Blues Connotation (aka P.S. Unless One Has) is the opening track of Ornette Coleman’s fifth studio album This Is Our Music (1960). In this lesson, you will learn how to play the melody on guitar. It’s a fun tune to play and sits easily under the fingers, making it very approachable on guitar.
Blues Connotation shows how Coleman could take familiar jazz structures and mix them with his own unique harmonic and rhythmic concepts.
The song follows a traditional 12-bar jazz blues progression in Bb, but with a twist: bar 11 is shortened to 2/4 (during the theme). This rhythmic shift is typical of Coleman’s music, respecting jazz traditions while pushing the boundaries.
The original recording is fast at about 264 BPM, but for this lesson, I slowed it down to 180 BPM, making it easier to hear the phrasing clearly and play it comfortably on guitar.
Recommended listening:
- Ornette Coleman – This is Our Music (1960)
- Chick Corea – The Beginning (1970)
- John Abercrombie – Within A Song (2012)
- Roben Ford (with Bill Frisell) – City Life (2013)
- Christian McBride (with Mike Stern) – The Q Sessions (2021)
- Julian Lage – Live
Blues Connotation – Video
Blues Connotation – Notation/Guitar Tabs
Backing Track
Listen & Play-Along
Super cool tune – still struggling to get the swinging vibe, but loving it. The bebop enclosures technique is changing my world!
Great yeah
Gefällt mir gut. Ganz herzlichen Dank für Ihre Inspiration.
Great feel … looking forward to getting into this one. Cheers
Man, that swings!
Krása,každým opakováním se mi více líbí
Beautifull tune, thank you!
Muy bueno. Gran trabajo. Muchas gracias maestro
Sensational! Many thanks for another precious gift.