Swing & Jump Blues Guitar
By Matthieu Brandt
www.swingblues.com
2000 Matthieu Brandt
3 5 6
Introduction Swing Blues Scales /Chords Scales Chords
13 14 15 16 17 19
28 29 31 32 37 38 40 42 61 64 66 67 68
The Essence of Blues Move with the Chords Inner Logic of the Blues Mark the Tonic Swing Timing Bass Lines Intervals Tritone Thirds Sixths Intervals based on 1st Blues Position Accompaniment Riffs Chord Riffs / Horn Lines Inner Logic with Chord Riffs Full Chords Full Chords with Bass Lines Accompaniment or Solo? Moving from Chord to Chord Special chorus Solos Turnarounds Tips on soloing Suggested listening Overview Chords Overview Blues Positions
Introduction Before you is version 1.1 of "Swing & Jump Blues", my humble take on what this music is about. I have collected this material over the last three or four years and it attempts to define the different ways of accompanying and soloing in a swing setting. It got to see the light because I got tired. Tired of looking for a good book that would accurately describe this music. Tired of listening to hundreds of "guitar players" I've heard at sessions or had the dubious pleasure of playing with mindlessly race up and down the minor pentatonic scale. Tired of saying: "Don't you HEAR the major third: is there a reason why you don’t PLAY it?" And it was born out of love for this music. A type of music that does not need to be studied like jazz, has the power of the blues and brings a positive, upbeat feel to it. I'm sure a lot in this book/cd/website needs to be refined, adjusted, thrown out, added, etc. I hope you will be kind and look at this material as an honest attempt to open up Swing & Jump to a larger audience of guitar players. Not out of a religious "this is the only way to play it" but out of "I love this music, take what you like, it's yours, too". Matthieu Brandt December 1997 / November 2000
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I owe a lot to the following guitarists and music lovers for their comments on the 1st version of this book/website. Without them this project would’ve been senseless and a lot less fun. Thanx!
Bas Flesseman Ray Nijenhuis Frits Verheij Enrico Crivellaro Volker Klenner David Hamburger Jack Starkey Rick Holmstrom Jaap Abrahams Richard van Bergen My Teachers: Ronnie Earl Bruce Katz Rod Carey Per Hanson Duke Robillard Robben Ford Jimmy Rogers Roy Bookbinder Kelly Joe Phelps Steve James Paul Rishell Harry Jacobson Kenny Neal Gary Lucas Laurence Jubert Bob Brozman Dave Hamburger Adam Larrabee
Matt Smith Kirby Kelly Martin Hutchinson Martin Simpson Ton van Bergeijk Bernard Reinke Rudolf Eeken Harry de Groot (drums) Leata van Amesfoort (piano) George Whitmore (saxofoon) Freddie Cavalli (himself) Theo Lissenberg (banjo) Heleen Karsdorp (vocals) Brent Barlow (vocals) Dave Massey (harp, he really tried) NGSW Berklee School of Music Acoustic Guitar Workshop
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Swing Blues The earliest versions of Swing music have been around since the 1920's. Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five were among the first to put together all the different elements that make up the style we now know as 'swing'. It's a music you can dance to, that has elements of blues and was to be the stomping ground for Jazz & Bebop. The first guitar players who recorded swing style music were Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Eddie Durham and Charlie Christian, each with his own very personal approach. Lonnie Johnson often played in smaller settings or even solo, with his feet firmly planted in country blues. Charlie Christian was Benny Goodman's guitar player and one of the first electric players. A featured soloist of Goodman's Big Band, he defined swing for generations to come. Jazz players owe a lot to the hornlike phrasing he developed and his soloing through chord changes was bebop before its birth in the 40's. These players laid the foundation for bands like Louis Jordans' one of the most popular swing dance big bands in the 40's to mid 50's. Jordan took his material from old musical tunes, but also worked with chord progressions taken from the blues. This swing blues, combined with country influences later that decade, led to the birth of Rock & Roll and Rockabilly. Elvis' guitar player Scotty Moore was an excellent country blues player who showed off these chops on top of a swinging rhythm section playing 'four to the floor'. In the late 40's and early 50's the jazz version of swing was further developed by players like Kenny Burell and Barney Kessel. Burell likes to use relatively simple blues progressions to solo on and he's brought all the harmonic possibilities of jazz and bebop to swing blues. In the meantime all these players were influencing each other, trading songs, borrowing licks and chord tricks, while listening to each other’s records and playing together. The electrified version of country blues was going through its own growth in places like Chicago and Detroit. This broad spectrum of music we call 'swing' is what this book is all about. It is written in a way you can easily digest by building on material you already know: the blues. It does not require the amount of study jazz and bebop demand. It will open up new harmonic possibilities in soloing and playing backup. And it could be used as an easy way into playing swing in a jazz setting. But if you want to stick to the blues, that's fine, too. This music is still popular and being played. Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Roomful of Blues, James Harman, and others are among the bands that play swing blues and jump. Even B.B. King cites Lonnie Johnson as his main influence. Sections of this book describe the styles these bands play, along with Chicago blues elements, which have been a major influence on swing.
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Scales / Chords This chapter may seem pretty technical to you, but bear with me on it. You can always come back to it after you've played some of the examples. Even if you don't see the big picture in one glance: there is logic to it. Now, let's bring in the brain. Our goal is to expand your options for soloing and accompanying in blues. Instead of racing up and down the blues scale we want to add other notes that sound good, too. Instead of chopping bar chords, we'd like to be more subtle. This chapter contains the theory to learn how to do this. Let's limit our scope to the things you probably already know. A 12-bar progression blues, with three chords and a minor pentatonic scale. Blues in G
st
1 Blues Position in G
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Chances are that on any given night, this blues is being played in a few thousand clubs all over the globe. A lot of players stick to this framework and will probably do this for the rest of their natural lives. And be very happy. But what if you want more? Roughly said: if you play a melody, sing a song or whip out a solo, you're using a bunch of different notes. If you line these notes up in pitch order (low to high) you've got a scale. Sometimes melodies use more than one scale, but let's stick to simple melodies. Each of these scales has a different feel to it. Each scale has a TONIC, its centre point. To find the tonic of a scale, try to 'feel' where your melody ends. The tonic is often the last note of a song. Every scale can start on a different pitch. But the feel of the scale remains the same no matter what pitch you start on. So the melodies stay the same but are relative to the tonic. To keep things clear, we give each note a number, again relative to the tonic. The tonic is number one. Major Scale Most scales contain seven notes. You already know at least one: the major scale ("Do a Deer a Female Deer, Ray a drop of golden Sun" and other horrible, upbeat songs) Do 1
Re 2
Mi 3
Fa 4
Sol 5
La 6
Ti 7
Do 8
E 6
F# 7
G 8
In the key of G, the major scale would contain these notes: G 1 No. of frets up:
A 2 2
B 3 2
C 4 1
D 5 2
2
2
1
It's called a major scale because it contains a major third. This 'third' is the interval (meaning distance) between the tonic and the third note of the scale, in this case a G and a B. This interval is 4 frets and sounds upbeat. Every scale that has this formula (2,2,1,2,2,2,1) of frets between notes is a major scale. As you can see, a scale is nothing more than a bunch of notes lined up with a certain formula of intervals. G Major Scale
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Each interval has a name. G-A G-B G-C G-D G-E G - F# G-G
(Major) Second Major Third (Perfect) Fourth (Perfect) Fifth (Major) Sixth (Major) Seventh Octave
2 frets 4 frets 5 frets 7 frets 9 frets 11 frets 12 frets
If you continue to play the scale up from the octave, you'll encounter these intervals: G-A G-C G-E
14 frets 17 frets 21 frets
(Major) Ninth Eleventh (Major) Thirteenth
Minor Scale Because we're not going to use this scale much in this book, we'll race through the minor scale. The Gminor scale (or sometimes G aeolian or natural) contains these notes: G 1 No. of frets up:
A 2 2
Bb 3 1
C 4 2
D 5 2
Eb 6 1
F 7 2
G 8 2
As the name suggests, it has a minor ring to it, it sounds sad. This is because of the minor third interval (3 frets), the distance from the tonic G to the third note of the scale (Bb). It also contains a minor sixth (G to Eb: 8 frets) and a flat seventh (G to F: 10 frets) Every scale with this formula of intervals (frets up) is an aeolian minor scale (2,1,2,2,1,2,2 frets up). Minor Scale
Note: If we call a chord or a scale 'minor', we're ALWAYS referring to the THIRD of the chord or scale! If we call an interval "flat", it means it's 1 fret back from the major version. This is sometimes confused with the word 'minor'. As the names G aeolian or natural minor suggest, there are other minor scales. They fall outside of the scope of this book, but can be used to jazz-up your solo.
