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ALL BLUES SOLOING .2 JAZZ GUITAR scales, licks, concepts & choruses ® it By Jim Ferguson GUITAR MASTER CLASS ; -— ALL BLUES SOLOING JAZZ GUITAR scales, licks, concepts & choruses CREDITS Many thanks to Alberto Ricci (for creating Sound Maker}, Howard Morgen, and recording engineer Dave Egan. Published by (for information on other products, write the following address}: Guitar Master Class Box 581 Sonta Cruz, CA 95061-0551 21990 rn serguson eineliona Sopytn- Socured Al Rights Resse Pinved nUSA. lnsutiorsea sopping, sraraa.acoaing sug. ale pretibTec Exclusively distributed by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Isat 0 7866 42858 Grachies ond layout by CRC Phoroarophy by Mell Relay Hess Lay Pilon ‘Cover guitar Hpipnons Joe Fass modo! CONTENTS Introduction + About The Notation, Chord Symbols &Fingerings 5 1 12-Bar Blues Progressions— Swing/Bebop Variations Swing/Bop Basics 6 Swing Specifics 6 Bebop Embellishments & Voriations 8 Basic Blues Scales— 2 Organization, Tonality, Phrasing CAGED Formations— Fingettsoard Organization 10 Home Positions/Home Scales 12 Blues Scales, Sounds & Choruses: Phrosing 13 The Major Scale 13 The Major Pentatonic Scale 17 The Blues Seale 20 The Dorian Mede 25 The Mixolydian Mode 27 The Chromatic Scole 30 Scale Patteins 33 3 The Heritage Of Jazz— Riffs & Riff Blues Strict Ritts & Rif Sfucture 36 Non-Shict Varlable Ris 40 Guide Tones 41 Blues Vocabulary— Licks & Development OR Licks 4a Uick Development 57 Playing Through Changes— 5 Advanced Concepts & Choruses The Additive Approach 62 Bebop—Changes FlomTThe hide 66 Sub Formations 66 super Arpeggios 70 Diminished Scales & Arpeggios 74 Whole-Tone Scales & The Augmented Chard 74 Melodic Minor/Lydian Dominant Scales & Ampeggios 77 one Related & Parallel Concepts 81 Double-Stops 87 Glossary 9) INTRODUCTION Designed as a companion to All Blues For Jazz Guitar—Comping Styles, Chorals & Groaves (also distributed by Mel Bay; MB968421CD), All Blues Solaing For Jazz Guitar—Scaies, Licks, Concepts & Choruses can also be independently used iby players with solid comping skills and a good working knowledge of chords and voice-leading. Concentrating on the single-note improvisational side of the jazz. equation, this volume covers a wealth of material and topies—including ‘common progressions, fingerboard organization, scales and tonality, riff struc- tune, patterns, and advanced concepts. In the process, it features 38 complete choruses and hundreds of licks (many of which can found in the solos them- selves). ‘Described as “the mother’s milk of jazz,” blues is a fundamental aspect of improvisation; however, like many other fundamental subjects, it has only been treated superficially and sporadically in guitar instructional materials. And while no single volume could comprehensively cover an aspect of music that amounts to an art form with unlimited creative potential, here you'll find a wide array of ideas—with a firm nod toward phrasing, the rhythmic aspect of improvisation that is lacking in so many guitar books (Miles Davis once observed (hat guitarists, unlike horn players, never seem to take a breath). Overall, Al Blues Soloing takes an historical perspective, although one that is necessarily a bit less linear than All Blues For Jazz Guitar, Nevertheless, within (hese pages you'll find material that’s applicable w the spectrum of jazz guitar styles. Through a study of basic scales thar are the foundation of the jazz/blues vocabulary, you'll move on to many other hip topies that ultimately lead to a clear understanding of the core essentials for creating your own solos. While this book springs from the work of the great horn players of jazz is dedicated to those guitarists who have digested, filtered, and synthesized that information in terms of the instrument's six strings, including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, George Benson, lloward Roberts, and George Barnes. Ultimately, my goal has been (o write a hook I wish had been available when I was starting out. Jim Ferguson Santa Cruz, California, 1999 ABOUT THE