minor blues realizations continued

Seventh chorus. Whole tone motion. In the seventh chorus the melody is greatly simplified and takes on a stronger, blues based color. We support this blues line with a descending bass and chordal motion in the first two phrases. This downward "spiraling" is balanced by changing directions with an ascending whole tone bass line and chordal approach in the third phrase. The major nine color from the last bar of the the 6th chorus is replaced by the dominant color in bar 84, setting up the return to the top of the next chorus.

Chord symbols for the 7th chorus, bars 73 through 84.

Bars 73 through 76. New melodic idea returns us more deeply into the blues color as we head towards the climax of the solo. Our melody in the first phrase is comprised exclusively of blue notes. Push the tonic pitch a bit out of tune if you can. This is a bit of an "epic", "plaintive" sounding line. The harmony simply moves down in whole steps toward the subdominant, which appears in bar 77. New rhythmic figure in the bass helps to drive things along towards the climax of this solo.

Bars 77 through 80. Arriving on Four chord in bar 77, we feature the subdominant pitch in our melody, which to my ears increases it's plaintive quality. The harmony continues to descend throughout while the melody changes directions in bar 79, setting up the third phrase. Bass figure continues as before.

Bars 81 through 84. The beginning of the third phrase is neat in it's contrary motion. While the bass and chords gradually ascend, the melody in bars 81 and 82 descends. All of which is created with the whole tone colors. Very basic melodic idea in bars 81 and 82 identifies a potentially an important musical concept termed melodic permutation, the fine art of manipulation of melodic motifs. This time our motif is simply run through the descending whole tone filter. Tritone sub in bar 84 sets up the return to the top for the next chorus.

Perhaps key in on combining the blue notes and whole tone color. Explore the theory of how one group of whole tone pitches covers six possible positions. Just for fun, try to create one idea and move it down in whole steps over the form of the 12 bar blues.

practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of 7th chorus minor blues changes in C.
practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of uptempo 7th chorus minor blues changes in C.

As time permits, find the recording and chart for John Coltranes "Blue Train" from his "Blue Train" album. The above line is written in the same color and achieves a similar effect. The cool thing about this recording is how the solos gradually evolve from the minor into the major tonal environments then back. See minor blues chorus # 10 below.

Eighth chorus. Inner voice chromatic motion / passing seventh. The eighth chorus is based upon the inner voice motion of what I call the "passing seventh" on both the tonic and subdominant in the first two phrases of our 12 bar blues form. The third phrase utilizes dominant chord colors of the flat Six, Five, flat Seven and the leading tone Seven in setting up the next chorus. This passing seventh inner voice motion is a common way to spice up the minor tonality. This effect is associated with blues playing, written in classic jazz standards and seems to find it's way into just about any style when the minor color is extended past the length of a measure or two. This motion is also very character and cliche and becomes "tired" in a hurry if not used with consummate skill and the utmost artistic integrity. Here I abuse it in the name of continuing to build towards the climax of this minor blues solo.

Chord symbols for the eighth chorus, bars 85 through 96.

Bars 85 through 88. The main structural technique of this chorus is most easily located in the melody of bars 85 and 86. We double this melodic line in the inner voice of the harmony in the passing motion which simply descends from tonic to leading tone seventh in bar 85 on through to the blue seventh then to major six in bar 86. Theoretically, the leading tone and major sixth pitches could be viewed as being borrowed from the melodic minor scale. The minor triad with the major seventh is a unique sounding critter, and as such tends to be used sparingly. Commonly known as the minor / major seventh chord. The melody of bars 87 and 88 is cool in how a common tone, in this case the fifth above tonic, is used to better illuminate the melodic motion moving underneath, in this case the "passing seventh."

Bars 89 through 92. Motion to Four in bar 89, using the same "passing seventh" color. Our melody here simply arpeggiates the minor color containing the "passing seventh", in bars 89 and 90. The tonic returns in bar 91 with yet another melodic variation containing the "passing seventh", which again is doubled in the harmony.

Bars 93 through 96. The third phrase begins the turnaround starting on flat Six in bar 93, which is basically colored whole tone, allowing us to create a common tone with the Five 7b9 chord in bar 94, which is in this case the D natural, ( the flatted fifth of the flat Six chord and the fifth degree of the dominant ). The melody of bar 94 is created from the diminished group of pitches, a reasonably common occurrence over the dominant seventh flat nine harmony of bar 94. Back up a half step to flat Six in bar 95 in which this harmony is arpeggiated to create the melody. Measure 96 sets up the motion to return to the tonic, which occurs at the top of the next chorus by way of the flat Seven chord, which then moves chromatically up towards the tonic via the leading tone, again perhaps most easily theorized as borrowed from the melodic minor scale. Note the tritone on beat three of bar 96 to conclude the chorus in a somewhat tense and unresolved melodic situation. Could we be ready to climax this ride?