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Blues Scale A blues scale only has 6 notes; 5 notes from the minor pentatonic scale (here we go) plus one that sounds really whiny when overused. If you're looking for that bluesy feel, play this scale: G 1 No. of frets up:
Bb b3 3
C 4 2
1
(Db) (b5) 1
D 5
F b7 3
G 8 2
Every scale that has this 'formula' of frets between the notes is a blues scale. Just find the tonic, play this formula of frets up (3,2,1,1,3,2) and you'll be playing the blues scale. 'Minor Pentatonic' means exactly what it says. It's minor, meaning it contains a minor third in the scale. This minor third can be found three frets up from the tonic (a Bb in a G blues). "Penta" is Latin for "five", in this case, a scale containing five notes. The added note to make up a blues scale can be found 6 frets up from the tonic (or one string down, one fret up). This flat 5 in the scale should be used with taste. Minor Pentatonic with added 'blue notes'
Mixolydian Scale Every chord we use in blues or any other type of music is derived from a scale. The chords we used in our first example G blues are "dominant seventh" chords. They are derived from a mixolydian scale. This scale has seven notes and looks like this: G mixolydian scale 1st Position
It contains these notes: G 1 No. of frets up:
A 2 2
B 3 2
C 4 1
D 5 2
E 6 2
F b7 1
G 8 2
9
As you can see, it looks a lot like a regular major scale. The only note that's different is the F, a flat seventh up from the tonic. A mixolydian scale sounds a certain way because of the intervals (number of frets) between the notes. This is the case with every mixolydian scale. If you find a scale that has these intervals, it's a mixolydian scale and it'll sound this way. If you want to play a C or D mixolydian scale, find the tonic on the first string and play the pattern in the diagram above. That didn't hurt, now did it?
Positions Blues scales can be played in 5 different positions (or patters) across the neck (see Overview Blues Scale Positions). If you know where the tonic is (which string, which fret) you can figure out which position you can play. With the mixolydian scale it's exactly the same, only you've got seven different positions. You'll get to know them all by playing the examples and solos in this book. If you're the classic overachiever you can look at the diagrams in the back of this book and practice them till your fingers bleed. But if you want to shoot first and ask questions later, the good stuff is in the Solos chapter. The mixolydian scale is where it all starts. This scale and the chords that can be formed with it are your way out of the blues box. By adding notes of this scale to your playing, you'll open up a whole new world of colours. You can sound jazzy, play swing blues, jump, rock & roll and boogie with the best of them, without being confined by the blues scale. You WILL SOUND WAY COOL. We'll learn a Standard Riff to help us find the mixolydian scale positions quickly, based on where the tonic is.
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Chords Chords are made up of a minimum of three tones. On a guitar, you're a real cool dude if you can figure out a way to play chords with more than six notes, so we'll take six as a maximum. In most chords, some of the notes are doubled or even tripled. If you look at an open G major chord, it contains three G's, two B's and one D. G chord.
Those notes are derived from the G major scale G 1
A 2
B 3
C 4
D 5
E 6
F# 7
G 8
As you can see, a regular G major chord uses note numbers 1, 3 and 5.
Most of the chords we're using in swing and jump blues are (dominant) seven chords: G7, C7, D7, etc. The notes in these chords come from the mixolydian scale. G7 chord G7 contains the notes G, B, D and F. G mixolydian G 1
A 2
B 3
C 4
D 5
E 6
F 7
G 8
A G7 chord uses notes nrs. 1, 3, 5 and 7. Do we detect a system here? You bet. You can determine the notes of a chord by looking at the name, finding out which scale the chord comes from and by doing some simple counting.
C9 chord A C9 chord comes from C mixolydian. C 1
D 2
E 3
F 4
G 5
A 6
Bb 7
C 8
C9 contains 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 (just keep counting C=8, D=9, E=10, F=11, etc.) or C,E,G,Bb and D
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C13 chord th
This C13 is played at the 8 fret and contains C, E, G, Bb, D and A.
As you can see we're missing the G in this chord. The reason is convenience plus the chord is getting pretty thick with six notes in it. Leaving the fifth out (in this case the G) doesn't make that much difference to our ear. If you don't need it, dump it or let someone else play it.
Our last chord example is a minor chord. Minor chords can be derived from their minor scales. Am7 can be derived from A aeolian minor: A 1 No. of frets up:
B 2 2
C 3 1
D 4 2
E 5 2
F 6 1
G 7 2
A 8 2
As we've already seen, the formula for the minor scale is 2,1,2,2,1,2,2. Minor chords are formed exactly the same way as major chords. Take Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the scale and you have your chord. Am7 chord
Am7 has an A, C, E and G notes. Some of them are also doubled.
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The essence of Blues But how to use all this stuff? Let's get back to what blues is. Blues is tension and release, call and response, one man singin' about his suffering and people dancin' to it. It's a story to listen to, to react to. All these elements have found their way into the music. You might have noticed that although we are playing major chords (meaning G7 and not Gm7), we're playing a BLUES SCALE on top of it; a minor scale! This contradiction is exactly what blues is all about. The tension that is created by playing major chords with a minor scale makes for the 'blue' sound. Especially the major third of the chord G7 against a minor third in a melody sounds blue. By bending these notes you can produce even more tension. The fact that the blues scale only uses five notes (plus the flat 5) gives it a sharp edge. This is because the space between some of the notes in the scale is bigger than in a regular minor or major scale. These scales contain seven notes. A blues scale can be used to solo over all three chords. Using the mixolydian scale will give you some more note options and make the sound a little milder and smoother. If you mix it up with the blues scale, this gives you the best of both worlds.
Conclusion: Scales and Chords Music is nothing like math or geography. Don't try to grab this all at once. It is not and will never be part of any SAT test. The quicker you learn this stuff, the faster you'll forget it. All this theory takes time to sink in. Try all of the examples, chords, riffs, horn lines, etc. and pick up what you like. Once you start playing, check your brain at the door and try to get into the feel. Blues is about feeling and emotion, first and foremost. Only if you get to the point of asking, "but why does it work this way?" should you come back to this chapter and then you'll find some answers.
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Move with the chords Now what's all the fuss about this mixolydian scale? One extra scale, a couple of extra notes, no big deal, right? Well, yes and no. If you use this scale on the I chord, you'll sound just fine. If you use it on the other chords and stick to that mixolydian scale, you'll be hitting a homerun from the bullpen. You'll think you did great, your fellow players will frown, the audience will think you've gone berserk. And the coach? He'll be serving you a pink slip after the game. You have got to move with the chords. The big difference between playing a regular blues scale through a blues chord progression and using a mixolydian scale is that you can't stick to one scale. Once you've moved to the IV and the V chord, you've gotta change to those specific mixolydian scales! So in a G7 blues with C7 and D7 you play:
G mixolydian on G7 C mixolydian on C7 D mixolydian on D7
These scales look a lot alike: G mix: C mix: D mix:
G C D
A D E
B E F#
C F G
D G A
E A B
F Bb C
G C D
A A A
B Bb B
C C C
D D D
E E E
F F F#
G G G
Or written differently G mix: C mix: D mix:
G G G
As you can see, the third of the G scale is the only note that needs to be lowered to a Bb to get a C mixolydian scale. Move the F up one fret to an F# to get a D mixolydian scale. When you move from a V to a IV chord, things gets a bit more complex with two notes that change; in this case the B becomes a Bb and the F# an F. We'll call this the inner logic of the mixolydian scales. The third of the I chord wants to 'resolve' to the flat seventh of the IV chord. And the flat seventh of the I chord wants to resolve to the third of the IV chord. The same also works in a V to I chord progression. We can make use of this inner logic in soloing and in playing chords. Because the differences in the scales is so small, you often only have to move a pattern one fret down or up to get the corresponding pattern on another chord. Change only one note to play the same riff over the IV chord. In some cases, play exactly the same riff over I, IV and V; use only notes that those three scales have in common.
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Note: other chords Inner logic also works with minor chords. Every time you play a I - IV chord progression (or a V -I), you can use this theory. In some cases, the third doesn't have to resolve at all, because it's already part of the chord you're resolving to. If you're playing Am7 to D7 in a minor blues, the third of the Am7 is a C, which is also the flat seventh of the D7 chord. Note: more inner logic This theory also works with the fifth and the ninth of a chord in these progressions. The fifth of the I chord will want to resolve to the ninth of the IV chord and the ninth will want to resolve to the fifth. And again, sometimes they are the same.
