How Jazz Works: Soloing on the Blues

When you start learning how to play the blues you learn about blues scales, blues licks, and shuffle patterns. But when you listen to the pros play the blues, they don't use these things -- at least not in the same way we do.
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[@johndewitt54]

F blues. Guitarist here (late as usual). Love the blues guitarists from Johnson to Vaughn et al and have played through many of the Aebersold play-alongs (on vinyl), but I'm enjoying your work on sorting this all out logically.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thanks John!

[@zlucoblij]

F blues. Glad somebody said it out loud. There seems to be such a big gap between the blues scale and what people really play. I was wondering about it many times. Thanks for this walkthrough!

[@tedzkeys8590]

Thanks for making the blues concept crystal clear to us .... thanks!

[@djscrandy]

such a great video , thank you!

[@chrisbegley1518]

F Blues… love your love videos… to the point and educational… keep up the good work, cheers…

[@reubenpompei3896]

F Blues, THANK YOU so much i checked your barry harris video and you cleared some thing about the way Barry Thinks :)

[@magicdudegary]

Eff blues. Thanks for sharing!

[@raymartinez5165]

F blues. Excellent video/tutorial !! I first learned about the Blues in 1968/69 when I was in my late teens. Immediately it got in my blood. Within the local teen bands I was known as the "Blues Player", and several band asked me to play with them. I didn't really knew much, but the little I knew sounded great on my Hammond B-3. Then ..... I discovered Monty Alexander. I was blessed. I was playing in a club next door to the one Monty was playing with his Trio. On my breaks, I would run next door and catch Monty playing. Although it was for only 10 minutes or so at a time, it was enlightening, and I was hooked. But then I realized how little I really knew. I really couldn't make the change and adjust to Jazz, and not just Blues. All these years, although I faked it, I was not satisfied. Well ..... I just found your Channel this morning, and everything changed for me. I sat on my piano, and immediately noticed a change in my playing. Finally, after all these years, in just a couple of hours, I was happy with my playing, and back to my teens, all thanks to you. I wish I had found you back then, but ... . . you were many, many years from being born. Thank you !!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Such kind words. Thank you! And I’m super jealous of your daily Monty concerts!

[@CharlesAustin]

F Blues.. interesting to derive a major” blues scale from the relative minor .. Back in the day, I ‘made up’ a Major blues scale in C as a Cmajor pentatonic adding b3 and b6 which does look a lot like the Ami blues scale. Also I looked at putting blues scale note choices over other related harmony such a subVs to check out chord extensions etc. built from the min blues scale thereby keeping the blues scale melody simple while playing over chromatic chords such as sub Vs and so on etc. Great clarity here thanks !!

[@tonyfromrhody]

Josh, just came across your channel and after many years of playing really enjoy your style, Great info with a relaxing delivery, Subscribed and will be back to binge watch your teachings. F blues, the second or maybe 3rd key I learned back in the day.

[@guitarinmartin]

Great video! Really interesting! Above all because it really has the feel of your own personal understanding of playing blues.

[@martynramsden]

F Blues 😉, love the Monty transcription there Josh - he's a legend amongst the top too. Interesting post - thanks for this Josh. I look forward to your next one 😁🎹

[@francescomanfredi]

Great lesson and great solo piano book on your shelf, one of my favorite!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

It’s absolutely the best book I own on playing jazz.

[@krisyarborough6099]

Hi Josh, what serendipity. Just been having similar conversation with my tutor about modern blues and how I can recognize what is happening and your video popped up. You explain things brilliantly.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Awesome. The algorithm is creepy sometimes! You should talk to your tutor about bebop lines next 🤣

[@darylgest5577]

F Blues Indeed Really enjoying learning from you Thank you

[@mrsabendteuerland3079]

F Blues, I love your content. Very perceive and clear, keep it up

[@tibyswing]

F blues. Thanks for all the great videos sir! 🙏🎻

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Glad to have you here, my man!

[@ornleifs]

I went through exactly the same process - learned the blues scale and yes it sounded bluesy but I found that there was something missing and later when I added the major third and the sixth it started to sound more like the music I was listening to and basically you can use all the 12 tones it's just a matter of knowing where and when you can place them cause none of these notes sound good all the time.

