minor blues progression piano

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

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