Hi all.
I've been playing through some of the more obvious changes on a jazz blues for years now. Just wondered if people had some interesting alternatives to the more standard jazz changes. Substitutions, fresh turnaround ideas etc. I know quite a few others but just interested to get a fresh perspective.
I've been working though West Coast Blues as this is a great example of that. Recommendations for other similar standards would be appreciated.
I watched a Josh Smith interview the other day and he described how he had written down all the possible chords you can play on a blues and spend ten years shedding over them whilst watching basketball! It's obviously worked for him - I thought I'd try and open my practice to cover more of the other possible chords.
Assuming this is a basic starting point, please post some alternatives below! I'm not much of a theory head, so bear with me. Let's keep it in the key of Bb for now. Thanks!
| Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7alt |
| Eb7 | Edim | Bb7 | G7alt |
| Cm7 | F7 | Bb7 G7 | Cm7 F7 |
Comments
[It looks like the 1st linked page is covered by the noted progression in your comment]
https://mattwarnockguitar.com/how-to-play-a-jazz-blues-chord-progression/
https://mattwarnockguitar.com/jazz-guitar-chords/
(refer ‘Sunny’ and ‘Giant Steps’)
There are a couple of other things
You can throw a Dm7 before the G7 in bar 8.
Other than that - you could look into Bird blues - I wrote an article on that a while back.
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/25842-beyond-blues-how-to-play-bird-blues
https://www.patreon.com/leviclay | https://www.youtube.com/c/leviclay
As written, it is (loosely) a 1 6 2 5, try a 3 6 2 5 instead, i.e. - | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 |
Feedback
@jalapeno Thanks I will have a look at some other turnarounds.
So Bb7 - G7 - Cm7 - F7
first make them all dominant
Bb7 - G7 - C7 - F7
Now tritone sub the G7 and F7
Bb7 - Db7 - C7 - B7
But then apply the standard rules of extensions and play richer chords
One pattern I like is this
Bb7 - 6 x 6 7 6 x
Db9 - 9 x 9 8 6 x
C7sus - 8 x 8 7 6 x
B9#11 - 7 x 7 6 6 x
Keeping that F on the top ties it together nicely.
https://www.patreon.com/leviclay | https://www.youtube.com/c/leviclay
Check this out. Take note that he's on a 7-string guitar so you should be reading the charts instead of watching his hands if you're using a 6-string.
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep
https://youtu.be/cklYR21TcNE
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_blues_chord_progressions.html
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
I C9 / Gb13 / I F13 / B9 / I D7b5b9 / G13b9 / I C13 / F13b9 / I is one idea...
Ged
https://www.jazzbooks.com/mm5/download/FQBK-handbook.pdf
Refer to [Printed number] page 35....(however pdf page 36 of 56)