NOTATION, FINGERING & OTHER SYMBOLS the notation, tablature, and diagrams used in this book are generally similar to those found in many other publications. Consequently, an overall descriptive key is not provided, although special cases and symbols are mentioned in the accompanying text. (Also consult the Glossary on page 91.) Throughout, rhythms should be interpreted with a swing feel. Therefore, what appears as a pair of straight eighth-notes, should he played more as a triplet quarter-note followed by a triplet eighth: In the standard notation, a circled number that indicates the string a note or a series of notes is to be played on is valid until a new circled number appears. In the event that there are two or more notes to be played simultane- ously, a circled number indicates the string on which the lowest note is to be played, The location of the remaining notes should be obvious. All notes are generally fingered with Arabic numerals, with only the first of a series of repeat- ed notes receiving a number. Individual hammer-ons and pull-oflf in the tablature are indicated with a curved line (slur). Consecutive hammers and pulls on the same string are indicated with a curved line, in which ease only the first note of the group should be played by the right hand. Scale diagrams (a.k.a. grids) are shown upright. Therefore, the horizontal dines represent the frets, while the vertical lines represent the strings (the vertical line to the immediate right represents the first, or high Finally, since jazz. theory and nomenclature generally do not take enhar- monic spellings into consideration, occasional discrepancies may arise con- cerning a note, a chord symbol, a (heoretical spelling, and the descriptive text. While many of these discrepancies, common to fake book lead sheets and jazz scores, are unavoidable, they have been kept (o a minimum. 12-BAR BLUES PROGRESSIONS— Swing/Bebop Variations For the sake of thoroughness, clarity, and consistency: this book focuses on & siagle 12-bar chord pro- fession, the most common in jaz. (For an overview of 12-bar progressions, see All Blues Far jazz ‘Guitar Comping Styles, Chords & Grooves) Swing/Bop Basics The follawing progrossion shows hase ront mavements and chord qualities (there are many possible intezpretations and variations}. Remember that in improvisational terms, a chord sequence consti- tutes a kind of road map that ean suggest the direction and/or nature of asolo, As with all progtes- you should be mindful af the following kinds of movement: chele offiths-type, including backeycling sequences that move counter-clockwise through the 2. Chromatic movement. 7-V7-related sequences are employed in light ofboth chromatie and cieele a ify Iypes uf movement Tn the following progression, which represents the mast basic version ofthe swing bop form used today and serves as the basis for mostof the examples in this book, bar U3 VI7 initiates a series of ci le of iths-selated chords that include two instances of the Imi a wr 7 wr 7 wr vn vr ow? me v7 Swing Specifics Fo understand current practices, itis useful to be aware of what has taken place inte past. Eatly 12 bar swing progressions typically adhered to the I-1V-V' chords, but with some common embellish- ‘ments and variations, In this next example, nozice the following: how the fist four bars festure the | chord, with {6 used for three measures and I7 for ane measure (a practice hat suengthens the transi- ion ¢@ IV}z how Vi in bar 6 connects 1¥6 to 16; the use af V7 in measures 9 and 10, and the simple 16-V7 turnaround in bars 11 and 12: Pa v we me thee rt LL| 1 w 6 “7 3 : wa 7 e oO “More elaborate swing forms build on the preceding scheme, suggesting additional avenues for improvisation In this next example, notice how measures | threngh 4 interrupt what was Unrce bars of and one bar of 17 with a move (o (V7 ln bat 2, the inclusion of VI? in measure U—an important development, one that figures into al ofthe progressions to come—and che use uf 17 in bar 6 w7 6 v v6 vine iz. TDL TSF Zz 16 ve Ww vr 6 w G77 é- LLf2 Many of the iews seen so fur are laken co their logical conclusion inthis next swing 12 -bar blues vari- ation, which implies even more detailed routes, Points of interest include the movement suggest by -17-1V6-IVimb-16-17 The fest four measures, the use of dominant chozd qualies, the use af tim7 inbar9, and a17-VI7-llm7-V? eanazound in measures 11 and 12. 