Jazz Blues Guitar Patterns

One of the most common chord progressions in jazz is the blues. A straight 12-bar blues typically consists of three dominant seventh chords (I–IV–V). In jazz, this basic form is expanded with added harmony, such as ii–V–I progressions and more sophisticated turnarounds. Jazz blues also uses a more advanced melodic language and phrasing, which is the focus of this lesson.

Soloing over a straight 12-bar blues often relies on pentatonic and blues scales. While these sounds can still work in a jazz blues context, relying on them alone will quickly start to sound repetitive. To create more authentic jazz lines, you need additional tools such as arpeggios, scales, and chromatic phrasing.

In this lesson, you’ll learn eight jazz guitar patterns over a jazz blues in F, drawn directly from the bebop language. These short melodic cells and clichés appear frequently in the solos of players like Charlie Parker, Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and Joe Pass.

 

If you want to go deeper, check out Jazz Guitar Patterns & Phrases – Volume 1, and learn 87 classic jazz guitar patterns that serve as practical building blocks for your jazz guitar solos.

 

 

F Jazz Blues Guitar Patterns – Video & Sheet Music/Guitar Tabs

 

Backing Track

Listen & Play-Along

 

Jazz Guitar Patterns

Jazz Guitar Pattern 1 (bars 0 and 7 in the study above)

This is a simple, versatile pattern with three variants: dominant, minor, and major.

Each version highlights a key chord tone:

• The ♭7 over dominant chords
• The ♭3 over minor chords
• The 3 over major chords

 

Dominant

 

Minor

 

Major

 

Pattern 1 Exercise

Below is an exercise using a series of ii–V–I progressions to help you get this pattern under your fingers and into your playing.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 2 (bars 1, 14, and 20)

Pattern 2 begins with an enclosure of the 3rd and finishes with a ♭6 interval, a characteristic blues color.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 3 (bars 3 and 24)

Pattern 3 uses a chromatic approach from the 3rd up to the 5th of a dominant chord, a common bebop device.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 4 (bar 5)

This pattern uses a common substitution for dominant chords: a half-diminished arpeggio starting from the 3rd of the dominant chord.

Playing a half-diminished arpeggio from the 3rd of a dominant chord emphasizes the 9 sound.

For example: Dm7b5 over Bb7

 

Dm7b5 arpeggio	D	F	Ab	C
Played over Bb7	3	5	b7	9

 

Below are two variations of this pattern:

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 5 (bars 8 and 16)

This pattern outlines a minor ii–V–i using a classic bebop lick that begins with an Am7 arpeggio and targets the b9 of D7.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 6 (bars 9 and 21)

Pattern 6 uses another common minor-chord substitution: a maj7 arpeggio starting from the 3rd of the minor chord (this is called a 3 to 9 arpeggio).

Playing a maj7 arpeggio from the 3rd of a minor chord highlights the 9 sound.

For example: Bbmaj7 over Gm7

 

Bbmaj7 arpeggio	Bb	D	F	A
Played over Gm7	b3	5	b7	9

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 7 (bar 15)

Pattern 7 is a simple dominant arpeggio with the last two chord tones reversed.

 

 

Pattern 7 Exercise

This exercise applies pattern 7 over a blues in F to help you get it under your fingers.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 8 (bar 22)

Pattern 8 is known as the Cry Me a River motif, named after the opening melody of the famous jazz standard.

This pattern uses a Dbm(add 9) arpeggio played over a C7 chord:

 

 

Dbm(add 9) arpeggio	Db	Eb	Fb	Ab
Played over C7	b9	#9	E	#5

 

In this lick over a ii–V–I in F major, pattern 8 appears in bar 2.