How to Play an Intro to Any Jazz Standard on Guitar: 5 Ideas from Dan Wilson
Nov 08, 2026Short answer: Guitarist Dan Wilson's intros start from a thorough knowledge of the tune. His five tools: play the verse (many standards, like Someone to Watch Over Me and Stardust, have one that's rarely played), take the last four bars or the last phrase of the tune, play a turnaround over a pedal point (for example E♭Maj.9, C, A♭ and G, all over a B♭ in the bass), choose a theme that matches the mood of the lyrics, as if you were scoring a film, or play through the form without stating the melody. Any of them brings the band, or your duo partner, into the melody.
Intros can be a scary place to be. A singer or a piano player says "set it up," and you think: what? This is where a thorough knowledge of the tune comes into play. But as Dan Wilson points out, in some ways the intros have already been laid out for us. ▶ 0:00
| Intro tool | How Dan Wilson uses it | Tune in the video |
|---|---|---|
| The verse | Play the tune's verse, which is often skipped ▶ 0:20 | Someone to Watch Over Me, Stardust |
| The ending | Take the last four bars or the last phrase of the tune ▶ 1:00 | Any tune |
| Pedal point | Pedal the V sus, or pedal a whole turnaround over the same bass note ▶ 2:55 | E♭Maj.9/B♭ turnaround |
| Pedal + a quick line | Pedal, then a quick ascending line into the tune ▶ 6:14 | Misty |
| A theme from the lyrics | Pick colors that fit the mood, like scoring a scene from a film ▶ 7:03 | The Shadow of Your Smile |
| The form, without the melody | Play through the form in a way that doesn't state the melody ▶ 9:10 | The Shadow of Your Smile |
1. Play the verse
A lot of the standards have verses. They're not always played, but when you go back and check them out, there's a lot of material in there. Dan's example is Someone to Watch Over Me: if he were setting that tune up, he'd probably play the verse. ▶ 0:20
The same goes for Stardust, a tune with a beautiful verse. ▶ 2:01
2. Take the last four bars or the last phrase
That isn't always the move. Sometimes you can take the last four bars of the tune, or just the last phrase of the tune, and use it to set up the top. ▶ 1:00
3. Put it over a pedal point
You can add little things to an intro with a pedal point: keep the same bass note while the chords above it move. Some people just pedal the V sus, and you can have fun with the chord qualities on top of it. ▶ 2:55
Sometimes Dan pedals a whole turnaround. Over a B♭ in the bass he plays: ▶ 3:15
| Chord | Bass note |
|---|---|
| E♭Maj.9 | B♭ |
| C | B♭ |
| A♭ | B♭ |
| G | B♭ |
You get that motion over the pedal, and then you're into the tune. ▶ 3:37
He shows a second pedal idea, alternating E♭/B♭ and D/B♭, which he describes as a sus sound moving to a 13♭9 sound over the same bass note. It can be really effective, even at a ballad tempo. ▶ 4:24
On Misty, he just pedals, then plays a quick ascending line into the tune. ▶ 6:14
4. Choose a theme from the lyrics
Depending on the mood of the tune, or what the tune is about, Dan likes to choose a theme. The Shadow of Your Smile has a really melancholy nature, and it's right in the lyrics. So he tries to play something with those kinds of colors, almost as if you're scoring a film, or a scene from a film. ▶ 7:03
His intro starts out kind of mysterious, and you can add colors like that as you go. ▶ 8:46
5. Play through the form without the melody
Sometimes Dan plays through the form of the tune, but in a way that doesn't state the melody. He demonstrates it on The Shadow of Your Smile, and then, at the very last moment, here comes the tune. ▶ 9:10
These are tools for getting into a tune and bringing the band, or your duo partner, into the melody. ▶ 11:00
Frequently asked questions
How do you make up an intro to a jazz standard on guitar?
Dan Wilson's starting point is a thorough knowledge of the tune. From there he plays the verse, borrows the last four bars or last phrase, plays a turnaround over a pedal point, picks a theme that fits the lyrics, or plays through the form without stating the melody.
What is a verse in a jazz standard?
Many standards, like Someone to Watch Over Me and Stardust, have a verse that comes before the main tune and isn't always played. Dan Wilson suggests checking verses out, because they make ready-made intros.
What is a pedal point intro?
A pedal point keeps one bass note while the chords above it move. Dan Wilson either pedals the V sus or plays a whole turnaround (E♭Maj.9, C, A♭, G) over a B♭ in the bass.
Can I use the end of the tune as an intro?
Yes. Dan Wilson says you can take the last four bars of the tune, or just its last phrase, to set up the top of the form.
How do I play an intro on a ballad?
Dan Wilson says pedal-point intros can be really effective even at a ballad tempo. On a tune like The Shadow of Your Smile, he also picks colors that match the melancholy mood of the lyrics, as if scoring a film.
Keep learning
- 4 jazz standards to master jazz harmony: know the tunes well enough to set them up
- Autumn Leaves practice routine: build the thorough knowledge of a tune that intros depend on
- Jonathan Kreisberg on odd meters and solo guitar: another guest on playing a tune alone, starting from bass line and melody
Go deeper
What kind of jazz guitarist are you? Take the free Guitarist Profile quiz: 10 minutes, and you get your practice mindset, your strongest and weakest skills, and a 28-day plan. Find out what kind of jazz guitarist you are →
If you want me to guide you, that's what we do inside Chase's Guitar Academy. The curriculum tells you what to practice each day, so you can spend your energy playing instead of second-guessing, and every week we work through a tune together in the live class. You can try it free for seven days.
"The curriculum that Chase Maddox, the owner and teacher has made has actually gotten me to a point where I feel confident about my playing. Go over a tune, get the melody, get the harmony and even solo, which has always been a real challenge." Rich Malloy, CGA member
50+ five-star reviews from CGA members, most of them on video: read what members say.
Chase Maddox is a jazz guitarist and educator in Miami and the founder of Chase's Guitar Academy. George Benson has called him "an amazing instructor." More free lessons are on his YouTube channel.