117 6 vms 16 7 wr me bee - AZELA TIFF ” vir m7 v7 vir im? v7 AM Blues Saleing Bebop Embellishments & Variations While the line beriveen swing and bebop is often blurred, bebop retains the basic root movements of ving while using more dorsinant chords, lim7-¥7-rclated sequences, and chuomaticism. Keeping, the frst exaraple ofthis chapter in mind, the allowing progressions shaw che most vammon embellishments and variations used in bebop. This first progression fealures some extremely common root movements andl avenues, Observe the Vin7-17-1V7 sequence in burs 4 and 5 [his can also be thoughtof asa tim7-V7 of TV7}, the move iment of V7 (017 via #IVéim In har 6, and dhe chromatic approch to VI7 im measure 8 mow 7 ver owe poaiar @ Z z LZ 7 bur wnt 7 ow? um v7 2 7 Z FZ Zz | “Taking things a few steps further, the neal sequence builds on the preceding progression in several ways. In measure 2, IV? moves to 17 via lVeim7. Again, bar a's Vi7-17 leads to TV7, Measore 6 consti {utesa common “back door” approach ta 17 that buils on the swing [Vine by expanding ito Wen? VIF ETT isa common jaz resolution toTsin “Tormal” musi, Ivmm?-V17-1 would be considered a “deceptive” cadentee since the expected resolution would be to alll in other words, [vm7-b¥1I7 isa suun7-¥7 of Lit. ‘Bars tod ate equally interesting, comibining circle of fifths-related! movement {17 w IV7}, chro smaticisan (1V7 to Hm?) andl Inn7-V7-related sequence that backeycles from Illm? to ¥I7 to lim? to V7 in hes @ Uncoughl0, a var ow7 wun? buir @t z 2 Z| owe iim vir tin? VP ow ume v7 cra Zz Z zz) Swing/Bop Progressions these last tivo examples expand on all ofthe preceding ideas and feature increased chromal ces, Inthe fist progression, measures 1 through & use devices drat have been sccn carter. Bur 8 “buck door” 1vin7-VIl7 descends half-step co [Tlm7-VI7 (a common substitute fr I) in bar 7. The sense of VI7 in bart is rezained by the use of bILI7 (a5 substitute for VIT), wich at che same time is preceded by its Mn? (in this ease, bVIlm7), Carefully analyz the sequence in measures ? through And you'l sev a series of interlocking relationships that uflizeaLo substituce and ultimately result in the chromate series fTfm?-LII17- lim? bli? Binaly, while the eurnaround looks dilferent roan the I \ir-llm?-V7 sean belo iis in fact the result ofa series of 5 substitutes bIT7 isthe b5 of VI7 and bil? isthe [5 of Ve). The 117 in bar 12 can frequently eeplace Im? and here maintains the downward ‘chromate series of dominant chords, "7 WW7 vaio ven 7 w7 ima bvi7 at Z TF “nr vir buna burr it v7 vir tr 7 GPPFL LLLP FA ZZ LS) | odiuces chromatie movement thac ulrimately leads w IV in measute 5 (via Vim Lin, Vin7, and 17), More chromaticisn is initiated by shifting the "back doos” chords up a half-step toFIVin7-VII7 and proceeding from theze, which resus in the series VIT-}VIIT-VI7-4¥17-V7, The tumarotnd is standard. Carefully analyze this and the preceding progression. There are many other alernatives, And remember thar the effectiveness of sich complex sequences often depends on judi- clous voice-leading. vt 1777 ime byl Vir 177 AV VT Gt = LLL wm byw7 mmr vir bunmebviz ime v7? I?m v7 LT | 7 LLN Its important to remember that none of the progressions discussed it this chapter are carved in stone. Most ofthe ideas here can he combined in various ways, resulting in many possible variations sometimes even over the course af the same tune. Likewise, chord qualities are equally vari- able, especially in terms of dominants, which can frequently accommodate all possible extensions (9, 11,18) and alterations 25,15, 9, 8, and #11). For more on this (inchuding the b5 substitute) consult All Blues For [azz Gtitar—Comiping Styles, Chords & Grooves. Chord and comping fluency, like impra- ional luency, develop through a combination of knowledge and experience,