The 5 Biggest Mistakes Jazz Guitarists Make (And How to Fix Them!)

Let’s face it: we’ve all made mistakes on the path to better jazz guitar playing. If you’ve been at this for a while (or even just getting started), chances are you’ve bumped into at least one of these five pitfalls.
The good news? They’re totally fixable. And some of them are even fun to fix.

1. Overusing Scales

"Okay, so if I run this scale here, and this arpeggio there…"
Sound familiar? It’s easy to get obsessed with scales, patterns, modes, and diagrams. But jazz isn’t just math. It’s music.
One of the fastest ways to sound more musical is to transcribe lines you love by ear — not from a PDF. Whether it’s Wes, Grant, or Martino, steal from the best. You’ll absorb time feel, phrasing, and note choices way faster than by memorizing another shape.
Pick 4 bars of a solo you love. Slow it down, learn it, and play it with feeling. Done.

Here are 5 practical ways to make your scales sound more musical:

2. Neglecting Comping and Chord Vocabulary

Ah yes, the eternal jazz guitar dilemma: "I want to solo like Pat Metheny!"
Cool… but can you comp a ballad behind a saxophone player for five choruses without repeating yourself? 🤔
Great rhythm guitar skills are what make you useful on the bandstand. Start simple, learn shell voicings, and practice moving them around. Add color tones later.
Learn a handful of drop 2 and shell voicings for common progressions (ii-V-I, blues). Play along with records. 

Here's how you can add tension and release for pro-level comping:

3. Avoiding Playing with Others (Backing Tracks Don’t Count!)

Backing tracks are handy. I use them too. But they won’t glare at you when you miss the form.
Real jazz is made with other humans, in real time. That’s where your ears, timing, and reflexes grow. No app can simulate that.
Go to a jam session. Join a community (like our Skool group 😉). Or just jam with a friend, spouse, or neighbor’s dog.

Watch fellow jazz guitarists collab and jam over popular standards here:

4. Focusing on Speed Over Time Feel and Tone

Fast is impressive.
Groove is lasting.
Most beginners obsess over speed and complicated licks. The pros obsess over feel, tone, and sound. Your time feel is your fingerprint. It’s what makes listeners tap their foot (or not). Slow down, play in the pocket, and make each note sing.
Practice with a metronome — on 2 & 4. Record yourself. Make it feel good before you make it fast.

Develop your time with these metronome exercises:

5. Skipping Repertoire and Standard Tunes

You can’t “just jam” on 60+ jazz standards out of thin air. You need to learn tunes and keep them fresh. That’s how you get gigs. That’s how you get better.
If you don’t have a working list of songs you can confidently play, start now.
Pick 5 standards. Internalize them. Melody, chords, solos. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Go in-depth with a standard of your choice with this playlist: The Standards Navigator

Mistakes are Proof You’re Learning

Everyone — yes, everyone — makes these mistakes at some point. The key is to catch them early and course-correct.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Stay curious, stay playful, and keep moving forward.

And hey — if you want structured guidance, feedback, and to hang with others on the same journey, check out my coaching program, the Jazz Guitar Accelerator or our Skool community, Jazz Guitar Fellowship.

See you there!