For example, an A minor blues progression would typically be: Am7, Dm7, Em7 (1,4,5). For the G minor blues progression, you could use the G blues scale. You could also try to play E7 instead of Em in the last bar. In the key of C the chords would be C major F major and G major. The key of the the chord progression will determine exactly which chords will be used. So to form a 7th chord, you need to include the following notes in your chord: Root + 3rd + 5th + Minor 7th. Minor piano chord progressions work in essentially the same way, except they use the minor chords from positions ii, iii, and vi of a scale. What About More Advanced Blues Piano? To do these chords specifically as Am7, Dm7, Em7 and E7, they would be like this: For an example of doing this in another key, lets put together the progression in G minor. The “Major Blues Scale” is some less common than the “Minor Blues Scale”, and therefore we start … In the key of A minor, the A minor 7 chord (Am7) is the i chord. The Minor Blues is a great vehicle for improvisation and a very common chord progression that you want to be able to comp and solo on. The following piano key chord chart shows all the triads in E minor as well as four note extended chords. The notes of the C Minor Blues Scale are C Eb F F# G and Bb. Now let’s go over another form of the minor blues progression. At first glance, it appears that the minor blues are the same as the standard, except with minor chords instead of dominant 7 chords. Of course, you can play the blues in any key (if you really wanted … Here’s a chart showing this progression in roman numerals instead of chords: You can go about figuring out the chords for the key you are playing in using the same method that I outlined in my article about the major blues progression. There are actually quite a few variations of the minor blues progression out there. We can also introduce passing chords to add harmonic interest to the 12 bar minor blues progression. Simply change the chord type of each chord to minor! Of course, just playing over the 3 basic blues chords is just scratching the surface. When played over 12 bars, this progression becomes a “12-bar blues.” Note: A bar of music is a way of notating a set amount of time, or a certain number of beats, in the music. The blues scale can be used to solo over both progressions. The … Playing 3 CQ. In comparison with the progression I had covered in part one (which I’ll now refer to as the major blues progression), the minor blues progression has a darker, smoother sound to it. Let’s get to them! In this first music lesson of ten, discover the sultry C minor blues scale for piano. I’ll start by showing the progression in the key of A minor: In the key of A minor, the A minor 7 chord (Am7) is the i chord. An advanced guitarist taking more of a jazz approach to soloing over this progression might use a handful of modal scales, as well as some usage of the harmonic or melodic minor scale. 12 bar blues is a chord progression that defines the number of bars or measures in a typical blues song structure. You can experiment with improvising on … We'll learn the 12 bar blues in several keys, and the chords you'll need to learn are the following. First, let’s look at the roman numerals of the 12 bar progression: The progression is exactly the same as form 1 except for the 9th and 10th bars, where we now have the VI chord going to V. Locating the VI chord is easy: its root note will just be a half step above V. Here’s a diagram showing where it would be if we were in the key of A minor: The VI chord will be a dominant 7th chord, just like V. If we are in the key of A minor, the VI chord would be an F7, making all our chords for the progression Am7 (i), Dm7 (iv), E7 (V), and F7 (VI). There are many ways you could do these chords, but here are some movable chords I like to use in this type of situation: You just need to position these chords so that their root notes (indicated by the circle with an R in it) are on the notes I diagrammed above. Yes, you’ll hear a lot of blues musicians just playing the basic 3 chords but if you really want to learn how to play blues piano I suggest you go much further. So, our chords would be Gm7, Cm7, Dm7, and D7. There are a few other key differences which we will highlight in lesson 1 of the course. Regardless of the approach or style that is being used, the blues scale would feature heavily in any guitarist’s scale choice, and it can sound great even if it’s the only scale used. First, let’s find the root notes of our chords: Our root notes are G for I, C for iv, and D for v/V. This one is equally, if not more, common than form 1 of the progression. