One of the things that distinguishes the way most jazz musicians play the blues from the way most blues musicians do is the way the jazz musicians approach the end of each four-bar line of the blues form. For starters, the jazz version of the blues form usually includes a few extra chord changes, so […]
Archive for October, 2015
10/09
2015
Fingerstyle Blues Turnaround in A
This week we’ll check out a fingerstyle blues turnaround for the key of A, or, as many of us probably think of it, “the other good blues key.” This time, we’re using a bass line that moves every two beats over the V and IV chords, a sound that conjures up the feel of a […]
10/02
2015
Walking Bass Line Fingerstyle Blues Turnaround
I love the sound of walking bass lines on the blues, and in the key of E there are plenty of possibilities for coordinating blues licks and chord voicings over a continuously moving bass. If you begin working out chord substitutions that themselves incorporate movement in the bass, you’re halfway there. For example, here’s a […]