So I'd like to talk to you today about the blues progression.
And in a typical blues progression you use seventh chords.
So we're going to talk about building the seventh chord.
Then go into the blues progression.
The seventh chord starts with the major triad.
[PLAYING CHORD] We remember the major triad-- 1, 3, 5.
Then we're going to add a seventh to it [PLAYS NOTE]
and we're going to flat the seventh.
[PLAYS NOTE]
So now we have a 1, a 3, a 5, and a flat seven.
That is what we call a dominant seventh chord.
[PLAYS CHORD] 1, 3, 5, flat 7.
You have the root, the third, the fifth, and the flat seven--
dominant seventh chord.
On the screen there you see it says C 7.
Now, if I were to play a dominant seventh chord based
upon the F as my root, I would use the notes F, A, C, E flat.
[PLAYS CHORD] That would be an F dominant 7.
F 7.
F dominant 7.
So you have C dominant 7 [PLAYS CHORD] and an F dominant 7. [PLAYS CHORD]
The next chord to the blues is a G 7.
So that would be a G dominant 7.
G, B, D, F-- that's a flat seven-- F natural.
[PLAYS CHORD] And one cool thing to think
about whenever you want to play a flat seven, all you have to do
is remember that it's a whole step below the root.
So you have root, 3, 5, and root again.
And then you just come down a whole step and you have your flat seven.
[PLAYS CHORD] Flat Seven.
Dominant seventh chord.
So we have the one chord, [PLAYS CHORD] the four chord, [PLAYS CHORD]
and the five chord.
[PLAYS CHORD] Dominant seven.
All these chords, these three chords, go into playing a blues.
Those are the only chords you need to play a blues.
You see I have a blues written there.
There's a one chord [PLAYING CHORDS] for four bars.
And then the four chord for two bars.
Back to the one chord for two bars.
Then the five chord, four chord, one chord.
Now, I'm going to have the students sing the roots.
That's the tonic-- the one.
Every time I change the chord.
So they'll sing a C for the first four bars.
And they're going to attack the pitch every four bars.
So they'll go [SINGING NOTES] doo doo doo doo.
Then they go to the four chord and do the F. [SINGS AND PLAYS] Doo doo.
Back to the one chord. [SINGS AND PLAYS] Doo doo.
Then the five chord. [SINGS AND PLAYS] Doo.
Four chord. [SINGS AND PLAYS] Doo.
One chord. [PLAYS CHORD] OK you ready guys?
1, 2, a 1, 2, 3, 4.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Four chord.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Back to the one chord.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Five chord.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Four chord.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
One chord.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Good.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Good job.
They're going to do the same thing.
And this time, I'm going to play a little improvising using
the minor pentatonic scale.
[PLAYS SCALE] While I'm playing the chords and they're singing.
OK.
You'll hear how that minor pentatonic scale
is being used to improvise or to create a melody over the blues.
So let's try it guys.
1, 2, a 1, 2, 3, 4.
[SINGING AND PLAYING]
Cool.
See how that minor pentatonic scale was used when I played the blues?
And a really cool way to write a blues riff
tune with a minor pentatonic scale, is simply
writing a simple melody for the first two bars.
Melody or lyrics and a melody for the first two bars. [PLAYS NOTES]
And then you'll rest for the next two bars.
You get to bar 5 you repeat the same two bar melody
that you did for the first two bars.
And then you'll rest for the next two bars.
So five and six you're repeating the same melody
you wrote for bars one and two.
Rest for bars three and four.
The same melody you're gonna write in five and six
that you wrote in bars one and two.
Then you'll rest in measures number seven and eight.
Then measure nine, you're going to maybe vary the lyrics that you sing
or the melody that you write a little bit.
And rest in measures eleven and twelve.
It may sound a little complex, but we're going to put it in context for you
so it makes even more sense.
Now, I didn't tell them I was going to do this, but each of these students
right now is going to write a blues.
They're going to improvise on the spot.
They're going to improvise about whatever they want to sing about.
It can be about their roommate.
It can be about their favorite color.
It can be about the weather.
And they're going to use the structure that I just mentioned.
They're going to sing lyrics for the first two bars.
Then they're going to rest for two bars .
They're going to repeat those same lyrics for two bars.
Then rest for two bars.
Then they'll vary the lyrics for two bars and then rest for two bars.
So I'll give you an example.
And I think I'll put it in another key so that we can sing it.
C is kind of hard sometimes to sing blues in.
[PLAYS CHORD] So we'll put back down in F. [PLAYS CHORD]
So, you can start out with something simple as:
[SINGING AND PLAYING] My name is George.
And I like to play.
Now rest for two bars and repeat.
[SINGING AND PLAYING] My name is George.
And I like to play.
If given the chance--
Here's where we vary it--
[SINGING AND PLAYING] I play all day.
Piano is the thing that I like to do the best.
Now repeat that.
[SINGING AND PLAYING] Piano is the thing I like to do the best.
My name is George.
And I like to play.
I know I don't sing so well, but that's OK.
I'm going to do it any old way.
OK?
Now, I'm going to go through, and I'm gonna have each student just
make up a blues on the spot.
Using that minor pentatonic scale and the structure that I just mentioned.
Now, the main thing about this, and this is the most important thing,
you've got to have fun.
This is mandatory.
Because if you're having fun, you won't be nervous.
Did you hear that guys?
This is going to be a lot of fun.
OK we're gonna start with Courtney and go right around.
Courtney, Grace, Janae, and the lovely, Giuliana Davis.
And then George.
Are we ready, guys?
[LAUGHTER] [PLAYING PIANO] Sure you are.
First up we have Courtney.
Here we go.
[SINGING] I sing.
And yes, yes I'm gonna sing.
Uh-huh now she's gonna rest and repeat.
[SINGING] I sing.
And yes I'm gonna sing.
You can't stop me with ain't no little thing.
Grace.
[SINGING] My name is Grace.
And I play the piano.
My name is Grace.
And I play the piano.
Uh- huh
[SINGING] I can sing, but I try not to.
Alright Janae
[SINGING] My name's Janae.
And I love to sing.
I said my name's Janae.
And I love to sing.
And if you don't like it, Well you can do anything.
Giuliana
[SINGING] Woke up this morning and I brushed my teeth.
Woke up this morning and I brushed my teeth.
So I can get something to eat.
I ate lasagna after I brushed my teeth.
[SINGING] My baby left me a long time ago.
My baby left me and my heart a long time ago.
I should have known she was trouble from the start.
Cause she gone.
[SINGING AND PLAYING] You just heard us all sing the blues.
You just heard us all sing the blues.
We didn't practice it.
It's right off the cuff, but we all used the minor pentatonic scale
to sing the blues.
So that is some blues progression guys in its most simplistic form.
You use the one chord, the four chord, and the five chord.
Just like what's on your screen there.
One chord, the four chord, and the five chord.
The one chord for the first four bars.
When you get to bar five, you go to the four chord.
Bar seven back to the one chord.
Bar nine there's some kind of cadence chord and it's normally the five chord.
Then the four chord.
Bar eleven goes back to the one chord.
You'll notice that I added a few extra chords here and there,
and you were able to do that.
But just know that all you need to play is those three chords.
And they're all dominant chords.
How is a dominant chord constructed again?
One, three, five, flat 7.
C, one, E, three G, five, B flat, flat 7.
C dominant 7 chord.
That is a dominant seventh chord.
And you have the four seventh, [PLAYS CHORD]
F 7, five seven, [PLAYS CHORD] G 7, back to the one 7. [PLAYS CHORD] C 7.
The blues.