minor blues chord substitutions

Ready to explore into the depths of the minor blues form, crossing stylistic bridges to the edges of known tonality? Just kidding, but some of the following ideas do get pretty out there. There are two easy ways to getting to the blues music in this section. First is through listening to the music. Second by looking over the harmony. The format used to create this page allows the learner to survey the aural music of each chorus by simply clicking the icon of that particular chorus. If you hear something that you dig, are curious about or simply do not understand, simply click the number above the chorus to go to the theoretical analysis of that chorus. Ah, the joy's of a cyberbook. Once there, discover the theory of the sounds your curious about, internalize them on your hardrive and they are yours forever. Perhaps teach the new ideas to a friend to cement your understanding of the new concepts, ( maybe they can also play the changes for you to solo over! ) Sharing is caring right?

Here are the icons, each containing a the sound file for each of the 11 choruses in this 12 bar blues solo extravaganza. Click on the chorus number above each arrow icon to take you to the theory discussion of that chorus. Explore by sound, discover the theory.

1st chorus	2nd chorus	3rd chorus	4th chorus	5th chorus	6th chorus

more testimony ...?

7th chorus	8th chorus	9th chorus	10th chorus	11th chorus	tag

Survey the harmony. A second cool way into this material is to visually survey the chord symbols within each of the 11 choruses below, each of which are segmented into 12 parts using a table, one part for each measure of music in 4 / 4 time, with each chorus grouped into three, four bar phrases. A brief description of each chorus precedes the chord charts. The new chord substitutions in each successive chorus is included in this description. Each of the numerical listings are links to the theoretical analysis of that chorus. The tempos used reflect the educational aspect of the music created. A brighter tempo practice loop is included at the close of each chorus, created from the chord substitutions discussed in that chorus to increase the challenge for more advanced players. My overall intent with formatting the material in the following manner is to simply build a blues solo by gradually introducing new harmonic and melodic possibilities within the basic 12 bar blues format for the inspired learner, creating as realistic a ride a possible.

So, like the chicken and the egg thing, do the chords come first then the melodic idea based on that harmony or does a unique color in the melodic line beg for a particular chord for support ...? You make the call.

First chorus. Nothing heavy here, yer basic 1, 4, 5 / 12 bar minor blues.

Measures 1 through 12. Wow, look familiar? Cool. No? Review 12 bar blues.

Second chorus. Extending the tonic color to include the ninth. Substituting the Four chord for One in bar 14. Using the altered dominant to set up the next chorus.

Measures 13 through 24.

Third chorus. Subbing in the diatonic Two minor seventh flat five chord in the third phrase.

Measures 25 through 36.

Fourth chorus. Creating a Two / Five in bar 38. Using the constant structure / half step lead in for the motion to Four in bar 40. Subbing out for the tonic in bar 44 with a dominant chord built on the Six, setting up the motion to the Two chord by perfect 4th in bar 45. Using the augmented fifth color in the turnaround, flat Six then flat Seven before the dominant seventh flat nine color built on Five setting up the next chorus.

Measures 37 through 48.

Fifth chorus. Note new abbreviated chord symbol to designate minor chord. Using the suspended fourth color and moving stepwise. Although this realization looks pretty thick, although the root of the chord changes, the voicing is the same to protect the innocent, i.e., one voicing is moved as a constant structure to achieve the effect. Also referred to as planing.

Measures 49 through 60.

Sixth chorus. Using a similar motion to the previous chorus, we sub out for the sus 4 color to the minor ninth. Five of Five in bar 69 which moves by half step downward towards the tonic in bar 71. The flat Two major nine in bar 72 is a very common and cool color to set up the next chorus in the minor tonality. I love this flat Two motion, it adds a glimmer of brighter light in the minor shading.

Measures 61 through 72.

Seventh chorus. Subbing out with dominant chords and going the other direction from the last chorus in the first phrase. This motion continues through the second phrase and also subs out the minor color to dominant seventh. The direction changes and moves upward by whole step as the augmented color sets up the return to the tonic in bar 83. The major nine color is replaced by the dominant color in bar 84 setting up the return to the top.

Measures 73 through 84.

Eighth chorus. Using the motion of the passing seventh on the tonic and Four chord for the first two phrases. Flat Six replaces Four and Five while chromatic motion upward from flat seven replaces the flat Two setting up the next chorus.

Measures 85 through 96.

Ninth chorus. Climaxing the solo. The color of the chord "suspends" the third upward, thus the chord symbol designation of "sus 4." The last phrase reverts to a more traditional blues cadencing although the return to the tonic is delayed. The last chord in bar 108 is truly blues colored which breaks the suspended feel and sets up a more traditional blues return to the top for the next chorus.

Measures 97 through 108.

Tenth chorus. Here we sub out back towards a more minor blues approach by including the minor third back into the voicings. The interesting twist here is the motion after the minor four chord in bar 113 where the chordal motion used is generally more associated with the major blues tonality. The major tonic in bar 115 is the real giveaway. So something a bit different. The last chord sets up a return to the minor tonality for the last chorus.

Measures 109 through 120.

Eleventh chorus. Back to nearly the original set of changes for the restatement of the head. Using more of the minor nine color this time around.

Measures 121 through 132.

Last bar, tag. Ending on the tonic minor nine. I love this minor 9 color, which I guess is pretty obvious at this point.

Measure 133.

So ... find anything of interest in the above ideas? Here are the realizations. Blues realizations / minor tonality

Other topics of chord substitution in the text include the following pages.

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Charlie Chaplin