if you already know everything about jazz this Fred is not for you. If you're a blues player, rocker, country picker, etc. and want to sound more jazzier in your lines read on.
 
In my experience in playing and talking to other guitarist I have found many don't know what to practice to get their licks to sound right on jazz tunes. I have something for you that may help.
 
Much jazz is made up of ii7 V7 chords. Ex. Dmin7 - G7
 
Get used to playing the melodic minor scale a minor 3rd apart. Ex. F melodic minor to Ab melodic minor
Dm7b5( F melodic minor) to G7alt ( Ab melodic minor)
 
Don't play the entire scale but just 4 beats of each. Phrases, melodic patterns, etc.
 
take your time and get familiar with the 2 scales. Don't waste time analyzing WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS! DO AS I SAY! 
 
In time if you do the above and add it to what you are already doing you'll fine you have improved your sound and it will be noticed by your band mates.

Thanks. I am still very much a guitar beginner and this helps.

I thought all you had to do to play Jazz was just hit a bunch of unrelated notes and, if a note sounds particularly bad, then make sure you hit it with emphasis a second time to show that you really did mean to play it the first time!

dubdisciple
Thanks. I am still very much a guitar beginner and this helps.

In that case;
 
Dm7b5 = play your favorite G blues lick on this chord then
G7alt = Play your favorite Bb blues lick on this chord
 
Remember short licks 2 or 4 beats each
in the above resolve into a C minor or Major chord
AND
add this info into what you already do and know. It's not meant to replace anything you already do or know
 

Thanks, Bill. THis is similar to the Eli Kransberg G3 Jazz stuff which has been useful to me for basics although it is written more for piano (thus the improvised voicing translations I was comign up with were screwing things up).
 
sharke provided me with some Mickey Baker stuff which helped me with my chords but sadly I have not been really goign fruther with my jazz studies. I am slamming out some cool stuff based on some very rudimentary concepts I've picked up and supplementing them with my blues/metal/prog knowledge and it sounds great BUT... it ain't true jazz.
 
What I really need to get a handle on are those Maj/min chords and those weird travelling chord steps that land "in between" the 7 modal steps.
 
So yeah... I need to work on jazz "movement". Straight modal stuff is old hat and easy for me but it just ain't real jazz.
 
Cheers.

bayoubill

dubdisciple
Thanks. I am still very much a guitar beginner and this helps.

In that case;
 
Dm7b5 = play your favorite G blues lick on this chord then
G7alt = Play your favorite Bb blues lick on this chord
 
Remember short licks 2 or 4 beats each
in the above resolve into a C minor or Major chord
AND
add this info into what you already do and know. It's not meant to replace anything you already do or know
 

As my son explores his jazz drumming more I would like to accompany him when he practices so every bit helps. Thanks again.

What I really need to get a handle on are those Maj/min chords and those weird travelling chord steps that land "in between" the 7 modal steps
 
Diminished 7th chords are the in between chords. You can put them in between any 2 chords 
 
Working on chord function and progressions (Changes) can help. Where the bass notes move and progress defines it. Too much time is given to the words or what is written down about this subject and not enough listening to the sound. It's the sound of it that's important. 
'Take the sound of the modes
 
Ex. A minor Dorian - if you pedal an A in the bass and play a C and D triad you get the sound.   Dorian
Any chord diatonic to G major will sound Dorian over a pedal  A or A in the bass note. It's where that bass note takes you next that guides a song. "Where is This going"? is the question and answer. IMHO it takes time to find the sound in writing music. Using preconceived chord progressions always leaves me with "this just ain't right" feeling 
 
Each mode has a sound and easy to find. Let's do the Ionian mode(Tonic)
 Pedal C  ex. (F to G over C bass or any chords diatonic to C major)
 
Phrygian with C in the bass makes it in the key of Ab. Pedal C over Db and Eb or any diatonic chord in Ab for Phrygian. Etc.
 
modal music doesn't move much and if you want something to play when you have a vamp one one chord knowing the above can help
 
 It helps me to simplify and break progressions and changes down to the following;
 
      Sub dominant sound ( minor sounding or major sounding chords that you can repeat and don't necessarily go any where but could) This includes unaltered dom 7 chords 
 
      Dominant sound( chord sounds that just has to move)
 
      Tonic sound( ahhh That's where I want to be for the moment  (( sub dominant))  )
 
 
 
 
 

I jest you not and will give it all a thorough scouring in the morning with fresh eyes. It is appreciated and I thank you.
 
As I said I kind of understand the general basics and can "fake" my way into sounding jazzy but it is obviously a very broad and subjective topic. Any time I Am tossed a bit of juicy jazz theory to sink my teeth into I always end up with a couple new tricks to pull out of my arse so I'm sure this will be useful.
 
Cheers.

Who replaced our usual Bill with Professor Bill???
 
Wow! 

The best way to learn jazz is to listen to it. Lots and lots and lots of it until the feel and flow of it is coming out of your ears. The feel is crucial. A jazz player can play a major arpeggio and make it sound like jazz. It's very important to get the feel down from the get go. I think where a lot of people go wrong is in learning the chords and the scales and playing simple runs from books, without putting the feel and the timing into it. Without the swing, those exercises are not going to feel much like jazz and it's easy to get discouraged. 


Listen to the likes of Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery until you can hear those lines endlessly in your head. If you can whistle jazz then you're halfway to being able to play it. Simply a matter of learning how to play what you hear in your head. If you can do that, you don't even need the theory so much, although theory always helps you get ideas down on paper and communicate those ideas to other musicians. 
 
If you're up for tacking some of Django Reinhardt's solos then you can find some free transcriptions here: https://sites.google.com/site/klemjc/
 
The funny thing is I found these recently and realized that they were done by a guy who was one of my best friends when we were 10 or so. Drifted apart after that and then lost touch with him, turns out he's a music teacher at Skidmore now and is one of the world's biggest authorities on the music of Reinhardt and has written a book on his playing. It's a small world indeed.