theory

For those not aware of Howard Goodall's "How Music Works" series, it's well worth checking out https://youtu.be/U-P55m37hWk

Well that's it, these are all of the songs that students of School of the Blues first learn before they start to add their own song selections into the mix. I recommend you look at the listing I provided (https://www.facebook.com/bluesharmonica/) and make note of the different types of grooves that are represented... these are the grooves you'll most likely play in an average set. continue reading...

In the book Improvising Jazz by Jerry Coker there's a quote author by Richmond Browne that "The listener must come our right around 50% of the time" in regards to guessing where the music is going next. Ruminate on that important statement and I'll elaborate tomorrow.

Like the harmonica, the bass is a single-note instrument. The benefit of studying bass lines are that they not only sound great when played on the harmonica, they're constructed of chord tones and the strongest scale tone choices to transition from chord to chord. It's difficult to come up with cool IV and V Chord ideas, and a player that studies bass lines has less trouble coming up with cool, unique likes due to their intuitive knowledge of the chords. Lastly, for those of you who don't like studying music theory, study bass lines... they are music theory in action. continue reading...

I'm at my desk in the Movenpick Hotel Stuttgart, about to leave for my flight home. Today I'll start a series based on my observations from my classes, conversations with students and what I heard at the jam sessions... specifically what I saw in regards to deficiencies.

Memorize your three blues chords...

I7 (one-seven chord) = G B D F (G is the Root of the chord, B the third [third note from the root in the basic scale... G A B], D the fifth and F the flat-7th [the 7th in the Key of G is F#, so F being lowered a half step is the flat-7th)
IV7 = C E G Bb
V7 Chord = D F# A C continue reading...

Here's the 12 Bar Blues Form... one bar for each chord symbol (roman numerals):

I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I V

The only place where four bars of the same chord happens is in the first four bars (first line). So, if you don't hear any movement to another chord from the band for more than two bars, you know you're somewhere in the first part of the form.

In the second line, the IV Chord lasts for two bars and then the I Chord for two bars. If you hear two bars and then a chord change, then you're somewhere between bars 5 and 9. continue reading...