During measures 3-4 the right-hand part is using half-step grace notes to lead into the 3rd (B)

and 5th (D)

of the implied G7 chord. These are ornamental notes of short duration, which are squeezed in right before
the following note. For example, on beat 1 of measure 3, the A# is squeezed in right before the B and D
that follow. (Actually, although it looks like we should play the A# by itself and then play the B and D
together afterward, in practice the blues-rock keyboardist plays the A# and D together, then quickly slides
off the A# to play the B afterward.)
Meanwhile, the left hand is playing a "root-5th, root-6th, root-7th, root-6th" pattern on the G7 chord. This
is similar to other blues-rock left-hand patterns we have seen, except that we are using quarter notes instead
of eighth notes, and the left-hand thumb is playing the 7th of the chord on beat 3 of each measure. Since
the right hand is playing on all of the eighth-note subdivisions, the left hand can get away with playing only
on the quarter notes-i.e., the left hand doesn't need to play on all the eighth notes.
Now we'll put this "Mixolyian 3rd interval" pattern to work-this time without the grace notes-on a
complete 12-bar blues progression, in the key of C:
TRACK 50
piano only

C7

.. .

... ...

t)

C7

F7

fj

~~~~~~~~

lr

I I I

... ... . .

... ... .. .

~~~ ~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

F7
5 fj

TRACK 51
piano plus
rhythm section

C7

lr

1 u

lr

I I I

.. . ... ... . .

... ...

I I I

<

.. .. .. . . . . .
G7

F7

9 fj

1u

~~~~~~~~
C7

G7

lr

I I I

~~~~~~~~

. .

... ...

<

.. .. . .. . . . .

~~~~

This example uses Mixolydian modes built from the root of each chord, as a basis for the 3rd interval
patterns. You'll recognize the G Mixolydian mode (the 3rd intervals B-D, C-E, and D-F) being used on the
G7 chords in measures 9 and 12. Similarly, the C Mixolydian mode (the 3rd intervals E-G, F-A, and G-B~)
is being used on the C7 chords in measures 1, 3-4, 7-8 and 11. The F Mixolydian mode (the 3rd int~rvals
A-C, B~-D, and C-E~) is being used on the F7 chords in measures 2, 5-6, and 10. The left-hand pattern is
again based on the root-5th, root-6th, and root-7th of each chord, now using an eighth-note subdivision.

24