and first recorded it on Giant Steps ; it is notable for its rich harmonies over bass pedal notes and has been covered by McCoy Tyner, John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, and Herbie Hancock. "'Naima' is a gift," as Sheryl puts it — she likens its tonal changes to a cloudy sky moving through bright and dark moods. What's covered The four main 7th-chord sounds and scales in the tune: dominant 7ths, diminished, altered dominants, and natural/sus dominants Vamping over loops of each dominant chord type to open up both chordal and single-note exploration ii-V applications and tritone substitute approaches How the Harmonic Major scale contributes to the modern jazz sound of players like Adam Rogers and Kurt Rosenwinkel References to George Russell's Lydian concept — how major and minor chords work differently in jazz than in classical harmony Sheryl balances intellect and intuition, helping you feel your way through each chord group rather than just calculate it. This advanced class suits guitarists who want to apply these ideas not only to Coltrane's composition but to their broader comping, improvising, and compositional approaches.