8 6 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

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f youve heard Charlie

Christian, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessell, Kenny Burrell,
or Wes Montgomery play
their swinging brand of
blues, you may wonder
why they sound so different from the raw Texas and
Chicago bluesmen that
most of us know and love.
Sure, there are obvious answers: Each camp favors
particular rhythms, tempos, instrumentation, and
gear, and theres the issue
of string bending, which
jazzbos use sparingly.
But something else is going on. What is it about,
say, a Grant Green line
that distinguishes it from
one played by the mighty
Albert King?

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NOVEMBER 2001 GUITAR PLAYER 8 7

12-Bar BasIcs

One answer is that Green peppers his phrases with altered tones. In this lesson, well explore
these notes, and learn how to integrate their
pungent flavors into everyday shuffles, boogies,
and barroom blues. We wont get too
outsideno need to hide the children and small
animalsand we wont stray from the harmonic
perimeters of a standard 12-bar progression. But
we will venture beyond the blues box in search
of new melodic options.
These notes lie right at your fingertipsyou
just need to know where to look. So grab a guitar,
get in tune, dial up a fat, mellow tone, and lets
start playing hipster blues. The beret is optional.

MelodIc TensIon
Instead of memorizing complicated scales
or improv formulas, well use an old bebop trick
thats easy on the brain and fingers. But first, we
need to lay the groundwork by revisiting the
blues progression itself.
If you play blues, you know that the standard
12-bar progression is composed entirely of dominant-7th chords based on the I, IV, and V of a
given key. But sometimes dominant 7s sound
a tad boringespecially after youve chugged
through a few 12-bar cycles in the same key. One
way to add pizzazz is to substitute an extended
chord (a dominant 9, dominant 11, or dominant
13) for one of the dominant 7s. For instance, in
the key of C, the IV7 is F7. By fingering F9 instead, you get a more uptown blues sound without wrecking the chordal climate. This is a harmonic approach to colorizing the bluesone
you probably use all the time.
Another option is to melodically add color
by dropping a few dissonant notes into your solo
lines. Because the blues scale (1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7)
has some built-in dissonance, this is a familiar
technique. For example, the scales b3 and b5
rub against the I7s 3 and 5. Such musical friction
is part of what makes blues so compelling.
You can take this rub the chord principle
to another level by judiciously incorporating
four special notes in lines you play over a dominant chord. Called altered tones, these notes

Ex. 1a

Most blues tunes use only three

chordsa I chord, a IV chord, and a V
chord. Figuring out what those chords are
is easy. Just choose a key.
Lets try the key of A. If you can play an
A major scale, youll have no problem finding the right chords for an A blues. Just play
the scale slowly and count each note as you
go up. The first, fourth, and fifth notes you
play will be the root notes of your I, IV, and
V chords. For example, in the key of A, our
three chords will have A, D, and E as roots.
Since standard blues songs use dominant-7th
chords, our blues in A will use A7, D7, and
E7.
Now all you need to know is when to
play which chord. Most blues tunes stay on
each chord for four beats and play them in
the following 12-bar pattern:
I, IV, I, I, IV, IV, I, I, V, IV, I, V.
Just plug in A7 for I, D7 for IV, and E7
for V, and boom! Youre in the blues business. If youre at all shaky on when to
switch chords, burn this standard 12-bar
progression in before moving on to the rest
of the lesson.

harMonIc PIvoT PoInTs

You can improvise over a 12-bar blues
progression using the blues scale. (Apply-

are the b5, #5, b9, and #9.

The Power of four

A common trick is to play altered notes at
key transition points within the blues progression. For instance, you can build tension by playing one or more of these altered tones in the
measure that precedes the change to the IV. As
you complete the transition, you release the tension by playing a chord tone. Its easy when you
know the following arpeggio-plus-alteredtones technique.
For clarity, well stay in the key of C throughout
the lesson. This means our I-IV change (going
from bar 4 into bar 5) is C7-F7. In bar 4, well blend
a C7 arpeggio with its own altered tones and use

Ex. 1b

C7 arpeggio

Altered tones

ing the 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, and b7 bluesscale formula to any major scale yields a
blues scale from the same root.) To play
the hipster blues described in this lesson,
however, you must add altered tones at
three points in the 12-bar progression: bar
4, bar 8, and bar 12. Within these measures, we build tension, and then release it
when we reach the next chord. Heres another way to map the action:
Play altered tones in bar 4, while transitioning from I to IV.
Play altered tones in bar 8, in the I-V
ramp.
Play altered tones in bar 12, which is the
V-I turnaround.

alTered-Tone PaleTTe
As detailed in the text, you can create
an altered tone palette by merging elements
of a dominant-7th arpeggio (1, 3, 5, b7)
with four altered tones (b5, #5, b9, and #9).
By moving the b9 and #9 into the same octave as the dominant-7th arpeggio, and
tossing out the unaltered 5, you end up with
seven notes: 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, and b7.
Using these tones, you can craft tasty altered melodies to play in bars 4, 8, and 12.
AE

this explosive mixture to propel us into bar 5.