[@strat1227]

I spotted the Jeremy Siskend book in the back, I work out of that all the time!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Jeremy is the best. I study with him privately and was an editor on that book. It’s a fantastic resource.

[@humblemai2211]

Please make more tutorial about jazz piano like this...thanks

[@seanonel]

Along with grace notes, a pitch bender on a keyboard is awesome. I never used mine until I got into Corey Henry. When he's on a keyboard, he uses that thing non-stop as can be seen on Lingus by Snarky Puppy. Thanks Josh, another great presentation! Looking forward to delving deeper into the concept of the blues!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Oh man, I’m so with you on this. Cory is mesmerizing to watch, but I am so bad with the pitch bend! Need to play more synth blues, I guess.

[@seanonel]

@@JoshWalshMusic I found that setting my PB to 2 tones gave me a much more intuitive feel. It feels good and sounds right (and easily controllable). Thanks for your nice comment!

[@gerrycappuccio4186]

F Blues I have been using the 6th & 2nd for years ! Lot of musicans use them ! Great information thanks !

[@joshuacaesar2025]

F blues. I just discovered your hidden gem of a channel. Keep up the great work.

[@infinitypiano9170]

F Blues I couldn't agree more. I love adding the gospel scale to my blues. Still working on using both scales simoultaneously. Dina from PWJ

[@bodhibeats8257]

F the Blues. That’s what you said, right? 😉 Great video! I think the problem of getting “stuck” on the blues scale is incredibly common, and I do think the easiest answer to that is to add the 2nd, 6th, and major 3rd. For me is always been easier to just think of adding those notes to the Abersold blues scale than think of separate major and minor blues scales. But, lots of ways to get there! If you’re looking to do more blues explorations, I’d love to see a similar video for minor blues! 😁

[@JoshWalshMusic]

I’ve got minor blues in the backlog! Coming someday…

[@winstonmacmahon9735]

F blues, and nice homage to Ray's Blues at the end

[@jussiparkkonen9853]

F blues! Very informational video. Thank you!

[@ruggieromrd]

I just discovered your channel and man it's pure gold.... clear, concise explanations. Thanks a million sir. May I mention that to my ears it sounds like you are having doubling notes... That happens when you are having a MIDI loop which is pretty common using USB hook to your computer (the note you send comes back and sound doubled). Easy to solve selecting LOCAL OFF in your keyboard. Again, many thanks for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to produce such a good material. Cheers !!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Hey man. Thanks for the nice note. I did in fact have a feedback loop here. Was experimenting with ways to avoid wearing headphones. Made some studio upgrades since to see it I can rectify it going forward. Thanks!

[@ruggieromrd]

@@JoshWalshMusic My pleasure man. You sure have a new subscriber here. All the best.

[@scottjoyce100]

F blues. Great video. I like this! I just transcribed the elec piano of intro of Aretha's "Bridge over troubled water". I don't know who the player was. It was blues-based. The notes were not difficult. But rhythmically... I'm still working on it. He also added some basic triads as he went kind of like you were talking about using double stops. It is super cool. He played it like a singer sings. So I noodled around with what Aretha was singing and learned even more. Thank you for this video! It gives me more to look at and experiment with. Take care.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

I’m going to have to pay closer attention to that track. Thanks!

[@milt61]

I believe that would be a certain Ms. Franklin on the electric piano.

[@alfredbellanti3755]

Thank you for this lesson. From what I hear it seems that we can almost use a chromatic scale for blues.

[@maxalthoff4526]

F blues must be code for an injured back. Great video Josh.

[@enzolo2420]

Hey! tremendous content as always. to Your statement, asking why he did not put the 6 into the blues scale: my uneducated answer would be: there are two 6. major and minor. i think Trane was someone who reinvented the use of pentatonic systems or the variation "coltrane changes". he was showing a whole new use of these same notes and i think the way he did emphasizes the difference between the theoretical concept of any blues scale and the actual use in (lets say) hard bop, post bop. from what i stumble upon time and time again i get the feeling that Trane was happy with a pentatonic concept, using a 6 in a different way. back to topic, i think the raw pentatonic plus tritone was left that way in order for it to work over both minor and major blues progressions and i find that reserved pentatonic concept also very usefull for songs like Hey Joe by Hendrix where there is a suspended or dominant tonic yet diatonic chords like C in the progression which would clash with the major 6.

