Members Jonny_Q Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 I've been playing rhythm at the local blues jam (not quite proficient enough to take solos with the "big boys" yet), just your straight I/IV/V progressions, playing 7th's up and down the neck. I was wondering if anyone here had suggestions on how to spice up my rhythm playing to expand past the "7th" chord patterns. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks guys.
Members red|dragon Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 -google "jazz blues" and learn chord substitutions. -learn a turn around -swing more. slide into the chords from a half step up or down -convert your 7th chords to 9's and 13's -add chord movement (play 2 chord voicings for one measure of chord) -simplify your chords, you dont need big fat 6 and 5 string chords, try 2 or 3
Members red|dragon Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 3 instructional videos to assist you: Danny Gatton: Strictly Rhythm Guitar Don Mocks' Beyond Basics: Jazz Guitar Rhythm Chops Jim Hall: MasterClass Volume 1 all focused on blues changes.
Members red|dragon Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 check out this blues chord progression:Notice the diminished chord.
Members red|dragon Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 See the last 2 measures of Blue Monk? The 2 Bars of Bb7. That is where you want to put your turn around. #1 Do this Bb7 to D-7 to G7 to C-7 to F7 and then back to the Bb7 (at the stop of the score) (iii, vi, ii, V, I) #2 Then Try Bb7 to D-7 to Db13 to C-7 to B13 and then back to Bb7. Very jazz sounding and I guarantee the "big boys" will like it. Notice the descending half steps in those chords. The 13th chords are called Tri-tone substitutions. Take any 7th chord, go to the b5 and play a 13th chord off of that root. Example: G7 = Dd13
Members Jonny_Q Posted February 14, 2007 Author Members Posted February 14, 2007 Thanks for the help!
Members gennation Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3573/lessons.html Right there. That will help you spice up your Blues rhythms. Start at Blues to Jazz and work your way through. Simple stuff but VERY effective.
Members Virgman Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 Those are good tips. Chord substitution is really cool.
Members bardsley Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 But remember, the blues isn't about complicated {censored}. It's about being honest. If that means playing wierd stuff, then cool, but blues seems to die as soon as someone says to themselves "well, tonight I'm going to get sophisticated"
Members red|dragon Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 But remember, the blues isn't about complicated {censored}. It's about being honest. If that means playing wierd stuff, then cool, but blues seems to die as soon as someone says to themselves "well, tonight I'm going to get sophisticated" Good point. Jonny_Q, if playing anything other than basic 7th chords up and down the neck is too complicated for you, like it is for bardsley, just try one change at a time. But I think you could take a bigger bite and manage to digest. If you have any questions, just ask.
Members rm100tubehead Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 I like to repond to the rythmic elements of a soloist. For example if the soloist is playing alot of triplets I will add that to my comping.
Members Eddie Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 But remember, the blues isn't about complicated {censored}. It's about being honest. If that means playing wierd stuff, then cool, but blues seems to die as soon as someone says to themselves "well, tonight I'm going to get sophisticated"Another one of those blues myths
Members Eddie Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 In addition to what has been posted, there are some very simple and effective ways to become a better blues rhythm player.Check out Keith Wyatt
Members Virgman Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 Here's a link to a substitution summary chart. I got it from the Guitar Masters site (which unfortunately is kaput). http://www.esnips.com/doc/78ff9562-2842-4957-8203-c67b172fbafa/Blues-Substitution-Chart
Members Jonny_Q Posted February 14, 2007 Author Members Posted February 14, 2007 Good point. Jonny_Q, if playing anything other than basic 7th chords up and down the neck is too complicated for you, like it is for bardsley, just try one change at a time. But I think you could take a bigger bite and manage to digest. If you have any questions, just ask.It's definatly not complicated; the reason why I'm looking for suggestions to spice things up is because I find it a little too easy Thanks guys.