The Rogers and Hart classic My Funny Valentine uses the above inner voice motion of the passing seventh to dramatic effect. Duke Ellington's essential In A Sentimental Mood is another, there are many. Explore.

Shed the passing seventh through the 12 minor keys using the cycle of fourths to arrange the tonal centers. Begin to look and create variations of this motion and other harmonic situations where subbing in this passing color may be appropriate. One must explore and experiment yes?

Practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of 8th chorus minor blues changes in C.
Practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of uptempo 8th chorus minor blues changes in C.

Ninth chorus. Climaxing the solo. Here we use a combination of the "sus 4" harmony with a "vamp" type blues melody to climax the solo. The overall harmonic motion is heading back to a more straight ahead realization of the 12 bar minor blues, basically a 1, 4, 5 blues in the minor tonal environment, with a bit of a twist in the turnaround. The last phrase is traditional cadencing although the resolution to the tonic is delayed until the top of the next chorus. The last chord in bar 108 is more blues hued, breaking the suspended feel and sets up a more traditional blues return to the top for the next chorus.

Chord symbols for the ninth chorus, bars 97 through 108.

Bars 97 through 100. New idea in the melody is created from the pitches of the C minor blues scale and takes on the common feel of being a blues vamp. Doubling the lines in octaves is common for those instruments that can do it. The sus 4 harmony is motored by a new rhythmic idea which is doubled in the bass line. 

Bars 101 through 104. Same melody line reinforces its vamp like quality. The harmony moves to Four in bar 101 retaining the same tonal color and rhythm from the first phrase. Tonic returns in bar 103.

Bars 105 through 108. Same basic feel all around, over the dominant in bar 105, subdominant in bar 106 then back to the dominant to close out the third phrase. Note different pitches in the melody and especially the minor third blue note on beat three of the last bar. This in a sense signals the finishing of the climax and sets up the next chorus.

Can you play the melodic line, if not, try again. If so, go to the loop below and improvise your own lines. Focus on the rhythmic motion to help achieve the climax. Experiment with octaves if your instrument allows for such articulations. If not, try jumping back and forth between octaves of the same letter name to perhaps begin to achieve a similar effect. Remember, the melody of the tune we are improvising on will pretty much always work when we run out of ideas while soloing. Also, try to sing a melody then play it on your chosen instrument.

Just for fun, try to use one pitch over the whole 12 bar chorus using a driving rhythm of your own creation. Perhaps try the tonic first, then the blue third, blue fifth and seventh. Do also experiment with the tritone ( #4 / b5 ) in a like manner. Look to the cliche blues lines and blues vamp lines for similar ideas.

practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of 9th chorus minor blues changes in C.
practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of uptempo 9th chorus minor blues changes in C.

Tenth chorus. Minor to major tonal shift. Here we initially begin to direct the harmony back towards a more minor blues approach by removing the suspended fourth from the voicings, as used to color the harmony in the last chorus. The interesting musical twist in this chorus is the direction of the harmonic motion after the minor Four chord in bar 113. The harmonic choices used at that point gravitate us towards the major blues tonality and by bar 115, we're there. So, something a bit different and the first time in this solo that we have split a chorus in half, each part using different tonal environments. Cool with this?

Not sure exactly where this combination of colors within the 12 bar blues form historically comes from, but I've heard it more than once, just never knew the tune. The last time I heard this combination used together, I was in a department store looking at fishing tackle ( it's an Alaskan thing ) and the music was musak? Ya know, the house tunes in a big store. I couldn't recognize the tune, but the form and harmony was clear enough and I thought it was cool, so I include it in my solo and simply share it with you. Be it as it may, the dual tonalities could allow for the backing of some interesting blues stories and the shifting of tonality could just as easily go from major to minor within the chorus. Lest we forget that we are just looking at the musical elements of the blues combined with equal temper and considering options. The last chord in bar 120 of this 12 bar blues chorus sets up the return to the minor tonality for the top of the next chorus, which by the way is the last chorus, #11, of this solo. 

Chord symbols for the ninth chorus, bars 109 through 120.

Bars 109 through 112. Using a melodic motif similar to the seventh chorus, we focus in on the tonic minor nine color. As do so many, love this melodic flavor. Motion to Four in bar 110 continues to support this color. Back to tonic in bar 111 which then becomes V 7b9 of Four in bar 112, setting up the move to the subdominant. Years ago a professor I had the opportunity to study with suggested that the best way to set up a new tonal center, whether being temporary as in the case here, or a more structural modulation, would be to simply present the dominant 7th chord of the direction we want to go key wise. Very simple, effective and also good for playing with a listener's expectations. In bar 112, the V7b9 does resolve in the expected manner.

