jakenydegger
Verified buyer
09/22/26
Any course by Frank Vignola is gold
Jazz Standard Learning System: Just Friends
10-Step Learning System for Jazz Standards on Guitar
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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, Just Friends.
”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!
”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 and 5th string roots
- Apply various comping approaches to the song
- Identify core chord quality from complex lead sheet symbols
- Build a chord melody arrangement
- Develop soloing strategies over the changes
Release date: 12/16/2022 • 1h 30m runtime
Sample lessons
Step 1: Learn the Chords to the Song
Play Along Practice Session
Step 2: Learn the Melody to the Song
Play Along Practice Session
Jam: Trading with Another Player
Let's Trade Choruses!
What's included
14 lessons • 12 charts • 1 Jam Tracks
Hey it’s Frank Vignola here! In this edition of my 10-Step Learning System, you’ll learn how to play all of the parts for the popular jazz standard, Just Friends.
We’ll play through a series of practice sessions to 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.
You’ll practice all of the parts in an interactive jam session where we’ll trade choruses just like you would on the bandstand.
Everything is tabbed and synced to the video. You can slow down or loop any video to learn at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s go!
We’ll play through a series of practice sessions to 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.
You’ll practice all of the parts in an interactive jam session where we’ll trade choruses just like you would on the bandstand.
Everything is tabbed and synced to the video. You can slow down or loop any video to learn at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s go!
This is an explanation 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.
Let's kick things off by learning the chords to the song.
Next, we're going to learn and analyze the melody.
Here is an approach you can use to spice up your comping.
Here is another approach you can use to spice up your comping.
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
Reviews
7 results
Joel
10/31/25
Fun tune and well presented
Frank Vignola is a wonderful player, but more importantly for TrueFire members, he's a wonderful teacher. I've been playing guitar for over 30 years but I'm only now getting into jazz. This song is broken down into manageable parts and presented in a well thought-out manner. Mr. Vignola is my favourite TrueFire teacher. I highly recommend all his courses.
robinfoggo
Verified buyer
01/22/25
Frank Vignola: Just Friends
This is one of my favourite tunes, and through it I have learnt so much. Frank is an excellent teacher and I am so grateful to have these materials to learn from. Thank you so much Frank.
ianmitchell
Verified buyer
09/03/23
Fantastic course
I have both this course and Taking the A Train from the same series - I think this one is much more beginner/intermediate-friendly and has a more interesting 2nd comping variation. Really well structured and a good way to learn not only this piece but jazz guitar skills in general.
phanson13
Verified buyer
01/21/23
Great Place to Start
This is a great tune, and a fantastic way to, in a wholistic way, start to make it one’s own. Frank is a skilled, effective teacher and a national treasure.
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