Members bardsley Posted February 14, 2007 Members Posted February 14, 2007 It's not a myth, it's just how I like to listen to it. I'm not really a fan of most electric blues bands, because they all sound lame, and they tend to be along the lines of "the whole band plays a steady blues feel, while some guy solos for four hours". I much prefer the older style of acoustic blues, in which the rhythm and lead was much more integrated, as one person's guitar style. Now, if you're playing a blues in a jazz context, then pushing the envelope is great. Similarly, if you want to make some things a bit out there in your blues playing, that's cool too. I didn't say you have to keep things completely simple, but I said you have to be honest. Is that a myth? That can mean using lots of diminished based material for instance, but as soon as you try to look smart, you're going to sound bad. That's true of most music, but it's really out there with the Blues form.
Members Jonny_Q Posted February 15, 2007 Author Members Posted February 15, 2007 It's not a myth, it's just how I like to listen to it. I'm not really a fan of most electric blues bands, because they all sound lame, and they tend to be along the lines of "the whole band plays a steady blues feel, while some guy solos for four hours". I much prefer the older style of acoustic blues, in which the rhythm and lead was much more integrated, as one person's guitar style. Now, if you're playing a blues in a jazz context, then pushing the envelope is great. Similarly, if you want to make some things a bit out there in your blues playing, that's cool too. I didn't say you have to keep things completely simple, but I said you have to be honest. Is that a myth? That can mean using lots of diminished based material for instance, but as soon as you try to look smart, you're going to sound bad. That's true of most music, but it's really out there with the Blues form. I can't stand the "guy soloing for 4 hours" routine either. Which is why I'm trying to play the Steve Cropper method - integrate rhythm and lead. Hence the "spicing up rhythm" question
Members Eddie Posted February 15, 2007 Members Posted February 15, 2007 It's not a myth, it's just how I like to listen to it....I didn't say you have to keep things completely simple, but I said you have to be honest. Is that a myth?... Then it
Members Stackabones Posted February 15, 2007 Members Posted February 15, 2007 Deep Blues, by Robert Palmer. Fascinating history of the more traditional view of the blues. Great book.
Members bardsley Posted February 15, 2007 Members Posted February 15, 2007 Eddie, I think our musical tastes are probably quite similar. Sure, I was drunk when I wrote that stuff the other night, but I still mean it, pretty much. What I meant is that all the complicated stuff comes from the ear, and the great sense of the quirky that good blues music always has at its soul. I hate it that so many people seem to have forgotten how funny the blues can be. That's why I love Monk so much, because he kept that quirkiness alive. There's a difference between sophistication, and someone trying to sound sophisticated. It's like with jazz: people who think jazz is sophisticated tend to be the people who don't play it. Charlie Parker wasn't trying to be clever he was trying to be good. What I said about honesty wasn't meant in that "it's gotta come from the soul" crap, because that's a given. I mean, you've got to be honest about what you're trying to get out of it. Are you trying to play some music, or are you trying to show how clever you are, because you worry that if people notice you're playing the same old chords all the time they're going to think you're no good? Why do we talk about all the cool chords and solo work to play over blues when we constantly ignore the thing that holds it all together: the time? I can play an E major7 chord for 15 bars that sounds more like the blues than if I play a standard blues progression in a dumb way. In fact, the more I play the blues, I find the longer I take before I get around to moving to the IV chord. I can sit on the I for days and it feels like the blues to me. Likewise I can sit on the tritone sub of that all day and it does the same.
Members Eddie Posted February 15, 2007 Members Posted February 15, 2007 Blues can be funny indeed. It can get people dancing and laughing. There are many great videos of older blues performances with both the musicians and the audience dressed sharply and having a blast. Not too many sharp-dressed blues musicians these days I think John Lee Hooker did the same as you. He stayed on the I chord until he felt like changing
Members 1001gear Posted February 17, 2007 Members Posted February 17, 2007 And for some spread on this, Scott Henderson. Big Girl Blues is a good one.
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