Use this JAZZ CONCEPT in Your BLUES GUITAR!

In this lesson, I'll show you how to get to the IV chord of a blues progression using altered chords, the altered scale, and ii-V-Is. This concept is frequently used by jazz-influenced blues guitarists like Robben Ford, Josh Smith, Matt Schofield, and Chris Cain.
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Guitar: 2000 Gibson ES-335 Limited Edition
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Table of Contents
0:00 - Introduction
1:17 - Ex. 1 - Basic 12-Bar Blues
1:49 - Ex. 2 - Adding a ii-V-I
3:50 - Ex. 3 - Altered Dominant Chord
5:27 - Ex. 4 - Moving Altered Chords
6:36 - Tritone Substitution
10:09 - Ex. 5 - ii-V-I Lick
13:27 - Ex. 6 - Altered Scale
14:58 - Ex. 7 - Altered Scale Lick
17:57 - Ex. 8 ii-V-I Lick
20:19 - Ex. 9 - Altered Dominant Lick
22:22 - Conclusion

[@uberjam-sam8512]

outstanding lesson! I think your triad lesson really helped me more than anything I've done in a long time. As you're going through all these different ways to play through the changes from the I to the IV really studying triads made it a lot more accessible.

[@Bertyification]

Jamey, you are genius! I’ve learnt more about the theory, the approach and playing the blues in an afternoon of watching you videos than I have in the last 5 years! Awesome 🤩 There’s hours of content here to digest and practice, in easily broken down bite sized sections. Thank you!

[@JameyArent]

Thank you and you’re welcome! Glad you found the lesson helpful.

[@martydibergi5228]

I will keep reading and practising until I get this.❤ You are awesome to do this. A kid at school gave me live at the Regal in about 1967. My head spun around. Met BB 5 years after a show. He chatted for 2 Hours. A kind generous man. I did not understand when he explained his tone was in his fingers. I really miss him.

[@GUITARSGIZMOS]

Great lesson. You are doing such a good job at teaching. Really one of the best I've come across. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

[@JameyArent]

Thank you so much and you’re welcome!

[@alexcantelou2469]

So many great ideas packed into one short video. Jayzuz. Muchas Gracias!

[@JameyArent]

Thanks and you're welcome! Glad it was helpful.

[@fenderstringbender7066]

Thank you Jamey .Great lesson.God bless

[@JameyArent]

Thank you and you’re welcome!

[@mikemusic551]

This is excellent. I don't think I've seen a video lesson that was so enlightening. You explain so well.

[@JameyArent]

Thank you so much!

[@williamlaven]

Absolutely wonderful, Jamey. Lots to unpack here which will be tremendously invaluable, thanks.

[@JameyArent]

Thanks and you’re welcome! Glad it was helpful.

[@uberjam-sam8512]

Great lesson Jamey! Super helpful.

[@JameyArent]

Thanks! Glad it’s helpful.

[@apgardude]

Jamey, great video! Packed with usable information and licks / chord ideas. You obviously have a gift for teaching… thank you. I’ma have a Tritone Sub for breakfast, another one for lunch, and then a sensible dinner. The Jamey diet…

[@JameyArent]

Haha! Thank you so much. Glad the video was helpful for both the guitar licks and meal planning.

[@nathanbolen7624]

Awesome thank you for this lesson. I really enjoyed learning other ways of adding a little more tension in playing and getting listeners engaged. Again,thank you

[@JameyArent]

You're welcome. Glad it was helpful!

[@slawekiwanek402]

Great explanations. Thank you so much !

[@JameyArent]

Thank you and you’re welcome!

[@CharleyHolland]

Good to know if music doesn’t pay the bills you can open a food truck selling Tritone Subs.

[@m.vonhollen6673]

Good joke! In case you, or anyone else, doesn’t understand what a “tritone sub” is, here goes. Say you’re going from a G7 to a C major, in that G7 chord B is the 3rd and F is the b7. That interval between B and F (or F and B) is a #4 or a b5. That interval is 2 notes separated by 3 whole steps, hence the term “tritone”. Now if you take the bass note of G and replace it with a note that’s a tritone away, C#, now instead of going G7-C, you can now go C#7-C. You have replaced that G7 chord with its TRITONE SUB (a chord that has the same tritone but a different bass note). That’s my best explanation of what it is. Cheers! (That’s because C#7 has F as it’s 3rd and B as it’s b7, the inversion of G7’s tritone also of F and B.)

[@trafyknits9222]

It's also cool to use an augmented chord before going to the 1 chord. Perfect example is Allman Bros "Stormy Monday".

