Nathan Borton

I'm incredibly excited to announce that I'll be teaching at the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute from June 2–12, and I'll be co-teaching alongside the amazing Jocelyn Gould!

If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and want to take what we talk about in my videos—the theory, the history, the vocabulary—and put it into practice in a real-world, intensive environment with other like minded students, this is the place to be. It’s going to be an inspiring 10 days of deep-diving into the instrument, playing together, and talking jazz.

Space is limited, so check out the details and grab your spot! You can scan the QR code on the flyer or hit the link below.

APPLY HERE: www.brevardmusic.org/institute/jazz-institute/

#JazzGuitar #JazzEducation #NathanBorton #JocelynGould #BrevardMusicCenter #JazzCamp

1 day ago | [YT] | 38

Nathan Borton

If you know your standard minor pentatonic box, you already have the exact tools you need to play authentic, Grant Green-style jazz. You just have to know how to carve it up.

Here is the secret "Kansas City Blues" Scale that turns your minor pentatonic box into authentic jazz:

1) Visualize your standard C- pentatonic "rock box."

2) Throw away the outside notes and isolate just the four notes right in the middle. (Bb, C, Eb, F)

3) Just add one note to the very top (Bb, C, Eb, F, Gb)

That tiny, 5-note shape is your new secret weapon. Instead of learning complex theory, you just use the chord grips you already know as launching pads:

🔥 The Minor Blues Sound: Anchor that shape on the flat-7th of a dominant chord for a classic, driving blues feel.
🔥 The Major Blues Sound: Anchor that EXACT SAME shape on the 5th of the chord, and you instantly outline sophisticated jazz colors (the 5th, 6th, Root, 9th, and flat-3). Two completely different vibes from one easy shape.

Here's the best part... not only does this break out of your pentatonic box, but it allows you to unlock the fretboard, as any idea you play (within this shape) can be moved anywhere on the neck!

In today's new video, I break down exactly how legends like Grant Green and Kenny Burrell used this specific shape to build their entire blues vocabulary. I'll show you how to move it across the neck, add a true swing feel, and seamlessly mix it with the rock licks you already know.

Watch the full lesson here: https://youtu.be/LZKrZnPrCcg

(P.S. For my Patreon members, there is a massive PDF waiting for you with a full page of these KC blues licks and a complete written-out etude over a 12-bar blues!)

1 week ago | [YT] | 99

Nathan Borton

This week, we officially crossed 500 Patreons in the Practice Room community! 🚀

I honestly cannot thank you all enough...To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to completely level up the experience. I’ve spent the last few weeks rebuilding the backend of the Patreon to turn years of masterclasses, etudes, and transcriptions into a world-class, easy-to-navigate Jazz Guitar Academy.

Stop guessing what to practice and start building a roadmap. As a massive "Thank You" for your support, I am giving this entire upgrade to the whole Patreon community for FREE.

Here is what is waiting for you inside:

📍 The Master Syllabus & 5 Pillars: No more aimless practicing. This complete curriculum organizes the entire library into a clear, step-by-step framework.

🎸 Learning Paths: Specific, self-guided mini-courses like The Bebop Bootcamp and Mastering Altered Sounds give you actionable practice goals.

Player Analysis Libraries:** Instantly find every deep-dive lesson and etude on Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and more!

Thank you all again for making this one of the best jazz guitar communities on the internet. Head over to the link below to pick your first Learning Path!

👇 START HERE: 👇
www.patreon.com/NathanBortonMusicPatreon

Grab your guitars, and I'll see you in the shed.
-Nathan Borton

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 70

Nathan Borton

I spent years analyzing legendary jazz guitarists like Jim Hall and Ed Bickert, and I noticed something weird. They weren't constantly grabbing thousands of different complex shapes.

They kept coming back to one specific structure—a "key/voicing" that unlocks the whole neck.

The secret isn't memorization... it's efficiency. It’s about micro-movements.

