The Book Series:

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Lesson Book

The Lesson Books

A step by step explanation of the most essential melodic, harmonic, & rhythmic elements that make up the bebop idiom, coupled with 42 jazz etudes demonstrating their application in order of gradual difficulty.

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Workbook

The Workbooks

All the necessary exercises to develop the improvisational concepts introduced in the Lesson Books, in various harmonic contexts.

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Scale & Arpeggio Book

The Scale & Arpeggio Book

A detailed introduction to the Heptatonic System of Fingering Patterns. Features a thorough explanation of the use of vertical and horizontal fingerings when improvising over chord changes. Regular notation and tab included.

Tell Me More...

Tell Me More...

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Lesson Book

The Lesson Books

A step by step explanation of the most essential melodic, harmonic, & rhythmic elements that make up the bebop idiom, coupled with 42 jazz etudes demonstrating their application in order of gradual difficulty.

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Workbook

The Workbooks

All the necessary exercises to develop the improvisational concepts introduced in the Lesson Book, in various harmonic contexts.

Bebop Guitar Improv Series Scale & Arpeggio Book

The Scale & Arpeggio Book

A detailed introduction to the Heptatonic System of Fingering Patterns. Features a thorough explanation of the use of vertical and horizontal fingerings when improvising over chord changes. Regular notation, tab and diagrams included.

Why Study Bebop?

Dirk Litzner
Richie’s curriculum and personal guidance provided me with just what I was looking for to really tackle “playing over the changes”.
Although I am not nearly at the end of my journey through the course, ...
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Dirk Litzner
USA
Andrew Britt

I have been studying jazz guitar with Richie Zellon for over a year now. I’m learning a lot while enjoying his lessons immensely. Richie not only is a fantastic player, but he’s a great teacher with a wealth and brea... Read More

Andrew Britt
USA
Tamara Moss

Sincere appreciation for this remarkably accessible, step by step bebop jazz course. Richie is an instrumental 🙂 teacher, simplifying a seemingly daunting learning process. No need of overwhelm. I particularly love th... Read More

Tamara Moss
Bangalore, INDIA
Brian Babiak

“As a musician primarily rooted in progressive metal, drawing influences from artists like Plini and Ichika Nito, I embarked on a journey with the bebop jazz guitar course to diversify my musical vocabulary and cre... Read More

Brian Babiak
Bill Teipe

The Bebop Guitar course will take you step by step through the process of learning to play jazz guitar. Learning on your own to play jazz is a daunting task. You could spend months and years and end up not making much pr... Read More

Bill Teipe
USA
Corey Passons
I have been playing guitar for over 30 years as a songwriter and rhythm player in my bands.  But I have just seriously started committing to becoming a jazz guitarist in the past couple of years.  I have worked with a ...
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Corey Passons
USA
Jose Francisco

This Bebop guitar course is fantastic. In the beginning, the solos in the exercises may sound a bit strange, but as the lessons progress and the resources increase, they sound like real Jazz. If you like Jazz and play th... Read More

Jose Francisco
SPAIN
Nick Ketter

Despite having picked up the guitar decades ago, I’ve never progressed beyond simply being a ‘strummer’. When I decided to get serious about guitar, and bebop in particular, I took a chance with Richie&... Read More

Nick Ketter
USA
Matt Barber

I’ve played guitar for awhile but had not been satisfied learning to improvise by the “key center approach”, which gets you going but doesn’t allow you to carve those cool lines that bebop players... Read More

Matt Barber
USA
Luiz Roberto Mathias

I’ve decided to start studying music later in life, despite having played guitar for some time through the years. I never had a chance to go to music school but instead I graduated as a surgeon. Well, now I am back to ... Read More

Luiz Roberto Mathias
BRASIL
Jorge Franchy
“If you are frustrated and bored because your solos always sound like you’re just running scales, let me tell you, this course will change that. At first, it can be very challenging as you are learning a new ...
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Jorge Franchy
PERU
Ricardo Noceda

