Melodic Jazz Guitar Chord Phrases

BOOK & VIDEO PACKAGE

Melodic Jazz Guitar Chord Phrases

An incredible collection of over 200 meticulously crafted chordal phrases, Lerch shares his wealth of musical knowledge, providing players of all levels with an invaluable resource for mastering the harmonic movements of jazz in his uniquely melodic, chordal style.

$24.99

Everything you get

Your complete melodic chord toolkit

Everything you need to understand, hear, and play 200+ beautiful chordal phrases

200+ chordal phrases

Full tab & standard notation, with the harmonic context behind every single one

Audio & video for every example

Hear how each phrase actually feels and sounds, played by Tim himself

90-min video masterclass

Tim goes deeper on the ideas behind the book, yours to keep and revisit

Guitar Pro Files

Slow it down, loop it, and explore every phrase in any key at your own pace

A FEW EXAMPLES FROM THE BOOK

A small taste of what's inside

Example 1.12

Chapter 1: Dominant 7 Phrase with Chord Substitutions

Example 2.4

Chapter 2: I–V Phrase with Second-Inversion Voicing

Example 4.1

Chapter 4: Cycle Phrases in D Major

Example 5.6

Chapter 5: Rhythm Changes Bridge – Altered Extensions

Example 7.16

Chapter 7: Chromatic Bass Outro in C Major

Example 9.10

Chapter 9: Angular Melody on "Someday My Prince Will Come"

There are 200 more where those came from!

Every phrase comes with tab, theory context, and audio & video from Tim, so nothing is left to guesswork.

"This is by far the best jazz instructional guitar book out of my collection of over a hundred. There's a lot of material here to work with — challenging, interesting, and full of beautiful chordal phrases. This book will definitely take me to another level."

threedotspoons · Amazon Review

WHAT YOU WILL EXPLORE

200+ phrases covering every corner of jazz harmony

HARMONIC SITUATIONS

Phrases for every context

STYLE & VOCABULARY

Expand your musical palette

APPROACH

Learn to think melodically

✨

Bonus: Lifelong access to the book launch video masterclass replay. Tim breaks down the concepts behind every chapter in depth.

CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT

Available in PDF & Paperback

Both formats include all audio, video, and bonus content.

Digital PDF

Paperback

LOOK INSIDE

Take a peek inside the pages

Click any page to zoom in

Front cover

Back cover

Table of Contents

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

FULL BREAKDOWN

Course Overview

Get a closer look at the curriculum, chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1: Phrases on Static Harmony

You will learn how to bring life and variety to harmonically static moments — one of the most essential and underrated skills in jazz guitar. You will master a range of chord voicings and melodic connectors across all five fundamental seventh chord types: major, minor, dominant, half-diminished, and diminished. Through carefully crafted examples, you will achieve the ability to keep the music moving and interesting even when the underlying harmony stays still. By the end of this chapter, you will have built the muscular and harmonic foundation that everything else in this book rests upon.

Chapter 2: I–V and ii–V–I Chordal Phrases

You will master the most important chord progressions in all of jazz: the I–V and ii–V–I. You will learn to navigate these progressions in both major and minor keys using a wide variety of voicings, substitutions, inversions, and rhythmic interpretations. You will explore inside and altered approaches, tritone substitutions, and single-note lines that imply complex harmonies. By working through these examples, you will achieve the fluency and creativity needed to make these foundational progressions sound fresh and personal every time you play them.

Chapter 3: Phrases on Longer Cycles

You will learn to extend your harmonic thinking beyond the ii–V–I to longer cycle-of-fourths progressions like the VI–ii–V–I and iii–VI–ii–V–I — the building blocks of countless jazz and popular songs. You will master techniques for connecting chords smoothly using flat-five substitutions, chromatic bass lines, and walking chord sequences. You will achieve a deeper understanding of how harmony moves through extended cycles, giving you more tools to accompany, solo, and arrange with confidence. These ideas will prepare you to handle any jazz standard that uses this foundational harmonic framework.

Chapter 4: Cycle Phrases with Substitutions

You will deepen your command of chord substitution — one of the most powerful creative tools in jazz harmony. You will learn to replace standard chords with tritone subs, altered dominants, and other creative harmonic choices across multiple keys and contexts. You will master techniques inspired by legendary players like Johnny Smith and Lenny Breau, including two-note voicings built from thirds and sevenths. By the end of this chapter, you will achieve the ability to approach any standard chord progression in fresh, unexpected ways that reflect your own musical voice.

Chapter 5: Rhythm Changes Phrases

You will learn to navigate rhythm changes — one of the most important and commonly used forms in jazz, derived from Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm." You will master both the A section and the bridge, exploring a wide variety of harmonic approaches, walking bass lines, flat-five substitutions, and melodic textures. You will achieve the rhythmic and harmonic fluency needed to hold your own on this essential form in any jazz setting. Working through these choruses will give you a practical toolkit you can use immediately in real musical situations.

Chapter 6: Jazz Blues Phrases

You will learn to play the 12-bar blues the jazz way — with sophisticated extensions, alterations, and harmonic substitutions that go far beyond basic blues playing. You will master five complete choruses in different keys, each demonstrating a unique approach to texture, melody, and chord movement. You will explore techniques inspired by Wes Montgomery and other jazz guitar giants, including octave lines, call-and-response phrasing, and two-note dominant voicings. By the end of this chapter, you will achieve a powerful and versatile blues vocabulary ready for any jazz or blues setting.

