1. You enter any typical jazz chord chart into the JSSS program or use the Band-in-a-Box ® file import utility.
2. Click the "SUGGEST JAZZ SCALES" button.
3. The JSSS program will analyze your chord changes using artificial intelligence techniques and suggest commonly used scales for your solos.
4. You can click the "?" button for each scale and the JSSS program will explain its suggestion.
5. You will soon learn to choose scales on your own.

• Shows how you can view a cluster of chords with a minimum of improvising scales, enabling you to quickly learn to play through the changes.
• Your entire jazz chord chart is evaluated, not just single chords in isolation.
• The program explains relationships amongst the scales, such as how one scale leads into another.
• You can either manually enter chords or import chord symbols from Band-in-a-Box ® files.
• Scale suggestions are based on conventional music theory, experience, and research.
• The software usually provides secondary scale choices.
• Both summary and detail reports can be printed out for each chord chart.
• Music reading is not required (but is encouraged). Explanations are generally informal.
• Scales covered include: Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Jazz Minor (aka Melodic Minor Ascending), Dorian, Pentatonic, Blues, Diminished, Whole Tone, Dominant Seventh (aka Mixolydian).
• Guitarist? The program is not instrument specific, but scale and chord diagrams are provided in "HELP". You need only have some command of the pentatonic scale to get started. Most scales are diagrammed as variations of the pentatonic scale (which is also diagrammed).
• The "HELP" documentation contains a basic theory lesson.

JSSS can import chord symbols from Band-in-a-Box ® files, instantly suggest possible scales, and then print out the scale suggestions for you. You just toggle over to Band-in-a-Box ® and have it back you up while you practice soloing.

Two types of reports are available: the "short report" and the "long report". The short report lists each chord and its scale suggestion for quick reference. The long report also lists each chord and its scale suggestion, and additionally includes all detailed explanations. Detailed explanations normally appear on the JSSS screen when you click the "?" button. A minor limitation is that the reports will print only to your primary printer (there is no printer selection built into the program).

JSSS also imports Band-in-a-Box ® chord numbers for fast cross-referencing, and chord length is utilized in determining scale suggestions for imported files.

Note: JSSS cannot import files from early versions of Band-in-a-Box ®.

The sites listed in the Band-in-a-Box ® section below link to a free Band-in-a-Box file player, and also to sources of jazz files which you can input into both BIAB and JSSS.

This is the most popular accompaniment software -- you supply the chords and it backs you up. This program is a great learning tool and just basically a lot of fun. Note: to disable the melody so you can solo, key alt/#9. If you want to disable the automatic solo, key alt/#7. Warning: addiction to this program possible.

See the Band-in-a-Box ® Demo

Purchase the most recent release of Band-in-a-Box ® from Kelly's Music and Computers. Kelly's will beat or match almost any price.

REALBOOK in Band-in-a-Box ® format. Follow this link to download and import into JSSS. Also check out Paul Phillips' website.

Band-in-a-Box ® Links Provided by jazz guitarist Alisdair MacRae Birch, a collection of links to BIAB files and utilities.

The New Real Book Volume I (in C, Bb, or Eb -- guitarists use C) One of the most popular legal fakebooks available from Chuck Sher.

Sher Music has additional fakebook volumes and publications that can be ordered directly.

A PASSION FOR JAZZ Jazz origins, styles and musicians featuring photo gallery, festivals, and more.

A Jazz Improvisation Primer Marc Sabatella's fast-loading, comprehensive free introduction to jazz. Mr. Sabatella includes a review of instructional books and fakebooks.

Jazzguitar.com (Bob Patterson) Includes more than a dozen free lessons.

Mel Bay All kinds of instructional materials from this longtime publisher.

THE ONLINE GUITAR COLLEGE Specializing in FREE Internet Guitar Stuff

GUITAR CHORD BUSTER Chord Study Software

GUITAR SECRETS An online guitar school featuring personalized, free lessons.

MLR Guitar Free lessons.

