Jazz Blues Guitar Patterns

One of the most common chord progressions in jazz is the blues progression. A “straight” 12-bar blues usually has three 7th chords (I IV V). In jazz, we add more chords to this progression, such as II V I progressions and a more complicated turnaround. Jazz blues also features a different kind of phrasing and melodic language, which is the focus of this lesson.

Soloing over a straight 12-bar blues progression relies heavily on pentatonic and blues scales.

While you can certainly use these over a jazz blues progression as well, you will need more tools such as arpeggios, scales, and chromatic phrasing to avoid sounding repetitive.

In this lesson, you will learn 8 jazz guitar patterns over a jazz blues in F that come out of the bebop language.

These melodic cells and clichés can be found in the solos of jazz players such as Charlie Parker, Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass.

 

 

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

 

Backing Track

Listen & Play-Along

 

Jazz Guitar Patterns

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

This simple pattern has a dominant, minor, and major variant and emphasizes the b7 (dominant), b3 (minor), or 3 (major) of the chord.

 

Dominant

 

Minor

 

Major

 

Pattern 1 Exercise

Here is an exercise over a series of II V I progressions to get pattern 1 under your fingers.

 

 

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

Pattern 2 features a b6 interval, a device that is typical for the blues sound.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 3 (bar 3 and 24)

Pattern 3 features a chromatic line going from the 3rd to the 5th of a dominant chord.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 4 (bar 5)

The following 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 brings out the 9 sound.
For example: Dm7b5 over Bb7.

 

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

 

Here are two variations of this pattern:

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 5 (bar 8 and 16)

This minor II V I is a typical bebop lick.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 6 (bar 9 and 21)

Pattern 6 uses another common substitution for minor chords: a maj7 arpeggio starting from the 3rd of the minor chord.

Playing a maj7 arpeggio from the 3rd of a minor chord brings out 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

Here is an exercise over a blues in F to get pattern 7 under your fingers.

 

 

Jazz Guitar Pattern 8 (bar 22)

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

This pattern uses a Dbm(add 9) arpeggio 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, you will find pattern 8 in bar 2.

 

 

Jazz Blues Guitar Patterns Guitar Pro File

 

 

F Jazz Blues Band in a Box File