[@martydibergi5228]

Any help in the Proper chords of their version? I play it wrong. At 71, and health problems I have memory challenges. Thanks for any help❤

[@luckyl4746]

Excellent lesson. Thank you

[@JameyArent]

Thank you and you’re welcome!

[@mickmandana]

Excellent... Thanks

[@sgtcaco]

Really useful stuff, thank you.

[@JameyArent]

You’re welcome!

[@Peter-sk5vg]

Beautiful 😊

[@JameyArent]

Thank you!

[@m.vonhollen6673]

Top-notch!

[@JameyArent]

Thanks!

[@martydibergi5228]

Did Wes know theory? I read he struggled reading charts. Didn’t stop him though❤

[@JameyArent]

I’ve heard he didn’t read music. Many of our favorite players couldn’t read music or know the theory behind what they played, they just had amazing ears and practiced their instrument.

[@mickmandana]

Thanks!

[@JameyArent]

Thank you for the Super Thanks!

[@gtrdoc911]

Great stuff. Very cerebral.

[@JameyArent]

Thanks!

[@bluesdawg8014]

Great lesson Thanks Los Angeles

[@JameyArent]

Thanks and you’re welcome!

[@johnmccullough8705]

E Melodic Minor Would Work For Improvisation…Because A Lydian Dominant (Lydian b7) Is the 4th of E….The Altered Dominant is the 7 of E Melodic Minor (D#)…E F# G A B C# D#…Might Could Write the Progression In Mixolydian…B7-A7-D#7…OR I-VII-IV ETC…Great Technique Throughout the Lesson!

[@apgardude]

Jamey, I love your tone on this video… any tips for how to get that sound?

[@JameyArent]

Thanks! Get the @neuraldsp Morgan Amps Suite plug in. That’s all I’m using here!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

This is out of my pay grade...for now. I'm a Newbie and learning the fretboard, and just started playing double stops. I want to master my triads before I tackle sevenths or other fancy stuff. I'm just now practicing thirds, but also the 3 & 7 or 3 & b7. I was taking it through the Circle of Fourths, but now have to start thinking of two notes as being in two different chords. Food for thought, n'est-ce pas?

[@ehmmmjay9907]

Great lesson but man do I hate those black bindings on that 335, haha!

[@JameyArent]

Thanks about the lesson, but I love the black bindings!

[@hanstilstam7858]

brill

[@angrybuzzy]

Jamie! How can you leave out mentioning Matt Schofield! Great lesson though! 😉

[@JameyArent]

Good call! I added him to the description. Definitely a user of this concept. Thanks!

[@blackfishgaming7145]

Would this be considered a funk-blues rhythm? What would the feel be called? It’s truly a great lesson!

[@40pianos]

It's a blues shuffle - a type of swing rhythm.

[@blackfishgaming7145]

@@40pianos I checked out a few shuffle tracks. Different rhythm

[@JameyArent]

Thanks! For the rhythm examples I’m playing over a blues shuffle with a Charleston strumming rhythm. Check out my Blues Rhythm Guitar KZbin lesson video for more on that. The lead examples are over more of a funky New Orleans inspired groove.

[@blackfishgaming7145]

@@JameyArentthank you!! Keep up the awesome content.

[@bedroomexplorations6800]

@@blackfishgaming7145it’s definitely a shuffle.

[@RedMercuryBluesBand]

confused why in the key of A you call the Em7 the 2 - isn't that the 5 of A? - help LOL

[@JameyArent]

Emin is the ii chord of D7. We're temporarily thinking of D (the IV chord of the blues) as our new key, so the ii-V-I taking us to D would make Emin the ii chord of D, A7 the V chord of D, and D7 our temporary new I chord for 2 measures.

[@m0n3y5h07]

Em7 is the ii of D

[@RedMercuryBluesBand]

@@JameyArent I see - thanks much!

[@cleria18]

2-5-of D

[@michaelarthurmusic307]

The 2 (and 5) references the chord you are heading towards - Em7 is the 2 of D and A is the 5 of D. Therefore a 2-5 -1 Turnaround (where the 1 is D) is what Jamey is talking about. This confused me for a very long time...

[@freddymclain]

actually, the 4 chord should occur in the second bar.

[@JameyArent]

It occurs in the second bar as an optional “quick change” but the longer landing on the IV in a traditional bar occurs in bars 5-6.

[@freddymclain]

@@JameyArent 'quick change' and 'longer landing' are new musical terms to me.