Featured Book: Dave Stryker's Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method (with CD)

Author: Dave Stryker

Publisher: Mel Bay

Year Published: 2005

Type: Musical Instruction

Format / Pages: / 56 pages

Review:

Dave Stryker combines a soulful blues feeling with jazz motifs to create unusual sounds.  Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he moved to New York City in 1980.  Stryker recorded his first CD during 1988 and many articles about his distinctive playing style have been published over the years.

The CD which accompanies this fine instruction book gives an indepth look at Dave Stryler's playing style.  The CD contains 83 items.

The contents of the instruction guide are directly related to helping guitarists develop improvisational ideas when playing jazz.  Stryker succeeds very well with his personal instruction techniques.

Following "Notes from Dave" and "Often Asked Questions about Music," the author details the minor sub approach with scale chart, passing tones, and approach exercises.  He offers insights for solo ideas for "Autumn Leaves" and "Well You Needn't."  Blues are covered, and a nice solo idea for "Blue Bossa" utilizing pentatonic scales and patterns is given. 

Stryker covers turnarounds and Bebop phrases.  An interesting solo idea for "Cherokee" will hold the guitarists spellbound with its approach and style.

There are many excellent features about this instruction book.  The solo ideas are unique and so is the approach to blues.

If you are looking for something different concerning improvisational effects on jazz, this is your book.  This is a gem of a book and helpful.  Congratulations to the author for a fine instruction guide.

Additional Information: Check it out @ Amazon.com

ISBN: 0786672765

Reviewed by: Lee Prosser

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