But I guess alot depends on how 'out there' I feel like playing as well
as the feelings of the other people you're playing with. But my own
feeling (and I'm sure other will disagree) is that the bass should
(generally) 'anchor' things. But I know enough that you don't need to
start each bar with the chord's root; I'm just not sure which are the
'important' notes to hit within a given chord.
(I've condensed the previous message to just the changes. The walk-
through text has been helpful so don't think I'm omitting it any reason
other brevity.)
> Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> F7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> F7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> F7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F- Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | Bb7 |
> F7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F-7 Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | G7 |
> C-7 | F7 | Bb7 | F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F-7 Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | G7 |
> C-7 | F7 | D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bbalt |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | G7 |
> C-7 | F7 | D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Ab7,A7 Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | G7 |
> C-7 | F7 | D-7 G7 | C-7 F7 |
> Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | F-7 Bb7 |
> Eb7 | Eo | Bb7 | G7 |
> C-7 | F7 | D-7 Db7 | C-7 F7 |
Ted Harms Library, Univ. of Waterloo
tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x3761
"Then, I would say, lenguage is that we may MIS-unda-stend each udda."
- Krazy Kat
On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Frank Curran wrote:
> Someone asked about blues changes that most jazz players would use.
> Well from what I've seen there's a vast variety. However, here are a
> few basics.
>
> The most basic form of the blues (say in Bb) is the 12 bar form:
>
> note that all chords are dominant 7th chords.
>
> The most frequent 1st variation is V7 in bar 12, and IV7 in bar 2.
>
> Nothing jazzy about any of this yet.
>
> Many jazz blues will use #IVdim in bar 6.
>
> Also, one of the beautiful aspects of I to IV movement is that I is the
> V of IV. Further, continuing to "backcycle" through dominants leads one
> into the ii-V7-I progression, which I'll assume is understood. So, a
> next frequent substition is F- Bb7 in bar 4. This is a ii-V into the Eb
> in bar 5.
>
> Now continuing the backcycle concept, targeting the I chord in bar 11,
> we frequently play VI7-ii-V7-I in bar 8 through bar 11.
>
> Continuing in the same train of thought (ii-V7-I) and targeting the I
> in Bar 1 we freqeuntly play iii-VI7-ii-V7 for two beats each starting
> on beat 1 of bar 11.
>
> This is now a basic jazz blues. A few more wrinkles:
>
> Sometimes bar 4 is just Ialt (i.e. raise or lower either 5 or 9 or both)
> Here's an interesting one. In any V7 chord there is a tritone (an
> interval of three whole steps). This is a very disonant interval and
> the V7 is the only diatonic chord that contains a tritone. Since it is
> so disonant it dominates the sound of the chord and the ear perceives
> it as characteristic of the sound of that chord. Now consider that for
> each dom7 chord, the dom7 chord a b5 away contains the same tritone. If
> you haven't come across this before, think about it some and try a few
> examples, its much simpler to see and hear than to describe. Thus, we
> see a natural substition for a dom7 chord is the dom7 chord a flatted
> fifth away because it contains the same tritone. For example, where
> we have a G7 we might substitute a Db7.
> And so, applying this to bar 11, we do frequently play:
>
> I'll stop here. However, there are a whole lot of further substitions
> in frequent use, this barely scratches the surface. Taking the
> chord/scale that goes with each chord (a whole 'nother thread) opens up
> a very large space for improv ideas.
>
> Hope this helps. :-)
>
> Frank
>
>