Nathan Borton

Do you freeze up trying to calculate scales, modes, and licks when it's your turn to solo? Stop overthinking it. 🛑 https://youtu.be/v2CaDurOrUo

Here is a brilliant approach straight from Joe Pass’s (from his Jazz Lines masterclass) playbook:
Stop seeing massive scales, and start seeing lines draped over simple chord shapes.

Instead of trying to memorize complex two-octave scale patterns, take a single piece of jazz language you already know and find a basic static chord grip that sits right underneath those notes. (Joe shows us a lot in his masterclass!)

Once you anchor that line to a visual shape, you don't need to do any more math on the fly. If you know how to move that chord shape, you instantly know how to move that line anywhere on the neck. 🎸

Joe didn't calculate fifteen different modes in real-time; he grouped the neck into just 3 core sounds and anchored his vocabulary to these simple visual anchors.

I just released a full masterclass breaking down his exact 3 rules for jazz soloing, looking at what he actually practiced.

👉 Watch the full lesson here and grab the Practice Etude (with all the tabs and chord diagrams mapped out): https://youtu.be/v2CaDurOrUo

Let me know in the comments: Which of the 3 sounds (Major, Minor, or Dominant) do you find yourself overthinking the most when you practice? 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 83

Nathan Borton

It happens so often: You play a lick, stop and think, then jump to the next chord.

But looking at someone like Pat Martino... he never seems to stop. He can always keep the momentum going!

If you want to make endless flow like Pat try this:

Next time you want to move from one idea to another (like switching from an arpeggio to a scale), don't stop...

Insert a small "Chromatic Glue" connector shape before your main idea. Think of it as a "Ramp" that glides you into the next zone instead of just jumping into each new idea stiffly. It turns many disconnected licks into one continuous flow. 🎸⏱️

Find out this exact 2-note geometry ,which comes from his 'Sunny' and 'Impressions' solos, and level up your improvisation almost instantly! I've mapped out exactly where Pat uses these ramps on the fretboard in the lesson video below.

👇 Watch the full breakdown: https://youtu.be/7Lh1yL7x9YA

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 95

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

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 46

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 month 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

1 month ago | [YT] | 69

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

1 month ago | [YT] | 116

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

1 month 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

1 month 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

1 month 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

3 months ago | [YT] | 152