Mark the tonic To be able to do this quickly, you've first got to find the tonic of each chord. In most blues progressions there are three chords. In your 1st Blues Position this is where the tonics are:
As an exercise, you could play along with any three chord blues and try to only play the tonics. Be sure to play them on the right chords; play the tonic of I when you're on the I chord, tonic of IV when you're on the IV and tonic of V when you're on the V. All the solos in this book refer to a certain blues position. These are the five positions on the neck you probably already know. In each of those positions, you can find at least one tonic for every chord. Based on that tonic, you're going to learn solos to get familiar with playing mixolydian riffs within those positions. After you can wail in those blues boxes, we'll play solos that move from box to box. Always keep your eye on where the tonic of the chord you're soloing on is. And move with the chords.
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Swing timing Swing timing is based on a triplet feel. Every beat is divided into three equal parts. You can count them as 1
And
A
2
And
A
3
And
A
4
A
4
And
A
1
A
1
In swing you leave out all the "And's" but keep the same timing. 1
A
2
A
3
Note that this is not an even division of the beat. The A's are closer to the next beat that you would play/sing in a straight feel. The exact timing of the A's can vary. You can play them closer to the next beat (and play them like you would in a funky feel) or play them earlier. In a Swing, Jump or Rock & Roll band the drummer sets the timing. The combination bass drum and hi-hat tells you where the beat is. The bass player can be right on top of the beat or slightly late. This 'laid back' timing can really make the music swing. As a guitar player, you have to be in the groove or set your own groove. Variations in timing will give your music extra tension. Timing late will make your rhythm and solo sound lazy and relaxed. The closer you time to the beat, the tighter it sounds. Exercise 1: Set a metronome at 60 B.P.M. and play one note every beat. First try to be exactly on the beat and after you feel where the pulse is, try to be just a little late. Your note should be right after the click of the metronome. Then try to vary the place of your note by being later and later, until you've almost reached the next click. After you've done that try to go back to playing right after the original click. Exercise 2: Play swing eights (see above) with alternate picking (up-down-up-down) and keep the first note right on the beat. Try to vary the place of the A's by playing it closer to the next click, which will feel like a 16th or funky feel. After that try to play it earlier and make it feel like straight eights. Exercise 3: Play one of the scales you know in a triplet feel and switch to swing eights somewhere in the middle. Then switch back to the triplets. Exercise 4: Play a simple solo on a blues chord progression tapping your foot on the 2 and 4. This is where the swing is. Feeling where the 'after beat' is crucial to making your music swing. In swing blues the two and four is where a drummer will play his snare. This is where you have to tap your foot, especially at higher tempos. This is the so-called "shuffle" feel. In jazz type swing there will not be a clear 'after beat'. The drummer will keep the beat going by playing swing eights on his ride and using his hi-hat on the two and four. But the key to swing timing is in your ears. Listening to others who play in this style will teach you the right timing. Listen to horn players and their laid back timing and slurring of notes. Try to imitate that timing. Guitar players like Duke Robillard, Kenny Burell and Barney Kessel are masters of this way of phrasing.
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Bass Lines A vastly underestimated way of accompanying is a very simple and effective one: play what the bass player plays! This is especially powerful at the beginning of a song and leaves enough space for a singer's first chorus or a soloist's opening riff. Depending on the type of feel, you could use one of these examples. If you want to avoid a beating with the neck of the bass, listen to the bass player before you get in his way. Here is a simple major pentatonic one. This 'walking bass' can be used in Chicago blues and swing blues. There are a thousand different ways of playing up and down this scale. The feel can be altered by playing each note staccato (damp the note quickly after it's been played) or legato (glue the notes together by keeping the time between notes as short as possible). B.B. King's backup guitarist might use something like this on "Caledonia". Bass line Ex 1 – CD 1
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In bars 5 and 6 you'll see that the bass line starts with the root of the IV chord C and that it uses the notes of a C major pentatonic scale! Whenever you use major pentatonics you've got to follow the chords. G major pentatonics over G7, D major pentatonic over D7, etc. Notice how bars 4 and 5 glide into each other chromatically, a feature used a lot by bass players. This way of playing chromatically through the chord is also being used in bars 11 and 12. Instead of using just the major pentatonic scale, you walk through the changes and hit the root of the V chord D at the beginning of bar 12. Bass line Ex 2 – CD 2
Example 2 uses the technique of doubling the bass notes. You can do this even when your bass player plays only one note per beat. In Rock & Roll and Jump music, you'll often use this in a straight time feel, i.e. every note gets an equal amount of time. In Swing you'll play this accompaniment in a shuffle feel (see Timing). Instead of using just the major pentatonic scale, you can add the minor third to the bass line. This becomes a guiding tone to the major third of the scale and sounds great in blues. Bars 1, 3, 5 and 11 add the Bb to the G7 bass line and in bar 5 the Eb is added to the C7 bass line.
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Note: Alternate progression In this example, the bass line in bars 9-11 uses a different chord progression that often substitutes for the V-IV-I progression. Here you play a so-called II-V-I progression instead. The II chord is actually a minor chord (see Chords/Scales). It works as a guiding chord to the V. When you get to the V, you can add two other notes to the bass line. You add the third and seventh of the chord to the tonic and form a full dominant seventh chord. In this case you precede the D7 with a C#7, a guiding chord from below. In bar 12 you approach the D7 from above with an Eb7. Bass line Ex 3 – CD 3
This is a one-bar pattern that also works when there's a second guitarist playing fills or chords.
Bass line Ex 4 – CD 4
A syncopated bass line: you play the tonic on the off-beat. Fasten your seat belt at high speeds!
Intervals Making your presence clear without being in everybody's face all the time, that's what playing backup is all about. Using two notes (of a chord) is a good way to do this. The next examples are cliché accompaniments in the swing blues style. You can combine them with chords, bass Lines and fills. Experiment with different rhythms, too! To play these riffs, you first need to know where the tonic is. Find the tonic and you'll know where to start the riff. Sometimes the riff starts on the tonic, no problemo. In other cases, you need to "calculate" the starting point of the riff: one fret back, one string down or two frets up, same string. Find out what works for you.
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Tritone Intervals Tritone Ex 1 – CD 5
The two notes you're playing here sound nasty when played without a bass note or full chord. They are the two most important notes of a dominant 7th chord: the third and the flat seventh. When you move this "tritone" interval down 1 fret from the tonic position you're playing a tritone on the IV chord: the 3rd and 7th. Moving them up one fret gets you to the V chord. Combined with a bass line it could sound like this: In the next example very bass line pattern comes in blocks of two bars. Each time we play the tritone interval, we approach it from a fret below to create tension (and release). Bars 9 and 10 are tricky; play the first note of each bar with your ring finger. The last two bars are a standard bass run to the V chord and back. Play beat three of bar 11 with your middle finger and slide into the D#7-E7 progression. Note: Inner Logic The 7th of the I chord (in this case the G in an A7 chord) leads to the 3rd of the IV chord (the F# in D7). The 3rd of the I chord (a C# in A7) leads into the 7th of the IV chord (a C in D7). This inner logic of a blues chord progression can also be used in your solos. The same logic can be applied to the V-I chord progression.
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Intervals Tritone Ex 2 – CD 6
Thirds Intervals Thirds Ex 1 – CD 7 This example uses sets of third intervals, both major and minor. They are derived from the mixolydian scale. Move them up to the IV and V position to get the riff for the C7 and D7 groove. All these riffs are played relative to the tonic. Find the tonic first and then play the riff. The tonic for this riff (a G) is the last note you play.
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You can also play them like this: Intervals Thirds Ex 2 – CD 8
Again: the tonic of this riff is the last note you play. Move this pattern two frets up to get the D7 chord variation.
Thirds are all over the neck. You can form a third interval on any two adjacent strings, like this: Intervals Thirds Ex 3 – CD 9
Move this riff up 5 frets to get the C7 variation and another 2 frets to get the D7 pattern.
