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06/09/25
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Flying Solo: Jazz Guitar
The Essential Improvisation Map for the Solo Jazz Guitarist
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Mimi Fox
Educator
Genres
About this course
When Mimi Fox released her first TrueFire course, Jazz Anatomy, she was considered one of the hot new rising stars of the jazz guitar world. By the time she released her second TrueFire course, Graduated Solos, Fox had already distinguished herself as a "remarkably accomplished player with flawless time, pristine execution, serious chops, a keen ear for chordal voicings and an inner urge to burn," says Jazz Times.
Today Fox is revered as one of the few bona fide masters of jazz guitarists walking the planet today. Mimi's third TrueFire course, Flying Solo, "the consummate master class in solo jazz guitar" further establishes her authority as both a monster player and top educator. In the words of Joe Pass, "she can do it all!"
Playing solo gigs offers jazz guitarists a different level of intimacy with an audience than is typically afforded in a group situation. In this volume of jazz guitar lessons, Mimi delves into the finer points of solo jazz guitar performance, giving you the tools needed to develop everything from evocative song arrangements to well-paced set lists. Solo performances challenge jazz guitarists to utilize all of the polyphonic guitaristic devices at their disposal to establish and maintain groove while at the same time developing the melodic qualities of the tune and improvising compelling solos.
Mimi covers it all in Flying Solo; you will learn how to play solo jazz guitar utilizing integrated walking bass lines within both blues and standard jazz styles; playing Latin grooves; the effective use of odd meters; advanced melodic and harmonic concepts; the use of voice leading within solos; chord soloing; integrated soloing in blues, standard and bossa styles; chordal development; the importance of developing strong intros and endings; the effective integration of texture and dynamics; major, minor and dominant substitutions; rubato playing; utilizing harmonics and open strings; improvisation; and a special two-part section on arranging pieces utilizing a composer's mindset. She also covers structuring your set list to suit the gig as well as the audience before she finishes things off with the deft performance of six tunes in various jazz styles to provide breathtaking examples of the techniques covered in Flying Solo within a performance situation.
Flying Solo is not for the weak of heart and is NOT your typical collection of solo jazz guitar arrangements and guitar lessons. This is serious grey matter focused on both technical and creative skills. Fox shares enough insight and material to keep you busy for several lifetimes, however you will also experience dozens of epiphanies along the way that you'll be able to apply immediately in your own playing and improvisations. Buckle up!
Today Fox is revered as one of the few bona fide masters of jazz guitarists walking the planet today. Mimi's third TrueFire course, Flying Solo, "the consummate master class in solo jazz guitar" further establishes her authority as both a monster player and top educator. In the words of Joe Pass, "she can do it all!"
Playing solo gigs offers jazz guitarists a different level of intimacy with an audience than is typically afforded in a group situation. In this volume of jazz guitar lessons, Mimi delves into the finer points of solo jazz guitar performance, giving you the tools needed to develop everything from evocative song arrangements to well-paced set lists. Solo performances challenge jazz guitarists to utilize all of the polyphonic guitaristic devices at their disposal to establish and maintain groove while at the same time developing the melodic qualities of the tune and improvising compelling solos.
Mimi covers it all in Flying Solo; you will learn how to play solo jazz guitar utilizing integrated walking bass lines within both blues and standard jazz styles; playing Latin grooves; the effective use of odd meters; advanced melodic and harmonic concepts; the use of voice leading within solos; chord soloing; integrated soloing in blues, standard and bossa styles; chordal development; the importance of developing strong intros and endings; the effective integration of texture and dynamics; major, minor and dominant substitutions; rubato playing; utilizing harmonics and open strings; improvisation; and a special two-part section on arranging pieces utilizing a composer's mindset. She also covers structuring your set list to suit the gig as well as the audience before she finishes things off with the deft performance of six tunes in various jazz styles to provide breathtaking examples of the techniques covered in Flying Solo within a performance situation.
Flying Solo is not for the weak of heart and is NOT your typical collection of solo jazz guitar arrangements and guitar lessons. This is serious grey matter focused on both technical and creative skills. Fox shares enough insight and material to keep you busy for several lifetimes, however you will also experience dozens of epiphanies along the way that you'll be able to apply immediately in your own playing and improvisations. Buckle up!