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Finally, we will learn the minor blues in 6/8 time. The basic 12 bar blues progression can be played in any key and will use the I, IV, and V chords from that key. But there many other interesting options. Blues Piano Chords The harmony of Blues music is not usually sophisticated. Just like the traditional, dominant chord-based blues … In case you don’t know the notes on the 6th and 5th strings, here’s a diagram showing them: To locate the i, iv and v/V chords in any key, start by finding the root note of the i chord on the 6th string. 2. In the previous parts, I covered the 12 bar blues progression, the extended box pattern of the blues scale, and I demonstrated some blues licks. In the final lesson in this course, we apply everything we have learnt to the famous tune "Mr PC" written by John Coltrane. minor seventh note. OK, let’s see now the most common chord progressions. A steady left hand groove combined with powerful right hand licks create a rhythmic blues piano sound. What makes the chords "bluesy" is the use of 7th chords rather than the basic triads. Chord #1 — “The Major Triad” I’ll also demonstrate how to put the progression together in a couple different keys, and go over some blues tunes that use this progression. From the course: No Bull Guide To Jazz Piano™ (Beginner) We analyse the different types of bassline patterns that you can use, starting by outlining the primary chord tones, and then moving onto step-wise basslines which outline the tones of the scale. PC.” and “Equinox,” “Stolen Moments” by Oliver Nelson and “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter, as well as, for those old enough to remember, the original “Spiderman Theme Song” from the late-Sixties animated TV series … We start by recapping on the basic theory and then jump straight in with some improvisation drills and exercises to get you familiar and comfortable with these useful scales. The following are 11 common chord progressions in the keys of C major and A minor, as well as the titles of hit songs which make use of them. Minor key blues uses exactly the same 1 4 5 root relationship from earlier, but with minor chords instead of major/dominant 7th. One of the great things about minor is that the options we have several options when it comes to the extensions or sounds available on the blues. Learn what notes to play with when creating original piano melodies. Blues Guitar Chord Progressions. There is a lesson dedicated to left hand patterns and basslines. FAQ The following diagram includes other popular piano chord progressions in minor keys. Modal scales are more exotic sounding than the pentatonic and blues scales. 336 587-5794, All Content © 2020 Guitar Lessons with Andy Lemaire, Use Creative, Playful Practice for More Fun and Better Results, How to Position Your Hand for the F Chord, Breaking Down the Blues, pt 6: A Sample Solo, Breaking Down the Blues, pt. Teaching Philosophy The Minor Blues Progression is a variation of the standard 12 bar blues progression. (For the sake of brevity, I’ll only look at playing blues in the key of C). We use the iRealPro backing track to practice our in-tempo improvisation over the form. Download Your Free Guitar Handbook Now: https://berkonl.in/2BnRms3 Earn Your Guitar Degree Online with Berklee: https://berkonl.in/2yHMR8k In this free online guitar tutorial, Berklee College of Music professor and Berklee Online course author Michael Williams explains minor blues progressions for the rhythm guitar in the style of BB King’s “The Thrill is Gone.” About Berklee Online: Berklee In this lesson we are going to learn the standard blues progression, listen to some famous examples of 12 bar blues songs and learn to play some blues on the piano. Because there are three variations of the minor scale, natural, harmonic, and melodic, the chords that stem from a minor tonality offer more harmonic variety than the major scale. US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove. The i, iv, and v chords will all be minor 7th chords, and are therefore indicated by lower case roman numerals. You should be comfortable with the concepts of chord extensions, altered harmony, and rootless voicings. Basic Blues Progression. A7 The Left Hand Blues Piano Groove. This progression can be found in many styles of music. Don’t you love the sound of that G and A cluster at the bottom of the chord? This is the fourth part in my ‘Breaking Down the Blues’ series. In the 12-bar blues, each bar would have four beats or counts, and each chord would last one bar. A favorite progression of mine, and many jazz musicians, to solo over is what’s known as the minor jazz-blues progression, featured on such jazz classics as John Coltrane’s “Mr. The variation involves changing the I and IV chords in the blues progression to and iv (changing major chords to minor chords). C Minor Blues Scale piano notation for blues piano improv What are the notes of the C Minor Blues Scale? The D minor 7 chord (Dm7) is the iv chord, Em7 is v, and E7 is V. As you can see, from a roman numeral standpoint the progression is the same as the major blues