Minor Blues

Bellycaster · August 2015

I usually do quite a bit of soloing over Backing Tracks of all kinds, but recently decided to have another crack at doing Major Blues E7 A7 B7 etc, trying to incorporate as many chord tones as possible instead of all Minor Pentatonics to make it sound more interesting.

So the above chord prog is i iv V, but in Dom 7's.

I'm also familiar with Jazz progs ii V i and ii V i VI etc

and while I solo a lot over Minor backing tracks, I never took the time to figure out what's going on in the Minor Keys.

Todays backing track was in B minor

Love Quists Backing tracks, btw.

Bmin Emin GMaj and F#Maj and back to Bmin

So is this a i iv VI V Progression? I also notice the "V" F#Maj sounded better as an F7, cadence to the Bmin.

http://www.guitar-chords.org.uk/chords-key-b-minor.html

Anyone enlighten me as to why the Bminor Diatonic lists F#min7 as the V chord (linky above), when the F#7 resolves so much better. I should know this stuff.

Thank you.

viz · August 2015

It's because only the major triad with an extended 7 is the true dominant (V) chord, whether the tonic is major or minor, and it's so effective because it has that major 3rd on the dominant which 'leads' to the tonic. That's why it's called the tonic's 'leading note', regardless of whether the tonic is major or minor. A minor V chord just doesn't cut it because the flattened 3rd is only a minor 7th of the tonic, which isn't close enough to the tonic to be a leading note.

That's what the harmonic minor scale was invented for, to allow that major 7th in the tonic minor, over that V chord.

Bellycaster · August 2015

Thanks @viz

I did mean F# instead of F, yes. My sloppiness, Lol. I 've edited to save confusion :-)

The theory makes sense now yes. Are there "standard" minor progressions in Minors Keys just as there are in Major Blues and Jazz etc?

viz · August 2015

There most certainly are

Try parisienne walkways / still got the blues (gary moore) / since I been loving you (led zep) and all of Santana.

Bellycaster · August 2015

viz said:

There most certainly are

Good stuff.

Right, time to get to work with it, I've had a lazyish spell in my theory development. Since I've kicked myself up the arse I've found concentrating on the "Chord" instead of me just following scale patterns has really improved Fretboard knowledge and Arpeggios, the Major Blues makes you "find the notes", it's a lot harder than the Minor Stuff.

nocasternoproblem · August 2015

Off the top of my head I'd say this is the same progression as The Thrill Is Gone (BB King)

viz · August 2015

Good luck to ya

Bellycaster · August 2015

nocasternoproblem said:

Off the top of my head I'd say this is the same progression as The Thrill Is Gone (BB King)

This is exactly the knowledge and recognition that is dead handy, when you hear a familiar chord prog it would eventually become pre conditioned with enough usage. I guess it's good to study "music" itself as well as the Guitar. Cheers.

jpfamps · August 2015

There are toms of great minor blues out there.

We do Charles Brown's Trouble Blues and have been known to have a crack at Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue.

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Minor Blues

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