What you'll learn
- Create varied guitar introductions
- Explore harmonic variations in solo guitar
- Understand natural and artificial harmonic techniques
- Understand how rhythm affects musical atmosphere
- Develop solo guitar embellishment skills
Release date: 07/10/2009 • 2h 44m runtime
Sample lessons
Blues Walking Bass
Performance
Blues Walking Bass
Breakdown
Latin Groove
Breakdown
Voice Leading
Four to the Bar
What's included
41 lessons • 20 charts
Mimi Fox's Flying Solo
Solo jazz guitar presents the ultimate challenge for a guitarist. Not only must you master your scales, arpeggios, walking bass lines, rhythmic complexities, daring improvisational skills, and all the other aspects that go into jazz guitar playing, but then you must do it all with no one backing you up! This is a tall order indeed! One of the things that I recommend as a precurser to solo jazz guitar is playing duets with vocalists/other guitarists/sax/flute/etc/. In a dou setting, you are beginning to utilize some of the skills you will need in solo guitar playing and you will not yet be expected to hold it all "together" on your own.
Blues Walking Bass
The most important aspect of walking bass lines is the "feel"! While you are trying hard to "cop" my licks, remember to emulate the actual feeling and guitaristic nuances/dynamic shading that are happening. The technique will come if you practice diligently, but the FEEL of what I am doing is far more important. Listen closely! It's a good idea to practice developing strong bass lines WITHOUT chords first, then add the chords later.
Blues Walking Bass
Though I played through the blues in two keys/two areas of the neck here, the essence of what I was doing is really the same. Use the two lowest strings on the guitar to create your bass lines (in general this is the best bass sound... but you can also sneak in a little bit of the 4th, and even sometimes the 3rd string if you don't over-use them). It's critical to learn your arpeggios on your lower strings and be able to play them in any sequence. Please see my book: "Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards" for help with this.
Standard Walking Bass
What's interesting to note when moving from a Blues in to a Standard piece is that many of the same bass figures are employed! The difference is that there are MORE changes in common standards than there are in a Blues... but the actual figures are pretty much the same over similar chord types. What works over a Dominant Seventh chord in a Blues, will work over a Dominant Seventh chord in a Standard! I may need to adapt a note here and there to accomodate the surrounding chords/harmony, but the essential ideas/movements are the same.
Standard Walking Bass
Chord substitution will spice up your bass lines by giving a sense of shifting harmony. For example, if the song calls for a minor chord, use the relative major instead and choose a bass line from the major chord instead of the original minor chord. A slight shift like this will add interest to what your playing (for you, and the listener!) and also lead you into different areas of the neck where you can explore new combinations. Be creative!
Latin Groove
You'll notice that in this style of music when playing walking bass lines, though the underlying groove has changed from Swing feel to Straight Eighth note, the chords are still grabbed on the up-beats for the most part. The best thing you can do is to LISTEN for the subtle differences in how I articulate different passages and for dynamics. There is also a different FEELING I am applying to this different style of music. Think about that!The groove has an affect on the FEELING!
Latin Groove
In this style of music Roots and Fifths are fundamental to your basic Bass line construction, but they are by no means the end of the story! If you listen closely you'll notice other combinations drawn from the scales as well as passing/chromatic notes, as well as our old stand-by: arpeggios! You'll again notice use of chord substitution which opens up the sound quite a bit. I also use double-stop intervals like 3rds/6ths etc. for a colorful variation on the walking bass lines.
+ 34 more lessons
Reviews
8 results
rhmeyers
Verified buyer
12/31/21
This course has shown many of the techniques that I have been curious about. It is a great resourse and fun to play along with.
SongYY
Verified buyer
12/26/21
Great course!
Mimi is a great guitar teacher and amazing guitar player no matter jazz or blues. Her unique style always makes me really learn a lot ! Follow the each lesson to build up your vocabulary to become a greater improviser
jg
Verified buyer
01/11/21
Mimi Fox Rox The Jazz Box
Mimi Fox is a splendid teacher. I find that she, like Frank Vignola, posses the rare ability to deconstruct and make arcane Jazz concepts approachable, understandable and most importantly fun. I have access to all of the TrueFire course, yet I find myself gravitating to Mimi’s courses quite a bit.
kuniya2
Verified buyer
06/04/20
Great instructor
This is the second course I acquired from Mimi (the first was Jazz Performance). I love the way she explains the essence of each lick and how to incorporate it into one's own playing. This solo guitar course is quite demanding and will keep me busy for some time but I'm looking forward to practice harder!
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