I’m learning guitar now, on a Fender Stratocaster immitation, I’ve been playing for 2 months now, I pick up chords and different strumming patterns easily and I think my teacher is leading me into scales, just on 3 strings so far but we add a new one each lesson. He’s very pleased with how I’m doing, I’m 2 lessons ahead of what he’d planned, so I’m doing alright at rock style guitar, I’ve got the Key of C done well and the Key of E almost perfect (is this used as much in Jazz guitar?), and I’m fine with swinging and the 12 bar blues that I’m learning. I play with a 1mm pick too I heard that jazz guitar is fingerpicked, can it be done with a pick as well, even if it isn’t common?
How difficult is it compared to rock guitar, and what techniques will I need to learn. to play those kind of gentle, lazy fills, does that take a lot of speed, coz I’m not much good picking fast, I guess it takes practice though too. And also will jazz still be around much in the future, coz no-one my age (14) seems to like it, only rock/metal and pop and rap? I’d like to be able to perform in groups, maybe not as a living but just for fun, is it difficult to get into one?
I know lots of questions in there
Scales are very important for Jazz, learn them well, learn the patterns for major and minor, that way you can transpose across the fretboard.
Jazz really is for fun and exploration, so whatever way you want to play it is fine, but you need to pick up on what key and rythym everyone is using, which takes a little experience.
Jazz styles vary a lot, try listening to some to get an idea, and copy their style to get a feel.
playing your blues is a good start too. keep at it!