Getting started with Blues improvisation

Learning Blues Improvisation

So, a great way of learning how to be a good improviser is to start by using the blues.

What is the Blues?

The blues is an amazing chord sequence which is literally in thousands of songs that you've heard in pop music, jazz, rock, and the blues itself. There are so many versions of this that you will have heard already.

The Blues Chord Sequence

I'm going to show you the format for a blues. The chord sequence is 12 bars, using only three chords. When you get more skilled at this, we'll start using more interesting chords. But for now, we're going to start with triads, which may not sound that bluesy, but will give you the idea of the harmony that you're looking for.

The Three Chords in the Blues

1. Chord One: F
2. Chord Four: Bb
3. Chord Five: C

Forming the Blues

The form of the blues is shaped around these three chords in slightly different ways.

• Start with F: This happens for four bars.
• Next, head to the fourth chord (Bb), and back to the F.
• Up to the fifth chord (C), then back to the fourth (Bb), and back to the first chord (F).

This may not sound particularly bluesy or like a great template for improvising right now, but as soon as you get these chord shapes under your fingers, you'll find that you can start to improvise with the right hand and redevelop an interesting thing over this form.

Using the Blues Scale

To do that, we're going to use the blues scale.