I’m an old rocker who decided after many years to switch gears and dive into jazz.  I knew it would be a challenge and I knew I needed someone to help guide me. I had teachers before Richie, and they just gave me ... Read More

Ricardo Noceda MD
USA
Federico Manganaro

“The Bebop Guitar Improv Series by Richie Zellon will give beginning improvisers a solid foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment playing jazz guitar.
Intermediate and advanced players will finally be able to follow ... Read More

Federico Manganaro
USA
Kurt Renzo Acosta

“I’ve been playing the guitar for over a decade when I took this course. I can play the songs I really liked well but I’ve never gotten to express my musical ideas as freely as I can. Richie’s cou... Read More

Kurt Acosta
USA
Don Watson

“Having tried other jazz guitar tutors, I came to this program after finding a clip on You Tube of Richie playing some jazz standards. He asks some great questions like ‘do you find you’re just playing ... Read More

Don Watson
UNITED KINGDOM
Rob Loflin

(To Richie)

“My playing has improved so much in the last year thanks to your program. I relate very well to what you wrote about having learned a lot of jazz theory but not seeing your improvisation actually improv... Read More

Rob Loflin
USA
Walter Sá

The Bebop Guitar Improv Series course by Maestro Richie Zellon completely changed the way I understand music today. The didactics, attention and quantity of concepts found in his method are impressive. Everything ... Read More

Walter Sá
BRAZIL
Brett Sharg

“Prior to enrolling in the Bebop Guitar Improv Series, I struggled to improvise in live jam sessions. After going through the course, I am able to play over various 12 bar blues (dominant, jazz blues and minor blue... Read More

Brett Sharg
USA
Valdi T.

“I purchased Richie Zellon’s Bebop Guitar Improv Series (BGIS) course Vol. 1 last year and have been working with him through private Skype lessons for over a year now.  As a result, I feel qualified to share m... Read More

Valdi T.
Reykjavik, ICELAND
Kit Warren

“For anyone on the fence – Richie’s ‘Bebop Guitar Improv Series’ completely transformed my guitar playing in just the first 6 months. I was playing pentatonics for the first 14 years of my p... Read More

Kit Warren
UNITED KINGDOM
Carlos Figueroa

“When I ‘discovered’ Richie Zellon and his Bebop Guitar Improv Series and read his biography, I couldn’t relate more to his story. Of course I am not attempting to compare my self to Richie, but I hav... Read More

Carlos Figueroa
USA
Steve A.

(To Richie) “I would like to say thank you for providing such a thorough course. I really enjoy the opportunity to dig into the technical aspects of playing jazz guitar. My facility on my instrument has improved so... Read More

Steve A.
AUSTRALIA
Martin Breuer

(To Richie) “I have been playing guitar for more than 45 years. For 30 years I have had a great passion for jazz and have been playing rhythm guitar in a big band for 20 years. Likewise, I have been trying to learn... Read More

Martin Breuer
FRANCE
Anthony Maciorowski

To Richie: “I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14 mostly by ear, and focused on rock and folk.  About 6 years ago, I made an effort to learn to read music and was interested in jazz in particular. That led... Read More

Anthony Maciorowski
USA
Brian Dooley

“I’ve always struggled with being able to play the changes. I’ve tried various books and teaching techniques only to find myself mostly running scales and relying on licks. The Bebop Guitar Improv Series is the... Read More

Brian Dooley
USA
Gustavo Pefaur

“I’ve tried so many books, courses and even real teachers in the past! None made me feel that I was on the right path. Then I came across the Bebop Guitar Improv Series, and let me tell you that by far, it&#

...
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Gustavo Pefaur
PARAGUAY
Andres Torres

To Richie: “I want to say thanks for the awesome course you have set up for us aspiring jazz guitar players. You have no idea how much I have enjoyed your course and, even though I am not even near to what I want t... Read More