[@johnrothfield6126]

The original blues scale was a major scale with a flatted 3rd

[@sandywilson867]

I liked your comment on Oscar Peterson not thinking of any of the structural features of the music when he was soloing , because he had internalized all that stuff long ago in his musical development . I am in my seventies now and have a lot of experience playing live for an audience . Chops make you a more fluid player , but the main star of the performance is emotion . Restrained , don't throw it all out there right away . Leave some spaces in your delivery like a horn player and allow the audience to absorb what you have just stated . Overplaying can kill the groove . For me it is all about the groove . My infant daughter would sway back and forth to the beat of the music when she was less than a year old , six or eight months , and able to sit up . I have played dance music in bars and pubs for all of my adult life . If you see them tapping their foot then they're listening . I just found your channel with your explanation of Barry Harris ' method . I watched his videos from the Netherlands years ago when he was teaching those young music students . Great instruction , and can he play !

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Sandy - indeed. For me, spending time practicing new and uncomfortable techniques / transcriptions helps me train my ear to more sounds. But then when I perform, I just rely on my ear for what to play (which is improved through that practice). I think so many people get confused about this idea. That practice is not just for training your technical facility, but also your musical ideas.

[@nicholasmarin4776]

THIS is such GOOD advice! Thx Sandy, I'll remember you!

[@nigelrogers8690]

F blues! Thanks for sharing. I'm still very new to piano so the shuffle pattern left hand and scale in the right I'm still mastering and everytime I practise it I think this doesnt sound like the blues it must be my playing. It has taught me the scale, hand independence and swing but it still doesn't sound like the blues....I'll keep practicing maybe it'll happen....🤣

[@vocalchords88]

F Blues. Another gem thanks.

[@paddylandreville8501]

F blues, please explain the music that I love so much, of Thelonius Monk and the brilliant saxophone performances of Charlie Rouse. Thank you very much for posting.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Great ideas. Charlie Rouse is a superb idea. I just don’t know if enough people know who he is and would watch. But he’s a master. I’m working on some Monk already 😎

[@andrewcampbell-bluespianop6741]

F blues. Interesting video mate!..I think using both the minor and major blues scales can give an authentic blues sound when done right. You can hear it in blues piano players like Charles Brown, Ray Charles and Otis Spann for example.

[@josephmartino9958]

Jimmy Page does something like that between the A blues scale and the F# pentatonic, switching back and forth, plus the bebop scale every so often

[@bobblues1158]

Hi Josh. This is one of my favorite subjects. You might want to hear the Ben Sidran interview with Doctor John on NPR when Ben was there as host. Very interesting observation on the 6th in Boogie Woogie. Kansas City is 6. New Orleans is 7. That´s Doctor John´s observation and he demonstrates on the piano. Jay McShann for me the Southwestern Kansas City Kansas-Oklahoma sound. Albert Ammons. Endless subject!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

This is fascinating. Do you have a link?

[@jeremyhope1649]

@@JoshWalshMusic It's definitely on iTunes, Ben interviews lots of jazz musicians. Dr. John was pointing out how Meade Lux Lewis would overplay the 6: "Sounds like what my aunty would listen to..." Jay McSchann's "After Hours" is fantastic.... F BluesThank you for the video, Josh, I been noodling around the blues scale far too long!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

@@jeremyhope1649 I will definitely look for this.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

@@jeremyhope1649 hey man. I appreciate you sharing that with me. I listened to the interview this morning. Really interesting! Though I took his meaning about the 6th differently. What I heard him say wasn’t about using the 6th as a note in blues lines, but rather using a 6th chord instead of a dominant 7 chord in the progressions. Appreciate you!

[@dennisboran772]

F Blues, Good info Thanks,

[@charlesmccormick2625]

Your work is 300-400 college music training; projecting scale drills/options thru chord changes will modernize some of the Blues habit!

[@jerryk3280]

Try the altered dominant scale on the i7 and resolving on a chord tone of the iv7. It really works!

[@richardm1862]

Yes, the altered dominant scale works as well as the diminished scale.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Great tip!

[@simondennis8271]

F blues. Awesome content as always. Thanks.

