A lesson on how to play jazzy blues

[rosskoss]

http://www.digitalsoundplanet.com/Members/000068069_000003767.mp3

 

Thats what I call playing in the pocket!

 

Play close attention now

 

Ok, heres the actual lesson

 

http://guitarmain.com/bluecrds.html

 

Check out the sub. section after that and come up with some stuff of your own

 

http://guitarmain.com/b5sub.html

[Terje]

Nice stuff!

[Terje]

OK, before you blow your mind with all that theory stuff in the initial post let me give you the lazy man's way of "jazzing it up".

Let's say we're in C (cause it's easier to think that way). Even thought there are more chords being played, still think of it as three chords, C7, F7 and G7. So even if the progression looks like this...
|C7|F7 F#dim|C7|C7 Gm7|F7|F#dim|C7|Em7b5 A7|Dm7|G7|Em7 A7|Dm7 G7|
... you still "think" like this...
|C7|F7|C7|C7|F7|F7|C7|C7|G7|G7|C7|G7|
... cause basically it's the same thing.

Over the C7 use the G altered pentatonic scale (G A Bb D E). See how it spells out the chord really well, yet it's just a simple scale. For the F7 chord use the C altered pentatonic scale (C D Eb G A). Works the same way.

Now for the G7 chord you first use the D altered pentatonic scale. Then, over the second bar of G7 you play the Ab altered pentatonic scale (Aa Bb B Eb F). It has the same tritone as the D altered pentatonic scale, and the chord (B-F),that's why it works.

If you want more altered notes don't forget that the C7 is the V chord of the F7 so you can use the Db altered pentatonic scale (Db Eb E Ab Bb) over C7 in the fourth bar before the change.

[rosskoss]

Aaah Mr. Terje, I see you've been putting your Bouchard book to good use.

I bought it too........its excellent!

[Terje]

Originally posted by rosskoss Aaah Mr. Terje, I see you've been putting your Bouchard book to good use. I bought it too........its excellent!

It's such a great book! One of the best I've ever bought. If my house was on fire I'd run around trying to find... nah, I'd have to buy another one

I didn't know about this scale before. I mean, just like everyone else who has ever played the blues, I have played those notes before but never thought of them as a scale.

There are other ways of getting altered notes but this one is smart, easy and sounds good. That's enough for me

[Dave Regio]

Originally posted by Terje It's such a great book! One of the best I've ever bought. If my house was on fire I'd run around trying to find... nah, I'd have to buy another one I didn't know about this scale before. I mean, just like everyone else who has ever played the blues, I have played those notes before but never thought of them as a scale. There are other ways of getting altered notes but this one is smart, easy and sounds good. That's enough for me

This is all out of the Bouchard book?

I know you've spoken highly of it on J. Aebersold's forum. I'm going to have to buy this. I can hold off on Van Eps' Harmonic Mechanisms.

Great way to look at playing over a blues progression. My ideas are quite stale and need work.

[Dozy]

What is an altered pentatonic? I only know the normal one.

[Jimmy James]

I know everyone has their favorite Jazz/Blues instructionals but these are the ones that changed my life.

http://www.fergusonguitar.com/books.html

I'll probably never fully finish them. I keep coming back.

[mukuzi]

that guys tone is a little processed for those bop lines imo

[Terje]

Originally posted by Dozy What is an altered pentatonic? I only know the normal one.

 

 

The simple answer is: It's a major pentatonic scale with the 3rd lower to a b3. But not everyone considers the major pentatonic to be the normal one...

 

So which one would you consider to be the normal one. The major or the minor pentatonic? Like this one:

 

E--0-3-----

B--0-3----

G--0-2-----

D--0-2----

A--0-2-----

E--0-3-----

 

It's either the E minor pentatonic, or if you start an finish on G it's the G major pentatonic. The major pentatonic is the basic pentatonic scale, that'sthe one I'd call normal. Lots of guitar players know the minor pentatonic better cause it's very close to the blues scale.

 

Anyway, take this G major pentatonic scale and lower, or alter, the 3rd, the B note. You'll get the notes G A Bb D E. It would look like this open:

 

E--0-3-----

B--X-3-----

G--0-2-3--

D--0-2----

A--0-1----

E--0-3-----

 

Probably not the smartest fingering but then again I don't play guitar much. Anyway, the real reason for callingit altered is that if you play this scale against an F#7alt. chord the notes would be derived from the F# altered scale more than anyting else.

[555]

Excellent. Do you know who's playing it ?

[Dozy]

Thanks Terje - my normal one is the major pentatonic. I will have to try that out. And play with the fingering a bit. What book is the Bouchard book?

alan

[Terje]

Originally posted by Dozy Thanks Terje - my normal one is the major pentatonic.

 

 

As you've already noticed it's very easy then.

 

 

I will have to try that out. And play with the fingering a bit.

 

 

You've probably played these notes before. It'll come fast.

 

 

What book is the Bouchard book? alan

 

 

It's called Intermediate Jazz Improvisation and it's the first book I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject.

[Kirk95]

Originally posted by rosskoss Aaah Mr. Terje, I see you've been putting your Bouchard book to good use. I bought it too........its excellent!

What is the Bouchard book?

[Terje]

Originally posted by Kirk95 What is the Bouchard book?

 

 

See the reply above yours.