Check it out: Ex. 1a shows a C7 arpeggioC,
E, G, and Bb, (or the 1, 3, 5, and b7 of the C major
scale). Ex. 1b shows the four altered tones drawn
from the same C scale: Gb (b5), G# (#5), Db (b9),
and D# (#9).
Now lets integrate these two groups of notes,
as in Ex. 1c. First, to bring all our sounds into
a one-octave package, well drop the b9 and #9
(Db and D#) down an octave and wedge them
between the 1 and 3 (C and E). Next, well ditch
C7s bland 5 (G) in favor of the more restless b5
(Gb) and #5 (G#) sounds. Well shove these respective diminished and augmented colors between the 3 and b7 (E and Bb). This gives us a
total of seven notes: C, Db, D#, E, Gb, G#, and

Ex. 1c

Altered tones

    
  



























   
   
7  5  5 9 9
1
3
5
Chord tones

8 8 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

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Bb, (or 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, and b7).

To summarize: This one-octave, seven-note
palette contains three chord tones from the C7
arpeggio, plus four altered tones. Each pair of
altered tones is surrounded by chord tones. You
can think of this collection of notes as a scale
if you like (astute readers will spot its enharmonic equivalence to Db melodic minor), but I prefer
to visualize it as a group of chord tones and altered tones that have been zipped together. Either way, we have a fistful of tangy sounds. But
this is all theory until we can use it on the bandstand, right?

tones: b9 (Db), #5 (G#, written enharmonically

as Ab), and b5 (Gb). In addition to C7s root, we
also hit its b7 (Bb) and 3 (E). Coolsix out of seven possible notes.
By changing only one noteour destination
chord tonewe can adapt this lick to fit a C7 (I)
to G7 (V) change in our 12-bar blues. Ex. 2b spans
bar 8 (C7) and transitions into bar 9 (G7). If this
run sounds weird when you play it, simply strum
the C7-G7 change to attune your ears to the background harmony. Though weve just finished
playing two Bbs over C7, ending on B makes total
sense in the context of G7. Its the 3you cant
get more inside the harmonic pocket.
Ex. 2b shows how easy it is to transform a
I-IV altered lick into one that covers a I-V transition. The next nine examples are all I-IV phrases, designed to slip into bar 4. But if you simply
change the destination note from an F7 chord
tone to one from G7, you can generate nine IV lines to play in bar 8. Hep!

MakIng MusIc
Ex. 2a gets us started with a juicy I-IV, beatnik-blues lick. Remember, were moving through
C7 (the I) into F9 (the IV). Notice how good this
figure feels to your fingertips. It begins with a
curlicue tripletan essential part of swing and
bop phrasesand ends with a sexy pair of slides.
See how we begin with C7s root and end
with F9s 3 (A)? At either end, the line is anchored
in the respective harmony, yet between these
points, we glide through three of C7s four altered

then release it by landing on F9s 3. We repeat

the process in Ex. 3, only this time we target the
3 an octave higher. Our altered run begins well
below the A, quickly ascends past it, and then
falls back onto it in bar 2. A quarter-bend and
two slides keep the lick bluesy, while beat twos
triplet provides rhythmic variety. In this exampleand many subsequent onesthe #9 is written enharmonically as Eb, and the #5 is written
as Ab. Hey, well do whatever it takes to make
a passage easier to read.
If you look carefully, youll see a Dbm9 arpeggio (beats two and three) tucked inside the line.
Hmm, maybe thats a trick for generating altered
tonesyou know, arpeggiating a minor-9th
chord a half-step above the root.

QuIck BursTs of alTered color

Its important to respect the idiom when
playing blues, and sometimes a full measure of
altered color is simply too much of a good thing.
Ex. 4a shows how you can build tension in merely two beats. Were still moving from bar 4 to bar
5, but this time our altered ramp begins in the
last half of the measure. You can fill the first half

as aBove, so Below
In Ex. 2a, we create tension by tumbling
through C7 with a descending altered run, and

Ex. 2a

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

(I)

     
   
44


3















1

8 9 8
T
A
B

Its hard to say who started the use of altered tones, said Herb Ellis (right, pictured with

11

11

Barney Kessel), but [saxophonist] Charlie Parker may have been the king of it.

