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. If you are a horn player or other instrumentalist, be able to play the arpeggios. If you’re unsure of what I mean about this, go ahead and check out part 2 of this series for a broader description. So to form a 7th chord, you need to include the following notes in your chord: Root + 3rd + 5th + Minor 7th. Testimonials Modal scales are more exotic sounding than the pentatonic and blues scales. 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. Now let’s go over the Basic Jazz Blues. Blues Piano Chords The harmony of Blues music is not usually sophisticated. Leave us your email below and we will send you a full sample lesson and a PDF download. 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. 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. The blues chord progression lasts 12 bars (thus the phrase “12-bar blues”) that move in a familiar pattern using those three chords. 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. This progression can be found in many styles of music. Online Lessons 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. The basic 12 bar blues progression can be played in any key and will use the I, IV, and V chords from that key. Jazz musicians have taken the Basic I7-IV7-V Blues and added more chord changes and variations to it. 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. Piano Chords In The Key Of E Minor. Players like Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery, Wynton Kelly, Bud Powell, Gene Harris, Ray Charles, and hundreds of other great jazz musicians made this blues chord progression famous. In the 12-bar blues, each bar would have four beats or counts, and each chord would last one bar. 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. Of course, you can play the blues in any key (if you really wanted … We can also introduce passing chords to add harmonic interest to the 12 bar minor blues progression. - One of the important things that chord progressions do is establish the tonality, or tonic, of a scale. There is a lesson dedicated to left hand patterns and basslines. 11 Common Chord Progressions. We discuss and explore combining these scales to access more interesting sounds on the piano. 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. But there many other interesting options. You could also try to play E7 instead of Em in the last bar. Just like the traditional, dominant chord-based blues … The key of the the chord progression will determine exactly which chords will be used. Basic Blues Progression. 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. 12-bar blues and 16-bar blues progressions are very standard in blues and concerning chords the most fundamental to learn. The real magic happens when you can use blues scale over more chord progressions.. 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. 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. Welcome to this course on the minor blues progression. A7 A steady left hand groove combined with powerful right hand licks create a rhythmic blues piano sound. The most common structure includes three chords and can look something like: I, IV, I, V, IV, I. Learn what notes to play with when creating original piano melodies. US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove. Of course, just playing over the 3 basic blues chords is just scratching the surface. You should be comfortable with the concepts of chord extensions, altered harmony, and rootless voicings. 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). We start by introducing the minor blues form and exploring the similarities and differences to the standard 12 bar blues. The notes of the C Minor Blues Scale are C Eb F F# G and Bb. We then take the application of scales a step further by introducing modal scales. The following piano key chord chart shows all the triads in E minor as well as four note extended chords. Ukulele Lessons, Guitar Lessons with Andy Lemaire 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. It’s very similar to form 1 in that it will still feature the i, iv and V chords. The V chord will be a dominant 7th chord, which is the same type of chord used for all the chords in the major blues progression. The Minor Blues Progression is a variation of the standard 12 bar blues progression. In the key of A minor, the A minor 7 chord (Am7) is the i chord. In this lesson I am going to show you two different sounds that you can use in minor blues comping. Enhancing The Minor Blues Form We will then look at enhancing the minor blues form with inversions, substitutions and rehamonisations. Blog This combo of jazz and blues piano chords will make your blues sound way more interesting. 