To many, Freddie Green serves as the epitome of a big band rhythm guitarist. A member of the “All-American Rhythm Section” of the Count Basie Orchestra (along with Basie on piano and initially Walter Page on bass and Papa Jo Jones on drums), Green developed a comping style so distinctively influential that even today, Jazz guitarists will be asked to play in the style of Freddie Green.

To understand what made Freddie Green’s sound and rhythm sense so unique, check out James Chirillo’s lesson Playing Guitar in the Style of Freddie Green. He will lay out for you, piece-by-piece, the building blocks of Green’s style that you can use to become an effective rhythm guitarist.

To learn even more about this legendary figure, visit www.freddiegreen.org for a host of articles on his life and transcriptions of his playing.