Intervals Thirds Ex 4 – CD 10 Another groovy one that is similar to Hollywood Fats' riff in "She's Dynamite". Note: Inner Logic As with tritone intervals, there is an inner logic to playing third intervals over these chords. First listen to Example 5. What's goin' on? Whenever you use a riff with notes from the mixolydian scale and you change chords (for instance from G7 to C7), you've got to change scales. The first pattern on G7 uses notes from G mixolydian. On C7 you use notes from C mixolydian. These scales look a lot alike (see Scales / Chords). By changing only one note of the first G7 riff, you can use it on a C7 chord. Move this one up two frets and you're set for D7. Whenever you play a riff with intervals or broken chords, there is a good chance you can play the same riff on the IV and V chord. If it contains the third of the I chord (B in G7), move that note down one fret. Bingo! Move the riff up two frets from there to get the V chord version.
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Intervals Thirds Ex 5 – CD 11
If the riff contains the seventh of the I chord (F in G7), you've also got to change the riff when you land on the V chord. Look at bar 9 of example 5. On beat two you're playing an F# on the B string, not an F! On the C7 the F sounds hunky dory because it's part of the C mixolydian scale. These kinds of riffs are used a lot by experienced players. Instead of moving all over the neck to play these riffs, they change one note and look way cool while giving the girls (or boys ...) in the first row the eye.
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Sixths A more open way of playing intervals is by using sixths. The mixolydian scale is harmonized by adding a second note that is a sixth higher then the original note. The Bb mixolydian scale has these notes: Bb 1
C 2
D 3
Eb 4
F 5
G 6
Ab 7
Bb 8
When you add a sixth, you get these intervals: Bb-G, C-Ab, D-Bb, Eb-C, F-D, G-Eb & Ab-F. Hey, you'll never remember this if you're life depended on it. Look at these examples to help you out. Focus your riffs on these positions and vary them to your liking. Intervals Sixths Ex 1 – CD 12
The tonic of the chord is the first note you play. Move them up 5 frets to get the Eb riff (the IV chord) and another 2 to get the F riff (V chord).
Or play the IV chord riff like this: Intervals Sixths Ex 2 – CD 13
Move the same riff up two frets for the V version.
Intervals Sixths Ex 3 – CD 14 Move these riffs up 5 and 7 frets to get the IV and V version.
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Intervals Sixths Ex 4 – CD 15
We've added a little bass line to the riff and expanded it with a new position. The IV and V position that we've used up the neck can also be found a lot closer. It sounds more like an accompaniment in this position and stays out of the way of the soloist or vocalist. The first note in bar 5 is the tonic of the IV chord. Position all other notes on the IV riff based on that note. Do the same thing with bar 9 and the V chord. Note the progression in bar 4. It leads you smoothly from the I to the IV chord (inner logic again). The pattern of the riff is continued through bars 9 and 10, all through the chord changes. In the last bar, we're using a chromatic walk up to the V chord. By now you've figured out that there are at least two positions for playing sixths: tonic on the E string and tonic on the A string. This means that if you move the IV position riff from the last example up 7 frets (or 5 frets up from the V riff), you'll get a new position for riffs on the I chord. The tonic Bb can be found on the 13th fret of the A string. All riffs are played relative to that tonic.
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Note: inner logic with sixths riffs As with thirds, there is an inner logic to playing sixths over a blues chord progression. Because you're using notes from the mixolydian scale, you've got to change scales when you move from chord to chord. Listen to Example 5 to see what you can do with it. In the beginning it's pretty hard to immediately see which sixth form to use. Stay with it and you'll get the jist. First, always look for the tonic of the chord; all the notes you'll want to use are relative to that note!
Intervals Sixths Ex 5 – CD 16
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Overview of usable sixths
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Intervals based on 1 Position Blues These next examples are a mixed bag. They use different intervals taken from the blues scale (first position) and mix them up with intervals taken from the mixolydian scale. Move them up 5 frets and 7 frets to get the corresponding IV and V chord riffs. st
Intervals 1 Blues Pos Ex 1 – CD 17
The sliding up to and hammering on to the major third of the scale (6th fret of the 3rd string) makes it sound very bluesy. The first time you use it with a major third interval, the second time it's a tritone. st
Intervals 1 Blues Pos Ex 2 – CD 18
This one uses the flat 7 and the 6th of the scale.
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Intervals 1 Blues Pos Ex 3 – CD 19
One with a particularly mean interval at the beginning. To add tension, give it a twist by pushing both fingers up a bit. This is the blues.
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Robert Junior Lockwood One of the pioneers of Chicago blues accompaniment is Robert Junior Lockwood, who recorded with Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Muddy Waters and a bunch of other Chicago greats. As you can see in the next examples, the guy deserves a statue himself. These examples use intervals combined with melody / bass Lines. This way of accompanying is pretty thick, so if you're using it, play behind the singer or soloist, meaning soft. Accompaniment Riff 1 – CD 20 The riff that R.J. Lockwood built his career on uses notes from the mixolydian scale and harmonizes them (2 or more notes played at the same time). The flatted third is used as a guiding tone to the major third. Keep your middle finger on the sixth fret (the major third of the scale). If you're playing through a blues progression, just follow the chords and move the pattern up the neck to the IV and V chord. Keep a good eye on where the tonic of the chord is and you'll know where to start the riff. Use the tonic on the D string as a marker. The riff on the IV and V chord can also be played at the same position as the I chord riff. Accompaniment Riff 2 – CD 21 Just move this riff up the neck two frets and you'll have the V chord riff.
You can also play each note separately in triplets. Here it becomes so thick it can easily be "mistaken" as a solo. Accompaniment Riff 3 – CD 22 Note the little alteration in beats 2 and 6 of the riff. This creates tension and releases it. Play this riff slow at first. The right hand technique can be pretty tricky. Use alternating picking where possible.
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mixolydian scale that goes with the chord you're playing on. Accompaniment riff 4 – CD 23 In example 4 another R.J. Lockwood position is introduced. Examples 1-3 can all be played in this position. The tonic you're using as a marker is on the A string and is one string up and one fret up from the note you're sliding into. Note: all these riffs lead INTO a chord. Always use the beginning of the riff that goes with the chord you're leading into. So skip the triplet on the last beat and start playing the next riff. This way of anticipating a chord in a progression is used a lot in Swing. It creates tension that is then released when you get to the actual chord. Be sure to use the right riff there or you'll send your fellow musicians up a creek. The last accompaniment examples were all quite intense. Because of their nature, you can use them as part of your solo or as a "special chorus". These can also form a very exciting part of playing swing and jump blues when mixed in with chord riffs and solo breaks. You will find more of these examples in the CHORD chapters. Chord riffs and Horn lines In a band setting, every musician has a distinctive place. Within a song this place can change: backup to solo, full chords, riffs, etc. Leaving space is important, especially when playing accompaniment. Hammering away bar chords on every beat is a no-no. But you do want to make the harmony clear! Chord Riffs Ex 1 – CD 24 In this example, you're playing the top three notes of a ninth chord, sliding them up two frets and sliding back. All the notes you're playing come from the mixolydian scale and by playing these broken up chords, you're defining the whole harmony. The rhythm leaves enough space for a vocalist or soloist. When you're moving to the IV and the V chord, just move the whole thing up to the D and E positions (5 or 7 frets).
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Chord Riffs Ex 2 – CD 25 You can play the same notes/chords a lot closer together by using the chord forms in example 2. Play the D7 and E7 forms by barring your index finger across the top three strings.
Chord Riffs Ex 3 – CD 26
Example 3 combines a short bass line with a chord pattern that's a bit thicker. At high speeds it can be a challenge! Notice how you continue the pattern on the V-IV-I-V (bars 9-12) progression while changing the chords. You can experiment by adding different bass Lines or changing the rhythm. Make sure it keeps swinging and that your backup stays away from the soloist (turn down the volume; I know, I know, it's a cruel world).
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Inner logic with chord riffs As with intervals and single line solo playing, you can use the inner logic of the mixolydian scales when you're using chord riffs. Chords are made from scales and when you move from chord to chord, the notes you can use in solos and accompaniment move with the chords. Chord Riffs Ex 4 – CD 27 The next example deals with this inner logic. The pattern you find in bars 1-4 can easily be moved up to the 7th and 9th fret when you move to the IV chord C and to the V chord D. But why walk a marathon, when you could stroll around the corner? By changing just 1 note, the same riff can be applied to the IV chord. Move this IV chord pattern up 2 frets and you've got your V chord riff.
