50 jazz songs to play on the guitar
Jazz guitar is a rich and rewarding genre, offering a blend of complex harmonies, improvisation,
and rhythmic sophistication. Below is a list of 50 iconic jazz standards and songs that are fantastic
to play on guitar. These tunes range from beginner-friendly to advanced, covering various styles
within jazz, including swing, bebop, bossa nova, and fusion.
Beginner-Friendly Jazz Standards
1. ""Autumn Leaves" - Joseph Kosma
2. "Blue Bossa" - Kenny Dorham
3. "Take the 'A' Train" - Billy Strayhorn
4. "All of Me" - Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons
5. "Summertime" - George Gershwin
6. "Fly Me to the Moon" - Bart Howard
7. "Satin Doll" - Duke Ellington
8. "Misty" - Erroll Garner
9. "The Girl from Ipanema" - Antônio Carlos Jobim
10. "C Jam Blues" - Duke Ellington
Intermediate Jazz Standards
11. ""All the Things You Are" - Jerome Kern
12. "Stella by Starlight" - Victor Young
13. "There Will Never Be Another You" - Harry Warren
14. "Body and Soul" - Johnny Green
15. "On Green Dolphin Street" - Bronisław Kaper
16. "Solar" - Miles Davis
17. "Black Orpheus (Manhã de Carnaval)" - Luiz Bonfá
18. "Wave" - Antônio Carlos Jobim
19. "Desafinado" - Antônio Carlos Jobim
20. "How High the Moon" - Morgan Lewis
Advanced Jazz Standards
21. "Giant Steps" - John Coltrane
22. "Confirmation" - Charlie Parker
23. "Donna Lee" - Charlie Parker
24. "Ornithology" - Charlie Parker
25. "Cherokee" - Ray Noble
26. "Yardbird Suite" - Charlie Parker
27. "A Night in Tunisia" - Dizzy Gillespie
28. "Spain" - Chick Corea
29. "Nardis" - Miles Davis
30. "Footprints" - Wayne Shorter
Renaissance & Baroque Era
21. "Pavane" - Luis de Milán
22. "Fantasia X" - Alonso Mudarra
23. "Canarios" - Gaspar Sanz
24. "La Monega" - Gaspar Sanz
25. "Passacaglia" - Ludovico Roncalli
26. "Prelude in D Minor" - Sylvius Leopold Weiss
27. "Folia Variations" - Alessandro Scarlatti
28. "Gavotte en Rondeau" - Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 1006a)
29. "Chaconne" - Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 1004)
30. "Lute Suite No. 1 in E Minor" - Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV
996)
Bossa Nova & Latin Jazz
31. "Cavatina" - Stanley Myers (Theme from The Deer Hunter)
32. "Usher Waltz" - Nikita Koshkin
33. "Koyunbaba" - Carlo Domeniconi
34. "El Decameron Negro" - Leo Brouwer
35. "Etude No. 1" - Heitor Villa-Lobos
36. "Etude No. 6" - Heitor Villa-Lobos
37. "Prelude No. 1" - Heitor Villa-Lobos
38. "Tango en Skaï" - Roland Dyens
39. "Fuoco" - Roland Dyens
40. "Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios" - Agustín Barrios
Mangoré
Jazz Fusion & Modern Jazz
41. "Chameleon" - Herbie Hancock
42. "Cantaloupe Island" - Herbie Hancock
43. "Red Clay" - Freddie Hubbard
44. "Birdland" - Weather Report
45. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" - Joe Zawinul
46. "Spain" - Chick Corea
47. "Bright Size Life" - Pat Metheny
48. "Phase Dance" - Pat Metheny
49. "Windows" - Chick Corea
50. "Four on Six" - Wes Montgomery
Tips for Learning Classical Guitar
Learn the Chords: Jazz often uses extended chords (7ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths). Practice these
voicings.
Improvise: Work on scales (e.g., major, minor, blues, bebop) and arpeggios to build solos.
Rhythm: Practice comping (accompanying) with jazz rhythms and syncopation.
Listen: Study recordings of jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny,
and Django Reinhardt.
Transcribe: Learn solos and melodies by ear to improve your phrasing and feel.
Whether you're a beginner or an advanced player, these jazz standards will help you develop your
skills and deepen your appreciation for this incredible genre. Happy playing! 🎸
