Ismael Nascimento Get the method
Complete method · Digital book + videos

The precision of the pick.
The independence of the fingers.

Hybrid Picking for Jazz Guitar is a complete method, with a digital book and companion video demonstrations, for combining the pick with your middle, ring, and little fingers, and applying it to solo jazz guitar.

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$19.90USD
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Digital bookVideo demonstrationsNotation + TAB7 complete etudes
Ismael Nascimento playing the Stella by Starlight etude
Watch the Stella by Starlight etude
Stella by Starlight · One of the 7 etudes in the book, performed by the author.
Why hybrid picking

Some things the pick alone can't do.

The pick gives you attack, articulation, and the sound of jazz guitar. But the moment you play alone, the music asks for more voices than a single pick stroke can deliver. Hybrid picking keeps the pick in your hand and adds your fingers.

A melody over a moving bass line

Two independent voices on non-adjacent strings, with no sweeping or string-skipping gymnastics.

Chords that actually sound together

Block chords and voicings plucked at once, not strummed, so every note speaks at the same time.

Wide intervals at tempo

Open triads and intervallic lines that would be awkward or slow with pick-only technique.

Part one

Build the technique first.

The book begins with the foundations of hybrid picking, step by step, so the right hand is ready before it meets real music.

Part two

Seven essential devices for solo jazz guitar.

Then the technique is applied to the devices you hear in solo jazz guitar playing, each with its own exercises and musical examples.

01

Block chords

02

Melody and accompaniment

03

Arpeggios

04

Open triads

05

Intervallic playing

06

Melody and bass

07

Combining bass, harmony, and melody

The etudes

7 complete etudes over jazz standards.

Everything comes together in seven complete etudes, written over the harmonic progressions of standards you already know, such as:

All the Things You Are Body and Soul Donna Lee Stella by Starlight Cherokee Beautiful Love
What's included

Everything you need to practice.

7

Complete etudes

Based on progressions from jazz standards.

20

Practical exercises

Progressive technical work, from the first strokes to full textures.

▶

Video demonstrations

See and hear how each musical example is played.

♪

Notation + TAB

Standard notation and tablature for every musical example.

7

Solo guitar devices

From block chords to bass, harmony, and melody combined.

✓

Practice guidance

How to develop control, balance, timing, and musical application.

Is it for you?

This is not a beginner method.

It's for you if you:

  • Read chord symbols
  • Read basic standard notation or TAB
  • Know common seventh-chord shapes
  • Understand the structure of jazz standards
  • Want to play solo guitar with more than one voice at a time

It's not for you if you:

  • Are just starting on the guitar
  • Don't yet know basic chord shapes
  • Are looking for spoken video lessons. The videos demonstrate the examples, and all explanations are written in the book
Ismael Nascimento performing
About the author

Ismael Nascimento

I hold a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Jazz Guitar from the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, a master's degree in Guitar Performance from São Paulo State University (UNESP), and a bachelor's degree in Music from Amazonas State University. I have been teaching guitar and improvisation for more than 18 years.

The approach in this book, breaking down the reasoning behind each technique and connecting it to real musical application, comes from my experience as a performing guitarist and from my studies in the United States with jazz masters such as Bruce Forman and Bob Mintzer. The book itself grows out of my doctoral research on hybrid picking at USC. Beyond the classroom, I take this vocabulary to the stage, and I have performed at major jazz festivals such as the Amazonas Green Jazz Festival and the Amapá Jazz Festival.

I have won awards at international and national jazz guitar competitions: 3rd place at the Jarek Śmietana International Jazz Guitar Competition in Poland, 1st place in the jazz category of the Wilson Center Guitar Competition in the United States, and 1st place at the Yamaha Samba e Violão competition. I'm not telling you this to impress you. I want you to know that what I teach has been tested at the most demanding level of the instrument.

Hybrid Picking for Jazz Guitar
Hybrid Picking for Jazz Guitar

Get the complete method

  • Digital book (English)
  • Foundations of hybrid picking
  • 7 devices for solo jazz guitar
  • 20 practical exercises
  • 7 complete etudes over jazz standards
  • Notation + TAB for every example
  • Companion video demonstrations
$19.90USD
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If the method isn't what you expected, request a refund through Hotmart within 7 days of purchase and you'll get your money back in full, no questions asked.

FAQ

Questions

What level do I need to be?

Intermediate or above. You should already know chord symbols, basic standard notation or TAB, common seventh-chord shapes, and the structure of jazz standards.

I play in a duo or trio. Is this book for me?

The book focuses on solo guitar. But the independence and control you build playing alone carry over directly to duo and trio settings. If you can handle melody, harmony, and bass by yourself, playing with other musicians gets easier.

What language is the book in?

English.

Do the videos explain the exercises?

No. The videos demonstrate the musical examples and how they are played. All explanations and practice instructions are written in the book.

Is this a printed book?

No. It's a digital book with companion video demonstrations, available right after purchase.

How do I access it after buying?

Right after payment, Hotmart sends you an email with your access. You can read the book and watch the videos on your computer, tablet, or phone.

What if it's not for me?

You have 7 days to request a full refund directly through Hotmart.

Get the method · $19.90 ⟶
$19.90 Get the method ⟶