How to Practice Take the A Train on Jazz Guitar: A 15-Minute Routine

Short answer: A focused 15-minute practice session over Take the A Train is three descending exercises of about five minutes each, played through the changes at 90 bpm: (1) the 5-3-2-1 pattern (the 5th, 3rd, 2nd and root of each chord), (2) descending scales, where three scales cover the whole tune (C major, A melodic minor over D7♯11, and F major on the bridge), and (3) descending pivot arpeggios. The descending-scale exercise is a method Chase learned from Dan Wilson.

In the last lesson I went over a 15-minute practice routine for Autumn Leaves. This time it's Take the A Train, with different exercises. Last time focused on ascending patterns, so this time we do descending patterns: three exercises, about five minutes on each. I play through the whole thing, so follow along with your ears or with your guitar. ▶ 0:00

Exercise 1: the 5-3-2-1 pattern

The first pattern is the reverse of the Autumn Leaves routine. Instead of 1, 2, 3, 5, we play 5, 3, 2, 1: whatever chord you're on, play its 5th, its 3rd, its 2nd and then the root. The tempo goes up to 90 bpm this time, instead of 80. ▶ 0:32

On the chart, each four-note group takes half a bar; on the chords that last two bars, the second bar repeats the pattern an octave lower. ▶ 1:02

All of these patterns, like the ones in the Autumn Leaves routine, come from my 31 Essential Jazz Patterns course. When you practice them, focus on learning them on the fretboard and get away from the page as much as you can. ▶ 2:23

Exercise 2: descending scales (Dan Wilson's method)

This one is really important: descending scales. It's a method I learned from Dan Wilson in the course we have with him, Fretboard Freedom, and I'm now applying it to these fundamentals in my own playing. I think it will really pay dividends if you work it into your practice. ▶ 2:57

Over Take the A Train you only need three scales: ▶ 3:14

So C major covers a lot of the chords. For a beginner or intermediate guitarist this is a great one to practice, because you only have to focus on those three scales. On the chart, each chord gets a bar of eighth notes running down the scale, and the chords that last two bars keep going down into the next bar. ▶ 3:31

Exercise 3: descending pivot arpeggios

The last exercise is a descending pattern for a concept called a pivot arpeggio. I don't get into what that is here (we talk a lot more about how these patterns work in the course); we just play it through the tune. ▶ 5:24

On the chart, each chord is labeled with the arpeggio the shape comes from: the 7th arpeggio built on the chord's 3rd (E-7 over CMaj.7, FMaj.7 over D-7). Each shape starts on the chord's 5th, jumps up to its 3rd, then comes back down through the 9th to the 7th: ▶ 6:08

The video description links the ebook: The 15min Practice Routines Vol. 1.

Frequently asked questions

How do you practice Take the A Train on jazz guitar?

Play fundamentals through the changes at a steady tempo (90 bpm here): the 5-3-2-1 pattern, descending scales, then descending pivot arpeggios, about five minutes each.

What is the 5-3-2-1 pattern?

The 5th, 3rd, 2nd and root of the chord you're on, played in that order. Over CMaj.7 that's G, E, D, C. It's the 1-2-3-5 pattern from the Autumn Leaves routine played in reverse.

What scales do you need for Take the A Train?

Only three: C major (over CMaj.7, D-7 and G7), A melodic minor over D7♯11, and F major on the bridge.

Where does the descending scale exercise come from?

It's a method Chase learned from Dan Wilson in their course Fretboard Freedom, and one he now uses in his own practice of these fundamentals.

What is a pivot arpeggio?

The video doesn't explain the concept; it just plays the descending pattern. On the chart, each chord gets a four-note shape from the arpeggio built on its 3rd: over D-7, for example, A, F, E, C from an FMaj.7 arpeggio (the chord's 5th, up to the 3rd, then down to the 9th and 7th).

Keep learning

• The 15-minute Autumn Leaves practice routine: the ascending version of this routine, with the 1-2-3-5 pattern
• Melodic minor in all 12 keys over Invitation: more on the melodic minor sound used over D7♯11
• How to practice jazz guitar in 30 minutes a day: the MAP plan for short daily sessions

Go deeper

Not sure what to practice next? 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 through it, that's what we do inside Chase's Guitar Academy. The Master Standards Blueprint takes you through jazz standards step by step, with the fundamentals and lines that go with each tune, and every week we work through a tune together in the live class. You can try it free for seven days.

"Chase's idea that you should start with small things and build up from essential vocabulary and essential jazz patterns - it's really been an effective way to gain mastery in guitar play." Benoît F., CGA member

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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.