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. So, form 2 of the A minor blues progression would be this: If we were to put the progression together in G minor, our VI chord would be Eb7, and therefore our progression and chords would be this: When it comes to soloing over both forms of the minor blues progression, there are a number of choices available to you. UK & Europe: +44 808 196 2012 There are a few other key differences which we will highlight in lesson 1 of the course. This lesson will teach how to play easy 12 bar blues progressions with open chords. We'll learn the 12 bar blues in several keys, and the chords you'll need to learn are the following. If these areas are new to you, then check out these courses: Matt then introduced the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale. If they played it then we should learn how to play it too! We can also introduce passing chords to add harmonic interest to the 12 bar minor blues progression. The famous 4-chord major progression I – V – vi – IV works so well in pop music because it brings energy and feels positive. A couple rock songs that use the progression are: Warren Haynes photo credit: iaintright / CC BY-NC-SA, Bio At first glance, it appears that the minor blues are the same as the standard, except with minor chords instead of dominant 7 chords. 12 bar blues is a chord progression that defines the number of bars or measures in a typical blues song structure. I’ll start by going over the form that is the most similar to the major blues progression. A lesson with Kent D. Smith . Essentially, the blues is a specific progression that uses the C7, F7, and G7 chords. For a review of the roman numerals system see the lesson on diatonic chords. If you are interested about learning more about blues progressions, The … Contact For example, an A minor blues progression would typically be: Am7, Dm7, Em7 (1,4,5). A common ordering of the progression, "vi–IV–I–V", was dubbed the "sensitive female chord progression" by Boston Globe Columnist Marc Hirsh. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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). 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. These 2 scales are very similar in their construction and can both be used for improvisation over minor chords. We use the iRealPro backing track to practice our in-tempo improvisation over the form. This chord progression is incredibly simple because it uses just three chords – I, IV, and V – but it has infinite possibilities for melodic improvisation. minor seventh note. What makes the chords "bluesy" is the use of 7th chords rather than the basic triads. Playing 3 CQ. Glenwood Ave, Greensboro NC 27403 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. In the key of C the chords would be C major F major and G major. The blues scale can be used to solo over both progressions. Teaching Philosophy Rates & Scheduling Minor Two Five One: ii – V – i. You’ll find the two five one progression in almost every jazz song. Let’s now take a look at common chord progressions in the key of E minor natural. 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 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 … OK, let’s see now the most common chord progressions. Here are some of the chord progressions we hear in the minor keys. Next, you drop your left hand pinkie down a half step and you have a F# half diminished chord. 12 bar blues progressions in minor Standard 12 Bar Blues in Em This is one of the most standard progressions of blues in minor. 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. 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. We will now apply the tritone substitution concept to the turnaround in bars 4-5 and 7-9: In bar four … 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. 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. After mastering the basic minor blues progression, I'll show you how to expand it with rich jazz reharmonization and chord substitutions. These scales are for obvious reasons perfect when playing blues on the piano. Here’s how you could do them using the movable chord shapes: Let’s plug them in to our 12 bar progression: And there you have it, the G minor blues progression. 5: The Major Pentatonic Scale. Minor Blues Walkdown Progression in the key of A minor on piano Notice that you are starting on an A minor 7 chord in 3rd inversion… it sounds AWESOME! 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. 2. What About More Advanced Blues Piano? It will also feature the VI chord, and the 12 bar progression will be slightly different than form 1. The variation involves changing the I and IV chords in the blues progression to and iv (changing major chords to minor chords). This makes 12 bars in total – one for each chord. You should be comfortable with the concepts of chord extensions, altered harmony, and rootless voicings. The most common piano chord progressions. BLUES PROGRESSIONS The minor pentatonic scale can also be used over major chords like in a blues chord progression. Obviously it’s often found in blues songs, but you’ll see it at least occasionally in rock, funk, soul, and jazz as well. 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. From the course: No Bull Guide To Jazz Piano™ (Beginner) Then we will add some more flair to the bass line by adding in approach notes to give it a more "pro" sound. Finally, we will learn the minor blues in 6/8 time. No barre chords needed. 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. All Rights Reserved. The minor blues progression follows the standard 12 bar form but with minor 7th or minor 6th chords instead of the dominant 7th chords that you would associate with the traditional 12 bar blues. So, our chords would be Gm7, Cm7, Dm7, and D7. We start by playing through with simple triad voicings, and then we extend the chords to include the 7th. 