Mickey Baker 39-s Complete Course In Jazz Guitar Pdf May 2026

First, a disclaimer: Mickey Baker does not hold your hand. The book (actually split into two volumes, though most reference Book 1) is famous for its "sink or swim" pedagogy. Lesson 1 begins with a grid of 14 moveable chord forms. By Lesson 2, you are playing "I Got Rhythm" changes.

Baker, a legendary session guitarist who played with Ray Charles and The Coasters, believed in muscle memory above theory. He famously said, "Don't worry about why the chord is called a G13b9. Just play it. Your hands will learn before your brain does." mickey baker 39-s complete course in jazz guitar pdf

Author: Mickey Baker (guitarist known for his work with Mickey & Sylvia, and as a top NYC session musician)
Original Publication: 1955 (Book 1), later Book 2
Format: Two volumes — Book 1: chord melody & rhythm guitar; Book 2: single-note soloing & improvisation
Target Audience: Guitarists with basic chord knowledge who want to enter jazz, but have little theory background. First, a disclaimer: Mickey Baker does not hold your hand

The course is split into 25 lessons. Each lesson introduces a few new chord forms and then presents etudes (short jazz tunes or progressions) to apply them. Limitations: