EXCERPT 3

The chord progressions found in the next section are very common in blues and jazz music. The 12 bar blues, the minor 12 bar blues and rhythm changes (a common progression in jazz music) are used to help a student utilize all the chords found in this book. Both blues and rhythm changes are presented in all keys first with chord symbols and then with only notes. It is important to for a guitarist to be able to read chord symbols and written out voicings. Feel free to substitute chords with different tensions to create your own examples. Each progression will have many chords that can be played in different positions on the guitar; the voicings I used are shown in the "notes only" section starting on page 131. The fret position is also shown with a number inside a circle under each chord, but free to try other combinations and use your ear to decide which voicing sounds the best.

It is important to see how all the chords presented in this book fit into music. Three very common chord progressions will be shown in all 12 keys moving in a cycle 5 pattern. The first, the blues, is typically a 12 bar song form with the IV chord coming on the fifth bar. You will notice the many different ways a blues can be played by substituting all the chords we have learned. The minor blues is again a 12 bar form with the IV chord coming on the 5th measure. Rhythm Changes is a common AABA jazz form: A=8bars, A=8bars, B=8bars, A=8bars. The A sections are re- harmonized slightly to add variety. Try to learn each example at the tempo marking and make sure all the notes of each chord sound clear.

The 12 bar blues, minor blues, and rhythm changes chord progressions all have a basic progression that is then embellished with more chords and/or tensions. Pages 103 and 104 show the stripped down versions of the 12 Bar Blues, Minor Blues and Rhythm Changes. The 12 Bar Blues and the Minor Blues (see page 103) are similar in that they go to the IV chord (IV in the Key of C) on the fifth measure. You will notice that even when reharmonizations get very complex usually the IV chord will still be there on the 5th measure. Rhythm changes as mentioned before have an AABA form, therefore there are only two sections to the form; the A section consists of a diatonic progression in C (C, A-, D-, G7) or I, VI, II, V, with a quick II-V-I to the IV chord G-7 C7 F which is another II, V, I but in F major, then another I, VI, II, V, in C. This is followed by a bridge (B section) which goes through dominant 7th chords cycle 5. E7 to A7 to D7 to G7.

With this basic information we can now talk about the reharmonization I have added to these basic progressions. One method of reharmonization is to add and subtract tensions. By referring to the chord tones and tensions chart presented before each chord type you can add any of the available tensions. Therefore C Major could be C69 because 6 and 9 are available tensions for a C chord. Another method involves adding and subtracting chords to change the chord progression. Reharmonization by adding and subtracting chords has certain rules which govern which chords are substituted. This reharmonization theory is derived from the fact that our ear wants certain types of chords to resolve in certain ways and that some chords have an affinity with others because of their internal structure. A chord's tendency to move in a particular way is called it's " resolution tendency" One chord with a very strong resolution tendency is the dominant chord. Our ear wants to hear the dominant chord resolve in one of 3 ways...