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.

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. Download their free "Player" or purchase the fully functional program. 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.

Download the Band-in-a-Box ® Player Band-in-a-Box Player will play songs created in any version of the program.

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 ® Standards and Jazz Zip Files Thanks to the Midi Studio Consortium -- just download these files and load into JSSS.

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

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.

Jamey Aebersold Jazz A good selection of play-alongs and instructional materials for sale.

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

JustJazz (Reed Kotler) Technical discussion area and more.

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.

MUSICIAN.COM Links for vintage guitar shopping, the Guitar Center chain, and more.

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.

ARTICULATE MUSIC Music Education Software.

TheJazzStore Jazz and blues videos, CDs, posters, apparel, books, hard-to-find jazz collectibles and more for all lovers of jazz.

Woodenpicks Handmade guitar picks from the best exotic hardwoods.

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.

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. Requests sometimes occur for MAC computers. Unfortunately there is no MAC version, but I have received a report from a user is that it will work with Powermac G5, Virtual PC/win98.