Improvising Over the Blues

So now we figured out the form for the blues: the 12 bars, using the three chords, F, B flat, and C.

Getting Started with Improvisation

The Blues Scale

How are we going to start improvising over this? A great way to figure out how to improvise is to use the blues scale. The blues scale works perfectly when played over the blues.

• The scale in F is:
  F, A flat, B flat, B natural, C, E flat, and F.

You may recognize the sound of that scale, as much of pop music, jazz, rock, and various other great sounds are based within this scale.

Using the Blues Scale Creatively

When improvising, it's important not to just go up and down the scale, as that sounds more like a scale exercise. Instead, focus on:

• Playing the scale in interesting ways.
• Thinking rhythmically.
• Making things sound interesting.

If we take our blues form, we can play this with the blues scale on top of it while trying to use the scale in more creative ways than just going up and down.

Feel the Music

Imagine yourself singing when you're doing this. The blues comes from vocal traditions of singing, so when you're playing, you want to feel it inside with every ounce of your being.

"Improvising is about showing you to the world."

Putting Theory into Practice

The way we can express ourselves is by developing our understanding of musical theory, like the blues, and then applying it in practical ways.