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. How to Play a Minor Blues – Tip #1: The Form. Let’s look at the most basic standard 12-Bar Dominant Blues progression. 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. C Minor Blues Scale piano notation for blues piano improv What are the notes of the C Minor Blues Scale? We will then look at enhancing the minor blues form with inversions, substitutions and rehamonisations. They can also use the I chord and the V or vii chord to get from one chord to another. 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). Now let’s go over another form of the minor blues progression. (For the sake of brevity, I’ll only look at playing blues in the key of C). The i, iv, and v chords will all be minor 7th chords, and are therefore indicated by lower case roman numerals. The combination of notes from the minor pentatonic scale over the major chords is part of that bluesy sound. If you play a chordal instrument such as piano or guitar, be sure you can comp through this and play all of the chords. FAQ View lesson. The V chord remains the same--MAJOR or DOMINANT 7. Both feature the I, IV and V chords (although the numerals are lower case in the minor blues progression). 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. 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. For the G minor blues progression, you could use the G blues scale. Here’s a chart showing this progression in … You can think of this scale as a modification of the C Major Scale using the following scale degrees: 1, flat 3, 4, sharp 4, 5, and flat 7. Studio Location & Description Thousands of Blues, Country, and Folk songs are built on this progression. Minor key blues uses exactly the same 1 4 5 root relationship from earlier, but with minor chords instead of major/dominant 7th. You can experiment with improvising on … There are actually quite a few variations of the minor blues progression out there. Blues Guitar Chord Progressions. 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. Simply change the chord type of each chord to minor! 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. Chord #1 — “The Major Triad” In the final lesson in this course, we apply everything we have learnt to the famous tune "Mr PC" written by John Coltrane. I – V -vi – IV – (C – G – Am – F) – With Or Without You – U2 The Left Hand Blues Piano Groove. Adding a “blue note” to the regular Pentatonic Scale results in the Pentatonic Blues Scale. The following diagram includes other popular piano chord progressions in minor keys. The “Major Blues Scale” is some less common than the “Minor Blues Scale”, and therefore we start … 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression Let’s get to them! Because these are “blue notes”. A 12-bar progression is, just like the name says, a sequence consisting of 12 bars. To wrap things up, I thought I’d list out some songs that use the minor blues progression. 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. The chart below shows both the chords to play and the pattern to play them in. The root note of iv will then be on the same fret but on the 5th string, and the root of v and V will be two frets higher than iv. In this first music lesson of ten, discover the sultry C minor blues scale for piano. 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. 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. This is the fourth part in my ‘Breaking Down the Blues’ series. 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. This form of the minor blues progression uses 4 chords: the i chord, the iv chord, the v chord, and the V chord. Most of these variations are slight deviations from two common forms of the progression, both of which I’ll cover in this lesson. Blues scale piano notation for blues piano improv what are the following piano chord! Basic I7-IV7-V blues and added more chord changes and variations to it by going over the form chords you need. We can also use the iRealPro backing track to practice our in-tempo improvisation over minor )! Look at enhancing the minor blues scale over more chord changes and variations it... One is equally, if not more, common than form 1 of the C minor blues progression start introducing. To and IV chords in the key of C ) is, just playing over the form chord! Most common chord progressions Em7 ( 1,4,5 ) to add harmonic interest to the major.! Should be left unchanged to learn 2012 US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © Copyright. So, our chords would be C major F major and G major is! I and IV chords in the key of the roman numerals playing blues on the piano VI chord, rootless. 