Introduction to the Jazz Blues

12 Bar Blues in G

The Minor Pentatonic scale

Every pentatonic scale has only 5 notes. The Minor Pentatonic Scale degrees are:

b3

b7

The Minor Blues Scale

The Minor Blues Scale is very similar to the pentatonic scale. We just add one more note that we call the
Blue Note. There are two kinds of Blue Notes. The one that we add to the Minor Pentatonic is the flat
fifth degree (marked in blue) of the scale (b5th).

b3

4 b5 5

b7
1|Page

Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

The Major Pentatonic

The major pentatonic scale has the same notes as the minor pentatonic scale a tone and a half below it.
That means that the G major pentatonic has the same notes as the E minor pentatonic.
But the root is different and so the degree of each note is different.
The Major Pentatonic Scale degrees are:

The Major Blues Scale

The Major Blues Scale is very similar to the Major Pentatonic scale. We just add one more note that we
call the Blue Note. There are two kinds of Blue Notes. The one that we add to the Major Pentatonic is
the flat 3rd degree of the scale (b3rd).
The Major Blues scale has the same notes as the Minor blues scale a tone and a half below it. That
means that the G major Blues scale has the same notes as the E Minor Blues Scale, but the root is
different and so the degree of each note is different.
The Major Blues Scale degrees are:

b3 3

You can look at this scale as a Major6 arpeggio with a chromatic approach to the 3rd degree.
Learn the following positions. For each position, its very important for you to know where the root of
the scale (marked in red) is and where the blue note is (marked in blue). You can change the fingerings
according to what's comfortable for you.

G minor Blues Scale, open position, root on the 6th string

2|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

G major Blues Scale, open position, root on the 6th string

G minor Blues Scale, root on the 6th string

G major Blues Scale, root on the 6th string

3|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

G minor Blues Scale, root on the 4th string

G major Blues Scale, root on the 4th string

G minor Blues Scale, root on the 5th string

G major Blues Scale, root on the 5th string

4|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

G minor Blues Scale, root on the 5th string

G major Blues Scale, root on the 5th string

G minor Blues Scale, root on the 6th string

G major Blues Scale, root on the 6th string

5|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

The I-VI-II-V progression and its substitutes

secondary dominant- The first substitute.
The secondary dominant is a dominant chord that leads into any chord in the song other than the 1st
degree. Its not the primary dominant that leads into the root chord, but a dominant chord that leads to
any other degree in the scale. You will always find the secondary dominant on the 5th degree of the
chord you want to lead to.

The secondary dominants to Dm7 and To G7:

I C I Am7 I Dm7 I G7 I

I C I A7 I Dm7 I G7 I

I C I A7 I D7 I G7 I
We replaced Em7 with E7 because we created a secondary dominant chord (E7) that will lead to the
target Am7 (E is the 5th degree of A).
we also replaced Am7 with A7 because we created a secondary dominant chord (A7) that will lead to the
target D7.

Sub V7: The second substitute.

The sub5 is a dominant chord that sits a triton interval from the primary dominant chord. That means
we can replace the V7 chord with another Dom7 chord, a triton (3 tones) above or below it.
Sub V7 to A7:

I C I A7 I Dm7 I G7 I

I C I Eb7 I Dm7 I G7 I
6|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

We replaced E7 with Bb7 because Bb sits 3 tones below and above E. So we created a sub5 dominant
chord (Bb7), instead of the current dom7 chord (E7).
Sub V7 to G7:

I C I Eb7 I D7 I G7 I

I C I Eb7 I Dm7 I Db7 I

We replaced D7 with Ab7 because Ab sits 3 tones below and above D. So we created a sub5 dominant
chord (Ab7), instead of the current dom7 chord (D7).
Sub V7 to D7:

I C I A7 I D7 I G7 I

I C I A7 I Ab7 I G7 I
We replaced D7 with Ab7 because Ab sits 3 tones below and above D. So we created a sub5 dominant
chord (Ab7), instead of the current dom7 chord (D7).

Secondary dominant to A7:

I C I A7 I D7 I G7 I

I E7 I A7 I Ab7 I G7 I
We replaced G with B7 because we created a secondary dominant chord (B7) that will lead to the target
E7 (B is the 5th degree of E).

7|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.

Sub V7 to E7:

I E7 I A7 I D7 I G7 I

I Bb7 I A7 I D7 I G7 I
We replaced B7 with F7 because F sits 3 tones below and above B. So we created a sub5 dominant chord
(F7), instead of the current dom7 chord (B7).
Multiple substitutes- Sub V7 to E7 instead of C and Sub V7 to D7:

I C7 I A7 I D7 I G7 I

I E7 I

I Bb7 I A7 I Ab7 I G7 I
We replaced C7 with Bb7 because B7 is a sub5 for E7 (which is a secondary dom7 to A7).
And we replaced D7 with Ab7 because Ab sits 3 tones below and above D. So we created a sub5
dominant chord (Ab7), instead of the current dom7 chord (D7).

8|Page
Copyright 2015 GypsyAndJazz.com All rights reserved.