11

10

Ex. 2b

Ex. 3

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

G9
(V)

(I)

     
     
44
3

















1

8 9 8
T
A
B

PH OTO : J O N S I E V E RT

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

       


( )
44       

















(I)

grad.
B1/4

11

11

11

10

T
A
B

10

11

11

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NOVEMBER 2001 GUITAR PLAYER 8 9

the adage also applies to guitar: You dont own

a lick until you can play it in two places.
See if you can refinger Ex. 4b in other
waysplay the same notes, but use different
fingers and strings. It takes time to poke around
for alternative pathways, but thats how you
master the fretboard.
Altered sounds are so compelling that you
can play them as a scale run and still sound
musical, as in Ex. 5a . If you climb this spiky
ladder smoothly, youll have a nice, flashy way
to transition from C7 to F7. And, played in this
swinging context, the straight sixteenths create
exhilarating rhythmic friction. Best of all, you
get to use all four fretting fingers and play all
four altered notes in this impress your
friends lick.
Ex. 5b represents the flip side of the coina
slithery line composed of intervals moving along

with a familiar pentatonic line, duck into the

altered zone for beats three and four, and then
hit the IVs chord tones in bar 5 before a blues
purist can raise an eyebrow.
Ex. 4b illustrates an important point. When
you learn a lick, be sure to explore it in other positions. In this case, weve dropped Ex. 4a down
an octave, and positioned it on the third and
fourth strings instead of the first and second.
Techies have a saying that applies to backing
up computer files: You dont own your data until it exists in two places. Paraphrased slightly,
Ex. 4a

Ex. 4b

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

    

 
44

3

















(I)

12 11 9

11

T
A
B

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

Ex. 5b

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

(I)

  






44 
       
















T
A
B

10 11

8 9 11

9 11

6 7

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

(I)

       
4















4


1

10

T
A
B

Ex. 5c

10

Ex. 6

= 88-108
3

  =   C7
1

10

10 8

9 0 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

F9
(IV)

(I)


44

       

















3

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

(I)

T
A
B

T
A
B

= 88-108
3

9 10

    
4

 















4

Ex. 5a

F9
(IV)

(I)

two strings, as opposed to a dense, four-string

scale. This is a stealth altered run. Unlike the
previous example, it doesnt look jazzy, but as
you head into the IV, you get to slip the #9 and
b9 between C7s root and b7.
The next, closely related example demonstrates the lick factory concept. By simply
changing a phrases rhythmand adding or
subtracting a few notes accordinglyyou can
build a new lick from one you already know. Ex.
5c clones Ex. 5bs essential melodic arc, yet the
triplets create a denser texture and buffer the
#9 and b9 with more chord tones. Weve borrowed the rhythmic pattern from a blues turnaround and merged it with our previous altered
run. There are dozens and dozens of such
phrasesoffshoots of what you already
knowwaiting to be discovered. Make it a habit
to search them out.

4
    















 4      
1

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T
A
B

5 6 5

and a groovy Bb-F7 gospel-piano move.

Heres the lick-factory principle at work
again. In Ex. 7b, we drop the previous examples opening move down an octave, then reverse the tritone jump, and finally conclude
with Memphis sliding sixths. Kenny Burrell
meets Steve Cropper!

weavIng a denser weB

alTered Turnarounds

Ex. 6 explores altered sounds on the low

strings. We start with a straight series of scale
tones, but this stair-step approach is softenedeven disguisedby beat ones slide and
beat threes hammer. And heres something
cool: The succession of notes suggests that G#
(and of beat three) should be followed by the
next scale tone, Bb. But instead, we leap over
it to play a C-Db turn before nailing Bb on our
way down to A. Were encircling the target
tonein this instance, Bbwith neighboring
tones (G# and C).
Splashes of altered color blend nicely with
classic R&B comping, as evidenced by Ex. 7a.
This soulful lick incorporates a snazzy triplet
slur, edgy #9 and b9 altered tones, a greasy slide,
a surprising tritone string skip (bar 2, beat one),

So far, weve focused on the I-IV transition

that begins in bar 4 and reaches into bar 5. Lets
now look at bar 12 and figure out ways to build
altered turnarounds from G7 to C7the V-I
change that completes one 12-bar blues progression and launches another.
First, we need to build a new palette of notes.
Easywell repeat the procedure we used in
Examples 1a, 1b, and 1c, except now well use
G7 as the tone generator.
Ex. 8a shows a G7 arpeggioG, B, D, F, (or
1, 3, 5, and b7 of the G major scale). Also drawn
from the G major scale, our four new altered
tones appear in Ex. 8b. They are Db (b5), D# (#5),
Ab (b9), and A# (#9). As we did in Ex. 1c, lets drop
the 5 (D) and integrate the remaining chord

I leave out connecting notes that a lot of other

players might throw in all the time, said Larry
Carlton in the May 78 GP.

