Advanced Blues Improvisation Lesson

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.

With that, you have a slightly dry solo, but it's a great way of learning the harmony you will be using to play.

Exploring a More 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)

Understanding 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 its influence from artists like:

• Charlie Parker
• Miles Davis
• Dizzy Gillespie

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

The Influence of Blues on Other Genres

Even if you're not particularly into jazz, consider the impact of artists like:

• Jimi Hendrix
• Led Zeppelin

All these big rock bands drew their inspiration from the blues. The blues evolved into jazz, which then influenced rock. Everything comes back to this foundation.

Conclusion: Expression and Improvisation

What we're doing today is just a slightly more advanced and interesting format of the blues. At the end of the day, it's all the same thing, and it's all about expression and improvising.

You'll find chromaticism within these solos. In bebop, you'll often have lines that will sound like this:

(Insert musical example here)

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