Inside the Mind of Aaron Lebos: Practice, Tone, and the Reality Behind the Grind
Aaron Lebos is a guitarist based in Miami, Florida. He began his musical journey playing piano as a child, winning state competitions before switching to guitar at age 11. Inspired by classic rock bands and his older brother, Aaron quickly developed a passion for the instrument. He later studied music at the University of Miami, where he earned his degree and continued refining his skills.
Aaron is known for blending styles like jazz, rock, and funk in both his performances and compositions. He led the fusion group Aaron Lebos Reality, which released several albums, including Turning Point and 141 Layers of Ikigai. Aaron currently plays with the groups Abstract Citizen and Anemoia, and has played with some of the biggest names in South Florida - including the Spam-Allstars, the Nu Deco Ensemble, and jazz vocalist Nicole Henry.
With over 20 years of experience, Aaron remains a vital part of the South Florida music scene. His expressive playing and creative approach have made him a respected figure in the local jazz and fusion community. He continues to perform, record, and collaborate with other musicians, always pushing his music in new directions.
👇 Aaron opens up about his intense practice routine, the importance of vintage gear mojo, and why consistency is the real key to growth. From transcribing Bach and Holdsworth to leading his projects Anemoia and Abstract Citizen, Lebos blends jazz fusion chops with a grounded, no-shortcuts mindset. “Play as much as possible, grind, and sound amazing,” he says—that’s the formula.
🎸 Q & A
What does your current guitar practice routine look like?
The most important thing (that I don't do perfectly) is get the freaking phone away from me. If I have let's say 5-6 hours I like to mix things up. Currently will play Bach cello suites for an hour or two (with a metronome), work on chord melodies in different keys to a jazz standard, maybe transcribe some Holdsworth, run through/learn a new flat picking bluegrass standard, shed the changes to one of my original tunes and always try to discover something I haven't heard - new or old. This is why I need more like 8 hours lol.
What's the best piece of advice you have for other guitar players?
It really depends on what your goals are. For time/pocket, play along with records/metronome, for vocabulary, learn from the masters but then take that info and craft it in your own way (through inversions, different keys, starting on different beats or off beats are a few of the endless ways).
What’s one technique, habit, or concept that helped you level up as a player?
Consistency is key for me, I never go more than a few hours without having a guitar in my hands. This helps maintain fluidity. Also, discovering new or old amazing music helps to keep me inspired.
What gear (guitar/amp/pedals) are you using lately—and why?
As the years go on, I more than ever am just into the tone/mojo that vintage instruments and amps have. That doesn't mean that I don't love my Suhr and its perfection as an instrument, but the projection of old gear is the deal for me.
What are the most effective ways you've found to market yourself or your band?
Play as much as possible grind, and sound amazing.
Are there any books, albums, or videos you recommend to other guitarists?
YouTube is pretty ridiculous, but strengthen your ear by learning from records as well.
How do you approach creativity—writing, improvising, or building a solo?
Creativity is an unpredictable concept for me. Some nights you can play nothing wrong, and some nights I'm too in my head. However, things that help are feeling physically connected to the guitar through days/week of good practice, being well-rested, and playing with great musicians who are bringing the vibe.
What’s been your biggest challenge as a guitarist and musician?
Not to be a hater, but I think in general social media is not good in some (not all) aspects. It "appears" like everyone is "better than me" and doing more in their career than me, however, I know logically that this is false - but it's not good for younger players.
I think that Instagram has it's place in a fun way to share, but the skills needed to have depth as a musician - be able to play and vibe with others, play 3-4 hour gigs, be versatile etc. are not going to be learned there.
Stick to the basics- learning tunes, transcribing, working on time feel, etc. This is where longevity is developed in my opinion.
What’s next for you musically—any projects or goals you're working on?
My two original groups Anemoia and Abstract Citizen. Becoming an all-around better guitarist and musician, always staying hungry, and simultaneously raising two boys pretty much covers every second lol.
⚡ Lightning Round
One album every guitarist should listen to?
Karim Ziad - Ifrikya
Desert island guitar and amp?
Vintage Fender Bassman, vintage 345 and some reverb
What guitarist should everyone know about?
Too many, but I'll say Tim Watson
Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Abstract Citizen | Anemoia
Check out Aaron in action:
Guitar Lesson 📚
Let's take a look at a way to re-harmonize the I chord in a typical ii V I jazz chord progression.
This idea, used by greats such as Horace Silver and Pat Martino, works well when the melody ends on the 9th of a major 9th chord.
Instead of playing a maj9 chord (#1 below), you could play a 7#9 chord a half step below the I chord (#2 below).
One other option, is to combine them, and use the 7#9 chord to resolve to the I chord (#3 below).
- Common jazz ii V I progression:
- Substitute the I chord for a 7#9 chord a half step down:
- Resolving the 7#9 chord back to the I:
Noteworthy 🗞️
- D’Angelico Guitars announced an all-new collection of officially licensed Grateful Dead guitars celebrating the band's 60th Anniversary. The 3 models - Grateful Dead DC, Grateful Dead SS, and Grateful Dead Tammany are all part of their more budget-friendly Premier line.
- Fender announced a signature Michael Landau Coma Stratocaster®. The guitar features a '59 alder body with Coma Red Satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, custom ML Ultra Noiseless Strat® and custom ML CuNiFe Wide-Range humbucker pickups, and a custom "C" neck shape.
- Pritesh Walia joined jazz guitar teacher Jens Larsen to discuss the way he wishes he learned jazz guitar.
- Fender released a new Sunshine Yellow color for their Player II Modified series.
- Fulltone brought back the custom shop OCD v1.4 overdrive pedal for a limited run of 500 units.
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