The Blues Progression

In a vocal blues piece the opening statement is heard in the first four measures, a repetition occurs in the second four measures with slight changes, and the last four-measures include new material commenting on the opening statement.

For example:

As the harmonic idiom of jazz developed, numerous alterations have been added to the basic blues progression by instrumentalists.

Example 1

The basic blues form using all dominant seventh chords.

Example 2

Adds the subdominant in the second measure.

Example 3

Introduces the ii⁷ – V⁷ progression in measures 9 and 10.

Examples 4-6

Introduces other ii⁷ – V⁷ mosaics and a turnaround in the last measure(s) leading back to the opening.

Example 7

The blues structure of example 2 is applied using the minor pentatonic blues scale.

Other more complex variants of the blues progression can be found in the blues compositions of Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, and Miles Davis.

The Blues Scale

The scale uses the 3 (2), 5 (4), and 7 (the “blue notes”) on the major scale. The 7 adds to blues a Mixolydian quality.

The blues scale can also be considered as a minor pentatonic scale (la do’ re’ mi’ so’) with 5 (4):

In practice, a composite of the major scale with the blue notes is used freely, with the major 3^rd embellished by a 2 going up (3 coming down), the P5 embellished by 4 (5), and the leading tone often replaced by a 7.

It is characteristic that the bent “blue” 3^rds and 5^ths in a blues melody clash with the regular M3 and P5 in the accompaniment.

Blues motives

Below is a 12-bar blues using a simple blues motive (example 6 above) for the first eight bars with a tail borrowed from another blues motive (example 12 above) and a contrasting motive (example 1 above) in the final four bars. The left hand is played in a simple guitar-style strum.

How to swing

Jazz has a lilting feel resulting from the uneven execution of its eighth notes. In common time, the 2^nd and 4^th beats are emphasized in the accompaniment.

1. In the early 20^th century the “swing” feel of jazz was notated using a dotted eighth and sixteenth note.
2. Another attempt to notate the “swing” of eighth notes was to write them as triplets.
3. Since neither of these solutions accurately describe the “swing” feel, today’s jazz musicians write straight eighth notes but perform them somewhere between the two solutions shown in examples 1 and 2. A gentle tenuto is often placed on the off beats.

In Latin jazz, similar to classical music, eighth notes are performed straight as written.

Ostinato/Riff

The blues and blues-related styles use the ostinato technique employing repeated melodic and/or rhythmic figures. The technique is very common in popular music and dance music. An ostinato can occur in the accompaniment (example 1) or in the melody, where the motive is sometimes called a “riff” (example 2).

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The Rhythm Section: Walking Bass Lines and Comping Chords

The jazz rhythm section typically consists of piano and/or guitar, bass, and drums.

The walking bass, which provides the driving force of jazz, employs passing tones, neighbor tones, and appoggiaturas. The bass player connects and embellishes the roots, 3^rds, and 7^ths of the underlying harmony.

During statements of the head or during improvisation, rhythmically accented chord voicings are played by the keyboard player over the walking bass. These comping chords employ 3-5-7-9, 3-13-7-9, 7-9-3-5, and 7-9-3-13 voicings.

Three frequent comping rhythms are shown below.

Below is a modern blues accompaniment for solo piano that fits the head of a blues-like version of Bobby Troup’s “Route 66.” In this arrangement, the left hand provides the walking bass and the right hand performs the comping chords. A vocalist or additional instrumentalist(s) perform the tune (head) and/or improvisations above this texture.