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Playing changes in Jazz & Blues

conttador

conttador

Supporting Member
Jun 10, 2010
1,639
2,228
San Antonio, TX
#1
If you play jazz or blues I want to know how you approach changes. Everyone tells me that they feel them but how do you get to that level?

When I play I am usually thinking one measure ahead of where I'm playing. So if I'm playing an F blues on the first bar I am thinking going from F to Bb or C and so on and so forth. I am not sure this is the best approach so what's your approach?

Also, I am working on changing my approach from chords to more like from the root or tonic to the 4th or to the 5th. It would probably make more since when it come to transposing. Other musicians tell me that I shouldn't have to think about it but I don't understand what that means. Any insight you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 
#5
conttador said:
Other musicians tell me that I shouldn't have to think about it but I don't understand what that means. Any insight you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Used to hate it when the older guys told me to feel it.

But, that is usually the best way. I assume a chord progression. I play Country and that means the progression is going to be I-IV-V7-I with perhaps a ii or vi thrown in for color. I assume I-IV-V7-I and listen to see if that is what is happening. Jazz and Blues will not venture far from that ole classic progression.

Long story short. The type of music being played normally has a chord progression associated with it. I assume, guess is probably a better word, the chord progression then listen to see if I was correct. Yes, you have to trust your ear to pull this off.

How do you do that? Ten plus years of playing Country rhythm guitar prior to moving over to the bass did help. We have over 200 songs in our gig book. Only one is in a minor key and most are I-IV-V7. Kinda safe bet. I bet your music follows the same ole set of progressions. Get a fake book and look for yourself.
 
#6
I think its a matter of listening to songs and copying them. Learning them thoroughly. You will start to hear the walk up to chords and walk up to the next chords and walk downs. Then, if you do this enough, you may be playing with people and a song gets called out with the chords and you start to "feel' it. I know. Its happening to me. I've been at it for ten years now and I'm getting it.
 
#7
Youngspanion said:
I think its a matter of listening to songs and copying them. Learning them thoroughly. You will start to hear the walk up to chords and walk up to the next chords and walk downs. Then, if you do this enough, you may be playing with people and a song gets called out with the chords and you start to "feel' it. I know. Its happening to me. I've been at it for ten years now and I'm getting it.
Click to expand...

Do you recall if there was anything in particular that "turned the tide" for you? I listen a lot and practice a lotand every now and then I'm able to feel it but I guess I'm looking to find a tip or two as far as what to listen to/for.
 
#8
MalcolmAmos said:
Used to hate it when the older guys told me to feel it.

But, that is usually the best way. I assume a chord progression. I play Country and that means the progression is going to be I-IV-V7-I with perhaps a ii or vi thrown in for color. I assume I-IV-V7-I and listen to see if that is what is happening. Jazz and Blues will not venture far from that ole classic progression.

Long story short. The type of music being played normally has a chord progression associated with it. I assume, guess is probably a better word, the chord progression then listen to see if I was correct. Yes, you have to trust your ear to pull this off.

How do you do that? Ten plus years of playing Country rhythm guitar prior to moving over to the bass did help. We have over 200 songs in our gig book. Only one is in a minor key and most are I-IV-V7. Kinda safe bet. I bet your music follows the same ole set of progressions. Get a fake book and look for yourself.
Click to expand...

Yes, more often it is a I-IV-5 or a II-V-I. I will do some analysis to see what is added for "color". Thanks this is helpful. I guess the question now is how does one determine what color?
 
#10
conttador said:
Do you recall if there was anything in particular that "turned the tide" for you? I listen a lot and practice a lotand every now and then I'm able to feel it but I guess I'm looking to find a tip or two as far as what to listen to/for.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of it is intuitive and comes from playing a lot over time. Both blues and simple jazz follow some pretty standard rules as far as progessions go. The main question to be answered is whether your playing in major or minor keys and knowing the scales of those keys.

The best tip I can give you is to listen for passing chords that que the next change. Good guitarists and keyboard players use them a lot and I listen for those ques a lot when I play a jam or a pick up gig with players I'm not familiar with.

I think after a while you get used to hearing them and the changes become almost automatic. The big thing as always is to be a good listener.
 
#11
soulman969 said:
I think a lot of it is intuitive and comes from playing a lot over time.
Click to expand...

This is it totally. Music is a language and communicating at a high level is a skill, not a talent. Learn as much as you can and use it as often as you can.

If you wanted to be fluent in a foreign language, just reading a book, learning the words and sitting around your living room talking to yourself would not do the job. You'd need to converse with people fluent in the language and, in time, you to would speak well.... but with your own accent. In music we'd call that 'style'.
 
#12
all of the above -- there are consistent patterns at work. Some learn this through years of experience; others take a more direct approach

Once again I recommend
'The Harmonic Language of Jazz Standards' Marc Sabatelli

some of which is available online
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#13
Knowing the right notes to play is great, and all the suggestions above will be very helpful. :bassist: But to me, if you want to "feel" the music, you need to have a good sense of rhythm and dynamics. You can play just the root and sound great if you're locked in and have a bit of attitude in your playing. Study rhythm patterns and how they apply to different styles of music. It's taken me many years to realize this and I wish I would have taken the time when I first started playing.
 
#14
conttador said:
If you play jazz or blues I want to know how you approach changes. Everyone tells me that they feel them but how do you get to that level?

When I play I am usually thinking one measure ahead of where I'm playing. So if I'm playing an F blues on the first bar I am thinking going from F to Bb or C and so on and so forth. I am not sure this is the best approach so what's your approach?

Also, I am working on changing my approach from chords to more like from the root or tonic to the 4th or to the 5th. It would probably make more since when it come to transposing. Other musicians tell me that I shouldn't have to think about it but I don't understand what that means. Any insight you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

You have to get to a point where when you hear a blues or rhythm changes you immediately can identify what the changes are because you know these musical forms. You get to that point by playing these forms over and over until you can play them from memory in any key. Listen to the changes until they speak to you. It seems impossible in the beginning but it isn't, just requires lots of practice just like anything else you can do well.
 
#15
gmahoog said:
Knowing the right notes to play is great, and all the suggestions above will be very helpful. :bassist: But to me, if you want to "feel" the music, you need to have a good sense of rhythm and dynamics. You can play just the root and sound great if you're locked in and have a bit of attitude in your playing. Study rhythm patterns and how they apply to different styles of music. It's taken me many years to realize this and I wish I would have taken the time when I first started playing.
Click to expand...

How do you study rhythm patterns? Above all, how do you apply them in your playing?
 
#16
Phil Smith said:
You have to get to a point where when you hear a blues or rhythm changes you immediately can identify what the changes are because you know these musical forms. You get to that point by playing these forms over and over until you can play them from memory in any key. Listen to the changes until they speak to you. It seems impossible in the beginning but it isn't, just requires lots of practice just like anything else you can do well.
Click to expand...

You know I've noticed that there are some songs that I feel more comfortable with than others and of course the ones I practice the most are the ones I feel most comfortable with.

It also makes a huge difference who you play with. I am starting to hear cues when I practice with Aebersold play along CDs. The piano does a good job of building up the changes.
 

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