UK Guitar Scale Basics Guitar education tutor training lessons.

HARMONY CENTRAL This site has a popular forum and several departments, including recording, MIDI, and effects.

GUITAR NOTES A wide variety of guitar information is indexed, ranging from equipment to instruction.

GUITAR.COM News, instruction, and more.

BASSTABS.NET Free bass tab, lessons, and more.

GUITAR GALLERY SHEET MUSIC Covering many stringed instruments, this site contains a large selection of sheet music and instructional videos for classical, jazz, rock, and bluegrass styles.

RIDDLEWORKS Dano's site, featuring music a bit out of the mainstream.

TOP 100 GUITAR SITES Mostly rock-oriented links with many tab sites.

CLEVERJOE'S MUSICIAN'S RESOURCE CENTER Musical instruments, equipment, and more, with a special emphasis on the Canadian scene.

the-music-directory.com A collection of links to music related websites and newsgroups.

Guitar Solo This site is dedicated to guitar players who want to improve their guitar technique

Q Tuner Q-tuners are high-tech neodymium powered pickups for guitar and bass.

Internet Guitar Database Learn to play the guitar online using our free guitar lessons and chord charts. This site also provides a section on setting up a guitar, online forum and other useful guitar related links.

How to Play Guitar Solos Tips, lessons, advice, and inspiration.

Learn To Guitar Solo This site is dedicated to improving your guitar solos, electric guitar playing, lead guitar technique, and more.

Guitar Lessons Reviewed Helping you Find the Best Way to Learn Guitar

If you don't happen to have a Windows computer, one fairly easy course of action would be to install FREE the Oracle VirtualBox software on your computer. VirtualBox will run on basically any platform, be it Mac, Linux, etc. Next, acquire an old version of Windows such as XP or even Windows 2000. VirtualBox makes it easy to run Windows in parallel with your existing computer's operating system. You can toggle easily from Mac to Windows, for example. The only catch is you have to acquire some copy of Windows. JSSS will run on any old Windows starting with Windows 95. VirtualBox is one of the current great free programs available and in general quite simple to use.

LINUX Interestingly, the JSSS program installs and runs perfectly fine on Linux using version 1+ of the Wine emulator. Wine creates an interesting and somewhat entertaining fake C-drive for Windows programs within your usr directory. Alternately, if Linux can access your regular Windows partition (eg., as in a dual-boot setup) Wine can run JSSS straight from your Windows installation.

MAC Unfortunately there is no MAC version, but reportedly it will work with Powermac G5, Virtual PC/win98. A user kindly sent these instructions for using the Crossover software on a MAC:

1. After opening CrossOver, I clicked "CrossOver Software Installer" in the "Welcome" window.
2. This took me to 2nd window. Here I clicked the "Install Unsupported Software" button.
3. Window #3, I clicked "Continue" button.
4. Clicked "Create Bottle and Continue" button.
5. I called my bottle "JSSS Full." The default is "New Bottle." Here you can choose which version of "Windows" you want to emulate. I left on default "winxp." I clicked the "Create" button.
6. Next, choose whether you are installing from a file or folder. I used "Installer File." Click "Install"
7. Navigated my way to my JSSS installer program. Click on jsssfull.exe icon. Then click on "Use this Installer" button.
8. At this point, it takes you to the JSSS program where you follow the installation instructions. Afterwards, you end up with last window where I clicked "Finished" button.

Note, JSSS is installed DEEP within many folders. At this point, it is a good idea to make an "alias" for JSSS and put in a convenient place on your computer for easy access.

So far I can print reports, but not the "Help" pages. Printing reports must be done through the JSSS file menu, NOT the Apple/Mac menu or command P shortcut.

I AM able to import Band-in-a-Box files, but it's a little confusing because JSSS thinks it's on a Windows machine and the search process is different. Once I found the Band-in-a-Box files, no problem. I also had this problem when trying to find my desktop (it was in the "y" drive) in order to save a file (which I did successfully.)

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© 2008 Michael P Archbold

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