Slimline Blues

COMPOSER’S ADVICE
This piece is written to demonstrate the use of the blues scale along with harmonic and rhythmic ideas over the recognized blues structure. Historically,  blues rarely strays from its traditional twelve-bar sequence, although here you will find some subtle differences determined by the composer. The layout described below will provide you with a good foundation. The harmonic structure of this blues is as follows:

4 Bars of the Tonic
2 Bars of the Subdominant
1 Bar of the Tonic
1 Bar of the Submediant
I Bar of the Supertonic
1 Bar of the Dominant
1 Bar of the Tonic
1 Bar of the Dominant

In the key of C:

Tonic = C major triad C-E-G
Subdominant = F major triad F-A-C
Submediant = A major triad A-C#-E
Supertonic = D minor triad D-F-A

TRIAD = Three note chords.

Jazz and blues musicians commonly refer to the written left hand in this piece as a walking bass. It follows the twelve-bar structure and uses notes within the chord along with chromatic movements. In a band, the bass player would take this part and the piano left hand would play chords.

The written right hand is based on the C Major scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B, the pentatonic on C: C-D-E-G-A, and the blues scale C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb-C. Combinations of these can be used to improvise your own ideas over the blues structure. Notice how the combination of Major and Minor scales in the Blues scale gives the Blues and Jazz its distinct sound.