Advanced blues demonstration

Improvising on Advanced Blues Forms

Okay, so I'm going to show you how to improvise on this more advanced blues form using the chord tones, which we have learned:

1, 2, 1, 2.

So with that, you have, albeit a slightly dry solo, but a great way of learning the harmony which you're going to be using to play.

Crafting an Interesting Solo

I'll now play a more interesting solo using a mixture of:

• The blues scale
• The chord tones
• Passing notes or chromatic notes

The Essence of Bebop

One of the key things about bebop, which is an amazing form of jazz music from the mid-20th century (around the 1940s), is the influence of artists like:

• Charlie Parker
• Miles Davis
• Dizzy Gillespie

These guys are huge figures to listen to. If you're interested in playing any sort of jazz improvised music, I highly recommend checking them out.

Influences Beyond Jazz

Even if you're not into jazz, particularly, consider the influence of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and other big rock bands, they all drew inspiration from the blues.

Connection of Genres

The blues became jazz, which became rock. So, everything comes back to this. What we're doing today is just slightly more advanced and interesting formats of the blues.

At the end of the day, it's all the same thing, and it's all about expression and improvisation.

Using Chromaticism in Solos

Going to play chromaticism within these solos.

So in bebop, you'll often have lines which will be like:

(example line)

This is basically using the F7 scale, but with a bit of chromaticism thrown in the blues scale. It's simply about making things sound a bit more interesting.