If you use this riff in a medium tempo song, play only downstrokes, except when playing triplets. Use up and down strokes when the tempo is too fast or when you're playing those triplets. When you play this way, the groove sounds fresh and upbeat. Chord Riffs Ex 5 – CD 28
Example 5 looks a lot like Ex 4 above, but uses different strings. This way of playing backup was refined by R.J. Lockwood who used it on the I chord, moved it up to the IV and the V chord and then played exactly the same riff. The same trick used in example 4 can be used here. Move the major third of the I chord (B on the 3rd string, 4th fret) down one step to get the 7th of the IV chord. Chord Riffs Ex 6 – CD 28 Play those three notes of the C9 chord with your index finger and use your ring finger for the alternating chord at the 5th fret. You can wrap your thumb around the neck to get some extra support. Move the whole pattern up 2 frets to get the V chord version.
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Chord Riffs Ex 7 – CD 29 Something similar was used in "Boy from N.Y. City" by the Manhattan Transfer and "Learn to Treat Me Right" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds. A fun groove which you can move with the chords. Just use the D form as a starting point; your tonic is on the 2nd string. Play the Am triad with your pinkie and try to hear the whole groove as a D chord groove. Full Chords These next examples deal with accompanying in full chords. These chords might be of different shapes than you're used to. In Swing and Jump music we avoid bar chords unless they serve a very specific function. This is done because bar chords sound thick and cover a range that is being used by the bass and possibly other chord instruments. The thicker you play, the more you're in their way. Full Chords Ex 1 – CD 30 Use a steady motion of down and up strokes; down strokes on the beat and up strokes in between. Make it sound relaxed, lazy even, with a swing feel. Every chord on the one is preceded by a guiding chord 1 fret below. The 9 chords in the last bar can also be played in a form that doesn't have the tonic on the bottom, but the fifth of the chord (see Full Chords Ex 4). Some swing players prefer these forms, since you already have a bass player who's playing the tonics. Why bother? If your hands are big enough, you can try to play the tonic of the Bb9 chord with your thumb. Note: This laid back timing can be practised by making big circles parallel to the strings. Hit the strings near the neck of the guitar with down strokes and play near the bridge when you play up strokes. Once you get into the feel you can make the circles smaller. Make it sound like you're always a bit too late. Try to feel where the beat is and experiment with your timing. Damping is an important part of playing rhythm in swing. Because we don't usually play full bar chords, we can't dampen by just lifting our left hand. With some chords we'll dampen the open strings with the side of our fingers. Sometimes we'll have to dampen with the right hand. Use your palm to stop the strings from ringing right after you play a stroke. Varying these damping patterns will give you different grooves.
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Full Chords Ex 2 – CD 31 A variation of the R.J. Lockwood groove. Wrap your hand around the neck and use your thumb to play the tonic. Beat 1 incorporates a feature that is used a lot in blues. You play the minor third of the chord first and then immediately hammer on the major third with your middle finger. That minor third creates a bluesy sound, because it is a part of the blues scale. The chord is a major chord. The best of both worlds. In this groove you're actually playing two chords where you'd normally play only the tonic. In fact you're alternating continuously between the I chord and the IV chord. Keep your hand wrapped around the neck and play this IV chord with your ring finger. Move this grip 5 and 7 frets up to get the IV and the V chord. The next example is a follow-up to example 2. Instead of alternating I and IV in a pattern you add sort of a V minor 7 chord. Sounds like blasphemy? Well it works, because all the notes you're playing in this riff are part of the mixolydian scale of the I chord. You do NOT move to another mixolydian scale. You are NOT changing chords in that sense. Although you could argue that you are playing a full IV chord and a V minor 7 chord, try to hear them as extensions of the I chord - because they are. Full Chords Ex 3 – CD 32 The Bb7 chord contains Bb, D, F and Ab. The Bb mixolydian scale contains Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb. The notes you've added with these "IV and Vm7" chords are (check the TAB) Bb, Eb, G for the IV chord and C, Eb and Ab for the V minor 7. As you see: these are all notes from the mixolydian scale of Bb. Note: the IV chord we're using as an alternate to the I chord is not a IV7 chord. This 7th (a Db on the IV chord Eb) is from the Eb mixolydian scale and would suggest a different harmony. Move this pattern up 5 and 7 frets to get the corresponding riffs on the IV and the V chord. Full Chords Ex 4 – CD 33 The same type of accompaniment can be played in the 1st Blues position. Again we're using the inner logic of the mixolydian scales. Move this pattern up 2 frets to get the corresponding groove on the V. Keep your thumb wrapped around the neck with these examples. Try to play only the top three strings in example IV, they sound the best and give you a change from the sound you get in example 3.
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Experiment with hammering on the added "chords". Try, for instance, to hammer on that V minor 7; your grip on the neck is pretty tight and you only have to add your middle and ring fingers. Also play around with "scratching" the up strokes, meaning keep your left hand on the strings and damp them while you play an up stroke. Have fun and keep the groove goin'. Full Chords Ex 5 – CD 34 A beauty, isn't she? Very light and open. The Bb11 holds a "sus 4" like tension, which is resolved in the next bar. It's basically the same tension and resolution you create by playing a campfire D chord and adding your pinkie on the 3rd fret of the high E string. The sophisticated 11 sound is achieved by keeping the tonic on top and hiding the sus4-tomajor-3rd-movement (D# to D) in the insides of the chord. Dazzle your competitors when you play this one! Full Chords Ex 6 – CD 35 One of the very few "minor" grooves we find in the Chicago blues style. Magic Sam was the one who played these types of grooves. The groove on the I chord is minor, but what's happening with the IV and V?
Full Chords Ex 7 - CD 35
Magic Sam would use a very open sounding voicing for these chords. They don't have a third! Approach them as major chords and, although officially you can't call them major or minor, they are written as major chords.
The next type of chord is called an organ chord because Hammond organ players love this voicing. Stay away from it in the lighter grooves, this one's pretty intense. It's actually a stack of tritone intervals. Mark your tonic accurately, it'll sound spooky if you're off. Full Chords Ex 8 – CD 8 Leave the tonic to the bass. Move this chord back 1 fret to get the corresponding IV chord and move it up 1 fret to get the V.
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Add a bass line No bass player around to jam? No problem! Look at these next full-chord accompaniments with an added bass line. Experiment with different bass Lines and see what works for you. Moving from a chord to a single note bass can be challenging, but think about the advantages: one less musician to pay, one less opinion... Full Chords Ex 9 – CD 9
Full Chords Ex 10 – CD 37
The rhythm in Example 11 is a great one for playing way in the background. If you're playing with a second guitar player, try to pull this one off. Full Chords Ex 11 – CD 38
It's hard to play 'cause you tend to speed up. And it's a good idea to play the "one" now and then to give your rhythm some basis. Then again, you could start growing dreadlocks. Dampen the strings with your right hand right after you hit them.
And to make it really fancy, add a few chords, intervals and stir. Don't try this at home without parental guidance, kids.
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Full Chords Ex 12 – CD 39
The last two bars seem more difficult than they are. The chord progression you're playing is a I-VI-II-V-I, a turnaround with full chords. In this key that would come down to: Bb7 - Gm7 - Cm7 - F7 - Bb7. To make each chord change more powerful, we're replacing every minor chord with its dominant version (you could call it a very short modulation - going to a different key). On top of that, we're approaching each chord with a chord 1 fret higher (or lower). This "chromatic" way of playing is often used by bass players. No marshmallow fluff, more like chocolate chip cookie dough. Use only as an arrangement and if there is a bass player around, talk to him first.
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Accompaniment or Solo? The more movement you have within chord grooves and the thicker the chords are, the more you're gonna be in everybody's face. Which isn't bad if you intend it that way. Look at these next grooves. Use them as part of a solo, for instance, as a climax at the very end. They can also be played in the background, but be careful. Turn your amp down and/or turn the treble on your guitar down. It also helps to not really dig into the strings but gently stroke them. Stay out of the way of the soloist. Accompaniment or Solo Ex 1 – CD 40
This one is played on the first four bars of a blues progression. It is a walk up from an A9 via an A11 and A9#11 to another form of A9. The next example deals with a moving chord; a 6th. This form can be moved around using the blues scale as a marker. Sounds weird? Watch it, it works. Accompaniment or Solo Ex 2 – CD 41
The top note is the tonic of the chord. It moves up and down the A blues scale, keeping the form of the chord the same. Explaining this would take a rocket scientist a few hours, so just play it. Call and response. If you use this blues concept in your accompaniment you might end up playing something like this. It uses the I chord in different forms and places on the neck. Accompaniment or Solo Ex 3 – CD 42
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You might follow it up with this for the IV chord. Accompaniment or Solo Ex 4 – CD 43 You could play a different chord on every beat. Listen to someone like Freddy Green from the Count Basie Band pull this off. More of a jazzy way of playing accompaniment though. (See also accompaniment Solo 12). Accompaniment or Solo Ex 5 – CD 44 Moving up and down the mixolydian scale, harmonizing it in three note chords. Tough not to notice it, so be careful using it as an accompaniment. Play the same forms on the IV and the V chord using their mixolydian scales.
