Typical Blues Progressions

used in jazz
Key of F "Improve your Jazz Guitar
Playing with a REAL teacher"
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1 Most Basic 12-bar Blues - 3 chords : I7, IV7 and V7

(common progression in rock, pop and blues music)
F7
                
Bb7 F7
                
C7 Bb7 F7 [C7]
                

Simplified "jazz blues" : begins with I - IV - I - I

2 and also : II-V cadence in bars 9-10

F7 Bb7 F7
                
Bb7 F7
                
Gm7 C7 F7 C7
                
2

Most Common "Jazz blues" : Secondary dominants in bars 4&8

3 and also I - VI - II - V Turnaround in bars 11-12

F7 Bb7 F7 F7(b9)
                

Bb7 F7 D7(b9)
                

Gm7 C7 F7 D7 Gm7 C7
                

4 "Jazz blues" with even more chords : II-V interpolation in bars 4&8
and also : Passing Diminished chord (#IV) in bar 6.

F7 Bb7 F7 Cm7 F7(b9)

                

Bb7 Bº7 F7 AØ D7(b9)

                

Gm7 C7 F7 D7 Gm7 C7
                
 3

"Major Bebop blues" - referred to as "Bird Blues"

5 conceived in major, contains many II-V.

study carefully and analyze!

Improvisation on this one is highly rewarding!

F^ EØ A7(b9) Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7

                

Bb7 Bbm7 Eb7 Am7 D7 Abm7 Db7

                

Gm7 C7 F^ D7(b9) Gm7 C7

                

See the tunes :

-"blues for alice" (key of F)
-"chi chi" (key of Ab)
-"freight trane" (key of Ab)