Here is a quick lesson straight from my new video (ttps://youtu.be/8JRkCA-0xXU):

1️⃣ Start at "Home Base": Play a standard C6/9 chord (Root on A string). This is your stable, major sound.

2️⃣ The 1-Finger Trick: Want a Dominant chord? Don't move your hand. Just take your index finger (on the 6th) and bump it UP one fret.

Boom. You just turned a C6/9 into a C9. You went from major stability to dominant tension by moving literally one note.

In my brand new video, I show you how to use this exact same principle to unlock Minor and Altered Dominant sounds, plus the essential rhythms you need to make them swing.

It’s a complete comping system in one lesson.

Click the link below to watch the full video and stop memorizing chords the hard way!

👇
https://youtu.be/8JRkCA-0xXU

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 117

Nathan Borton

Are you memorizing jazz, or are you actually learning the language?

The hardest part of improvising isn't finding the "right" scales to play over a chord. It's taking fundamental concepts and connecting them into a vocabulary you can actually recall on the bandstand without thinking. Instead of just throwing a massive solo transcription at you to memorize and forget, we need to fix HOW you practice.

If you ever feel aimless in the practice room, I want to invite you to check out my Tune of the Month series over on Patreon. I’ve been running this since September, and the goal is simple: helping you build a core improvisational language that actually sticks. www.patreon.com/NathanBortonMusicPatreon

Every month, we tackle a new standard. But instead of just giving you a chord melody and a solo transcription, we break down the fundamental improvisational elements with clear, actionable goals. We focus on reusing the same core material across different tunes so you can finally internalize it, while introducing small, digestible new concepts each month.

And the best part? You don't have to go back and start at month one. You can jump right into the current tune, pick the specific goals that match your current playing level, and start building your vocabulary from exactly where you are today.

Plus, to make sure you're actually progressing, we wrap up every month with an exclusive listening session. It's a Patreon-only livestream where you can submit an audio recording of your playing over the tune, and I give you direct, personalized feedback to keep you moving in the right direction.

It's all about healthy, sustainable practice habits that yield real results over time. Let's get to work! Check out this month's tune and the full archive right here: www.patreon.com/NathanBortonMusicPatreon

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 31

Nathan Borton

Stop trying to learn new licks every week. 🛑

The legends didn't work that way... Grant Green, for example, had one specific "Master Key" phrase that he played literally thousands of times throughout his career.

This was the HONEYSUCKLE ROSE quote... and he didn't need new licks because he knew how to take this lick and make it a "harmonic chameleon."

Here is the simplest version of his formula that you can try right now!

🎸 Take the Honeysuckle Rose Quote. Let’s say you are in the key of C.

✅ Over a C Major Chord: Start that phrase on the 9th (D). You get a beautiful Maj9. ✅ Over a C Minor Chord: Start that exact same phrase on the 11th (F). Suddenly, it sounds bluesy and soulful, highlighting the 11th and 6th.

Same shapes. Different starting points. Totally different sounds.

In the new video dropping today, I show you the phrase Grant Green used to do this over Major, Minor, Dominant, and even advanced Altered chords.

Check out the full breakdown here: https://youtu.be/99VeAsfdarg

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 67

Nathan Borton

Did you know the standard Major Scale has a "rhythm problem"? 🎸

It has 7 notes. Mathematically, that’s an odd number. This means if you run a standard scale up and down in 4/4 time, your chord tones land in random, awkward spots. It sounds like a scale, not a melody.

The Fix? Add the Barry Harris b6.

By adding just one note (the Flat 6), you get an 8-note scale. Now, every single chord tone lands perfectly on a downbeat. You stop fighting the rhythm and start flowing.

But that’s just the start...

This same 8-note scale creates what I call "Harmonic Simplification." Instead of panic-switching scales for every chord in a progression like Fly Me To The Moon (Am7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7), you can use this ONE scale to glide over all of them.