Moving from chord to chord Watch how you move from the I to the IV chord in the next example. It can be used in bar 4 and 5 of a blues progression. Move from Chord to Chord Ex 1 – CD 45
Slide your pinkie one fret back to get the A7b13 chord that connects the I with the IV chord. This particular IV chord has the 5th in the bass.
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Move from Chord to Chord Ex 2 – CD 46
Same as the last example, with the tonic on top.
Move from Chord to Chord Ex 3 – CD 47
You're using a diminished chord as the connecting chord here. You can also use them both in bar 4. Try it! On your way back from the IV chord to the I chord, you can also use a diminished chord to connect them. Move from Chord to Chord Ex 4 – CD 48 Note that this is a step down from the one used in example 3. Use it in bar 6 of a blues.
Move from Chord to Chord Ex 5 - CD 49 Going from I to IV through the D13 and Ab9. Spectacular finesse. A whole set of chords are being used in the next connection. Don't overuse this one, it gets stale pretty quick. Move from Chord to Chord Ex 6 – CD 50
This one works great after examples 1 and 2 of "Accompaniment or Solo?". It only uses bar 4 of the I chord, so there's enough space to precede it with a (chord) lick.
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Special Chorus All the examples from the "Accompaniment or Solo?" and "Move from Chord to Chord" can be used in a so-called "Special Chorus". This is a part of a song that is composed, where everybody plays a specific rhythm or solo riff. It is a very powerful effect to use. Even if it's just you, a drummer and a bass player you can pull this off. Synchronize a rhythm pattern with them through a certain chain of chords or melody lines and dazzle the girls. If your band has horns, great! Let them answer the chord groove you play. Work with offbeat accents and make it sound tight. Special Chorus Ex 1 – CD 51
Play this one with power. It uses three note chords in the key of G and has a bluesy feel. Make the audience feel the last accent. This Special Chorus is similar to one used in Ronnie Earl's "Kathy's theme". Special Chorus Ex 2 – CD 52
A Special Chorus is played loud and in your face. To give it even more attention, you can also change the chord progression. Instead of sticking with the blues form you can add a couple of bars. Play the riff in the first two bars of example 2 three times, end with the chord in bar 3 and play a fill in the rest of bars 3 and 4. Continue with bar 5 of a regular blues (the IV chord). You need to push up the three note chord you're playing in the beginning of bar 1. Don't push all the notes up a whole fret (good luck to you), just a little tension will give you the blues. For a great Special Chorus listen to "The Hustle is On" and "Strolling with Bones" by T-Bone Walker. Every chorus is right on the money. "Okie Dokie Stomp" by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown is another good example as is "Lowdown Dog" by Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers.
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Special Chorus Ex 3 – CD 53
A "dimchord" is a chord that consists of four equally spaced b3 intervals. Moving up 3 frets gives you the exact same chord with the notes in a different order. You can do this again and again, up and down the neck. Great for effects. This special chorus ends on a G9 chord and keeps 1/2 bars of the 4 bar phrase open for an answer solo riff.
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Solos In the following chapters, you'll get a dozen or so examples of cliché solos with standard swing accompaniments. The licks and riffs you'll hear are the ones played by all the big guys on the classic albums; from T-Bone Walker to B.B. King and from Charlie Christian to Hollywood Fats. They are organized around blues position. But instead of just having the blues scale as a starting point we now have the mixolydian scale to deal with, too! Adding the notes of this scale will spice up your solos and give you all the nice lines. One thing to remember in all these solos is that you have to move with the chords. The blues scale can be played on all the chords in a standard blues progression, but every chord has its own mixolydian scale. To make this a little easier, we're going to introduce a Standard Riff. This riff can be played on every chord in every position. It'll give you a simple but effective tool to learn all the scale positions and connect them to the blues scales you already know. This Standard Riff (S.R.) is the mother of all clichés and if you ever listened to any swing, jump or rock & roll, you've heard it. S.R. in 1st Blues Pos – CD 54
Look at the 1st Blues Position and you can see that this S.R. begins and ends on the tonic of the scale and the chord. On a blues in A, it can be used on the I chord.
Playing through a blues progression and using this riff, you've got to move with the chords. On a blues in A you move the lick up 5 frets to play the IV chord D7 version and 7 frets to play on the V chord E7.
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Solo Standard Riff Ex 1. – CD 55
Use your index finger to play the minor third of the scale and hammer on with your middle finger. You can not play a D blues scale when you're playing a D chord in a blues in A! Try it and you'll hear why. The minor third of the D blues scale is a no-no in a blues in A. The Standard Riff uses notes of the mixolydian scale and adds the minor third of the blues scale. Note: anticipating The Standard Riff for each chord starts in the bar BEFORE that chord! It anticipates the NEXT chord; you start the S.R. on D7 in the 4th bar. At that time the A7 is still being played and the tension this creates is a big part of blues.
Standard Riff in the 3rd Blues Position The Standard Riff can be played all over the neck of the guitar. There are several ways of fingering it, each with its own sound. Most are easy to play and you don't have to move around a lot. Some are awkward and you'll never use them. The Standard Riff fits nicely in the 1st Blues Position. Easy to see where to start when you focus on the tonic of the I chord; 3rd fret of the 1st and 6th string or 5th fret of the 4th string.
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S.R. in the 3rd Blues Position - CD 56
The Standard Riff can also be found with the tonic on the 2nd string. Standard Riff 2 starts with your pinkie on the tonic on the second string. It fits exactly in the 3rd Blues Position. Play the hammer-on from the minor to the major third with your ring finger. To find the IV chord version of this riff move 7 frets back to find your tonic D and 5 frets back to find the V chord E7. 3rd Blues Position (key of A)
Solo Standard Riff Ex. 2 - CD 57
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If you combine the IV and V chord versions of this Standard Riff with the one we already know, you'll end up with Solo Standard Riff Example 2. We're moving with the chords and playing exactly the same lick on each of the tonics. The riffs fit nicely into the first blues position and offer us a bunch of extra notes on top of the blues scale. Combining the Standard Riffs in the two positions we know covers a large part of the fretboard in one haul. Solo 1 – CD 58
In bars 4 and 5 we're introducing the next Standard Riff. Say we wanted to play the Standard Riff in the 4th Blues Position. It would look like this: Standard Riff in 4th Blues Position (end on b7) This lick does not end on the tonic. Instead we're ending it on the b7 of the chord, which is also often used in swing. You can do this with any S.R. on any chord! Try to move around as little as possible; start the lick with your ring finger on the tonic and keep every finger in one fret position. Use your ring finger for the hammer-on from b3 to the #3 on the chord. th
4 Blues Position (key of G)
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Standard Riff on IV in the 1st Blues Position (Key of C) – CD 59
The version we're using in Solo 1 is played on the IV chord and has the tonic C (3rd string, 5th fret).
Note the chromatic walk-up in Solo 1 to the #3 of the I chord in bar 7. Play this one with your pinkie. Play the b3 to #3 of the V chord in bar 9 with your index finger. Using the #3 of the next chord as a marker for a chord change is a good way to signal this change. If you use the #3 of the chord around the beginning of the bar it shows that you know what you're talking about. Swing, Jump & Rock & Roll are full of this "playing with the third". Accompaniment: Bass Lines Example 1 Solo 2 – CD 60
Solo 2 is in the key of Bb, a key favoured by horn players. In bar 2 you see the same kind of approach to the #3 of the I chord we've seen in solo 1. Play the 6th fret of the 5th string with your index finger and slide back. Note the mix of b3 and #3 in bar 3, play it with confidence.
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Bar 5 uses a rollover with your ring finger. The bends in bars 8 and 9 are 1/4 note bends and actually approach the #3 of the V chord. The slides in the beginning of bar 9 are very cliché. On the V chord this note is often played with a lot of emphasis, because it really stands out (it's the 5 of the V chord). The lick in bar 12 plays around with the whole F7 chord, try to let all notes ring. Accompaniment: Chord Riffs and Horn lines example 1 & 2 Solo 3- CD 61
More playing around in the 1st Blues Position with the b3 and #3 of the I chord. This time the action's on the first string. Play the first two pairs of note in bar 1 with your ring finger and pinkie and come back into position right after that. Bars 5 to 7 feature the #3 and b7 of the IV chord and are followed by the #3 and b7 of the I chord: what a great sound! You're sliding into the I chord with a major third interval as you enter bar 12 (see Intervals).