Andres Torres
VENEZUELA
Tom Swan

To Richie: “I am playing changes better than ever, and my arpeggios and scales are becoming natural like never before. A lot of this improvement is due to my studying your method and puzzling through your advice an... Read More

Tom Swan
USA
Diego Pi

“After playing guitar most of my life, jazz guitar was something I could not find a way to get around. That was until I came across the Bebop Guitar Improv Series.
It develops the necessary skills for a smooth improvis... Read More

Diego Pi
URUGUAY
Steve Jones

To Richie: “I just wanted to tell you how happy I am to finally be making progress toward ‘intelligent’ jazz improvisation…Thanks for making a logical approach to jazz improvisation available. I&#... Read More

Steve Jones
USA
Darryl Williams

“I have always wanted to learn to play jazz guitar. I wanted to understand the art of improvisation and how the greats were able to make their solos sound so good. What were the ‘ingredients’ of their lines... Read More

Darryl Williams
USA
Enrique Martin

“Después de muchos años de método en método y diversas cursos en Internet considero que “The Bebop Guitar Improv Series”  es el mejor curso online para la guitarra jazz, con una calidad superior a ... Read More

Enrique Martin
SPAIN
Thomas Hynes

To Richie: “Thank you so much for putting these courses together. I’ve been playing jazz guitar for years, and my playing has never progressed faster. Many of the concepts in Vol 1 were review for me, but you... Read More

Thomas Hynes
USA
T. Paterna

“I have seen and tried many Jazz Guitar Methods and and Richie’s is the first one where I feel I am on the right path. Countless times before I was guided with a scale and then instructed to “create a solo”. That... Read More

T. Paterna
USA
Randy Cohen

“The ability to improvise a bebop line as it weaves from chord change to key change may seem like an impenetrable code understood by a few gifted jazz masters as they jam, eyes closed, swaying hypnotically to the r... Read More

Randy Cohen
USA
Andrew Hyde

“The effort put into using this method of learning pays off faster and is more effective than any other method that I have been exposed to.”

Andrew Hyde
USA
Michael Rich

“This step-by-step approach provides all of the tools and resources necessary to actually learn the art of playing jazz guitar.”

Michael Rich
USA
Walter Kraslow

“The Bebop Guitar Improv Series is an innovative guide for guitarists of all levels who want to learn jazz improvisation. (This is the jazz-instruction book that didn’t come with that nice guitar you bought but c... Read More

Walter Kraslow
USA
Enrique Gardano

“Having spent now over 30 years studying guitar with countless number of great teachers and graduate music studies, I have seen the teaching of guitar evolve from a disorganized, and sporadic source of learning int... Read More

Enrique Gardano
USA
Navdeep Singh

(to Richie) “I think the ability to play one’s ideas without the instrument getting in the way is huge. I think this is the first course I’ve encountered that really gets at the nuts and bolts of apply

...
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Navdeep Singh
USA
Airton Filipeli

“I have completed the Bebop Guitar Improv Series VOL1, and I guarantee that there is a “before and after” in my playing, as a result of studying with Richie.”

Airton Filipeli
BRASIL
Leon Grizzard

“I’ve been playing for a long time, and although I am not at all a jazzer, I have worked some jazz method books to play country and western swing, and found this course to be extremely useful; transformative ... Read More

Leon Grizzard
USA
Roy Winters

“I have been working with Richie for several years now. I have worked with other teachers, and there is no comparison. Richie is a great player and a great teacher (which is a rare combination). He has a program an... Read More

Roy Winters
USA
Neil Adams

“Richie Zellon loves what he does. It shows in the detail, clarity and depth of knowledge in the Bebop Jazz Guitar course. All lessons are explained clearly and the progression of the lessons is excellent, with eac... Read More

Neil Adams
AUSTRALIA
Robert Blagg

I purchased the gold membership and I have to say it is the best musical investment I have made in a long time. Wish I would have known about this years ago. I love the heptatonic fingering system.

This is truly eye open... Read More

Robert Blagg
USA