progression. King (form 2 in B minor), As The Years Go Passing By by Albert King (a slightly modified form 2 in B minor), Life is Hard by Johnny Winter (a slightly modified form 1 in C minor). The chords used are basically major triads and dominant seventh chords and although minor, extended, and altered chords are used by modern players, the chords associated with Blues piano are major triads and dominant seventh chords. Most of these variations are slight deviations from two common forms of the progression, both of which I’ll cover in this lesson. Mr. PC by John Coltrane (form 2 in C minor), Equinox by John Coltrane (form 2 in C# minor), Birk’s Works by Dizzy Gillespie (form 2 in F minor), Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson (form 2 in C minor during the solos), Long Train Running by The Doobie Brothers (form 2 in G minor), Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd (form 2 in G minor only during the keyboard, sax and guitar solos), The Thrill is Gone by B.B. Lesson #16 - Minor Blues Progression with Rootless Chords In this lesson you'll learn how play a minor blues progression along with walking bass and rootless chords. The D minor 7 chord (Dm7) is the iv chord, Em7 is v, and E7 is V. As you can see, from a roman numeral standpoint the progression is the same as the major blues progression. To do so, you’ll just need to know the notes on the 6th and 5th strings of the guitar, and a few movable chord shapes. We start by playing through with simple triad voicings, and then we extend the chords to include the 7th. They can also use the I chord and the V or vii chord to get from one chord to another. - One of the important things that chord progressions do is establish the tonality, or tonic, of a scale. 12 bar blues progressions in minor Standard 12 Bar Blues in Em This is one of the most standard progressions of blues in minor. The blues chord progression lasts 12 bars (thus the phrase “12-bar blues”) that move in a familiar pattern using those three chords. Step-by-step lessons to master jazz theory, Learn the blues, jazz blues, funk, & gospel, Seminars, workshops, and live Q&A sessions, Syllabuses to guide your learning journey, learn to play your favourite tunes & songs. UK & Europe: +44 808 196 2012 I – V -vi – IV – (C – G – Am – F) – With Or Without You – U2 Here are links to the previous parts: In part four, I’ll talk about the second most common chord progression in the blues: the minor blues progression. We will then look at enhancing the minor blues form with inversions, substitutions and rehamonisations. Here’s a diagram of what I describe, with the root notes of i, iv and v/V in the key of A minor: Then, just build the chords you need off those root notes using some movable chord shapes. Adding a “blue note” to the regular Pentatonic Scale results in the Pentatonic Blues Scale. This lesson will teach how to play easy 12 bar blues progressions with open chords. We discuss and explore combining these scales to access more interesting sounds on the piano. The V chord remains the same--MAJOR or DOMINANT 7. 5: The Major Pentatonic Scale. 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression Enhancing The Minor Blues Form We will then look at enhancing the minor blues form with inversions, substitutions and rehamonisations. Then we will add some more flair to the bass line by adding in approach notes to give it a more "pro" sound. The combination of notes from the minor pentatonic scale over the major chords is part of that bluesy sound. After mastering the basic minor blues progression, I'll show you how to expand it with rich jazz reharmonization and chord substitutions. Leave us your email below and we will send you a full sample lesson and a PDF download. There are a number of similarities between the minor blues progression and the major blues progression: There are also a few differences, which I’ll talk about below. A couple rock songs that use the progression are: Warren Haynes photo credit: iaintright / CC BY-NC-SA, Bio How to Play a Minor Blues – Tip #1: The Form. This combo of jazz and blues piano chords will make your blues sound way more interesting. Because these are “blue notes”. This makes 12 bars in total – one for each chord. BLUES PROGRESSIONS The minor pentatonic scale can also be used over major chords like in a blues chord progression. View lesson. Jazz musicians have taken the Basic I7-IV7-V Blues and added more chord changes and variations to it. Now let’s go over the Basic Jazz Blues. The most common structure includes three chords and can look something like: I, IV, I, V, IV, I. For both form 1 and 2 of the A minor blues progression, you could use the A blues scale (meaning the A minor pentatonic scale, plus the blues note). It will also feature the VI chord, and the 12 bar progression will be slightly different than form 1. 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