It fixes your rhythm and simplifies the changes.

In today's new video, I’m breaking down this "Magic Scale" (The Barry Harris 6th Diminished) and showing you exactly how to use it to create endless, professional jazz lines.

Watch the full lesson here: https://youtu.be/hkG4fVFq9k4

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 37

Nathan Borton

Are you still trying to memorize a unique arpeggio shape for every single chord type? 🤯 That is the slow path to frustration.

The truth is, legends like Joe Pass (for example) didn't think in huge, complex grids. They used a simple, elegant system based on just 3 fundamental shapes (one octave arpeggios). The "secret" wasn't knowing more shapes; it was knowing how to superimpose them.

Here is the "Cheat Code" formula from my latest lesson to instantly get sophisticated, pro-level sounds without learning any new theory:

1) Want a lush Major 9 sound? Play your Minor 7 shape starting on the 3rd of the chord.

2) Want a modern Dominant 9 sound? Play your Minor 7 shape starting on the 5th.

3) Want a beautiful Minor 9 sound? Play your Major 7 shape starting on the b3.

It's not magic; it's just geometry.

In my brand new video, I break down this entire "3-Shape System," show you how to map it across the fretboard using "String Sets," and give you a 3-level practice routine to turn these shapes into real bebop lines.

Stop practicing exercises and start creating music :)

Watch the full lesson here: https://youtu.be/OodqdxApfbc

1 month ago | [YT] | 152

Nathan Borton

I used to think the "Cry Me A River" lick was only for minor chords...

We all know the classic line... It’s usually taught as a Minor 7 vocabulary piece (starting on the 9th). It works great like that, but if you only use it for minor chords, you are missing out on a world of application.

Try this next time you have a guitar in your hands: https://youtu.be/3t6W75eNOzE

Take that exact same shape, but play it off the #9 of a any dominant chord. (Example: Over G7, play CMAR lick off A#/Bb). Just changing where you start this line creates a completely new sound... altered!

Why? Because you are suddenly starting on the #9 and hitting the b9 and b13 perfectly. You get that complex "Altered Scale" sound without having to think about a new scale—you just move your hand.

In today's video, I break down how the "Cry Me A River" shape actually works over 6 different chord types—including Lydian and Half-Diminished.

I also made a PDF "Cheat Sheet" mapping out the starting notes for all 6 sounds so you don't have to do the math in your head.

Grab your guitar and check out the full lesson here: https://youtu.be/3t6W75eNOzE

1 month ago | [YT] | 62

Nathan Borton

If your solos feel disjointed or you panic at jam sessions when tunes are called, you’re practicing the wrong way. The secret isn't learning more songs—it's mastering the 4 Core Harmonic Formulas that unlock 90% of the entire jazz repertoire. (no really!)

▶️ https://youtu.be/kVzVEPVr88c

The Lie: You need to grind through endless Real Books.

The Truth: You only need to master 4 progression types. Understanding the building blocks to tunes helps you learn FASTER.

🧠 What Pros Know (The Formulas):

1) The V-I Power: The fundamental tension-release and the key to Secondary Dominants.

2) The Essential ii-V: The most common progression, practiced in both short and long forms.

3) The Backdoor Dominant (F-7→B\flat7): The harmonic curveball that confuses most players, with a simple trick to master it.

4) The #4 Walkdown: The fast chain of ii-V's that structures many standards.

I'm showing you the exact formulas and guitar-centric shortcuts (like the power chord trick for finding secondary dominants) that allow pros to learn an entire tune in seconds.

Ready to swap frustrating chord by chord memorization for effortless mastery?

▶️ https://youtu.be/kVzVEPVr88c Watch the full lesson now! Link in bio!

#JazzGuitar #JazzPractice #GuitarLesson #JazzTheory #MusicTheory #ChordProgressions #JazzShortcut

3 months ago | [YT] | 27