{"id":8584,"date":"2018-05-31T12:55:25","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T10:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=8584"},"modified":"2024-11-25T16:09:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T15:09:26","slug":"minor-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/minor-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"Minor Blues Chord Progressions"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this jazz guitar lesson, you will learn the most common chord progressions used when playing a minor blues. Comping over a minor blues tune is an essential skill for any jazz guitarist, as minor blues tunes are some of the most commonly called songs on jam sessions. While it\u2019s an important form to have under your fingers, many guitarists spend the majority of their practicing on the major blues form and less on minor blues.<\/span><\/p>\n

These progressions will start off rather simply, with what is referred to as the basic minor blues, and will consequently get more and more complex until reaching a point of chordal saturation.<\/p>\n

Each progression in the lesson has a backing track that you can listen to, jam along with, and use as a practice aid.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span>\n

Minor Blues Progression 1<\/h2>\n

The first example lays out the chords to what is considered the most common minor blues<\/strong> progression<\/span>. These are the changes that one would play if a minor blues were called at a jam session, or if they were playing with a band for the first time.<\/p>\n

This progression only contains four different chords<\/strong> (if you’re not familiar with Roman numbers in music, check out our lessons about Roman Number Analysis<\/a>):<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The I –\u00a0 Cm7<\/li>\n
  2. The IV – Fm7<\/li>\n
  3. The II – Dm7b5<\/li>\n
  4. The V – G7alt<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Listen & Play Along<\/i><\/p>\n

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    \"Minor<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Minor Blues Progression 2<\/h2>\n

    In the next progression, we will insert a common substitution<\/strong> over the II chord in bars 9 and 12. Instead of playing the Dm7b5 chord each time the II chord comes around, we will play its tritone substitution (<\/a>Ab7) instead.<\/p>\n

    The Ab7 chord resolves smoothly<\/strong> down by a half-step to the G7alt chord that follows it each time it is played. This progression is often intertwined with example 1 without much distinction between the two.<\/p>\n

    Since Ab7 and Dm7b5 are so closely related the only real audible difference<\/strong> between these two progressions is the bass movement in bars 9-10 and 12.<\/p>\n

    This is the chord progression of standards such as Equinox and Mr. PC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Listen & Play Along<\/i><\/p>\n

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    \"Minor<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Minor Blues Progression 3<\/h2>\n

    In the following example, we will insert our first secondary dominant chords<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    A secondary dominant chord is the dominant chord (V) of a diatonic chord other than the I.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    For example<\/strong>:<\/p>\n