Anyone else use their classical as a jazz box?

[scottishrogue]

I find a classical style guitar to be even more versatile than a steel-string guitar, being capable of playing all styles of music. The only thing you can't do with a classical guitar is use steel-strings. That's a definite NO-NO!!!

Glen

[Grant987]

Yes, I think jazz sounds great on classical guitar

http://youtu.be/EpNynZ-t84o

This is a wonderful arrangement of a classic jazz tune.

Also Ralph Towner uses classical guitar very effectively to play jazz.

[Dogsnax]

Originally Posted by Grant987

Yes, I think jazz sounds great on classical guitar

http://youtu.be/EpNynZ-t84o

This is a wonderful arrangement of a classic jazz tune.

Also Ralph Towner uses classical guitar very effectively to play jazz.

Fantastic playing Grant...bravo! Count me in as a HUGE Ralph Towner fan....

[Special B]

Originally Posted by scottishrogue

I find a classical style guitar to be even more versatile than a steel-string guitar, being capable of playing all styles of music.

Agreed.

Thanks again for the responses. Just to clarify, I am looking for other forum members that play jazz more often on their classical than they play classical on it. I am aware of several famous guitarists that do this, such as Charlie Byrd and many Brazilian bossa nova guitarists. Not that the suggestions of famous players are not welcome.

I play a lot of blues and funk on my classical, too. While blues and funk work very well on my classical, I think jazz is an especially good fit.

[87Standard]

Originally Posted by Special B

Agreed.

Just to clarify, I am looking for other forum members that play jazz more often on their classical than they play classical on it.

While I don't necessarily play jazz on my classicals more than I play 'classical' I will say that I have sold or traded all of my steel string acoustics and now only play nylon string classical guitars.

And even though I'm not much of a jazz player yet, I specifically went for guitars with cutaways (Ramirez 2CWE and Yamaha CGX171CCA) with the intended goal of being able to more easily play jazz and other 'non-classical' music.

I do agree that jazz in particular somehow seems like it was meant to be played on a classical guitar.

Now if I could just find the time to learn more jazz guitar...

[knowlton]

I don't play straight jazz much, but I lived in Brazil for almost the entirety of the golden era of Música Popular Brasileira, and the songs I learned and still play, especially those by João Bosco or Toninho Horta, are totally jazz harmony. So yeah, lots of jazz chording and chord melody on my "classical", but not much classical repertoire.

[Special B]

Originally Posted by knowlton

I don't play straight jazz much, but I lived in Brazil for almost the entirety of the golden era of Música Popular Brasileira, and the songs I learned and still play, especially those by João Bosco or Toninho Horta, are totally jazz harmony. So yeah, lots of jazz chording and chord melody on my "classical", but not much classical repertoire.

Awesome. Brazilian guitar is some of the best guitar playing in jazz, and some of the best use of the classical guitar in the last hundred years.