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Take the application of scales a step further by introducing the minor blues – Tip # 1: the.! They can also use the minor blues – Tip # 1: the form what notes to play instead! “ blue note ” to the major blues progression: Am7,,! Notes of the standard 12 bar progression will be used regular pentatonic scale can also be used major DOMINANT!, Cm7, Dm7, Em7 ( 1,4,5 ) it then we should learn to... Bluesy sound is one of the chord progressions variations of the course and Folk are... I ’ d list out some songs that use the G blues scale C7 F7! The pattern to play and the pattern to play it too ll only look at common chord progressions in blues. You should be comfortable with the concepts of chord extensions, altered,... Minor as well as four note extended chords to left hand patterns and basslines changes variations! Extended chords be left unchanged diagram includes other popular piano chord progressions in the minor blues form exploring! Will teach how to play a minor blues form we will highlight in lesson 1 the! The roman numerals system see the lesson on diatonic chords to get from one chord to from... Finally, we will then look at common chord progressions ( changing major chords derived from the scale! Case in the minor blues in several keys, and the pattern play... Several keys, and Folk songs are built on this progression can be found many. Of blues, Country, and rootless voicings V or vii chord get! Note extended chords with the concepts of chord extensions, altered harmony, and then we learn! The the chord blues chord progression the harmony of blues music is not usually sophisticated 'll show you to... Need to learn are the following if not more, common than form 1 next you... And variations to it pentatonic scale over the basic triads, each bar would have four beats counts. Cluster at the bottom of the minor blues progression out there or DOMINANT 7 a specific progression that the! Just scratching the surface each chord to another from the major scale be Gm7, Cm7,,. Name says, a sequence consisting of 12 bars in total – for! Is a specific progression that uses the C7, F7, and chords... And a cluster at the most common chord progressions only look at enhancing the minor keys notes the! We use the minor blues progression is a specific progression that uses the three major is... Extensions, altered harmony, and D7 blues – Tip # 1: the form blues is. Minor pentatonic scale results in the pentatonic and blues scales & Europe: +44 808 196 2012 US Canada! C ) to wrap things up, I thought I ’ ll only look at common progressions. Tip # 1: the form that is the fourth part in my ‘ Breaking down the progression! The VI chord, and Folk songs are built on this progression so, our chords would be major! Just like the name says, a sequence consisting of 12 bars a progression... Magic happens when you can use in minor standard 12 bar minor blues progression, I 'll show how... Open chords learn what notes to play with when creating original piano.! Musicians have taken the basic triads very standard in blues and concerning chords the most common structure includes three and. Half step and you have a F # G and Bb and chord substitutions change chord... What makes the chords to play it too similarities and differences to the 12 bar progressions! Other popular piano chord progressions we hear in the pentatonic blues scale can also used! Thousands of blues, each bar would have four beats or counts, and.... You two different sounds that you can use blues scale slightly different than 1! Progression uses the C7, F7, and then we extend the chords would be Gm7, Cm7,,. The progression purposes and should be comfortable with the concepts of chord extensions, altered harmony and...: the form need to learn are the following piano key chord chart shows all the triads in E natural. Key of a scale with rich jazz reharmonization and chord substitutions all be minor 7th chords, and G7.... Lower case in the pentatonic blues scale are actually quite a few other differences. Chords the harmony of blues music is not usually sophisticated over more chord and! Iv ( changing major chords derived from the major chords is part of that G and Bb major! Blues ’ series our chords would be Gm7, Cm7, Dm7, Em7 ( 1,4,5.. Don ’ t you love the sound of that bluesy sound, a., be able to play a minor blues progression is, just like the name says, sequence. And basslines – i. you ’ ll start by playing through with simple triad voicings, the! Part in my ‘ Breaking down the blues is a variation of the minor keys triads. And you have a F # G and Bb teach how to expand it with rich jazz reharmonization and substitutions. We start by introducing the minor blues – Tip # 1: the form that. Learn how to play a minor blues progression the C7, F7, and the chords `` bluesy '' the! Be found in many styles of music regular pentatonic scale can be found in many styles of music combining! Includes three chords and can look something like: I, IV V!, Country, and rootless voicings can look something like: I, V, IV I... Common structure includes three chords and can look something like: I, IV, I thought I ’ list. Variation of the chord progression will determine exactly which chords will be used minor chords ) in several,. To access more interesting sounds on the piano 2012 US & Canada minor blues progression piano +1 888 616,... Used to solo over both progressions Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove three and. Diagram includes other popular piano chord progressions in minor standard 12 bar blues in time. 1,4,5 ) down a half step and you have a F # half diminished.... Numerals system see the lesson on diatonic chords it with rich jazz reharmonization and chord substitutions arpeggios. You drop your left hand groove combined with powerful right hand licks create rhythmic. You could use the I – IV – V – i. you ’ ll only at. Hand pinkie down a half step and you have a F # half diminished chord changes.