Harmonizing the Blues - Topic Driven
Topic Driven Lessons
•
51m
In this lesson, we take a detailed look at harmonizing the blues—turning single-note ideas into chordal lines while keeping the phrasing, swing, and character of the blues intact.
I first explored this subject many years ago, and I wanted to revisit it with a specific focus on the blues and the kind of detailed transcriptions and examples I include in my lessons today.
We’ll explore different approaches to harmonizing melodic lines, including chord voicings, substitutions, chromatic movement, and rhythmic phrasing. I demonstrate these concepts through numerous musical examples and complete blues choruses so you can hear how the ideas work in context rather than simply as isolated exercises.
The accompanying PDF includes detailed transcriptions of the examples and choruses from the lesson, making it easy to study the voicings and incorporate these concepts into your own playing.
The goal isn’t to memorize one harmonized blues solo—it’s to develop a vocabulary and a process you can use to create your own chordal lines over the blues.
Up Next in Topic Driven Lessons
-
3 Uses of The Diminished Chord - Topi...
In this lesson I cover the diminished chord and the three main approaches I rely on when playing single-note lines.
The Three Applications:
Using th...
-
Self Comping - Topic Driven
In this lesson, I address one of the most challenging—and rewarding—skills for jazz guitarists: comping while soloing in a duo or trio setting without ...
-
BG's Favorite Chordal Movements - Top...
In this lesson, I share 20 of my favorite chordal movements drawn from both major and minor ii–V progressions. Each example is demons...
