DAVID N. BAKER'S MODERN JAZZ SERIE IMPROVISATIOF{AI PATTERNS rHE BLUES FOR ALt TREBLE CIEF INSTRUMENTS ,t A, mauro grossi musicista I7-) ty'ia Yl cji Salvrano. rr , f/124 Uvomo - ltatia Tel. e Fax 0586 ffig7äg - Celt. 328 2298912 CHARLES COLIN - 315 West 53rd St., New York, N.Y. 10019 t -a,i PREEACE "lmprovisational Patterns: The Blues" is a part of a series books predicated of pattern on the belief that while certain patterns seem to transcend eras and styles, the greater. bgdy of materials is high specificity with regard .improvisafional of to its timeänd ptacä within the jazzcontinuum. Unlike : the subjects of the other books in a this series "The Beb;;-dr;;öiles t, z -a and 3) and "Contemporary Patterns,"the i blues ir trrti a music which does i, indeed transcend eras and .dt styles and it is this p"ruu"riu", ubiquitous and universal quality which is addressed in this book. I 4if il @.Copyright 1980 _ by CFARLES COLIN, 315 W.53rd St., New york, N.y. 10019 International Copyright Securäri Made in U.S.A. AI Rights Reserved t_ TABLE OF CONTEIITTS t_ Scale Syllabus.... ..........4 t_ Chapter l. The Blues: An Essay. ........6 The Performers... ..........8 Boogie Woogie .......9 t_ Discography .........9 Chapter ll. Some Suggestions for Using This Book. .......14 FurtherSuggestedStudy. ....1,4 t_ SignalsintheBlues .........15 Chapter III. Blues Patterns.... .........16 t_ Chapter lV. (1) Some Model Solos Based on Various Sets of Blues Changes. .26 (2) Some Model Solos Making Exclusive Use of Specific Scales. .46 l_ WholeTone.. ......46 Diminished ........47 Diminished Whole Tone. .49 Lydian Dominant. .. ...50 l-- TthScales .........52 Pentatonics and 4ths. .53 Blues Scales .......59 (3) 16BarBlues .....63 (4) BlueswithBridges .......66 t_ (5) Variations on Minor Blues Changes .......77 t_. Chapter V. Some Popular Boogie Woogie Patterns . ...75 Chapter Vl. Some Common Riffs and Backgrounds l_ to be Used as Models . ..80 Chapter VII. Some Model Piano Voicings for the Blues .........85 t_ Chapter Vlll. Some Model Bass Lines Based on Basic Blues Changes ......89 Chapter lX. Some Original Blues Compositions for l_ StudyandPerformance ....92 (1) Brother :.......92 (2) Line for Wes . .92 (3) Blues for Bird .........93 t_ (4) The Naptown Strut. .. .. .93 (5) The Felix Walk (with bass line). .94 (6) Herman's Theme (with bass line). 96 (7) Le Miroir Noir (with bass line) l-- from the original recording . .98 (8) TerribleT(with bass line). .99 (9) Mon (L'odeur du Blues) with the solo line from the original t-- recording .....100 (10) Kentucky Oysters (composition and David Baker's transcribed solo from the original L: recording) ...102 (11) Honesty (cr,.rmposition and David Baker's transcribed solo from the l-- original recording ... 105 t-- t_- SCALE SYLLABUS Relationship Of Chords To Scales Major Famity Cho.d Typ. (t) Major-13579... Scrlr Form .Major12345678 Major(14)13S79[1 1 .Lydian12314567g Major(14Is) j 3 {s 7 911 1 . Major(b619)1gsz Lydian Augmenred.l 2 3fl4 [56 78 gir rr... .Augmented1 Major13579 1235 b67 1 .... .... .. diminished Major13S79.... 1 b2b3!39456 b78 234sb678 il;;;;;;;; ...brueslb3q3414Sb78::lT:l'cM_ajor1 ....... mjnorpentatonic 1!34s b7g . Majorpentatonjc 1 23 S6 g minor Family Chord typ! Scsle Form minor, tonic (l) Function . ........ Dorian 1zbg4'6b7 I Nalurat minor 1 Z bg Ä S phrysian b6 b7 I 1 bZß 4 sb6b7 I Ascending Melodic minor 12b34567a Harmonic minor 1 Zb3 4 5167I mrnor pentalonjc 1 b3 4 5 b7 S minorTth(r)Funcrion . ;:,,il,T;tilitlrrt Ascending melod jc minor 12b345678 Fjarmonic minor 1 213 4 Sb67 1 minor pentatonic 1 b3 4 5 g örues1b334i4578 b7 dimjnished (start wirh whote step) | 2b348415678 Dominanl Family Cho.d Typo Sc.l6 Fo|m Dominanl 7th unattered . .. Mjxolydian 13s b79 t ZeqSAbt A Lydian Dominant g 1 2 14 5 6 b7 I Major Penratonjc 1 23 5 6 8 minor pentatonic 1 b3 4 s 67 I ulues 1 Dominant 7th b3 13 4i4 5b7 I lrr...... Lydian domjnant 135 b79t1 1 1231456b78 Oominant 7th b5, or 15 borh. .. .. 13bs17 WholeToner 23r4f5d6 r 3f5 b7 13(bsis)b7 4 Chord Typc Seda Form DominantTth(bg) .. ... .. Diminished -- 135b7bö' 1b2Fl3l4s6b78 Dominant 7th 19 . ....... Diminishedlb2ß 13i45b78 1 35 bTls Diminished wnole tone 1b2 13!3f4ls168 Dorian12t3456b78 Brues I b3!34$45b7I ritinor oentatonic 1 b3 4 5 b7 I Dominant 7th bg and f 9......... diminisheö1b2b3 !3h56 b78 diminished whole tone 1 b2 b3 13 i4 t516 I minor pentatonic 1 b3 4 5 b7 I Elues 1 b3 !3 414 5 b78 Dominant 7rh bs and bg o,',"iTr"i, 13 g4 s 6 b7 s diminished whole tone 1b2ß!3 14 lsü68 minor pentatonic 1 b3 4 5 b7 8 Bruesl b3!34f45b78 Dominant 7th . diminisheo scale bs and b9 13 b5 b7 bg 1bzt3 13$456b78 pentatonic ls and $e 13 ls b7 is minor b5 anrr is 13 