Lick 1

This bebop lick starts with a simple Dorian mode run and continues with a
phrase around Abm(add9), the notes of the famous Cry Me A River motif.i
loike thsi

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Lick 2

The next two jazz guitar licks start with a simple Dm7 arpeggio pattern that is
typical for bebop.
This first variation uses an Abm(add9) arpeggio in the second bar.

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Lick 3

This lick starts with the same Dm7 arpeggio pattern, but instead of a
Abm(add9) arpeggio, this lick uses a Dbmaj7 arpeggio.

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Lick 4

This jazz guitar lick starts on the D melodic minor scale and continues with a
Dm7 arpeggio on the G7.
Not playing the V (G7), but staying on the ii (Dm7) is something that occurs
often in bebop.

This is called minorization, a concept frequently used by Charlie Parker, Pat

Martino, and Wes Montgomery.

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Lick 5

The next lick uses the G dominant diminished scale over the ii V, going to a G
triad in the third bar.
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Lick 6

This lick uses the G Phrygian dominant scale over the G7 chord.

The (G) Phrygian dominant scale is the fifth mode of the (C) harmonic minor
scale.

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Lick 7

This bebop lick in the style of Tal Farlow uses a number of chromatic notes to
outline the ii-V-I underlying chord changes.

 In bar 1, you see the G-Gb-F-E grouping which comes from the G
bebop scale, anticipating the G7 by two beats before it arrives in the
second bar.
 There is an Abdim7 arpeggio in bar 2 (Ab-Cb-Ebb-Gbb), outlining a
G7b9 sound.
 This leads to another set of chromatic notes from Ab to E, the 3rd of
Cmaj7.

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Lick 8

The following 4 licks start with the same minor bebop pattern in bar 1, with
variations on the G7 in the second bar.

This gives you some examples of what you can play over the dominant chord
in a ii V I progression.

This first variation uses chromatic approach notes that target the 5 and 3 of
G7.

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Lick 9

In the second variation, notes of Abm(add9) are used over G7.

This is a common bebop substitution for dominant chords.

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Lick 10

Here, the second bar starts with a chromatic run, followed by a Dm7 arpeggio.

Playing a minor arpeggio over a dominant chord is called minorization, the

same concept used in lick 4.

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Lick 11

In this last variation, the dominant phrase is formed around a voice leading
going from 13 to b13.
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Lick 12

This lick uses a line cliché in the first bar, a typical voice leading descending
chromatically from d to c# to c to b.

In the second bar, I play an Ab diminished arpeggio over G7, a common chord
substitution in bebop.

In bar three, I play a series of 6th intervals to finish the phrase.

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Lick 13

This phrase uses the melodic minor sound, by playing an Fmaj7#5 arpeggio
(F-A-C#-E) over Dm7.

There is a nice chromatic approach to the 3rd of G7 at the start of the second
bar (A-A#-B) that leads the listener to the chord that is coming next.

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Lick 14

The next lick starts with a Dm7 arpeggio and is completely diatonic.
When playing over bebop tunes, you don’t always have to use chromatic
notes to outline the changes. Sometimes a diatonic run, such as this, is
exactly what the tune needs at that moment in time.

Having a handful of diatonic lines in your vocabulary will ensure you’re able to
mix them in comfortably with the chromatic lines in your repertoire.

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Lick 15

This lick starts with the Groovin’ High motif, named after the jazz
standard written by trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie.

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Lick 16

Here, I start with an Fmaj7 arpeggio over Dm7, a common chord substitution.

Fmaj7 arpeggio F A C

Played over Dm7 b3 5 b7

The lick continues with a series of string-skipping intervals in the C harmonic

minor scale.

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Lick 17

The next lick uses the C harmonic minor scale (=G Phrygian dominant scale)
as well.
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Lick 18

Here I start with the famous Honeysuckle Rose motif, named after the jazz
standard composed by piano player Fats Waller.

The lick continues with the C harmonic minor scale over G7 and finishes with
a 1235 pattern in bar three.

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Lick 19

This lick ends with a Cmaj9 arpeggio, before going to the #11 of Cmaj7.

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Lick 20

Here, I play the G altered scale over G7, the fifth mode of the C melodic minor
scale.

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Lick 21

Lick 21 starts with a Dm(add9) run before it goes to the G altered scale in the
second bar.

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Lick 22

The next jazz guitar lick (in F major) starts with a Gm11 arpeggio and ends
with an Am7 arpeggio over Fmaj7.

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Lick 23

In this Joe Pass style bebop lick, I use tritone substitution (F#7 over C7) to
outline the V7 chord in bar two of the phrase.
When soloing over ii V I changes in a bebop style, you can use the
progression ii bII7 I to bring a tritone-sub sound into your solos.

When doing so, you’ll create some added tension to the V7 chord that you
resolve into the next bar of the lick. Letting tension hang can cause your line
to sound like a mistake, but if you resolve that tension properly, tension such
as this can be an effective improvisational tool.

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Lick 24
In this Dizzy Gillespie inspired lick, you see a delayed resolution over the
Imaj7 chord in the third bar of the phrase.

The C7b9 chord is played over the first beat of the third bar, before resolving
to the Fmaj7 chord on the second beat of that bar.