Bars 113 through 116. Arriving at Four in bar 113, we immediately begin to destroy our sense of tonal well being by moving to the diminished color on sharp Four in bar 114. The new rhythmic group of five over four in this measure is cool. We emerge from the sharp Four back to the tonic with a bit of a twist, our tonic chord has again evolved from the minor to the major tonality in bar 115, where the music of chorus #10 remains till the end of the chorus. Bar 116 presents the sharp One diminished color moving towards the Two chord of bar 117, normally associated with major blues playing in this position, setting up the third phrase. The melody of bar 116 clearly outlines the diminished quality by arpeggiating the pitches of the chord. Note consistent minor third interval used to construct the descending diminished arpeggio in bars 114 and 116. 

Bars 117 through 120. Firmly in the major tonality, we build the Two, Three, Four, sharp Four to Five harmonic cadential motion through bars 117 to 119. The simple melodic sequence of bars 117 and 118 builds up the tension nicely, as does the tritone on beat three of bar 118. Scaler idea in bar 119 propels us to the singular blue note melody of bar 120. We back this with a Five chord rich in blue notes, setting up the return to the minor tonality at the top of the next chorus.

Can you play the melodic line, if not, try again. If so, go to the loop below and improvise your own lines. One thing to focus in on may be how the same blue notes react in the two different tonal environments. This is an important ability to develop, that we can hear whether the blues we're listening to is in the major or minor tonality and how the same blue notes react in the two different tonal environments. Perhaps at this juncture, just an awareness of the musical elements allows the learner to begin to develop this filtering ability of their aural abilities. Big task, but no hurry, this is potentially a lifetime of study and discovery.

practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of 10th chorus minor blues changes in C.
practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of uptempo 10th chorus minor blues changes in C.

Can you hear the two different tonalities? Click and compare.

major

minor

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

Chord symbols for the 11th chorus, bars 121 through 132, + the tag.

Bars 121 through 124. Minor tonic to Four, back to One to complete the first four bar phrase. The restatement of the melody to close out the tune is common practice from way back. Doesn't have to happen but usually does. In performance situations when "sitting in", playing the original theme at the close helps get everybody involved back on the same page so to speak and provides a bit of closure for everyone involved, listeners too!

Bars 113 through 116. The second phrase starts on the Four chord in bar 125 and continues the vamp like nature of the line. Tonic returns in bar 127 to close out the second phrase of this 12 bar chorus of minor blues. There is also a bit of call and response quality to this line, helping to shape the melodic idea and give it a bit more substance.

Bars 117 through 120. Minor Five to Four then returning to the tonic to complete the 12 bar form. Same melodic idea. Scroll down a bit to check out the tag, which ends the solo.

Feeling the tension created by the dominant pedal. Cool with the sharp Four and sharp One diminished colors. Remember, the melody of the tune we are improvising on will pretty much always work when we run out of ideas while soloing. Also, try to sing a melody then play it on your chosen instrument.

practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of 11th chorus minor blues changes in C.
practice loop for jamming, ten choruses of uptempo 11th chorus minor blues changes in C.

Tag. Here is the last four bars of the 11th chorus and the one bar tag, ending the solo and the tune on the tonic minor nine coloring. I love this color, which I guess is pretty obvious at this point. Note the minor second internal between the ninth and the minor third in the voicing of bar 133. Just a nice tension if you dig these colors.

Tripleting the minor nine color and how sweet it is. Perhaps try and give your musical performances the kind of "closure" that is provided by adding a tag, as in the above example. Lots of benefits to this kind of approach. Improves our conducting skills, makes other players really listen and respond to our ideas, audience knows when to applaud, dancers get needed closure to finish their thing, get to play some ultra cool lick over the last hold, thus credenzas!, cues the light and fog machine people to work their magic, turn on the disco mirror ball ... on and on. 

The point here is that there is perhaps a need in the human psyche to expect some sort of closure, without which things just kind of drizzle and fizzle away, which to a certain degree might ruin a bit all the coolness you just testified about in your performance. I guess the key to this closure thing is to have a sense of when it is appropriate and necessary in a professional way, not to let it interfere with having fun but realizing that doing it can be fun, potentially very exciting and collects all of the vibes of everyone involved in the music you are making together for one cool moment in time, and that in and of itself is usually well worth the effort.

Can we use any of these ideas when soloing in a blues in the major tonality?

Where to next?

review new ideas

"It is not so hard for me to jam." M.C. Hammer