b5 b7*9 1b345 b78 fs and Us 13 ls b7 b9 Brues 1 b3 134$45b78 (and/combination) Halt-dlminlshed chords chord Typ. Scda Form (halt{iminished7th ........... Locrian 1b2b34b5bob78 1 2 t3 4 b5 bo b7 I (ö7) locrian $2 - minor 7th (b5) diminished (start with whole step) 1b3bsb1b3bsb7 12b3414fs678 brues 1 b3 13 414 s b7 8 dlminished chords diminished 7th . diminished scale (o7) (starl with whole step) 1 b3 b56 12b34141567I &t2 The Btues I he (u) section ot the bfldge ts the secuon wnere new The blues has had a profound influence on American contrasting material is introduced, (i.e., music. It is without a doubt the most widelv used sono form in black popular music and jazz. As a iorm and ai ABA influence, the blues can be found in much music of the i- 12---l l*8*r '--12-. theatre, and in country and western music. lt is the foun. dation of much gospel music, most rhythm and blues compositions, much rock and roll music, all booqie _ arbitrary number or bars.) woogie. as well as other universally popular song forÄs, Examples of such compositions are "Bill not phil" by Bil and it has shown a decided influence on some European Harria, "Traneing In" by John Coltrane and;an) Art music. otnerS. A cu.sory examinatjon of all the recorded iazz music In many instances instrumental blues in the iazz tradt- would probably reveal an unbelievably percentage high tion tends to.be more predictable and regular in structure of blues and blues-influenced compositions, as well äs (symmetrical) with the exception blues.influenced performances. of biues by Ornette Tire yield would be Coleman and those of similar persuasion. (Many higher in certain eras than in others. avanr- During the halcyon garde players tend toward the säme irregularitiei, asyrr" days of Bebop it was rare.to find a ZB and later an L.p. metricalities freedom indigenous without a blues on it. 9nd to many voca blues.) The Classic Blues," 'Ctty Blues" and.othär It is not an accident that more almost without exceDtion the sophisticated forms have settjed into reqular forma players who have influenced the flow of iazz have been -well.rooted structures (twelve or sixteen measure oatterns) often a.t great blues players and,/or composers in the expense of vitality, spontaneity anä the demands oi blues: Louis Armctrong, Jelly Ro|l j{orton, Count young, content. Basie, Earl Hines, Lester Charlie parker, While blues instrumentalists Dizzy Gillesple, Thelonlous of the iazz oenre have ltonk, Sonny Rolling, tended to certain regularities wiih relard Charles llingua, Ornette Coleman, _accept to the Archie Shepp, numDer ot measures in a blues (i.e., 12, g. 16, etc.). and othe.s. "Watermelon Man," Herbie Hancock-16 bars- These men and others, often as not, chose the blues as "Stolen Moments," vehicles Ollver Nelson-16 bars, thev have fo. improvisation for many reasons, some of been less wedded to the sanctity which follow: of the original simple I lV V progression. Some of the iubstitute c-hords foi the 1. T}le blues is a highly flexible form with exceedingly instrumental blues follows. (See example l, p. 10.) simple harmonic structure (thfee chords). Some examples altered 2. lt allows of bluej are:',.Dahomev extreme latitude for musical exDression Dance, John Coltrane; Honesty,'David Baker; issuing out of this simplicity. Sip - pin at Bells," l|llles Davis; "When Will the Blues Leave,' J. lne blues provides a compositional type common Ornette Coleman. to the background of every would-be jazz player ir- Likewise, jazzmen have been much less riqid in their respective of era, musical persuasion or stylistic adherence to the 4/4 12y8 preference. / metric scheme prevalent in vocal blues, Virtually every meter and combination of 4. The blues is a form that can be .endered as simple meters has been used in jazz blues, i-e., 6/A,314, 514,714. or as complex as the individual performer/com. 514 + 614,7/8 5t8 ad poser + infinitum. desires. Some sample compositions include: 5. The ubiquity of the blues (via radio, T.V., church, jukebox, 3t4 nightclub, etc.) provides a form with which "Valse Hot"-Sonny Rolllng most aspiring jazz players are at least superficiallv "Kentucky Oysters"-Davld Baker conversant. "Terrible T"-Davld Baker . In addition to those compositions actually employing a Compound 6/4-5l4 rormat Dtues structure, lhere are countless compositionS ''Four-Five-Six''-Lanny Hartley which borrow heavily on the other components oi blues_ Amalgam 414 I 314 I 214 I etc. e.g., "Worksong by Nat Adderley, "Moanin'by Bobbv "Blues Timmona, ..Sister in Orbit"-Georg€ Ruasell Hummin by flat Adderley. Sadier. 12t8 by Horace Sllver and others. "All peteraon, Blues"-i[llee Davlg Many jazz players-Oscar Horace Sllver.