5 Levels of the Blues - From Easy to Charlie Parker

Today we're talking about the 12 bar blues. Starting with the basic 12 bar blues progression we know and love, adding secondary dominants, and 2-5's until we get up to complex bebop changes, and ultimately, Charlie Parker's "Bird Blues" progression.
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[@MrThepopopopo]

Best thumbnails in the jazz education youtube world!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Haha thanks!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Love the Back to the Future reference :)

[@strat1227]

Love the intuitive explanation for how these wild changes are derived! I'd love more content about complex chord movements over simple forms!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

I’d love to make that content too. Got anything specific in mind?

[@tioliak]

Please do more blues!

[@vigorousvoices]

I definitely learned a bunch! Thanks Josh!

[@zackfishman3245]

Finally, the Blues is making sense to me!

[@charlesmccormick2625]

Digested, summarized, academic-good; I betta practice!!

[@JensLarsen]

Great video :)

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thanks Jens!

[@boogiewoogieandbluespiano]

Great video Josh 😀😀 I may have to try some of this 😀

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Val! Awesome. Let me know how it goes!

[@boogiewoogieandbluespiano]

@@JoshWalshMusic I will 😀😀😀

[@zackfishman3245]

Thanks!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thanks so much, Zach!

[@ulob]

2:41, bar 10 of Johnny was still the V

[@JoshWalshMusic]

You are correct. I almost pointed it out, but thought I’d introduce some confusion. But your ear is spot on.

[@dumb_as_rocks]

this isn’t “levels of blues” this is “how far can we take the 12 bar blues form in a jazz context” part of what makes the blues so timeless and accessible is the absolute mastery and emotional impact achieved within the limits of form and scale calling these “levels” of blues is like spitting in the face of guys like robert johnson or john lee hooker who spent their lives working the blues scale and what it stands for but i guess that probably goes over the heads of the jacob collier robots who think music is something ranked on a linear scale based on how complex it is

[@JoshWalshMusic]

You make a fair point. It's not that cut and dry, and there is room for endless exploration by the individual artists. You'll notice I didn't say "complex is better" anywhere in the video.... that was on purpose. But I would argue that I'm not "spitting in the face" of artists by trying to simplify things for educational reasons here on KZbin. Cheers.

[@DojoOfCool]

Cool video, but people need to listen to the real thing and that's not Clapton and Mayer. As the old saying goes you want to play like listen to who they listened to. I played guitar and bass all my life and only recently started on piano as my bucket list thing. I played a lot of Blues coming up on guitar and think it was a great foundation especially for developing a feeling how many measures have go by and as a bass play for anticipating or "setting up" the next chord. When I came up it wasn't called "fast four" it was just "fast change" or "quick change" meant same thing just different term. I used to have a sheet from decades ago like what your talking about show straight 12-bar Blues changes, then then next and the additional changes all the way to Bird Blues or what we just called Major Blues. Seeing them all written out one below the other makes it easy understand the differences. The best teacher for me was getting to play with real old Blues cats and get your ass handed to your a few times. All about playing simple in the groove, don't step on others. As they said to me once whoever is singing or soloing the spotlight is theirs so keep it simple, then when the spotlight is yours go for it. No matter what genre you want to play search out the old cats wherever you are and talk to them there will always be some gems of wisdom you'll pick up.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Great insights. Though I would argue you can learn a lot about the blues from Clapton and Mayer. Would you feel the same way about Monty Alexander, or Larry Goldings? Both modern day players who play a mean blues. I’ve learned more from transcribing their playing than almost anyone else. :-)