I don't play jazz guitar so much as appreciate knowing the difference that extra 7th note makes! There are several kinds of 7th chords besides the dominant used in blues.
Rather than jazz, my preferred guitar urges are more often rock or punk inspired. But that gets limiting. Just as jazz alone is limiting.
Owning this first book of the 3 part series Jazz Guitar is recommended. Even as a first exposure to guitar. Its got all the fundamentals there for you to grow into an informed musician.
As far as conveying to you basic guitar lore its unique in that it explains the triad shapes so they make sense practically.
String sets are defined sensibly as is all the basic music theory that you need to be aware of to get a solid grounding in fret board mechanics.
I was impressed to get triad etudes on all 4 "three string" sets. Meaningful triad voicings showing you to the major intervals encountered and then some! And all this on the lowest 3 strings, next lowest, second highest and finally highest of the 4 "three string" sets.
Trust me on this one! Herein is contained is a lot of basic fundamental guitar know how.
Its only farther along that we approach extended chords with 4 or more notes. Up to this point you wont turn into a jazz guitar player so much as learn how to build chord voicings.
All the scales are in there too. Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Harmonic Minor. Lots of charts, diagrams and treat you like a human being explanations.
This recommendation is for book number one, the Beginner Jazz book. I also have Books II & III. Which I also recommend if number one agrees with you. Quality products.
Jazz Guitar one would do ya' as a starter guitar reference book. You will look at musical notes with a lot more understanding. If jazz is your preferred style then here is an excellent place to garner some fret board how to.
Another favorite of mine I haven't see elsewhere but contained in Jazz Guitar Book One are the chord scales. There are some really soulful diatonic harmonies in easy to finger shapes. Harder ones too if you have normal sized hands.
After experimenting with a few of these easy to finger chord scales you'll be kicking yourself for not having known the way cool fundamentals were so easy. Some of them anyway. Here is where I finally learned what diatonically harmonic chord shapes meant in action. And Jody teaches us to mix horizontal and vertical shapes allowing position playing.
The Key or Tonic note of the chord scales root note are voiced or implied on various 4, 5, and 6 string frets. You slide these up (and back down) the neck for a linear octave and after a while can mix and match from different root note sets. That's the easy part. But well worth it. Triads are built on thirds, so we stack thirds.
All competent guitarists need to know their diatonic scales and related music theory. You don't get the keys to the car until you know this stuff.
The more extended a chords spelling the less likely to voice the tonic note (the I). Also the bass player is there to fill it in. There is more - a great book making jazz far more approachable than an old style Mickey Baker book for example. The book is better than the DVD for this jazz product in my opinion. The DVD is an after thought.
This is a superb jazz guitar book and I have looked at quite a few.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. –Maya Angelou