A Long Look At The Blues (Part 1)

By

Tim Price
Everyone loves to play the blues. In this lesson, Ive taken an in-depth approach
to give you all some information, new ideas, ear training, and fresh approaches to this
form.
#1 is a favorite blues lick of mine by the great blues sax player Noble Thin Man
Watts. Its on a dominant 7th chord, and its a four bar phrase. Check it out! #2 is 68
blues licks and phrases in various keys, tempos, and styles.
Play through each lick. Listen to how it sounds. Get so it just jumps out of
your sax. Then after you play through all of them, go back, and pick your favorites
and start to learn them through all the keys. Try one lick a week to get started. Once you
get into it, pick some more out that appeal to you and do the same. This can be a never
ending study, so take you time and have some fun.
Rememberthe blues is a must to have together no matter what bag youre
playing. Many master jazz players are great blues players, e.g., Gene Ammons, Coltrane,
and Sonny Stitt.
Many great rock sax players have strong blues roots. Listen to early guys like Lee
Allen and Red Prystock.
OKThis should be some big fun get started now.
See you next monthwith Part 2!
Tim Price

Noble "Thinman" Watts Blues Lick

Noble Watts

C7

4
& 4 j b j b

j b j b

F7

j b j b
&

j b j b

B b7

b b
& b J

b b
b
J

b b
b
J

b b
b
J

E b7

b b b j b b b
b b b j b b b
j
j
& b
b
b
b
13

A b7

j b b b j b b b
j b b b j b b b
b

b
b
& b
17

D b7

& b j b b b b b j b b b b b j b b b b b j b b b b
21
ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Noble "Thinman" Watts Blues Lick-p.2

F #7

j # ## j # ##
j # ## j # ##
& #
#
#
#
25

B7

##
& J

##

# #

##

29

E7

# j #
j
&

j # j #

33

A7

j # j #

&

j # j #

37

D7

& j j
41

j j

G7

j j
&

j j

45

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Blues Phrases & Licks

Tim Price

q
G7

(1)

b b
&c

C7

(2)

b
& b

(3)

G7

3
3
b

b
&

Bend to D

b j

(4)

C7

G7
3

3
3
& J b

J b n

(7)

(6)

G7

& # .

&

> n .

C7

(8)

b 3 r b

G7
3

3 b
J

&

(9)

G7

(10)

b
J J

&

G7

&
3

(11)

G7

(12)
3

&

G7

&

G7

(5)

j b
J

j
b

G7

&
3

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

n _

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.2

(13)

G7

J
&
3

100

Slow

G7

(14)

(15)

b
b
& J

G7

3 j

& #

130
(16)

C7

(17)

G7

J
.
.
&

G7

.
& . # n b b

140

G7

(18)

& J

G7

(19)

C7
etc.

b
b .
J
3

& .

b. b. . . .

(20)

C7

G7

(21)

G7
Simile

3
3

& b
b

& #
3

100

A Blues

(22)

j
&

160

A7

A7

(23)

b
3

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

#. #
&
Boogie Woogie
(c) 2002 Tim Price Musiic

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.3

110
(25)

G7

(24)

##

. b b
J

&
135

D Blues

- > >
n

. .

- > >
n

. .

G Blues

G7

(26)

C7

G7

b
> > >

&

n
> > >

Slow

G7

(27)

C7

G7

.
J

& J # R ..

C Blues
(28)

C7

G7

F7

C7
3

& J #

b
J .

Bar 9
120
(29)

110

C7

(30)

>
&
3

G7

b
& J

G Blues

G7

G7

120
(32)

A7

D7

G7

J b
J

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

# b j n . b

G Blues
(31)

C Blues

# b b b

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

nn

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.4

G7
(34)

(33)

- - -
& J

. G 7 .
b .
b

120

(35)

(36)

G7

& b
b

( C7 )

G7

J
3

D7

(37)

C7

Bar 11

Bar 12

Bar 10

Bar 9

100

G7

(38)

b
b

&

170

Boogie Woogie

&

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

ww

G7

(41)

Boogie Woogie

G7

j A b

>
170

G7

C7

j b . } n A
&
J

(40)

J b

G7

(39)

G7

b 3n
J

#
&

^ ^ ^
J

& J #

>
J #
>

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.5

170
(42)

#
J
&

G7

C7

G7

b
n b n
J
J
J

Bar 3

Bar 2

Bar 1
170
(43)

C 7

&

G7

b b

#
# a #
Bar 6

Bar 5
170
(44)

G7

Boogie

>
b
& J

Bar 8

Bar 7

C7

j b

G7

j b
k
>

b
>

170

G7

(45)

C7

G7

b b b
& J

170
(46)

C7

G7

& b b
>
>
>
>
>
Slow

170
(47)

G7

C7

etc.

# #
&

(48)

G7
3

# j
3

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.6

Slow

,
3

j
# b

C7

(49)

&

(50)

G7

110+

100
(52)

C7

(51)

G7

D7

C7

#
&

# n b b #

&

(53)

b .

D7

G7

j b b

Bar 9
(54)

G7

(55)
3

Simile

b b

& b

G Blues

120
(56)

G7

C7

>
j
#

&

(57)

b >

j
#

C7

>

3
3

(58)

D7

C7

# n >
&
3

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

G7

. n . - b - b
J
3

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

Tim Price

Blues Phrases & Licks--p.7

G7

(59)

_
>

b
J

(60)

&

J J
G7

(61)

C7

>
b b

J

&

G7

G7

n b

# 6
8

180

G7

(62)

(63)

>

# 6
& 8
120
(64)

n
b .

G7

G7

# b j

C7

b

&
D7

(66)G 7

. b b.

Slow

C7
G7

b

# #
n
#
&
(67)

120

&c
(65)

C7

Boogie

(68)

G7

&

j b
J

ZZZVD[RQWKHZHEQHW

C7

b
J

. b

(c) 2002 Tim Price Music

G7
3