blues chords substitution

Blues chord substitution is a rather simple concept but an endlessly creative process. As the term "substitution" suggests, we simply replace one chord with another, potentially enhancing our artistic expression by the juxtaposition of different harmonic colors. Why would we want to do this? In a word? Variety. In a few words? To support different melody pitches and increase our potential resources. How are the substitution possibilities created? By the theory? Definitely by the theory and also by listening to our heros and emulating their ways of creating variety in the music.

One cool thing over the years as we explore different varieties of substitutions, our usual default or "go to" chord choices when performing potentially evolve over the years as our ears expand, to new "favorites." And as we gradually collect new choices, we expand our palette of the various possibilities, thus possible new combinations. Some folks include these choices in their "bag of licks." Does one's evolution through the various blues styles follow this evolution? So often it does. Is it about a continual evolution of level of challenge for the career musician? So often it is. For example check out the following tonic blues chord choices. Example 1.

Each of these 4 voicings above are tonic function blues chords? Yep. Will they transpose to the Four and Five chords in the 12 bar blues format? Of course, but you knew that right? Through chord substitution, we can musically expand the harmonic and thus melodic potential within a given piece of music, potentially expanding our range of expression. We can also borrow elements from other musical styles to enhance our blues interpretations. Through chord substitution we can increase the level of complexity of the music and thus increase our personal artistic challenge to create within new, more challenging environments. But is it still the blues? Well ...

Artistic evolution. Substitution is oftentimes all about finding one new chord, lick or rhythm and finding a way to fit it into our existing musical vocabulary. And as we better get this new idea under our fingers, we reshape it to our own designs and create places in the music where it works for us ... Cool?

As an artist matures in their work, the need for expanding horizons and seeking new ways of expression is oftentimes a part of a lifelong search. As this search evolves, what is way cool right now might get a bit tired in a year or so. Part of this search can be theoretical, which in this section of the text translates into chord substitution and the principles of music theory that support possible choices. The other part of this equation is what we create as artists. Perhaps we should try to keep in mind the idea that oftentimes it is the innovative player that creates the initial expanding the artistic consciousness, after which the theorists figure out what happened and tie the new colors and combinations into the existing body of theoretical knowledge. For example, compare the following two sound files.

sound file 1

sound file 2

The first example is a rather basic 1, 4, 5 realization of the 12 bar blues. The second example is a rather complex reharmonization of the 12 bar blues, as filtered through a more jazz / bebop stylistic approach and really moves away from the basic blues color while retaining the 12 bar form and providing new directions within this essential 12 bar blues format. Both styles are the blues, I guess it is more a question of who your jamming with. 

One reasonably sure to evolve one's improvisational performance ability from the simple towards the complex would be to start with a basic realization of the 12 bar blues, get comfortable in that setting, than gradually expand from this comfort zone using the blues challenge performance enhancer. The substitution charts selection on the menu here provides a top down presentation of increasing complexity of harmonic possibilities within the12 bar blues form in both the major and minor tonalities. Each new entry in the listing adds a cool, new component while carrying over the coolness from previous entries. All this coolness hopefully comes together artistically, as we evolve from simple to complex and back towards simple while building two blues / jazz solos. Click on blues chord substitution charts to explore the harmony. The chord substitutions concepts page is just that, a bit of theory and elementary principles surrounding chord substitution. Remember that if we sub out the harmony, our melodic choices can evolve also right? But can we play evolved melodic ideas of delta changes? Absolutely, that is if you can make it work. So, pick and click and off ya go!

I praise loudly, I blame softly. Catherine II of Russia