Chapter 7: Intros and Outros

You will learn how to open and close a song with confidence, creativity, and style — skills that define a mature jazz guitarist. You will master a wide variety of intro and outro approaches applied to beloved standards like "Days of Wine and Roses," "Tea for Two," "As Time Goes By," "The Girl From Ipanema," and more. You will achieve the spontaneity and harmonic sophistication to craft intros and outros that perfectly set the mood for any musical situation. These examples will inspire you to develop your own signature ways of beginning and ending songs.

Chapter 8: Line Clichés

You will learn one of the most beloved harmonic devices in jazz and popular music: the line cliché — a moving inner or bass voice that adds life and direction to an otherwise static chord. You will master descending and ascending clichés in minor and major contexts, primarily in A minor and C major, applied across multiple string sets and positions. You will achieve the ability to add compelling internal movement to your chord progressions, making even simple harmonies sound rich and orchestral. These ideas will immediately transform the depth and sophistication of your playing.

Chapter 9: Common Progressions From Standards

You will learn to apply your harmonic vocabulary to two iconic jazz standards: "Take the A Train" and "Someday My Prince Will Come." You will master multiple approaches to each song — from simple, clear voicings to complex melodic elaborations using sixths, thirds, dyads, and walking lines. You will achieve the ability to interpret a single chord progression in many different ways, which is the hallmark of a truly fluent jazz musician. These examples will also serve as a practical model for how to creatively approach any standard in your repertoire.

Chapter 10: Parallel Harmony and Cinematic Sounds

You will learn to harness one of the guitar's most unique advantages: the ability to shift chord shapes up and down the fretboard in parallel motion to create evocative, cinematic harmonic textures. You will master parallel movement applied to major, minor, dominant, and add9 voicings, moving in half steps, whole steps, and minor thirds. You will achieve a sophisticated palette of sounds perfect for intros, interludes, outros, and substitutions in any musical style. By the end of this chapter, you will be equipped to create harmonically rich, memorable moments that truly set your playing apart.

WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING

Verified Amazon reviews

for Melodic Jazz Guitar Chord Phrases

A gold mine of chord melody phrases

This book is a gold mine of tasty chord melody phrases to add to your vocabulary. A ton of material here that will keep you busy for a long time — and make you a better player. Thank you Mr. Lerch!

December 15, 2023

Best jazz guitar book I own

I have over a hundred jazz instructional guitar books. This is by far the best one out of the bunch. Challenging, interesting, and full of beautiful chordal phrases. This book will definitely take me to another level.

threedotspoons

February 16, 2025

True knowledge and applicable material

It was through Tim that I finally understood Ted Greene's way of thinking harmony for guitar. More player-friendly than a formula-based concept book. Get it.

Javier C

December 31, 2023

Tim does it again!

Tim Lerch stands amongst the greats — Ted Greene, George Van Eps, Jimmy Wyble. This book gives anyone interested in that sound a map to building that house. Work hard, stay humble, and make beautiful music.

fannolonger

November 19, 2023

Not just how — but why it works

The explanations of not only how but WHY certain phrases work is superior to many other books I've delved into with my students. Recommended!

Capefisherman

March 14, 2024

Paths to creative guitar

A reliable, solid and well thought-out sourcebook for great ideas. Tim is a consummate professional as a teacher and player. You'll be glad you did!

Christopher Fleming

June 17, 2025

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Tim Lerch

World renowned Jazz and Blues guitarist, educator, popular YouTuber and Emmy award winning composer, Tim Lerch is a member of the legendary Northwest Gypsy Jazz Group Pearl Django, leader of the Tim Lerch Trio and 1/2 of a very popular guitar duo with Jamie Findlay. Over the past 50 years Tim has performed with a long list of greats in many styles. In addition to his busy live playing and recording schedule, Tim is also a well respected and popular teacher with a busy schedule of private lessons, Masterclasses and workshops. Recent activities include: Three Best Selling Books - Melodic Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary, Melodic Jazz Guitar Chord Phrases and Melodic Blues Guitar Soloing. Tim has recorded 10 Master Class video courses with TrueFire and has taught at Jazz Guitar Camps in the US and UK.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Everything you need to know

Is this course for beginners, intermediate, or advanced players?

This book is best suited for intermediate to advanced guitarists who have a basic grasp of jazz harmony and chord construction. That said, the phrases are clearly explained with full theory context, so motivated beginners with some theory knowledge can absolutely benefit — as many Amazon reviewers have noted.

Does the book come with audio and video files?

Yes. Both the digital and physical versions include access to audio and video demonstrations of every single example in the book, plus Guitar Pro and Sibelius files. You also get lifelong access to the 90-minute masterclass replay.

What’s the difference between the PDF and the paperback version?

The primary difference is format — PDF is instant digital download, paperback ships via Amazon. Both versions include identical content and full access to all bonus audio, video, and notation files.

How do I access the bonus video masterclasses?

Instructions are included inside the book. You'll find a URL directing you to a private members-only page where you can download or stream all included resources. If you have any trouble, GuitarVivo support is on hand to help.