[@vitobiliti]

F blues 👊 your videos are totally on my level and really helping make sense of what I've figured out for myself, particularly the diminished chord over dominant 7 one. My biggest hurdle now is un-training my blues scale muscle memory. If you have any advice for minor ii V i soloing (throwing in harmonic minor), that's my current struggle... Anyway thanks for your time and talent, subscribed!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Great topic idea. Thanks! I’m so glad you find these useful.

[@OriginalKingRichTv]

Blues came out around 1890s

[@archinsoni1254]

I feel as if music theory is very easy. Atleast when it comes to chords and scales and to some extent modulations. But then it's the application of theory Of different chords and and scales and arpeggios and harmony on the instrument, along with phrasing and rhythm That whole package is overwhelming and mind bending to me. In other words I can solo over a single chord at one time And I can perhaps even write a fancy chord progression. But I can never solo over a progression the way I'd like to..

[@markymark0073]

F blues - great stuff again Josh... I use the minor blues scale way too much over the blues progression... I've been trying to incorporate notes outside the scale - this is a good reference for what I can use. Thank you!

[@FromTheHipp]

i cant imagine mentioning blues and blues history without mississippi which is where it was popularized and a massive amount of influence came from. F blues.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Yes good point.

[@nicholasmarin4776]

Josh Blues!

[@zackfishman3245]

Good stuff! F blues

[@menomossomusic]

F Blues- great video. An interesting point on using the 6th. Barry Harris has that one scale, Dominant 7-Diminished. In C it’s C D E F G G# Bb B. There’s no A! I wonder if a Barry Harris expert could elaborate on its usage and function and how it relates to the blues scale having an absence of a 6th.

[@jeremyhope1649]

6th is weak sauce for blues other than in passing, IMHO! See above comment about Dr John too.

[@frederickk2852]

Great opening explanation,needs a follow up please. That sounds like Dave Grusin ‘Ray’s Blues’ that you are playing. How about something on Dave’s particular blues style…Rays blues to Memphis Stomp, to me he does something different from the others. S Blues 😊.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Rays Blues, indeed! A whole video on Dave Grusin would be fun, but I doubt many people would watch.

[@frederickk2852]

@@JoshWalshMusic great pianist though. The Firm has a great soundtrack.

[@MichaelMcCabeGuitarist]

F blues! Thanks Josh!

[@petermcmurray2807]

F Blues Interesting take Zap09. In fact all Western Music is based on Intervals of the Chromatic Scale. This comment appears to have missed the point that there is of course a Major Blues Scale As well as a Minor. Every scale follows a standard set of intervals so learn the intervals and you are done. It took me a long time to realise this then a few months later I read Rick Beato's book page 1. DUH!! Yes Barry Harris Sixth Diminished Scale is as easy as the Pentatonic that forms the basis of the Blues Scales. Delighted that Monty Alexander cracks a mention - His Caribbean swing is great.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

To me Monty is the essence of the blues of the 90s-2010s, building on what Oscar, Red and others created through the 50s-60s. And now players like Emmet Cohen are innovating in new ways. I wonder what the old legends would think of the evolution of their music.

[@petermcmurray2807]

@@JoshWalshMusic Hi I only came across him by accident via a Paris concert on KZbin. He had 2 drummers to cover the Caribbean influence. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to your site to discover Monty and Barry Harris highlighted. I shall follow your guides. Thank You

[@Manasse69]

F blues, very 😎 cool!

[@KinoHaitsma]

Nice video. Tip: you have some phasing on the piano when you play, like a comb filter. I heard it in your other videos as well. I think it’s caused by the doubling of the mic recording the piano and the line signal of the piano

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Hi Kino. You are right. I noticed it before too and worked to fix it here, but alas, my fix didn’t work! Trying to avoid wearing headphones since it looks weird, but may be unavoidable.

[@KinoHaitsma]

You could try to avoid talking while playing, and then mute the mic in post production. Either manually, or with a “ducker” plugin

[@JoshWalshMusic]

@@KinoHaitsma That’s in my plan actually. It takes some rework on the studio setup, which I’m already updating anyway. My keyboard and mic do not record on separate tracks at the moment. They are fed into a mixing board and the mix is recorded. When I’m doing longer playing sessions without talking, like in the intro excerpts and transitions, or playing live on stream, the mic is muted. But it’s a bit kludgy to mic and unmic while talking. Really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

[@dh4589]

F Blues! Great content!!!

