Blues Patterns For Jazz Guitar

Blues Patterns

The three B♭ basic blues patterns used in this lesson are made 1 – ♭3 – 3 – 5 – ♭7. The ♭3 being used as a chromatic approach note to target the major third (3).

1 – The first one starts on the tonic note (1).

2 – The second one starts on the major third (3). The ♭3 being used as the approach note.

3 – The third one starts on the fifth (5).

Once you’re comfortable with them, try replacing the ♭7 with the 6.

This small substitution instantly shifts the feel toward a sweeter, more melodic blues color, great for adding soul and variety to your lines without losing the blues vocabulary.

Experiment moving between the ♭7 and 6 to hear how it opens up your phrasing.

Notice that the same chord progression (B♭7 | Cm7 | B♭dim | B♭7/D) runs between each pattern.