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SHORT MAJOR II V I JAZZ GUITAR LICKS

Besides the long form of the ii V I progression, where the ii and V last one bar,
there is also the short ii V I progression, where the ii and V last two beats.
Lick 25

This line has been played by countless jazz musicians over the year. Because
of its popularity, it’s another must-know bebop lick to add to your soloing
vocabulary.

The lick starts with a leading tone (c#) before running up the iim7 arpeggio
and ends with a four-note pattern.

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Lick 26

The next lick starts with a sixth interval and ends with an Em7 arpeggio over
Cmaj7, the same chord substitution we used in lick 16
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Lick 27

Lick 27 is completely diatonic and ends with a typical bebop pattern, a Cmaj7
arpeggio.

This arpeggio pattern is sometimes called the bebop arpeggio. It starts on the
7th, followed by the other three notes of the chord (1-3-5) played in a triplet.

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Lick 28

The next phrase comes from John Coltrane and uses diatonic notes and
triads in the bebop style.

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Lick 29

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MINOR II V I JAZZ GUITAR LICKS

As well as the major ii V I progression, the minor ii V I occurs in almost every

jazz standard, so it’s important to have some vocabulary ready for this
progression.

Lick 30
This first minor ii V I lick uses the Bbdim7 arpeggio over A7 and an
F augmented major chord that brings out the melodic minor sound over D
minor.

Fmaj7#5 arpeggio F A C#

Played over Dm7 b3 5 7

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Lick 31

In this Clifford Brown lick, you will see the A Phrygian dominant scale (= D
harmonic minor scale) used over the A7alt chord.

The scale actually begins in the second half of the first bar (on the note A) and
uses the fifth mode of harmonic minor to create a typical bebop run over the
next 6 beats. When soloing in the bebop style, the Phrygian dominant scale is
the first-choice sound when improvising over V7 chords.

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Lick 32

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Lick 33

Just as in lick 1, this lick uses the Cry Me A River motif, but this time over
a half-diminished chord.

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Lick 34

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Lick 35

In this lick, a 3 to b9 arpeggio is used over the dominant 7th chord in the
second bar.

A 3 to b9 arpeggio is a dim7 arpeggio starting on the third of a dominant chord.

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SHORT MINOR II V I JAZZ GUITAR LICKS

The next series of licks are over a short ii V I progression in D minor.

Lick 36

This simple, but effective lick, uses an Em7b5 arpeggio and the D harmonic
minor scale.

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Lick 37

Lick 37 uses a Gm(add9) arpeggio over Em7b5.

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Lick 38

Though arpeggios are mostly used in jazz to outline chords, swing and bebop
era players often used the 1-3-5 triad to outline the underlying chord. When
working on soloing over bebop changes, don’t forget to spend some time on
triads, they’ll come in handy as you use them over bebop tunes.

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Lick 39

Here’s a classic minor ii V I bebop lick that uses a Bbdim7 arpeggio over the
A7alt chord.

When playing a dim7 arpeggio from the 3rd of any 7th chord, you’ll outline the
3-5-b7-b9 intervals of that chord. This is called a 3 to 9 arpeggio, an essential
learning for any bebop guitarist.
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Lick 40

Lick 40 also has a Bbdim7 arpeggio outlining the V7alt chord as well as a
major 7 leading to the tonic in the second bar.

The major 7th, either in an arpeggio or from the melodic minor scale, was a
popular note choice over minor chords in the bebop era.

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Lick 41

In this short minor ii-V-i phrase, you can hear an enclosure being used around
the 3rd of A7alt (Bb-C-C#), as well as the D melodic minor scale being hinted
at with the C#-D motion in the last part of the phrase.

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JAZZ BLUES GUITAR LICKS

The following jazz guitar licks are played over the first four bars of a jazz blues
chord progression in F.

Lick 42

When playing over dominant chords in a bebop blues style, the b7 of the
dominant chord is often played in the last part of the phrase to emphasize the
transition to the next chord.

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Lick 43

The same thing, delaying the b7, happens in this lick.

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Lick 44

Lick 44 uses the Honeysuckle Rose motif (see lick 18) twice and finishes with
the F major pentatonic scale.

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Lick 45

This lick starts with the F major pentatonic scale and finishes with the F minor
pentatonic scale.

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Lick 46

This bebop lick is from the Charlie Parker songbook and is one of the most
popular jazz licks of all time.

This lick features the blue notes (b3 and b5). Blue notes come from the blues
scale and give this lick its bluesy vibe.

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RHYTHM CHANGES JAZZ GUITAR LICKS

One of the most common jazz chord progressions is the rhythm

changes progression, named after the jazz standard I Got Rhythm, composed
by George Gershwin.
The backbone of a rhythm changes is the I VI II V progression.

Lick 47

This series of licks over the first eight bars of a rhythm changes uses a
mixture of arpeggios and patterns that are typical for bebop.

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Lick 48

Bebop lick 48 is one of the most common played phrases in bebop

(besides “The Lick”).
It features a 3 to b9 jump (on A7 and G7), a typical bebop thing.
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Lick 49

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Lick 50

This jazz guitar lick demonstrates how ascending four-note patterns can be
used to navigate through the 1-6-2-5 harmony.

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Now that you have worked on these lines on their own, practice applying them
to your soloing when playing over jazz progressions and jazz standards.

MORE JAZZ GUITAR LICKS