[@billycramer5524]

F blues. Dude, this is great. Thank you!

[@paddylandreville8501]

F blues. My second time around with this video, it's really informative.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thanks Paddy!

[@gdruby]

F blues, man. this really helped me understand how that old Abersold scale and records I was taught... fits and... doesnt.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thanks Gary!

[@DonyaLane]

F Blues... watched the whole thing! LOL And yes, by the end, I was hoping you would switch over to the "Major" blues scale.

[@hayleycomet8029]

Your piano sounds out of phase.. are you using two mics? or perhaps the piano is mic'd and your vocal mic is picking it up also? There's some phase cancellation going on especially noticeable in the upper range. Great lesson though, thanks! Try inverting/reversing the polarity (flipping the phase) of your vocal mic in your mix settings. If using two mics for your piano, try flipping the phase of one of the mics. If it's a digital piano with no mics, then it's your vocal mic mixed with the piano sound coming from your monitors that's phasing, again try inverting the phase on your mic. Hope that helps!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Hey man, appreciate this and you are right. That said, this video is OLD and from when I had no idea what I was doing (at least even less than I know now! 🤣) But seriously, I fixed this about 8-9 months ago when I built the new studio.👍🏻

[@hayleycomet8029]

@@JoshWalshMusic ok awesome, don't mean to be 'that guy' lol but glad you got it sorted out :)

[@JoshWalshMusic]

@@hayleycomet8029 hey man, it’s a community effort to pull this mission off. I appreciate you!

[@simontill1]

F blues. Great video - lots of things to think about!

[@pascalstriangle792]

9:34 "Cruella de Vil" (F blues lol)

[@Justin-hn1oj]

F blues. I like to think of the blues scale as a continuum of the minor and major. When the piece is more dark in nature, I hug the minor scale. Typically I like to mix in the major blues scale but still focus on the minor blues scale.

[@stevenh9178]

Josh, Was the ending... Ray's Blues by Dave Grusin?... F Blues!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

You got it!

[@stevenpatterson794]

F Blues Thank you!

[@eddiem7214]

F blues. Just want to add I feel comfortable changing the blues scale from the I to the IV or V blues scales on the appropriate chords.

[@richardm1862]

F Blues-- It is my understanding that guitar players mix the use of major and minor blues scales if playing in a major key. But they only use the minor blues scale when playing in a minor key.

[@sholland42]

Guitarist here, correct.

[@rik-keymusic160]

I just question how one is ever able to master all these things without a burnout or getting injured? In the books they al say to play in all keys but why would i spend hours practicing a blues in Db or C#? I don’t think I’ll ever find someone in my neighborhood that could do that 😅. But seriously, there is so much content to master that its hard to find a good way to structure a practice plan… the Barry Harris material is already a lot of practice to be able to apply al these rules, you have voicings, comping, and the list goes on and on and on… I don’t have a problem to find exercise but to handle being overwhelmed all the time 🤷

[@JoshWalshMusic]

I so get you! All I can say is that the process is a lifetime of work and don’t lose sense for the enjoyment of the process in pursuit of mastering it. Jazz is endlessly deep, and that’s what I love about it. In terms of playing blues in Db… I was doing that this morning. Maybe I’m a masochist! Haha. My suggestion would be to make sure you always pick your exercises alongside a tune you want to play. So, pursue what’s practical. I so appreciate this comment!

[@ActuallySettle]

F blues amazing content

[@waynocook53]

Session ove the wich 🤔🤔

[@peterbodofsnik9429]

Nice. F Blues

[@christheother9088]

E-flat Blues. Almost made it.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

🤣

[@dawnnwilliams2946]

F blues. I’m a bass player and you showed up in my feed. I watch the 5 level of blues, which I liked the way you broke it down. Then this one. Now I know why my jazz combo teacher always frowns when I mention the pentatonic scale. I’ll be sure to watch some of your other videos because I got a lot out of the two I saw. I also like your delivery in that you sound excited but don’t do that fake shouting thing. Peace.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Dawnn - so glad to have you here. Thanks for the comment!

