Everyone has their own spark of creativity; that is, everyone has their own voice but not everyone has discovered how to sing. Applying this concept to jazz, and developing our phrasing by learning how to approach the rhythmic element of this style, one can play jazz without memorizing lines by others.

The common rhythm in all periods of jazz history consists of pairs of swing or "shuffle" eighth notes; if we learn to play straight eighth notes a tempo we can say that we are into jazz but this is just the beginning, as eighth-note triplets and syncopations are the norm.

Early jazz guitar players would commonly pick all the notes; nowadays there's a tendency to slur as many notes as we can to give the feeling of saxophone phrasing. Of course, we are guitar players, but in my opinion the sound attained by slurring or legato phrasing is desirable as it's less aggressive than picking all the time.

Here are some examples that illustrate rhythm and phrasing in jazz. Note that some of the examples have an accent on beats 2 and 4 of the measure to emphasize the jazz feel.

Example 1: Pairs of eighth notes played with a triplet feel, the basic rhythmic unit of jazz.

Example 1b: Similar to Example 1 but using slurred notes.

Example 2: A rhythm pattern played in the C major scale.

Example 3: Another eighth-note pattern.

Example 4: The same pattern (Ex. 3) applied to the C-major scale.

Example 5: A pattern using triplets.

Example 6: Applying the triplet rhythm to a pattern based on the C-major scale.

In the 50`s Charlie Parker introduced a new concept of quick tempos and melodic solos. Examples 9-12 illustrate Parker-like rhythmic and melodic patterns.

By using rests and Greek modes, Miles Davis developed a unique style playing fewer notes, contrasting with the bebop era and giving rise to cool jazz. (Examples 13 and 14)

John Coltrane gave us a strange new sound (hard bop) resulting from his unusual chord changes and fast tempos. (Examples 15 and 16)

If you learn to play rhythmically correct, no matter what notes you play, there is no need to learn lines from anyone else; you can invent your own lines and be yourself, thus succeeding in discovering your own voice. Obviously, you should listen to a lot of jazz music and learn to let it flow through your fingers.

Searching for your own musical identity can be harder than learning lines from others but in the end, you'll become a jazz guitar player and a unique artist.

Wishing you all success,
Pablo