From basic blues to jazz blues
Traditional blues uses three dominant chords (I7, IV7, V7). The jazz blues (F and Bb being the most common keys) keeps the 12-bar form but adds ii–V, passing diminished chords, and a turnaround.
Comparison in F
| Bar | Basic blues | Standard jazz blues |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F7 | F7 |
| 2 | F7 | Bb7 (quick change) |
| 3 | F7 | F7 |
| 4 | F7 | Cm7 F7 |
| 5 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
| 6 | Bb7 | B°7 |
| 7 | F7 | F7 (or F/C) |
| 8 | F7 | Am7 D7 |
| 9 | C7 | Gm7 |
| 10 | Bb7 | C7 |
| 11 | F7 | F7 D7 |
| 12 | C7 | Gm7 C7 |
Analysis
- Bar 2, Bb7: the "quick change" to the IV.
- Bar 4, Cm7 – F7: ii–V toward Bb7 (F7 = V7/IV).
- Bar 6, B°7: #iv°7 passing diminished, bass Bb – B – C (toward F/C).
- Bar 8, Am7 – D7: ii–V toward Gm7 (D7 = V7/ii); often replaced by Abm7 – Db7 (chromatic) or by A7 – D7.
- Bars 9–10, Gm7 – C7: the main ii–V in place of C7 – Bb7.
- Bars 11–12: turnaround I – VI7 – ii – V (F7 D7 Gm7 C7), or the tritone versions (F7 Ab7 Gm7 Gb7).
Jazz blues in Bb (same structure)
| Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb7 | E°7 | Bb7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 | F7 | Bb7 G7 | Cm7 F7 |
|---|
Reference tunes
- Now's the Time, Billie's Bounce (Charlie Parker, F)
- Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk, F)
- Tenor Madness (Sonny Rollins, Bb), Blue Monk (Monk, Bb)
- C Jam Blues (Ellington, C), Sonnymoon for Two (Rollins, Bb)
Scale choices and language
- Over the whole form the blues scale (F Ab Bb B C Eb) and the minor pentatonic work: it is the "horizontal" color of the blues, valid over all the chords.
- Over the chords: Mixolydian on F7 and Bb7 (with #11 on Bb7 in Lydian dominant), Dorian on the ii chords, altered on D7 and C7 before the resolutions.
- Bebop language mixes the two approaches: blues phrases + ii–V arpeggios.
- The blue note b3 (Ab) over F7 is a #9: an accepted and essential dissonance.
Variant with the major tonic
In the "big band" or soul jazz version the I can be Fmaj7 or F6 in bars 1, 7, and 11, and the blues gets closer to the Bird blues.
Exercise for the producer
- Program the form in F at 130 BPM, 60–62% swing, in FL Studio.
- Have the bass play a walking line with chromatic approaches on bar 6 (Bb – B – C) and on bar 8 (A – D as roots).
- Write a 12-bar head using only the blues scale; then a second head using the guide tones of the ii–Vs.
Related topics
The blues: 12-bar form (basic card), minor blues, Bird blues, related ii–V, passing diminished chords, jazz standards and harmonic forms.