Accompaniment: Accompaniment riffs 1 and 2
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Solo 4 – CD 62
This one starts off in the 3rd Blues Position and uses the Standard Riff in bar 1 in a different timing. 3rd Blues Position (key of G)
Start the solo with your pinkie on the tonic and notice that it goes "over" the octave in bar 2.
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The lick from bar 2 to 3 is a typical Charlie Christian lick. The Standard Riff on the IV chord is slightly altered, emphasising the 6th of the chord. Notice how easily you can change from the 3rd Blues Position to playing the Standard Riff on the IV chord. Move it up two frets and you're on the V. In bar 7 we introduce another position to play the Standard Riff in. It starts with your index finger on the tonic of the chord on the 2nd string. You slide up to the rest of the lick. This way of sliding up to play the rest of the Standard Riff can be used on all strings, starting with your index finger on the tonic. It is a great way to move up and down the neck and connects all the Blues Positions. Look at how we slide into our S.R. on the V chord in bars 8 and 9. This time the tonic of the V chord D7 is played on the third string. Accompaniment: Intervals sixths example 1 and 2 Solo 5 – CD 63
The Standard Riff is great for sliding up and down the neck. Starting on the tonic with your index finger you can slide up from the I chord (bars 1 and 7) from the IV chord (bars 5 and 10) and from the V chord (bar 9). With the Sliding Standard Riff on the I chord, you've connected the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Blues Positions.
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1st, 2nd and 3rd Blues Positions in F
Sliding Standard Riffs in 1st, 2nd & 3rd Blues Positions – CD 64 With a little imagination you can go a long way. Parts of this solo are similar to Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E's in Love", Rick "L.A." Holmstrom's "Guitar Boogie Shuffle Twist" and Gene Vincent's "We-Baba-Loo-La". Notice the playing around with the 3rd in bars 2 and 3 and the way we end this solo. When this ending is used, it's often slowed down. Look at your fellow musicians (esp. the drummer) to make sure everybody bangs the last note at the same time. These sliding riffs really stand out if you mix them up with licks from the blues scale. One technique, which is often used, is to play a sliding lick on every I chord and licks from the blues scale on every IV and V chord. Try it, it's tasty. Accompaniment: play the rhythm from Full Chords Example 1 Solo 6 We can play the Sliding Standard Riff in one other position, connecting the 4th, 5th and 1st Blues Positions: 4th, 5th and 1st Blues Positions (key of F)
Sliding Standard Riffs in 4th, 5th and 1st Blues positions – CD 65
Using these connecting riffs gives us something like Solo 6
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Solo 6 – CD 66
We're playing the Sliding S.R. on the tonic C, starting with our index finger. By now, you can connect all the Blues Positions through the Sliding Standard Riff. We've made the connections between these positions by playing this riff on the I chord. But the IV and the V chord also have Sliding Riffs. These riffs are as good to glue the Blues Positions together. Just move with the chords. Accompaniment: full chords Example 2; wrap around R.J. Lockwood groove.
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Solo 7 – CD 67
The 3rd Blues Position is one of B.B King's favourites. He likes it because you can play around with the 2, b3 and #3 of the scale real easily. Put your index finger on the G on the 2nd string and you ring finger two frets up. By bending that last note half a tone up you get the b3; a whole tone gives you a #3. Albert King used these positions to bend the notes even further, playing a 4 and sometimes even a flat 5 in the scale. The 6th of the scale is easily accessible too; one fret and one string up from where your index finger is. We've got blues and mixolydian right under our fingertips! The type of lick we play in bars 5 and 6 is a Texas/Chicago style blues lick that has found its way into swing. You'll find it on albums of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Rogers and swing players like Duke Robillard. Bars 8 & 9 give us a new Standard Riff Position; play the tonic with your ring finger on the second fret and slide to the major 3rd with your index finger. Accompaniment: R.J. Lockwood Chord Riffs Example 5
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Solo 8 – CD 68
A nice change of pace with this 12/8 feel. The B.B. King position is featured here once again; listen to his "Sweet Little Angel" and "How Blue Can You Get" for inspiration on mixolydian scales mixed with the blues. Slight variations in the bends lead to a voice-like character in the solo. We are playing part of the Standard Riff here and using bends to reach some of the notes. The solo on the I chord has a nice "major" feel to it, followed by a "down home" blues lick on the IV chord in bar 5. Use these contrasts in your solo. The timing in parts of this solo can be pretty tricky. Practice each part slowly, till you know where your fingers need to go. Then glue them together. The tonic of the V chord is the centre of attention in bars 8 and 9; play it with your index finger and not like in solo 7 with your middle finger (see that it's the same note?). You can find the tonic of the V chord F also on the 13th fret with your pinkie. Our Standard Riff can be played here and tied to the riff from example 4 (bars 8 and 9).
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Standard Riffs galore, find the tonic and you're all set. 5th Blues Position
Standard Riff in 5th Blues Position - CD 69
Standard Riff 5th to 1st Blues Position – CD 70
Standard Riff in 5th Blues Position - CD 71
Accompaniment: Chord Riffs and Horn Lines Example 1 and 2 with added bass line.
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Solo 9 – CD 72
And now for some real power swing with all the ingredients. This one flies from one position to the next, not something for the weak of stomach. It starts off in the 3rd Blues Position, but lands in the 2nd Blues Position in bars 2 and 3. Watch the fingering there, the first note of bar 2 is played with the middle finger; the next note with your index and you're in the 2nd Blues Position. The sixth interval lick in bar 4 is often used to signal a I to IV progression. The next lick is one long "sentence" ending on the second beat of bar 8. Hollywood Fats could play this lick on "Rock This House". The big jump in bar 6 from the 8th back to the 3rd fret looks trickier then it is. This sentence takes you from the 3rd to the 1st Blues Position. The V riff plays around the 2nd Blues Position II and the 1/4 bend pushes the b3 of the scale to the #3 of the V. Bars 10 and 11 take us from the 3rd to the 1st Blues Position again. The second riff is an almost exact copy of the first, a great technique to use in swing: repeating yourself. Accompaniment: Full chords Example 5
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Solo 10 – CD 73
Not an easy one, because it deals with the 2nd Blues Position in the key of G. 2nd Blues Position
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S. R. on I in 2nd Blues Position – CD 74
S. R. on IV in 2nd Blues Position – CD 74
S. R. on V in 2nd Blues Position – CD 74
This is the last and most awkward of the Standard Riff positions. It's not possible to play any of the riffs without going out of position. When you use this position, focus on the tonic on the 4th string and play around in that position for a while. Find where the tonics of IV and V are and also try to locate their respective major thirds. Those are the notes to aim for when you're following the chords. In this solo we're using slides, hammer-ons and pull offs. Gluing the notes together like this gives it the phrasing a saxophone player would use. Listen to horn players and try to imitate their phrasing. It's often more relaxed than a guitar player's approach. Try to play laid back for a relaxed, swing feel. Solo 10 starts off with a lick in the style of the second chorus of Freddie King's "Sen-Sa-Shun". The 6th and the b3 above the tonic give the lick a nice edge. The lick on the V chord is a real Charlie Christian one, followed by a sharp turn on the C7. The rollovers in bar 10 are difficult, practice them slowly. Accompaniment: Full chords Example 11. Note: There are a few other ways to play the Standard Riff. All of them have the same awkward fingering you'll find in Solo 10. The 4th Blues Position has a few and the first also has one. Locate the tonic and start the riff with your middle finger and you'll see what I mean; you've got to stretch for certain notes and go out of position. If you can come up with licks in these positions, more power to you. If you've just started experimenting with these sounds, try to stick to the positions we've discussed. They'll give you a great basis.
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Solo 11 – CD 75
A real mix of blues and the Standard Riff. A "T-Bone"-esque solo that mixes the best of both worlds. He almost never left the 1st Blues Position, but made the most of all the notes there. The first two bars are very bluesy, followed by parts of our Standard Riff in bars 3 and 4. Incorporating chord fragments in your solo can be very powerful (bar 3). It shows you know where you are and it's a great "filler" for when you don't have a chord instrument to back you up. The double time feel in bars 7 and 8 are a classic T-Bone Walker trademark. Try mixing up the timing in your solos, using blocks in regular feel and then doubling the number of notes in the same space. It'll send your solo sky-high. The bending of the 6th of the G mixolydian scale in bar 2 up to the b7 - or there abouts, hey, it is blues - is another T-Bone-ism. Push it even higher on the V chord but don't emphasise it on the IV. You'll hear why. In bar 10 you hear another "forward whip": play the note, slide it forward with great speed and never mind the ending note. Return quickly to b3 of the scale and bend it a little. Yahoo...! Accompaniment: Bass line example 2.