[@jeffgillson]

F blues : Don't forget FEEL. You can create very effective blues phrases and ideas by simply taking basic ideas and manipulating the time and rhythm.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Yes! Great point.

[@seane4666]

E# Blues

[@JoshWalshMusic]

🤣

[@mariahammarin550]

F. Blues😁

[@mwicks1968]

F blues 💪👍🙏

[@JoshWalshMusic]

🎹💪🏻

[@jimmyjazz78]

F Blues in Bb.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Nice

[@joegaudino932]

F blues... 2 nd 6 yes and yes

[@webaidr]

Mix and match major and minor f blues

[@realraven2000]

F blues - thanks for this!

[@geoffroberts7545]

F Blues: Thanks!

[@robertmariano]

F Blues. Good content

[@user-ov5nd1fb7s]

I don't get the John Mayer and Joe Bonamasa reference. They both play the pentatonic blues scale all the time. None of them are addressing the changes. So it is completely the opposite of your video.

[@valeryushakov1516]

F blues. Thanks!

[@kmajor44]

F Blues👍

[@ryonkz]

F blues 🤘

[@JoshWalshMusic]

🤘🏻

[@brendandixon6861]

F Blues!!😀

[@MylesLoud]

F Blues !!!!!!

[@AndrewWalshGuitar]

F blues

[@zlatkodraskovic5532]

F blues🇦🇺

[@steelparade]

F Blues!

[@bassmonk2920]

F Blues

[@VadimOganesyan]

F bluies

[@davidrumpler5528]

F Blues video- You give a lot of good advice on playing the blues here. My only gripe is with the title of the video. A better one might be “How the Blues is Really Played”. I don’t see any reason to bring the word “modern” into it. That’s not essentially what this video is about.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Thank you for your feedback.

[@future62]

F blues! As with anything in improvisation.... just try stuff. The jazz police won't kick your door in for playing the wrong note 😅

[@JoshWalshMusic]

If there were jazz police I’d be serving life in prison for all my mistakes!

[@cedricary9633]

I’ve seen your videos on Barry Harris. So I’m surprised you’re messing around with a fake ass scale like the “the blues scale”. All you need is Barry’s dominant-diminished scale. The flat 7 and flat 6 is there. In C7 dim the F is the four but it doesn’t need to be flat since it’s diminished, Same with the 2: it’s diminished - so you don’t need no flat three or 4. YOU DO NEED SLIDES AND TRILLS AND CADENCES. I’m a Barry purest. He didn’t believe in modes or pentatonic scales or blues scales. The traditional “dominant” scale is Mixolydian. Uh-uh. The REAL dominant scale is a dominant chord combined with a diminished chord. That’s what the genealogy of the scales leads to LOGICALLY, and it’s naturally bluesy. It’s mixed but it ain’t no Lydian, haha.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Hey Cedric. Love this comment. I've met a number of Barry purists and I've learned so much from them. I loved to watch Barry roast people for talking about "bebop scales" with a hearty, loving laugh. I find it fascinating how many different perspectives there are to learn from. Appreciate your comment and insight.

[@cedricary9633]

@@JoshWalshMusic I empathize with you and your search. The journey must include looking at various views. I’m black and even I couldn’t find ANYTHING coming close to a blues curriculum that didn’t refer to “the blues scale”. I tried it. It didn’t sound right or feel right. I never found anything where Barry goes deep into the blues other than the 12 bar blues scale outline, BUT in one of his old Hague videos he breaks into a blues cadence as a demonstration to the students of an application of diminished notes - and the light bulb came on. So I started practicing the scales like Barry says and eventually stumbled into the REAL blues. After that it was all about learning the articulations of course like slides and rolls.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

@@cedricary9633 to be clear, I’m not defending one approach over another at all. I agree with you that the blues scale itself is a rather shallow sound, not nearly as authentic. What I tried to say in the video is very much in line with your comment. I appreciate Jamie Aebersold efforts to make jazz approachable. The blues scale has lasted a long time and gotten many people to pickup and explore the blues more deeply (myself included). But it doesn’t fully deliver the goods either. It’s just a place to get started. Perhaps there’s more to explore here in a future video.