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Two Chord Jams songs and connecting ideas

#6
Well, the possibilities are nearly endless, with details depending on the particular chords and their relation to each other, but here are a few general ideas that I like to incorporate into such jams:

1. Keep in mind that, within limitations of the fretboard, you can always get from one root to the other by either ascending or descending. Think about covering two octaves instead of playing with just one.

2. Keep in mind that you can add a lot of musical interest with rhythmic variations, not only by note choices. For example, you can use various combinations of half-notes, quarter-notes, eight-notes, etc. If the jam is in 4/4 (as most are), I'll sometimes switch to playing triplets, which creates a kind of tension that gets released when I switch back to 4s.

3. Sometimes I'll ignore the chord changes and just pedal one note for, say, 4 or 8 bars. If the chords are A and D, for example, I might pedal the A for a while, since the A note sounds good under the D chord as well as under the A chord. Again, that creates a tension that gets resolved the first time I go back to the D.

4. Sometimes it's fun to drop out completely if you can find the right moment. Sometimes this gives the other players the chance to change up what they've been doing, and once they figure out a new direction you can come back in (perhaps with a different groove).
 
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#7
drewphishesp said:
Example D > A
G>D
E>B
D>E


what are some cool ways of jamming over these two chords without repeating triads too much
Click to expand...

The first three are all I-V changes, perhaps the most basic progression ever in a major key.

The I-IV is also very common but sounds different. While a V chord naturally resolves back to the I chord, the IV chord is a much weaker resolution so it’s a popular jamming vehicle because it never feels like it’s ending.

The D-E implies IV - V key of A major so it’s pretty unstable.

Another two chord wonder is I -vi (that’s 6 minor) like C - Amin

Now, as to what to play depends on how long you stay on each chord. If you’re switching every bar that’a a lot different than spending four bars on each or six bars on the first and two on the second, etc.

When the same chord lasts longer than one bar, it sounds fine to start on a chord tone that is NOT the root. If you;re in the key of C major and the first four bars is the C chord, you could play something like this:

C D E C - E G A E - G A C G - E G D E

That’s mainly chord tone with a few scale tones, the D and A being the two notes that fill out the C major pentatonic scale ( C D E G A)

Now if you follow that with four bars of the G7 chord (G B D F):

G D B G - B D G F - D F G B - D B G B

which resolves nicely to the C on the downbeat of the next bar

So how did I come up with that? It’s a mix of arpeggios and major pentatonic fragments. The next level would be to add the two notes not found in the pentatonic scale, the 4 and the 7, F and B:

C D E C - D E F G - C B A G - A G E D

You can also use the minor pentatonic to give it more tension, making it “bluesey”. Here the Bb and Eb are used from that scale in bars 2 and 3.

C D E C - E G Bb C - G Bb Eb F - C E G C

Some other licks you often hear using chromatic runs, including notes not in the major scale. Here’s one in you can use for the I-IV in C (chords are C and F, one bar each):

C D Eb E - F A Bb B - C Bb A G - F G Eb F

It’s just a mix of the major scale and the minor pentatonic, creating lines moving up by half steps (chromatic) in the first two bars and then just the minor pentatonic in the next two bars.

For I-vi in C major, two bars of C followed by 2 bars of A minor.

C E G A - C Bb G Ab - A C E C - E C A G

The Ab is not in the key of C but works as passing tone between G and A

So start messing around with patterns like this and like Lobster11 wrote, also start messing around with the rhythm.

Have fun!
 
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#8
One thing that can spice up 2 chord jams is adding some chord complexity.
so as an example instead of going D to G, go Dmin to G7.
This will give you a bit more to play around with.
With the above example you now have an extra common tone between the 2 chords and a solid passing tone between the 2 chords.

No need to go overly complex but adding something like a 9 or sus 4 to a chord can really make something inherently simple sound more interesting.
 
#11
Lobster11 said:
Well, the possibilities are nearly endless, with details depending on the particular chords and their relation to each other, but here are a few general ideas that I like to incorporate into such jams:

1. Keep in mind that, within limitations of the fretboard, you can always get from one root to the other by either ascending or descending. Think about covering two octaves instead of playing with just one.

2. Keep in mind that you can add a lot of musical interest with rhythmic variations, not only by note choices. For example, you can use various combinations of half-notes, quarter-notes, eight-notes, etc. If the jam is in 4/4 (as most are), I'll sometimes switch to playing triplets, which creates a kind of tension that gets released when I switch back to 4s.

3. Sometimes I'll ignore the chord changes and just pedal one note for, say, 4 or 8 bars. If the chords are A and D, for example, I might pedal the A for a while, since the A note sounds good under the D chord as well as under the A chord. Again, that creates a tension that gets resolved the first time I go back to the D.

4. Sometimes it's fun to drop out completely if you can find the right moment. Sometimes this gives the other players the chance to change up what they've been doing, and once they figure out a new direction you can come back in (perhaps with a different groove).
Click to expand...
This is a good start actually.

Exploring intervals like Roots and octaves
Exploring Rhythms
Staying on one chord
Space
 
#14
Aussie Player said:
Look up Cream playing "I'm so Glad" at the 2005 reunion concert and Uncle Jack will show you what can be done with a 2 chord song.
Click to expand...

Actually, listen to a couple of versions. There’s a relatively short studio version on “Fresh Cream”, a long live version on “Goodbye” and another short live in the studio version on “BBC Sessions” as well as the reunion concert. It’s always interesting to listen to an improviser’s multiple takes on the same tune.
 
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#17
Use the sevenths to your advantage, where it fits. You can also use fourths and seconds as suspensions that resolve up or down to the next chord. Another approach is to find the relative minor and use that as the starting and/or ending point for a phrase. For example, you mention D>A - which implies one to five in D major. The relative minor is B. So play a short phrase as if you are in B minor, over top of the D. If you finish a short B minor phrase over D and then resolve to A, you have essentially done what I mention above - used a sus2 (B) to resolve to the root of the next chord (A).
 
#19
I was going to ask - all of the chords are major?

So yeah the first three are I - V chord changes, the same thing just using different chords, but the intervals relationship is the same.

I know TB tends to hammer chord tones, but I always contextualize the chord tones in a parent scale. For I - V use the major scale of the I, which is the same set of notes as the Mixolydian mode of the V. Your diatonic 7 and 9 chords are all in the scale. Your motion between the chords is all in that scale.

Now the critical part to realize is the rhythm, the groove of your part, is WAY more important than the actual notes.

And you can violate diatonic playing if you want. For a bluesier sound you could use the Mixolydian of the I on the I chord and a blues scale (derivative of the minor pentatonic) of the V on the V chord. You could use mixo I on the I and Mixo V on the V. You can use chromatic approach notes wherever you want. It’s a jam, take some chances, use your ears.
 

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