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Solo 12 Count Basie's guitar player Freddie Green was an expert at chopping away 4 chords per measure in a swing progression. This is not an easy style to play, especially if you want to play four different chords per bar. The accompaniment we're using in this swing blues uses inversions of dominant seven chords and passing chords. With these chords and passing chords like the ones we used in Chord riffs (example 2), we can play this accompaniment. Accompaniment Freddie Green style – CD 76
An inversion of a chord does not have any extra notes; they're just stacked in different ways. A root position chord will always have the tonic on the bottom and the rest of the notes (in any kind of order) stacked on top of that. A dominant seventh chord (e.g. Bb7) has four notes: Bb (tonic), D (major third), F (fifth) and Ab (flat seventh). The first inversion of a chord will have the third of the chord (D) on the bottom. The second inversion has the fifth (F) on the bottom and the third inversion has the seventh (Ab) on the bottom.
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For Bb7 the three note inversions are:
The minor chords and the diminished chords function as passing chords. The minor chords are harmonised bass notes derived from the mixolydian scales. Use the same formula explained in Scales/Chords to harmonise all the notes from the scale. You end up with a minor seven chord on the second scale tone. The diminished chords also function as passing chords. We've seen an example of that in "Moving from Chord to Chord", example 3 and 4. The I-VI-II-V-I progression is used in a slow form (bars 7-10) and a quick one (bars 11-12). Dominant chords of half a tone higher or lower are used as approach chords. Solo 12 - CD 76
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In your solo you also have to move with the chords. Players like T-Bone Walker got away with just playing the blues scale on those progressions (bars 11 and 12), but you might want to try playing the Standard Riff (bar 8 on the G7 chord). Find the tonic of each of the chords (NOT including the approach chords) and play the riff. Intervals and chords work great as solo material. Look at the use of the I chord in the beginning and the two passing chords in bar 4. The intervals in bar 2 are part of the Eb-mixolydian scale and bar 5 just spells out an Eb9 chord with approach intervals. Another fun way to solo is to use chromatics; in bar 7 the Bb7 chord is spelled out (an arpeggio); each note preceded by a note 1 fret below. To approach a chord note from above also works. In bar 10 we spell out an F13 chord note-by-note and let every note ring. Turnarounds The end of a blues progression is called a "turnaround". It signals the end of a chorus and the beginning of the next. When you solo, it helps to be clear at that point about what you're going to do; take another round or finish off. Keep your eyes closed and head towards the sky, mouth preferably open and tongue out when you're not done. Look your buddies straight in the eye, nod your head to signal the change. Another way of showing you know where you are is playing cliché turnarounds. A turnaround lick can take 1 to 4 bars and follows the chord progression. Turnaround 1 – CD 77
In these turnarounds the #3 of a chord is used as a marker for that chord. It shows - sometimes even more clearly than the tonic - where you are. This first one is a real T-Bone Walker turnaround. Turnaround 2 – CD 78
Play this one real slow till you get the timing right. A turnaround in Ronnie Earl's handwriting.
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Turnaround 3 – CD 79
This jazzy turnaround makes use of an altered scale on the F7 and implies an F7b9 or F7#9 chord. Whatever you do with this one, do not play an F9. Note: the more tension in (or on) a chord, the more it wants to resolve. Altered chords or the use of altered scales on a chord makes you want to move forward to the next chord. This is exactly what we do in a turnaround: we move from chord to chord pretty quickly. There are a mountain of possibilities here and with them come restrictions on where you can use them and when they sound good. The use of these altered scales will make you sound more jazzy. Unfortunately, that's not the aim of this book. If you're really interested in these sounds, be prepared to invest some major time. Turnaround 4 – CD 80
This time on the F7 we're using notes of the mixolydian scale. To make really clear that you know where you are, play the three note chords at the end.
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Turnaround 5 – CD 81
A lot of difficult two and three note roll-overs. This type is in the style of Duke Robillard, the master of turnarounds. Turnaround 6 - CD 82
This one is on Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. He will sometimes slide further then the #3 of the Bb7 (10th fret, 1st string); up to the 12th fret or higher. This is done with great speed because you've got to be back for the next note. This forward whip was also played by Albert Collins who would end the "whip" with a minor third and then bend it like crazy. Try it, it's a great effect.
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Tips on Soloing Listen to the music you want to play day in and day out. Swing timing is difficult to "study". Playing laid back is a feel, not a science. You can practice this laid back feel by using a metronome and timing your notes a little behind the beat. A better way is to play along with records in swing feel. Listen to the pros, "borrow" their licks and acknowledge them when you're playing their stuff. When playing rhythm, you can stimulate this feel by making the round circles described in the "Full Chords" chapter. Use you ears. Seems like an open door, but if you walk into the Monday Night Blues Session at the corner cafe, you'll know what I mean. Listen to what the other musicians do and complement that. Only one person at a time can have the solo slot, know when your turn comes and be a good accompanist till then. If you don't, it'll turn into a deafening Dixieland. Use clear rhythms in your accompanying; patterns of 1, 2, 4 or 12 bars. Repeating yourself gives the other guys and gals something to react to and build a solo on. Turn down when you're playing rhythm. Start your solo with an obvious sentence, something like "once upon a time". Remember, we're trying to communicate and blabbing or running your mouth will make the audience run for the door, the bar or their gun. The Standard Riff could be a good opener, though don't overuse it. Use hooks in a solo, clear melody parts or chord rhythms with accents. You've got to take the listener by the hand and lead them through your story. Sing with your solo, if you can at the same pitch. It makes your solo breathe, because YOU have to breathe. If you turn red while soloing, you're doing something wrong. Nothing like a monotonous, loud avalanche of notes to chase the audience away. In your practising, listen to horn players. Their phrasing is often more natural than a guitar player's because they have to breathe. A great way to learn phrasing is to play solo and accompany yourself. Play a simple chord rhythm of half a bar or so and then solo till the end of bar two, repeat that process for each pair of bars in a blues. You can also do this with a one-bar and a four-bar version. Tap the rhythm with your foot or have a metronome going. Build your solos; start off at medium volume and medium speed, diminish your volume and pace your notes. At the end you can crank it and give it all you've got. End with a clear statement and a nod to the next soloist or singer. Don't give away all your licks in one song. Leave em beggin' for more. Repeat yourself for climaxing purposes only. People will think you're really into it. Play a riff that fits over all chords using notes that the respective mixolydian scales have in common. The B.B. King position (3rd Blues Position) is made for this. Less is more. Why use 20 notes if a single convincing one will tell the story? This is the toughest of all tips and a lifelong battle for many fine guitarists. If you play a wrong note, repeat it. People will think it's intentional. There are not a lot of wrong notes in blues. At high speeds, play slow. Keep the pulse going: flurries of notes are okay but too many flurries will sound like diarrhoea of the guitar. Nobody will want to be on the receiving end... Sell your pedals. In Swing & Jump you need a guitar, an amp and to look good. Don't play swing style with distortion, it just doesn't cut it. Sometimes a little delay is nice, some say tremolo was invented on the Eighth Day and you really need some reverb. But give away those ugly coloured stomp boxes to your kid brother. You'll do yourself a favour.
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Suggested listening Freddie King:
Hollywood Fats: Dave Specter & Barkin' Bill Smith: Robben Ford Rick "L.A." Holmstrom B.B. King T-Bone Walker
Kenny Burell Duke Robillard (By Jay McShann) Magic Sam Billy Butler (with Bill Doggett) Charlie Christian
Bill Jennings (with Louis Jordan) Barney Kessel
Hideaway Sen-Sa-Shun The Stumble Hucklebuck Rock this House Bluebird Blues Doodlin' North Carolina Lookout Caledonia The Hustle is On Tell Me What's the Reason Get These Blues of Me High Society Midnight Blue Swing Duke's Blues Jumpin' Blues Westside Soul Floyd's Guitar Blues Honky Tonk Flying Home I Can't Give You Anything Honeysuckle Rose Saturday Night Fish Fry Boogie Real Slow Glide On
For more jazz-oriented swing, listen to Count Basie's Big Band, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman (Charlie Christian).
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