Jazz Guitar Harmony & Theory
A jazz harmony course at Mike’s Master Classes is a self-paced video masterclass that shows you how jazz chords are built, voiced and connected on the guitar neck, taught by a working jazz guitarist. This hub gathers three catalog areas, Harmony, Theory and Chord Voicings, so you can study the sound of a chord, the reason it works and where to finger it, all in one place.
The courses cover the harmonic material jazz guitarists actually use: shell voicings and guide tones, drop voicings and voice leading, the melodic minor and diminished scales and the chords they generate, the harmonic major scale, quartal voicings built in fourths, altered dominants and reharmonizing standard tunes. Several longer series run across multiple parts, so you can go from core chord construction to advanced voicings in order.
Each course is a separate purchase, bought outright or with membership credits if you hold an active subscription, and stays in your library to revisit. Pick the concept your playing needs now, then come back for the next one.
Courses
Bebop Flow: Connecting Harmonic Concepts with the Family of 4
Sheryl Bailey
★ 5.0 (10)
Blues: A Modern Jazz Guitar Approach - Part I
Tom Lippincott
★ 5.0 (9)
Modern Jazz Guitar - Part II
Tom Lippincott
★ 4.8 (9)
Bebop Flow Part 2: Combining Families for Altered II V's
Sheryl Bailey
★ 5.0 (4)
Modern Jazz Guitar - Part I
Tom Lippincott
★ 5.0 (9)
Rhythm Changes - Modern Jazz Guitar Approach - Part I
Tom Lippincott
★ 5.0 (9)
Tools for Improvising - "Autumn Leaves": 3-part Lecture Series
Lorne Lofsky
![Steve Herberman Live Q&A 1/25/18 [Free for Members]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqhlkq2o3dsooucxb.public.blob.vercel-storage.com%2Fcourse%2F1758143055758-ty8uif-steve-herberman-live-q-and-a-1.25.18.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Steve Herberman Live Q&A 1/25/18 [Free for Members]
Steve Herberman
★ 5.0 (1)
Jay Umble Live Q&A: May 23, 2018 @ 8pm EDT
Jay Umble
Fundamentals Checkpoint
Steve Herberman
★ 5.0 (2)
Going for Baroque
Steve Herberman
★ 5.0 (4)
Applications of Triad Motion Studies Inspired by George Van Eps
Steve Herberman
★ 5.0 (4)
All Harmony courses · All Theory courses · All Chord Voicings courses
Guides & Lessons
- Jazz Guitar Harmony: A Practical Guide to Chords & Voicings
A working guitarist's rundown of jazz guitar harmony: diatonic chords, shell voicings, inversions, and comping logic that actually sticks.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to read music or know theory before starting?
- No fixed prerequisite applies to the whole collection. Some courses start from how chords are constructed and named, while others assume you already know your basic seventh chords and focus on advanced voicings or reharmonization. Each course page describes its starting point, so you can begin with chord construction and guide tones and move into the melodic minor, diminished or quartal material once those feel comfortable.
- What is the difference between the harmony, theory and chord voicing courses?
- They overlap by design. Theory courses explain why sounds work, such as how a scale generates a family of chords. Harmony courses apply that to jazz progressions and tunes, including substitutions and reharmonization. Chord voicing courses are the hands-on side: where to put your fingers, how to voice lead smoothly from chord to chord and how to find usable shapes all over the neck.
- Will studying harmony help my soloing too?
- Yes. Much of this collection connects chords to lines. Courses on guide tones, the melodic minor and diminished scales, and the chord and single note line connection show how the same harmonic knowledge that shapes your comping also tells you which notes to target when you improvise. Many players study this hub alongside the Improvisation and Soloing collection.
- How do I get access to a course after I buy it?
- Each course is a set of on-camera video lessons with downloadable materials. You can purchase a course outright as a one-time payment, or redeem membership credits if you hold an active subscription. Once you own a course it stays in your library with no fixed schedule or expiry, so you can work through the lessons and return to them as your harmonic vocabulary grows.