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Jazz Standard Learning System: Take The A Train

10-Step Learning System for Jazz Standards on Guitar

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

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Jazz Standard Learning System: Take The A Train
Frank Vignola

Frank Vignola

Educator

jazz

Genres

About this course

In this edition of Frank Vignola’s 10-Step Learning System, you’ll learn how to play all of the parts for the popular jazz standard, Take The A Train.

”The best way to learn how to play jazz guitar is learning how to play jazz standards. The more you expand your repertoire, the more your knowledge, and technique will advance. Over the years, I’ve developed a 10-Step approach that not only works very effectively for my students — I use it myself every time I learn a new song!

We’ll break the song down into individual parts, which you’ll learn and practice with me. Over the 10 Steps, you’ll learn the chord progressions, the melody, comping approaches, melodic embellishments, discover scale connections in the changes, develop soloing strategies, and even build a chord melody arrangement for the song.”

10-STEP LEARNING SYSTEM

Step 1: Learn the Basic Chords to the Song
Step 2: Learn the Melody to the Song
Step 3: Comping Approach for the Song 1
Step 4: Comping Approach for the Song 2
Step 5: Embellishing the Melody for the Song 1
Step 6: Embellishing the Melody for the Song 2
Step 7: Finding Scale Connections
Step 8: Soloing Approaches for the Song 1
Step 9: Soloing Approaches for the Song 2
Step 10: Chord Melody Arrangement for the Song

Once you’ve worked through all of the parts, you’ll jam with Frank trading choruses just like you would on the bandstand.

You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson. You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.

Grab your guitar and let’s dive deep into another classic jazz standard with Frank Vignola!

What you'll learn

  • Play essential jazz chord voicings with 6th string, 5th string, and 4th string roots
  • Construct a chord melody arrangement
  • Identify and simplify complex chord symbols from lead sheets to basic chord types
  • Develop multiple comping approaches for the song
  • Build soloing strategies over the changes
Release date: 03/22/2022 • 1h 23m runtime
late beginnerintermediatelate intermediateguitarelectric guitarsongs
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Sample lessons
Step 1: Learn the Chords to the Song
Step 1: Learn the Chords to the Song
Play Along Practice Session
Step 2: Learn the Melody to the Song
Step 2: Learn the Melody to the Song
Play Along Practice Session
Jam: Trading with Another Player
Jam: Trading with Another Player
Let's Trade Choruses!

What's included

14 lessons • 12 charts • 2 Jam Tracks

Jazz Standard Learning System: Take The "A" Train
Hi! I’m Frank Vignola and in this edition of my 10 step Jazz standard learning system you’re going to learn how to play all of the parts for the popular Jazz standard, Take The A-Train. We’ll play through a series of practice sessions to learn the chord progressions, the melody, comping approaches and melodic embellishments as well as discovering scale connections, developing soloing strategies, and even build a chord melody arrangement for the song.

You’ll practice all of the parts in an interactive jam session where we’ll trade choruses just like on the bandstand! Everything is tabbed and synced to the video and you’ll be able to slow down or speed up any lesson to learn at your own pace.

Ready to learn Take The A-Train? Well grab your guitar and let's go!
The Chord Guide & Explanation
This is an expanation on how to read a lead sheet as well as a guide for the chord inversions that I use when first approaching a song. They are simple inversions. I think it's important to have a default set of inversions so you can concentrate on the song and not where to put your fingers. If you don't recognize a chord name in a lead, go to the chord guide.
Step 1: Learn the Chords to the Song
We start by learning the chords to the song.
Step 2: Learn the Melody to the Song
Next, we learn and analyze the melody.
Step 3: Comping Approach One
Here is an approach you can use to spice up your comping.
Step 4: Comping Approach Two
Here is another approach you can use to spice up your comping.
Step 5: Embellished Melody One
When we play a melody as a jazz artist, we embellish the written melody by using different techniques to alter the rhythm and phrasing. This is approach 1 for embellishing a melody.

+ 7 more lessons

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Reviews

22 results

Mauricio S.

12/06/25

Nice, progressive, and systematic approach to playing and improvising over a jazz standard.

This jazz lesson offers a very nice, progressive, and systematic approach to playing and improvising over a jazz standard. It's not overly fancy—just straightforward enough to get you actually playing while building a solid foundation for further development. Perfect for beginners like me who are just dipping their toes into jazz!

Jeff

11/24/25

This is a fantastic course, even for a new jazzer

I've been playing guitar for 38 years but never really put much effort into jazz. I know a few licks and chords that imply jazz, but this was the first real attempt to learn a whole song, comping and lead. One immediate take away was learning a major 7th arpeggio which I can easily apply to other music I play. I'm taking my time and working on getting this song up to performance level. I'll definitely learn another one taught by Frank.

Ryan

09/01/25

Straightforward, full of gems

This was an excellent course. Frank is a great teacher and packed a lot of gold nuggets into such a simple, intermediate-level class. Highly recommend

jimrichardson987

Verified buyer

03/15/25

Still working on it.

Still working thru the lesson. So far so good.

Gwynno

Verified buyer

01/10/25

Jazz standard-Take the A Train

Frank is a great teacher. He imparts his knowledge of jazz guitar in a very patient and respectful way. Very well rounded lesson which I’ve got a lot out of.

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