Picking nice notes for dominant chords in blues changes

[osciphex]

So lets say I'm playing blues in F. On the IV chord, Bb7, I can choose notes from Bb mixolydian, Bb blues, or even F blues. Oh, and Bb lydian dominant too. If I were to just mix and match notes from all these scales within, for example, two bars of Bb7, I think things could become a big mess pretty quick.

Do I want to keep the scale I'm drawing notes from consistent over a given section of Bb7? Or can I really play nearly anything? (actually, there are two scale degrees that arent in those scales- the maj7 and the +5/b13... I guess those are off limits) Do people have general tips for sounding nice while playing through dominant chords in the blues? Do I want to emphasize the 3rd? The minor 7th? Certain chord tones on certain beats, etc?

[dvh]

Answers to this will help me also.

[BassChuck]

Why not cop a few basslines and solos that you like and see what they use?

Sometimes what makes a certain note sound right is the way you get into it... or the way you get out.

Best yet, record yourself singing over the changes... chances are you have the right sound in your ear already.

[stedtale]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

Why not cop a few basslines and solos that you like and see what they use?

Sometimes what makes a certain note sound right is the way you get into it... or the way you get out.

Best yet, record yourself singing over the changes... chances are you have the right sound in your ear already.

+1

I learned a lot about the blues by listen to B.B., they guy can solo using 4 notes, and it sounds so good.


You can really use an altered F blues scale (1,2,3,4,#4, 5, b7, 7, 8) for the entire changes, or the blues scale for each chord (F, Bb, C).

Personally, I float around the 3rd (maj or min or both depending on the tune) and the b7th of each chord. I always try to avoid the root and a P4 for the chord to (I'd rather play a #4 than a P4).

Start by just trying to emphasize a chord tone from each chord, don't just rip up and down scales, be musical. I've heard way more blusey/musical half/whole note solos that soulful/blusey 32nd note solos.


EDIT: I just realized you were not asking about solos, sorry. my apey bad.

[SmittyG]

First, ditch the scales. You can describe what I'm going to tell you in those terms, accurately I might add, but that isn't how the thought process actually goes. You are supporting chord progressions and that is what you need to be thinking of--chords.

Most of your bass lines, as with most all bass lines in any genre, will start with roots and fifths. In blues, the tone is heavily dominant. In fact, in almost all cases, even if the harmony is a straight major or minor chord, you can throw that minor 7th in there to make things "bluesy".

Another issue with blues music is that you get this "blurring" between major and minor chords. Thus, unless I absolutely KNOW how the guitars or keys are going to hit those chords, I tend to avoid the 3rd tone. About the only exception is when I'm walking a slow blues; in that case the b3rd, 3rd, 4th and #4th are all great walking tones--the specific harmony will dictate which will be strong tones and which will be weak tones.

Listening to great blues and jamming along will give you more ideas, but that little bit will actually go a long way. When in doubt, there is only one cardinal rule for blues bass: hit the root on the one.

Good luck.

[DocBop]

All those scale are good and work, but you first need to practice and focus on one note at a time. Use my fave scale Lydian b7 and I will hope you have already worked on the chord tones 1, 3, 5, b7 and know what they sound like and when you like to use them. If not you need to back up and do that first.

So first color tone is the 9th now sit and practice the Blues and try using the 9th a lot. Listen to it and get sound in your ear. Try it as a target tone on strong beats, try it as a passing tone. What notes sound good after it, before it. Maybe you don't like it. Does it work better in a bass line (and how) versus soloing. What if the chord is a 9th chord and what if it isn't. Get the idea. Now next color tone is the #4 (or #11) same process. This is how guys spend their time after they got the fundamental down. Playing and listening, change up how you use the note and play and listen more. Make notes mental or text. This is the fun part of practicing to me.

Now other thing especially with Blues... You are right that is a lot of potential notes so key is learning the sound I discuss above, but then learning to phrase, learning to take a motif and develop it. I got a great demo in this from Robben Ford back in my guitar days. Blues is great for learning to develop motif's because it's easy to hear all the great Blues players do it. First a motif is short musical phrase in some ways like a short lick or riff. Start short could be one note or two, but lets for sake my bad typing use 3 notes. So a C Blues use the G, Bb, C as your starting motif. Put some Soul in the rhythm and play just 3 notes and rest of phrase. Repeat it again maybe accenting the Bb and staccaco the C and rest. Now this time add one more note a Eb and back to C. Now you have a Blue note added. Maybe same note a little faster and go up Eb and all the way back down to the G. Get the idea start with a couple notes a motif, the build and develop that motif. Work it for a chorus, more if you like, then create a new motif and same process. Listen to the Blues greats and you will hear them do this all the time building and building till they feel time for another motif. Transcribe solos and start looking for the motif a play is using some maybe be long, but you will see a pattern they are working. Like Chick Corea the great Jazz/Fusion piano player. Chick is amazing at using rhythmic motifs, a patterns of an odd number of notes/beats. He then cycles that rhythm over and over till he resolves back to one again. Sometimes if feels like he will never get back but he does. Also this isn't just a solo thing, many great bass parts do the same thing. The bass player starts with a simple line, repeats it till user can recognize it, then starts developing it over course of the song.

So learn the sound of each note in a scale and how you like using it. Then create a motif with that note and develop it. Develop the motif both by adding notes and rhythmicly.