Ex. 7a

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

         
 
   




44


3


























(I)

1
2

3
3
3

11 12 11
T
A
B

14

13

11

10

15
15
15

13

13
13 14
13

Ex.. 7b

= 88-108
3

  =   C7

F9
(IV)

(I)

  
  




44

       


























1

3
2

T
A
B

8 9 8

Ex. 8a

11

10

Ex. 8b

G7 arpeggio

Altered tones

10
10

8
8

(8)
(8)

Ex. 8c

Altered tones

    

  





































7  5  5 9 9
1
3
5
Chord tones

9 2 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

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PH OTO : C L AY TO N C A L L

shorT & sweeT

tones with the altered tones. As Ex. 8c shows,

we again get seven notesG, Ab, A#, B, Db, D#,
and F (1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, and b7).
The fun begins in Ex. 9a, where we resurrect
the melodic figure in Ex. 3. Here, we sprinkle
three altered tones (Ab, D#, and Bbthats A#
written enharmonically) over G7 to pump up
the tension. Listen for the stepwise line that
starts in the middle of G7: Bb, Ab, G, F, E. Composed of alternating whole- and half-steps, this
line doesnt quit until we hit C7s 3.
Lets try the phrase again in a new position
Ex. 9b). Note: Were using the same fingering
(E
as Ex. 3, but this time were moving from the V
to the I, instead of from the I to the IV. Now you
have two fretboard areas where you can craft
variations of this flowing, melodic lick.

As we discovered in earlier examples, a little

altered color goes a long way. Ex. 10a provides
a quick burst of melodic tension thats released
when we hit C7s root. The altered tones grind
G7 for less than two beats, but thats enough to
get the job done.
Ex. 10b is another quick V-I phrase. With a
triplet ascent, it opens like a coiled spring, encircles the G before tagging it, and makes a
smooth landing on C7s 3.

Be a MIx MasTer
Its easier to sell altered sounds when they
arent heard in stark isolation, so remember to
blend the old with the new. Ex. 11 illustrates the
process. Beats one and two contain an unaltered

Ex. 9a

= 88-108
3

  =   G7

C7
(I)

(V)



44                



















4

separate scales, but more in terms of sounds,

said Joe Pass. I use whatever seems right to my

T
A
B

ear.

10

11

let ring

= 88-108
3

(V)

   
44         



















3

grad.
B1/4
T
A
B

4 5

  =   G7

C7
(I)

(V)


44 
         

















3
1

9 4 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

C7
(I)

          
4 
















4
3
1

guitarplayer.com

= 88-108
3

  =   G7

C7
(I)

(V)


44               
















3
3

T
A
B

3 4 3

T
A
B

= 88-108
3

8
8
8

10

(V)

  =   G7

Ex. 11

T
A
B

11

= 88-108
3

Ex. 10b

1
2

Ex. 10a

C7
(I)

Ex. 9b

  =   G7

grad.
B1/4

When I play, I dont think in terms of

3
6
4

PH OTO : C L AY TO N C A L L

G7 arpeggio that sounds bluesy and classic. Suddenly, in beats three and four, the altered colors
appear, but as quickly as the tension mounts,
its dissipated when we resolve to C7s root. Did
you notice the encirclement? This is the most
dramatic example yet. Before hitting our target
C, we approached it from a half-step above (Db)
and then a half-step below (B).
Ex. 12 has a more intense altered sound, but
it still feels bluesy, thanks to its guitar-centric

exTra credIT
All of the phrases in this lesson snap into focus when you play them against the intended
harmony. Its well worth the effort to record or
loop the chords for a 12-bar blues in C, and then
test drive the licks over the progression. To bring
out jazzy flavors in your comping, try hip V
chords containing altered 5s and 9s. (For exam-

Ex. 12

Ex. 13

= 88-108
3

  =   G7

C7
(I)

(V)

  
3
44  
    
 
















3
1

3
T
A
B

ple, try G7#5 in the last bar of a C blues.)

Until youve made friends with these new
sounds, stay in C. Once you can truly hear these
lineswhich means youve moved past simply
playing patternsits time to expand to other
keys. All the while, strive to spin your own variations of these blues lines. Its a gradual process
that can take several years, but thats okay. The
goal is to make altered tones sound organic and
not like mental exercises.
Listen to a lot of hipster bluesyou cant
go wrong with the two-volume The Best of
Grant Green and celebrate the occasion
whenever you successfully sneak altered tones
into your pet blues phrases. Above all, to quote
the late, great Howard Roberts, dont let the
seams show.
g

fingering. For more grease, play that succession

of 3-1 fingerings as pull-offs.
Its fitting that we end where we began. Ex.
13 shares Ex. 2as construction, but weve adapted the moves to the V-I change, rather than the
original I-IV move. If you play the lick against
a G7-C7 cadence, youll hear how well the
melody works in this new context.

6 4

= 88-108
3

  =   G7

4        
   















4 3
1

9 6 GUITAR PLAYER NOVEMBER 2001

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3 4 3
6

C7
(I)

(V)

T
A
B

3
2